Week 79

Note: Austin has a new email address: austin.waller@myldsmail.net

On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 6:36 PM, Danny & Diane Waller wrote:
Hi Elder Waller,

We finally have a bright sunny day which was above 50 degrees. But we are supposed to get more arctic air soon. And yes summer will probably be murder.

I saw Chris at the mall on Friday. My cousin Vickie came over we spent the day shopping. We were both very tired. She found a bunch of bargains and I bought a replacement for the George Foreman grill. I spoke to Chris. He gave me a phone number for you when you get home. He is working at a mental institution and living at home. He looked like he used to.

I had a new experience at church today. Five year old Stanley was sitting beside me. He had crayons and paper. On a piece of paper there was a hangman game ready to play. Just before the sacrament was passed he asked me if I wanted to play. He was in my primary class and his parents said I was his favorite teacher which they said was a BIG deal. So I whispered to wait until after the sacrament was passed. He did and was ready to play. I wrote the letters on a sheet of paper to avoid talking and he applied them to the game. There were about 24 blanks and I wondered if Stanley was a super smart kid. But pretty soon I realized he was playing the game by his own rules. I missed a few letters and then I didn’t miss another one. Although, the letters could not possibly spell anything in any language. Then I was given the task of creating a word and hanging. I made enough blanks for Stanley. He got all the letters but S, but, still could not read it. When I told him what it read, he gave me the biggest smile. He then proceeded to play tick- tac- toe. Of course I couldn’t win. Every time he had 3 x’s, he connected them no matter where they were. It was cute. Danny said his mother, who was sitting in the seat ahead of us, kept turning around and giving big smiles when she saw Stanley and myself. I was able to hear most of the talks.

Last week I cracked Danny up and embarrassed myself. I kept getting up and down from my chair in the living room. It was one of my sit downs that drew a surprised gasp. I had left my bottle of water in the chair and it had fallen over along the back of the seat. I did not see it as I plopped down. The cap burst off wetting my whole bottom. Hmmmm!

Dad and Larry finally were able to go golfing yesterday. Dad didn’t do so well. He’ll get better when the weather warms up some.

I start the 12 week chemotherapies of Taxall tomorrow. Again, not looking forward to them but very happy to get them completed.

That’s about it for the Waller’s this week. Hope this finds you well and happy. Elder Holmgren sounds like he is having a good time. Again, we continue pray for people to contact you for missionary lessons. Hope it is working.

Love you, mom


Aloha!
I am starting out every talk I give with that. Starts out great! Gave another one this Sunday on Choosing to Follow Christ. I basically bore testimony the entire time. Many people came up and thanked me for it. I knew though, that it was the Spirit that taught them those things.

It is good that you are having fun. Maybe it is not always fun for you, but it will be funny in the future.

Yeah, I'll talk to Chris when I get back! He is working at a mental institution? That can be hard from what I heard. At least he has something other than KFC. He hated that! Or he said that he would like something different.

I got a letter from the Young Women, the beehives specifically. The one who just moved there from Okinawa said that she actually pays attention in Dad's class. Normally she sleeps but he keeps her attention. Hmmm...I guess this batch doesn't have 666 tattooed in their forehead do they? (a reference to some earlier class members who were very challenging) She said that I might hear from the other classes. Uhh...that is all I can remember.

We were shopping today in the mall and those vendors were out. Elder Holmgren and I were walking by. One of them immediately came out and asked if we were married. We were so flabbergasted that we stopped and proceeded to tell them no. It was an Israeli and a Brazilian. The Israeli proceeded to do her little demonstration of skin care. The Brazilian tried, but failed. I know how to get away from that. Elder Holmgren on the other hand, ended up buying something. There were two French girls at another stand and when they heard that he was from Sweden, they turned their eyes on him and began talking quietly to each other in French. We literally had to run off. It was weird. Especially when they kept asking us why we don't have a wife because of how handsome we are. Yeah. Weird.

Anything else? Had another baptism this week. Bryan. He was in the Air Force and is now in the National Guard. Pretty good. He is very thankful for it. It is this kind of thing that helps me remember why I am out here.

Umm...anything else? Oh, we were screamed at by a member to not tract in a little apartment thing. Then we got chastised by the Stake President beacuse of it. Fun! Not really. I just feel like some people out here are doing more against the work of God than for it. Oh well. I also wish that some people would see just how much they are in the height of the pride cycle. I have never seen so much pride in my life! Not much else really. Just out doing the work.

Yo Ho! Yo Ho! A Missionaries life for me!
Elder Austin Waller