Hello my dear and amazing family!!! Last P-day before Christmas and we get to Skype!! It is finally almost here!! Wow! Thank you so much for your amazing email and pictures! I don't even know where to start though. My heart goes out to Beckie, Megan, and Rachel. It came as such a shock and was completely unexpected.
First of all, I am so glad that you all liked the package! It was so very fun to out together and give you all a taste of New York.....literally!! Let me tell ya, I am beyond excited to Skype you and Grandpa and Grandma Lindberg on Christmas morning! It will feel like we are all together! Thank you so much for your amazing email with all of your pictures! I loved hearing all about your week and everything going on! A ton has happened this week and so I hope everything makes sense and that I remember everything!
Last P-Day was really fun! We had such a fun time playing sports in the gym! It was a very cold day and we heard that some snow was on its way later in the night. So we woke up and did our P-Day festivities like laundry and grocery shopping and I enjoyed reading your email again and seeing your pictures! It was a TON of fun! Then I listened to your music that you put on my awesome voice recorder that has been so nice and handy! I wrote a few Christmas letters and then we took of to go play our sports! It was a lot of fun because there was a big buzz around all of the missionaries getting excited about Christmas and skyping their families! We played tons of volleyball, Gator ball, and chair soccer. We had a lot of missionaries show up and we all had a fun time and we couldn't stop laughing at some of the funny plays and moments that happened! Then after our awesome P-Day ended, we got to go out to eat with the Smith/Smock family and their 2 kids, Frances, and Grant. We went to a chicken place right down the street from our apartment and had a really great time! I had a platter of fried chicken tenders with fries and a biscuit! It was really high quality but I honestly like your chicken tenders better!!! Honestly! Then we went to try to have a lesson with Moses, our Bible referral but he looked through the peephole and never answered so we were a little disappointed about that but we were still excited because we had another lesson right after that with Charles and Monae! We taught them about Tithing, Fast Offerings, and Baptism. It was a great lesson because it brought back memories to Charles about Monae's baptism and he set a goal to get baptized sometime in March and so that is really exciting! We were so excited that he wants to get baptized within the next few months and I am so excited that I will be able to help him! Then it was time to head back to the apartment for the night and I was ready for a nice sleep because I was tired from running and shivering all day!
Thursday was a really awesome day as well! We woke up to a couple of inches of snow and so we didn't go outside for our morning run. We all listened to the Christmas music that you put on my voice recorder while we exercised and it was really awesome! Then it started to snow a ton but it was a really cool scene because the snow would lightly fall and it was just really calm and peaceful. So we had some great lessons and appointments set up so we were excited for that! We got a text from Ray Smith and he said that he wanted to take us out to a fancy deli called Katz. So after our planning and studies, we had a conference call and then we met Brother Smith at the subway station tor lunch! We had a really great conference call and I recorded most of it with my handy new voice recorder! He talked a lot about sharing the Light the World video and how he has only missed 2 Christmas's during his entire life and they were both on his mission. He said it may be hard but there are plenty more to come. We had some time before he met us and so we did a few lookups and even tried to visit Kathy Evans! I even got a picture of the name tag on her front door to her apartment! She wasn't home but then it was time to head over to the Bleeker Street subway station to meet Ray Smith! We had such a great time and went to really nice deli called Katz's. It is really famous and is known for their pastrami and corned beef. I ordered a full pastrami sandwich on rye bread and let me tell you, this sandwich was so good and the meat just fell apart. It had a ton of flavor! After that, we got some gelato next door and I got egg nog and smores! It was a really fun time and we were able to share a video on the Nativity with him! I was excited because he took our pictures and I was hoping that he was sending them to you! Katz's deli is a really cool place and has tons of pictures on the walls of famous people that have eaten there like Mike Tyson, Tom Allen, and so many more!After that, we started to walk over to our appointment with Godson but we got a voicemail from him saying that he had an appointment in Queens so he had to cancel. So then we went over to the Manhattan Temple Chapel and did our weekly planning for a couple of hours and then we got a text saying that mail had just arrived and so we took elder Brown's Christmas packages over to our Church on West 15th Street and then went to go see Brother Eades and Brother Forbes and we shared the Nativity video and also shared today's Light the World video. I loved it very much and shared it on Facebook for everyone to see. Then we had a later dinner appointment with Brother and Sister Toomey and we also brought the Christmas spirit into their apartment! We had some tamales, refried beans, and rice and had a great discussion with them! Then we headed back to the Church to pick up Elder Brown's Christmas package since we had to drop them off after we picked them up from the Manhattan Temple Chapel. Then after we got back to the apartment, he opened them and his family had the same great idea that you did! He had most of his presents wrapped and had some treats for him to enjoy up until Christmas. But he didn't get any delicious homemade treats like I did!!! What a lucky guy I am!!!
Friday was SOOOOO incredible!!! We all woke up so excited for the Christmas party and we couldn't wait to get there!! One cool thing is that it was Elder Rocha's birthday as well! I was thinking about you all the whole day and hoping Dad was having a great rest of his trip and a safe flight home. I was also thinking about you because I was excited for you to open your Christmas package! We woke up a half an hour early to accommodate the trip up to Ossining. That is were I said goodbye to Elder Howard and where we headed over to Manhattan to meet Elder Brown. It is pretty far upstate and so we had to wake up early so we had enough time to get there and boy.....were we excited! I remember looking at pictures of last year's mission party and how much fun it would be to attend it and now here I am! So we got ready and then took a train up to Grand Central Station to get on the Metro North railroad that takes us all the way up! The whole trip we were talking together with the 4 of us and we just couldn't believe that it was already almost Christmas and we were all talking about our Skype calls that we are all so excited for! We got to Grand Central Station a little early and so we bought our tickets for the Metro North Railroad and then we did something that I will never forget! Most of the city missionaries got to the station at about the same time and so we decided to sing Christmas carols in Grand Central Station! We got to sing 4 songs in front of thousands of people as they walked by and just as we were about to be done and head to get our seats, a guy came up to us and yelled at us for singing. He said "No! None of that singing here." It was funny because we were done anyway and so we just grabbed our bags and took our seats! The trip was really pretty and it took about an hour and a half to get there. What can I say other than wow! And amazing! The devotional was so incredible and we all had a great time! It lasted until 2:00 and we had an awesome time talking and meeting all the missionaries! We started out in the chapel and I used your awesome voice recorder to record most of the devotional. Both President and Sister Smith spoke as well as their 3 kids and played videos in between their talks and shared some amazing Christmas stories. It just made me realize even more how blessed and lucky I am to be serving here at this time! I look out for ways I can help those around me and it has been really incredible to say the least. The whole time in my mind I had you all pictured and I was just thinking about the many amazing Christmas's we've had together and how many more we have to come! One story that stuck out to me that President Smith shared was of a missionary 2 years ago on both the missionary and President Smith's 1st Christmas here. He said that this missionary had a tough family situation and they were not happy that he went on a mission. He said that on Christmas morning he went to Skype his family and they ended up not answering. He told us how sad it was for the missionary but President Smith was able to call the missionarie's Stake President and he allowed them all to call this missionary. He said what a special Christmas it was and how he will never forget. He also talked about the many annonomous acts of service he, his Dad, and Grandpa did when President Smith was young and how they delivered food and money to their neighbors. It just got me thinking and remembering how we love to deliver goodies. The whole meeting was just awesome and it really brought the Christmas spirit even more into my life and I am so thankful for it! I left that meeting even more excited to call and see you! After the devotional, they played a video with Christmas music that had pictures of every single baptism that has happened within the last year. We were asked a few weeks ago to send in our pictures with the name of the person and so I had 3 pictures of me in the video! It was so cool! After that, we had a huge ham, potato, roll, Apple pie, Christmas Orange, green bean, and salad feast! They had tons of Christmas decorations out on the table and then we got a journal, a card from the 1st presidency, and the annual mission Christmas card with everyone's pictures and names! I was able to see all of my past companions, except for Elder Howard and I even got a picture with Elder Kirkham! Elder Dick is training now in Danbury and Elder Kirkham is a zone leader in Darien! It was an amazing time and I was so excited for everything going on! We got to talk for an hour during dinner and it was just fun to see all the missionaries and meet new ones! It was crazy to me because I would ask a missionary that I didn't recognize how long he had been out and he would say, "1 month, or 4 Months." Then a couple of them that I asked told me that this was their 1st cycle and they had been out 2 weeks. I kept looking around for missionaries that I recognized but they weren't there. It just put into perspective how long I have been out and how missionaries slowly start to disappear. I can see myself moving up the ranks so to speak. I was so excited that morning to see your emails! Thank you so much for wishing me a great day and for the picture! I was also thinking about you and Dad coming home from his trip! After the devotional, we hurried over to the Metro North train and made the hour and a half journey back to Lower Manhattan. We were all the way up in Ossining and it was so nice to be back upstate but I was excited to get back to the city! After we got back to the apartment to change, we decided to finish our weekly planning and so we did that and then had some dinner. Neither of us were really hungry since we had a huge dinner and so we decided to make a light snack and then bake Elder Rocha a birthday cake from a cake mix. Last P-day we bought some frosting and a cake mix and so we whipped that up before heading out for the rest of the night. We went to go buy a thank you note for the Call family even though we thought of the idea a little late and so we tried to deliver it but it turns out they are out of town until January. The roads were so slick and there was slush everywhere. The weather here is so incredibly humid and the wind just cuts right through all of your clothing. It snowed on and off all day and it was pretty foggy. The fresh snow on the cityscape was just a really cool sight! There are more and more huge Christmas trees popping up with tons of cool decorations! I looked at the clock and is as hoping that Dad had made it home safely. We have really been focussing on service and serving like Jesus Christ would but there aren't a whole lot of service opportunities. I am so grateful to be here for Christmas and be able to be here for this special time of the year! I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and his birth.
Saturday was so awesome as well! I woke up and I was so excited to get your email! I was so happy that Dad had a great and safe trip home and I was so excited that you got to open my package! It made me so happy and I was so glad that you liked everything that I put in it! We woke up and did our personal and companionship studies after getting ready for the day and then we decided to clean up the apartment because we had an apartment inspection from one of the Senior couple missionaries. So we got the whole apartment cleaned and tidy and then we went to go see our good friend Kathy Evans! It just makes me chuckle every time we go over because I think to myself "Well, I'm going to see my Grandma!" We knocked on her door and then we found out something about her that we didn't know before. She has short term memory loss and so she didn't remember ever meeting with us or that we knew her. She was still really friendly and happy to see us but just didn't remember us. So we had fun talking to her again and giving her a Book of Mormon and inviting her to the linger longer Christmas dinner! Then we passed her records off to the Sister Missionaries in our Ward because she is a single lady and so now the sisters will teach her. She is a very awesome lady and I love her name! Then we tried to visit Andy but he wasn't home. So then it was time to visit our Bible referral that we had gotten a few days prior named Jesus Mena. He ordered a Bible and so we called him and set up a time to go over and give it to him. He loves in the project buildings down the street and it is a very rough neighborhood to say the least. It kind of looks like the neighborhood in Back to the Future when he goes back and the apartments have graffiti and garbage. It was a pretty scary neighborhood but Jesus is a really great guy! He is from the Dominican Republic. We gave him a Bible and Book of Mormon and then we went to go visit Brother Eades and Brother Forbes. We didn't have very much time before a really amazing activity that we did so we quickly showed them the video for December 16th from the Light the World. Then we had a quick dinner and then went up to the Manhattan Temple Chapel for a really awesome activity! It was probably one of the BEST experiences I've had on my mission so far! We had most of the Manhattan missionaries there and we did a gift wrapping activity where anyone could bring their recently purchased gift and we would wrap it for them! We had about 5 or 6 companionships of missionaries and we had a ton of success! Then just a few minutes after we started, President and Sister Smith, and William came walking by and greeted us all with a smile! It was really weird to see President Smith is regular clothes and without his nametag. He and Sister Smith were on their way to William's basketball games. It was so great to see them and they told me to tell you hello! Then I saw a really nice guy in his mid 70s walk by with his really nice wife and he had on a Iowa beanie on and as he walked past I said "Go Hawkeyes!" And then he said it back! He gave me a huge grin as he walked past! Then we decided to split up and do 2 tables and we went down to Columbus circle near the Time Warner Cable Center! It was quite the sight to see because there were tins of lights and decorations and even Christmas music playing while the light were in sync with the music! I even got a video of us! We had tons and tons of people stop and want their presents wrapped. We got to talk to tons of cool people and wrap lots of presents! One of my jobs was to hold a wrapped sign that said "Free Gift Wrapping!" We headed back to the apartment so happy and with giant smiles on our faces! I was really excited for Sunday!
Sunday was another really amazing day! We had our Ward Christmas party right after Church and it was a TON on fun! We woke up and started to get ready and we got a text from our Zone Leaders and they told us that we were having a mission wide conference call that morning at 8:00. We all knew that it was really important so we were excited to hear what President Smith had to say! He told us that since this transfer was only 5 weeks long, we would be doing our interviews over Skype instead of in person. After the conference call, we got to go to choir practice and we got to sing 3 songs in sacrament meeting! It was really awesome! We did 3 Christmas songs and then a single lady and her husband sang and played the piano. Then we had Brother and Sister Woolsey speak and they did a great job of talking about Christmas and how to remember Jesus Christ. Then we had our Ward Christmas party right after a church and it was so much fun and tons of people showed up. We had 2 investigators, Kevin and Godson in Church and they both really loved it and learned a lot. This ward is so awesome and we had a fun time talking with all of the members. For a late lunch and for our Christmas party we had ham, cheesy potatoes, pies, and so much more! The kids did a live nativity and were all decked out. They did a really great job! We were all so full and afterwards, Elder Brown helped Brother Forbes with a song he has been learning on the piano. Elder Brown plays the piano really well and can play lots of songs by sound. Then we came back to the apartment to text and call lots of people and then we changed and had dinner a little while later. One thing I was going to tell you is that we will only be having Sacrament meeting next week to accommodate Christmas Eve. Lots of people asked us if we were excited to Skype and I said "Oh yes I am!!!" The Ward party was so much fun and we got to get to know Godson a lot better. He has been loving church and is really learning a lot but it is still so hard to meet with him during the week because of his busy Uber job. So after our awesome ward Christmas party, we came back to the apartment and got to call a ton of people and investigators. We called the members who spoke and thanked them for their awesome talks and then we delivered a Bible to the Sisters who needed one. Then we visited a really awesome guy named Alan Chumbley! We had tried to knock on his door many times since I have been here and haven't been able to even meet him. So we knocked again thinking that he wasn't going to be home and he was! He is in his mid 40s and is a flight attendant. He grew up Catholic and isn't married and doesn't have any kids. He actually had some friends recently stay with him in his apartment from Salt Lake. They aren't members but they do know a lot about the church. So we got to show him the Light the World video and then we said a prayer with him and he thought it was really cool how we don't have rote prayers and that we included his family in his prayers. Then we were able to have ward correlation at Brother Mishler's apartment and it was really helpful! It was fun to talk about Kevin and Godson! I was asked to do the spiritual thought and I decided to share the Christmas story about Archibald Garner and they really loved it. After I got done reading it, the whole room was silent. It is really cool that I have been able to share this special story that means so much to me and share it with others because it really brings the spirit in! After that, we hurried back to the apartment to get home on time. It was an amazing and incredible day to say the least!
Monday was sad and hard! I woke up and couldn't believe that it was my 11 month mark! We woke up and did our morning exercise inside because it has been bitter cold, especially in the morning. So we worked out inside and everyone enjoyed my Christmas music on my voice recorder and then got ready for the day. After our studies, we headed up to our District Meeting. We had a really great District Meeting and we all learned a lot from each other! The work in our area is moving right along and Elder Brown has commented on how much this area has changed for the better and progressed since I have been here! I was so fortunate to have an area like Kingston where everything just fell into place and we had so much success in only 12 weeks of me being there. This area has been a little slower but that is to be expected since it is the city but things are moving right along and this area is ready to boom here pretty soon! Our 2 main investigators that we are focussing on and teaching right now are Godson and Kevin. We are taking things one step at a time and not rushing them since that is the pace we have felt like they need. We are trying to teach them according to their needs and at the pace they feel is right for them. The city has been a buzz lately as we are so close to Christmas! There is just a feeling in the air that I can't describe and the Christmas spirit has been all over the city. It is one of those sights that I just can't describe but overall, it has just been so amazing to be here in this great city for Christmas. In a way, it kind of feels like stepping back in time a little bit because of all the classic 1950s and 1960s Christmas music playing as we walk down the streets. There are also tons of window displays and lights everywhere that makes it even more fun to be here! I am so blessed and lucky because I am 1 of 2 Elder Missionaries in the entire world that gets to be in New York City for Christmas. It's just a crazy thought because there are 70,000+ missionaries in the world and only 2 that get to spend Christmas in one of the coolest city's in the world and I am one of them! After our District Meeting, we got to go to Wendy's and I used your gift card that you gave me for Christmas! Thank you all so much! It was a really awesome time and I was able to get a really good meal! Also it was fun because it was my 11 month mark and so it was a fun way to celebrate! After lunch, we went to go visit a couple of our Bible referrals that recently received and share a special Christmas message with them. Their names are Omar and Codill and they live just down the street from each other. Then we had something really amazing happen! We got a text from Omar and he wants to meet! After that, we went over to visit Brother Eades and Brother Forbes and we had a great lesson with them. As we were sitting in their apartment, I got the sad news. My heart goes out to Beckie, Rachel, and Megan. I was just so sad and just felt weak all over. I honestly didn't know what to do or how to react. We were on our tablets downloading a video for Brother Eades and Brother Forbes and I saw the email pop up. I saw that the title said Uncle Jay and so I tapped on it to find out what happened. I just didn't even know what to say and so I shut off my tablet, and just said to everyone that he passed away. I am still in so much shock and I miss Jay so much. The room went silent for a few minutes and I just was so sad. Surprisingly, I controlled my emotions and we watched a video together about the Plan of Salvation. It brought a lot of immediate comfort to a situation that was still so tender. It was the perfect setting for me to find out because Brother Eades and Brother Forbes have such strong and fresh testimonies of this Gospel and especially the Plan of Salvation. One thing that just keeps on playing over and over in my mind is an experience I had with Jay a few weeks ago. We have emailed each other almost every single week of my mission and we had so much fun talking about football and his amazing season that he had. Well, one P-day I mentioned that Utah State plays LSU the football season after I get home and Jay said that we could go together. Like I said before, I was just so sad and I couldn't believe it. It came to me as such a shock to us all and I was reminded of the Plan of Salvation. I know that we will all see our dear Uncle Jay again and be able to live with this good man for time and all eternity. Another thing that has been on my mind is just this last P-Day, Uncle Jay and I emailed back and forth and were able to talk with each other. Jay told me that he wanted to come and visit me and treat my companion and I to lunch. I was literally going to talk about it with President Smith tomorrow during our interview and ask for permission. Elder Kirkham got permission from him to visit his Aunt and cousins and so since I don't get to see Uncle Jay very often, I would have been able to see him. It is just such a tender moment but I have a strong testimony of the Plan of Salvation. Love you so much Uncle Jay! You will be so missed and will always be remembered! He is such a kind man and I have really look up to my all of my family members especially my dear parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins! I appreciate all of your strong testimonies so much! The rest of the day was just really hard and I didn't feel well physically. It was hard but I felt so much comfort through it all. I just kept thinking about Beckie, Rachel, and Megan. My heart went out to them and I wished so much that I could talk to them. I wanted to be there to comfort them and just be there for all of you. The hardest part was not being able to talk to anyone and so after we left Brother Eades and Brother Forbes apartments, we got on the bus and went to our next appointment but I was just so sad and I couldn't focus. It was with Alexsander and right before we went in, I just needed someone to talk to and so I did what you said. No more than 2 minutes after I got your email when we were with Brother Eades and Brother Forbes, I got a text from President Smith and he asked us how we were and then called a few minutes after I got your email. I answered and he asked if I was in a lesson, and since we were, he told me to call him back as soon as I could. So we got to near where Alexsander lives and I called him but it was busy and so we went into the appointment. I just didn't feel well and I felt weak all over just thinking about dear Uncle Jay and what a strong impact he has made on all of our lives. I am so grateful that I was able to email him just last P-Day and talk back and forth. During our lesson with Alexsander, President Smith called back and I excused myself out into the hallway since I knew how busy he was and there was a small window to talk with him. We talked for about 10 minutes and I told him all about Uncle Jay and what an amazing man he is. President Smith and his family love Byu and so I told him that he had just gotten called to be Branch President and how he played with Jason Buck. He knew exactly who that was and thought it was so cool. I had so much fun telling President Smith all about him! President Smith was so comforting and told me to testify to you about the Plan of Salvation. That was my 1 assignment from him to help you all. He said to love your family even more and hug them even tighter! After our chat, we were able to go over to the Wood's house for dinner. I just didn't have an appetite but still managed to eat because I had been pretty hungry. We had one of the best and most spiritual lessons I've had! I was able to share the special family Christmas story that we all love so much! Then Brother Wood talked about his mission and teared up when he mentioned one of his miracles where he was able to go to a baptism of someone he taught in his 1st area. We headed back to the apartment and I was so excited to see your email wishing me a Happy 11 months! It was a really hard day and Jay will surely be missed. The hardest part is how shocking and unexpected it was. I was thinking and praying for you all the whole day. I love and miss you all so much and I know we can all get through this trial together. My thoughts and prayers are with Beckie, Rachel, Megan, Joan, Nathan, and everyone else who knew this great man. I have been praying a lot for comfort and for you all back at home. I have been praying for each and every one of you. I went to bed with a prayer in my heart. Elder Brown had a really rough night. Before we went to bed, he said that he felt a little nauseous. He ended up feeling really sick during the night and was throwing up. We are so close to Christmas and I hope nobody else gets it and that he gets better quick. We are all so excited for our Skype calls!!!!
Tuesday morning came and Elder Brown was feeling a tiny bit better. He woke up and was just so tired and looked pale. We called the mission doctor, Elder Young, and he gave him a lot of great tips! He said that Elder Brown should stay in bed all day and not go outside or eat food. I just felt so bad for him and I wanted him to get better. Right now, he isn't feeling too bad so I hope that he got everything out of his system and that he is on the mend. Since we had to stay in our apartment, I was able to clean the apartment with Elder Staker and Elder Rocha for our apartment inspection. Elder Brown just stayed in bed and he really wasn't feeling well. I always hate to be the bearer of bad news and tell everyone that we have a sickness in our apartment. It makes me nervous that it is going to make the rounds. I'm very sorry that I don't have any exciting news about yesterday because we just stayed inside the whole day while Elder Brown got feeling better. I was able to watch the Joseph Smith documentary on my tablet and watch some Mormon messages and read some scriptures. I even wrote down my feeling about Uncle Jay and I couldn't help but think of him and his family. I hope you are all doing ok. The hardest part is not being able to talk to anybody about it or see how everyone is doing. Let me know if I can do anything for you! I would be more than happy to help out in any way that I can. I just hope you all feel of my love and support because I can sure feel yours! It was hard news to hear and I didn't know what to think or how to react but my mind kept going back to the Plan of Salvation. I have such a strong testimony of the Plan of Salvation and I know this Church is true. I have always known that but being on a mission has secured that testimony. I am just so grateful for each and every one of you!!! I can't thank you enough for everything that you do! I hope you feel Heavenly Father's and my love for you because I love you SOOOOOO much and I know Heavenly Father does too. He knows what each of us are going through and how we feel. Stay strong and things will always work out! It was a good day even though Elder Brown wasn't feeling well. I am so happy to say that I haven't gotten or felt sick and so hopefully it stays that way. I was just SOOO excited for your email and I couldn't wait to get it and see your pictures and hear all about your week! I can't believe that today is the last P-Day before Christmas! I am BEYOND excited to see and talk to you all! I am just so excited!!!!!!!!! We had an apartment inspection from Elder and Sister England and it went really well! They were impressed with how nice and clean our apartment is. They wished us all a Merry Christmas and then Elder Rocha and Elder Staker headed out for the day while Elder Brown rested. He just wasn't doing well and didn't feel well so he didn't want to overdo it. I was thinking about you all and hoping that your day was going well! I had a lot of time to think and I thought a lot about you all back at home and this special Christmas season that we have. At about 2:00, Elder Brown still wasn't feeling the greatest. He wasn't sure if he would be able to go out at all that day since it was kind of cold. Speaking of the weather, the snow completely melted and the weather hasn't been very cold like it was a few days earlier. It has been pleasant and no snow on the ground. It still doesn't feel this late into December. By about 4:30, Elder Brown was feeling almost all the way better and was a night and day difference! It was less than a 24 hour bug and he was up and out working hard! So we went to go pick up his mail and he got a small package from his Grandparents. Then we were able to do some caroling out in front of the Temple for about a half an hour before pur appointment. I just couldn't wait to see your pictures and read your Email! We sang lots of Christmas carols and had lots of people stop and take pictures and videos. There was a group assigned to Carol and another to wrap presents. It was a great time but we had to leave early to have an appointment with Brother Bonilla and have Brother Mishler meet us over there. We had a lesson plan but Brother Mishler insisted that I share my family story about Archibald Garner. I was so excited to read it again! This is my 4th time sharing it and it has brought tears to everyone's eyes every time. We were short on time and so we headed back to the apartment for the night and I was so excited to see your email and pictures! What an amazing email and pictures! Thank you all so much for the details! I was so excited to hear that Grandma and Grandpa Lindberg get to join in on the Skype! It will be incredible! I am sending 2 separate emails. 1 for Jay, and the other to set up our Skype Call! It will be so incredible to see and hear you all!
Well my dear and amazing Family, it was a TON of fun to put this email together! I can't believe that it is my last one until Christmas! I hope you all have an amazing week leading up to Christmas and watch lots of great movies and eat lots of treats! I continue to enjoy my awesome package and treats so much! I can't thank you all enough for everything that you do for me! I love and miss you all as always and think about you all the time! Stay safe and have the most amazing holiday season ever! Talk to you very soon! LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
Tanner wrote this letter to all the family about Jays passing.
Good morning everyone! It is with a heavy heart that I write this today. I am at a loss for words and my thoughts and prayers are with Beckie, Megan, Rachel, and everyone else who knew this good man! I hope this letter will be able to help those who are struggling during this difficult time. I am sending this out to the whole Evans side of the family in one mass email and so I hope it gets to everyone. My thoughts have been with you all and Uncle Jay has been on my mind a lot these last 2 days. I would like to share a few experiences that I have had with Jay since I have been out here on my mission. I think I just about emailed him almost every week and he has emailed me back almost every week as well. I have always treasured my family and you all have always been #1 in my life and I love to express that in any way that I can. Uncle Jay and I have enjoyed emailing back and forth and I have loved updating him on the work here in New York and he has loved emailing me about family, football, and everything else going on. A few months ago, I was able to talk to him and he wanted to come up here to visit sometime when he was here for business. Last week, he emailed me and asked me to check with President Smith to see if he could come up here one day when he was here for business and take us out to lunch. Then we got talking about football a few months ago and I remembered that Utah State plays LSU the year that I get back and he mentioned how much fun it would be to go with a big group of our family, so he wanted to take us to the game when I get home. Jay is such a great man and I loved all of the times we spent playing football and talking football with my Dad, Grandpa Evans and everyone else. I hope this letter helps all of you who are going through this tough time. I do know that things always get better. We just have to "Keep trying, be believing, be happy, don't get discouraged, things will work out." ~Gordon B. Hinckley. I know that the Plan of Salvation is a perfect plan and that we will all get to see our dear Uncle Jay again. I know we will. Beckie, Megan, and Rachel, I want you to know how much I love you and what a light you are to others. I am so grateful for you and everything that you have done for me and my family. Stay strong! I love and miss you all so much and I wish I could be there to give you all a big hug! Tell everyone hi for me and that I love you all so much!
Love You Always!
~Elder Lindberg
P.S: I'm not sure if I have the right emails for everyone and so I hope everyone sees this.
No comments:
Post a Comment