Weekly Letter 7/28/14

Hi guys!

Everything has been going well here. We had Robert Matthews baptism on Saturday, and it was amazing. Anne was so sad that Sister Holguin (the sister that was here before me) wasn't allowed to come to the baptism, but twenty minutes before hand, we found out that she was allowed to skype in, so it was really exciting. She bore her testimony and then Robert bore his testimony, and everyone in the congregation was in tears! 

We picked up a new investigator this week! Her name is Sheila, and her personality really reminds me of Grandma Nanna or Aunt Marilynn! Or it might just be the thick southern accent :) We had like a 2 hour lesson with her yesterday, she's hilarious and super elect. She's going to get baptized soon, I can feel it! 

Thanks so much for the box of sunshine :) I really enjoyed all of your letters and sunshine messages, and my roommates really enjoyed the candy, haha! So I had to go and pick up the package from the post office, and we went at 8:30 thursday morning right before our zone conference (which lasts til 4 in the afternoon). I wasn't expecting it to be full of chocolate! It was like 100 degrees out so I didn't want to leave it in the car, so I had to use my missionary ninja skills to sneak it into the young women's room in the church and stealthily hide it on the table right in the middle of the room, haha :) anyway, thanks for the shirt! I was super jealous that I didn't get one when I saw the cousin camp picture!

I hope that everything is still going good at home! Did everyone make it to Alaska safely? What's the agenda for the trip? Have they caught anything yet? What are all of the girls up to home alone?

Love you!

Love, 

Sister Lesser

Mom:

Everyone shares clothes out here, I actually have one of the smallest closets, people just like my stuff :) Things just tend to accumulate. I've already been given hand-me-downs from Hermana Melgar-fetzer. I don't know what I'm going to do with all of this stuff when I have to move! Everything with the puppies will go fine, that's what Lacey and Grandma are for :) haha. When do the guys get back from Alaska? Is everyone back from trek now? How did that go? Have you heard any pioneer horror stories? :) Do you know any good stories about our ancestors, or could you find some pictures to send me? This ward is really big on family history, and it's making me interested :) Did you know that there's a program on familysearch.org where you can find out what famous people you're related to and how?!?! Pretty neat stuff :) I haven't been able to figure it out yet, but it's definitely something to look into! Love you, hope your week is amazing!

Mandee:

I've got to tell you Mandee, I'm a little bit disappointed with your haircut :) I was expecting drastic, pixie cut, dark brown hair! tsk, tsk :) I always look forward to your e-mails because you tell me exactly what's going on, down to every random detail, like the time you made cupcakes and decided to take a selfie with them :) haha. Good luck birthing puppies and chopping tails this week, glad it's not me! 

Grandma Bowcutt:

It sounds like you guys are keeping pretty busy! You're so lucky that you get to babysit those cute girls, I'm jealous! I don't get to hold babies for 16 more months :( Oh well, you should send me some pictures! I can't believe that Monroe is a year old already, it seems like she was just born! Everyone is getting so old! I bet Kaden is even going to leave on his mission before I get back! It's a little bit weird being away from everyone, but it's rewarding being out here and serving the Lord. Hope that you have a great week! Love you!

Grandma Nanna:

Thanks for all of the pictures, I haven't been to Island park in forever it seems like! I want to go to yellowstone when I get back, it seems like you guys had a lot of fun :) Thanks for agreeing to help my mom birth puppies, Heaven knows that she needs it! haha :) Well, I hope that you guys have a great week, keep sending pictures please, I love to see how everyone is doing!

Pictures 7/21/14

Weekly Letter 7/21/14

Hi Everyone!

This week has been a little slow and crazy. I've been having a little trouble adjusting to a new companion, but It's getting better. It's been a blessing to have a companion who does things a little bit differently and is a little challenging for me because it's helping me to work harder as a missionary and to learn to look for the good in people.

We have another baptism coming up! Robert Matthews is getting baptized this Saturday the 26th! He and his family are so cool and have the coolest conversion stories! His wife, Anne, has been a member her whole life but has been inactive for a very long time do to a bad divorce. Her son (who also happens to live in our ward) was also an inactive member who had 2 kids, Austin and Gracie, from a previous marriage and was living with his girlfriend Lily. Well, one day Gracie came home from her Grandma's (mother's mother) house (in Brigham City!!) and decided that she wanted to be baptized!! They all thought it was a phase that would pass, so they started taking her to church and she still wanted to get baptized, and she did...and Austin.....and Lily!! They all got baptized because one eight year old little girl decided that she wanted to be a member of the church! That was about a month before I got here, and because of this Anne started going back to church and Robert started taking the missionary lessons! He's been a work in progress and it has taken him a pretty long time to realize that he got his answer that the church is true a long time ago. I'm so excited, and my previous companion, Sister Hamilton, (who has been working with this family from the very beginning of all of this craziness) gets to come back and speak at the baptism, so it's going to be a super awesome day :)

I am continuing to learn Spanish as I somehow keep going on exchanges with the Hermanas. I've learned about 6 Spanish phrases now (though I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know what someone was saying if they said them to me). I actually sat through an entire impromptu lesson in Spanish last night :) poor hermana Anderson had to teach the whole thing by her self, but I knew the jist of what was going on, so it's an improvement for me!

Hope that everything is going good at home and with everyone! How was the cousin camp? Is everyone good and healthy? Anymore big events coming up? 

Love you lots and hope that you have a great week!

Sister Lesser

Mom:

Thanks for the package! It's always nice to get things during the week, and those oils are really starting to come in handy. I'm sorry for always blowing you off when you tried to get me to use them before :) I have no idea where the gps is, it never came with me to St. George. I don't need it any more though, my new companion has one, so we're set for now :) That yellow polka dot shirt that you sent me is a real hit with everyone that I meet! I'm pretty sure Hermana Melgar-Fetzer is going to steal it soon :) When you send me the exercise cards, could you also send me a bottle of Clary Sage oil? I think Hermana Anderson is getting tired of me stealing hers :) We didn't pick up any new investigators this week, but we did find a few potentials, and we plan to really pick up on our finding, so hopefully we'll get a few this week! I don't sing too much out here. Sometimes I'll sing around the house, but that's about it. We're only allowed to listen to Mormon Tabernacle Choir out here. Luckily my companion has a whole bunch of CD's (did you know that Motab does show tunes?!?!) and we just switched our rental car, so we actually have a CD player now! (I'm not sure I ever told you that story. We had a 2014 Chevy Cruze, but it got recalled, so we had to get a rental car. We got a Chevy Spark, AKA the plus sized smart car, which didn't have a CD player! Isn't it bad enough that it didn't have leg room and we got laughed at every time someone saw us in that car?!?!?! Anyway, Brother Seely, our fleet coordinator, said that the spark was too small to be safe, so he had us switch, and now we have a Chevy Malibu. It's pretty nice!) Anyway, next transfer when we go to the temple, I'm going to stop by deseret book and get motab Christmas cd's with David Archuleta and the guy who's name escapes me, but he sings that one really awesome song in the prince of egypt :) We're going to have Christmas in August!! haha. Anyway, I hope you guys have an awesome week. Good luck birthing puppies! hahahaha.

Mandee:

That was quite the burn, I got burned a couple days ago because we decided that we wanted to walk all day and not use the car at all. Luckily it was tan the next day :) hahaha. It sounds like your solo in sacrament was awesome! Which song did you sing? I'm sure you're going to be a much better singer than me when I get back, I haven't practiced in over a year now! But maybe I'll get back into it in 16 months :) Have you ever heard motab sing the Circle of Life? That's pretty awesome! We were just rolling down the street the other day with the windows rolled down and blasting the circle of life :) It pretty much made my day! I'm glad that you're having a good time with the play! Good luck on those solo parts! Have you stopped conditioning yet? Have you gone to see those Tuacahan plays yet? I'm so jelous! That was like the only thing keeping me from going on a mission!!! You better let me know every detail of how amazing they are!! Have a good week, and have fun birthing puppies!!! haha :)

Dad:

Oh my goodness! letters two weeks in a row, it's unheard of!! :) just kidding, haha. It's sounds like you guys had a pretty crazy week, and another one to come! Hope you guys have tons of fun in Alaska! Catch lots of fish and don't let Tyson get eaten :) Seriously, if you can find some way to send me some halibut (and or some strawberry peach jam) I would be eternally grateful and would love you forever :) Have a fun trip! 

Grandma Bowcutt:

I'm sure your talk was great! We've had huge success with promoting family history around here, people are getting really interested in it, and we have A LOT of family history consultants in our ward. It's really interesting to learn more about it from seeing the members teach our recent converts, and it makes me really wish that I had time to focus a little on my own family history. I've seen how important it is to get to know your ancestors and learn who they were. Could you send me some stories and pictures of some of our ancestors? It's nice to be able to learn about them and to share them with people :) Hope that everything is going good and that you have another great week! 

Lacey:

It's good to hear that everything is going good over there! I didn't know that Werner and Reider were taking martial arts, that's way cool! Hope that everything goes well with that! Haha, I totally miss all of the dog talk! How else would I learn about bull dogs and pecker heads?!?! You should send me pictures of the puppies! That's so fun! I'm sure the dogs love getting hosed down with water, haha! It sounds like you guys are going to have a busy sports filled summer! Have a good week, and try to stay cool! 

Hi Everyone!

Hola!!

So this week has been pretty crazy! We had transfers on Wednesday, and now I'm leading out my area (Which is unbelievably difficult). It will be a good learning experience for me though. My new companion's name is Sister Harston. She's pretty cool, but not very assertive so it falls on my shoulders to be the assertive one as well and actually go and talk to people, so it's REALLY a learning experience.

The Baptism went great! Jeremy's cousin got to come and baptize him and sister Hamilton got to come back from Vacaville and see it, which was really cool. President and Sister Alba even came! I was just standing there talking to Shelley and I looked out the back door and was like, "What is he doing here?!?!" But it was good :) He got to share his testimony and Jeremy and Shelley thought it was really cool that the mission president came to their baptism :) We also set a baptismal date with our investigator who came to the baptism, so it was a really cool experience! 

It's definitely not easy being out on a mission, but it's really worth it. I'm learning so much from being out here. One of the biggest things that I've learned is to love everyone, no matter who they are or what they do, because everyone is a Child of God. One of our investigators who we just set a baptismal date with, Saul, was (is) this punk spanish kid who acted like he was just too cool and only started taking the discussions because he thought Sister Holguin was cute, but it's incredible to see the difference that the Gospel has made in his life. He still looks and acts like a punk kid, but he is changing little by little, and it has become so easy for me to see his potential. I've learned not to judge by appearances, God prepares the most unlikely people to receive the Gospel! 

Hope everything is going well at home! Live like you believe!

Sister Lesser

Mom:

Do you post everything that I write, including this? Do you post it to a blog?!?! Am I forever going to be embarrassed for asking for brazil butt workouts?!?!?!?!?! Seriously! Do you even read these things before you post them?! Anyway...Glad that everything is going good at home :) Mandee has been telling me how excited that she is to be a prostitute, haha! Ah! I want to go to Lagoon! Jealous! Thanks sending me that stuff, if you read this before you send that package, could you also send that maurices black skirt that I have, and any other clothes that look appropriate? If you've already sent the package don't worry about it. Thanks for all of the uplifting messages! I really like the poem that you sent me. This week has been pretty difficult and I've been feeling pretty down so that was a good message to get me back into spiritual shape :) Hope everything is going well at home! Have fun at Bear Lake!

Mandee:

I'm glad that you got a good part in the play! Who are all of the leads and stuff? What parts did your friends get? Thanks for all of the pictures, the one with the peacock running away from you cracked me up! Poor Mom, having to drag you around everywhere and then make all of your stuff on top of that! you're running her ragged! haha. I've had the weirdest urge to learn how to sew lately, but I'm pretty sure that we're not allowed to have sewing machines because they have sharp pointy objects...not that I'd have time to use one anyway! Make sure that everyone is getting along and that you're all reading the scriptures as a family and praying every morning or night, okay? That's my job for you :) Have a great week!

Dad:

Haha! It was good to hear from you! I was just kidding (but secretly I knew that saying that to Grandpa would get a letter out of you!!). Yeah Mandee's been sending me tons of pictures, but only a few of you, you should take some and send them to me of what you guys do every day...I've yet to see one of fishing or camping!!  I'm glad that you've been spending lots of time with Tyson! I can't believe that he gets to go on the Alaska trip! No fair!! I hope you guys have fun though, catch lots of big fish and send me letters! And if you can find some way to keep halibut good in a package to California... :) haha. Hope that everything is going well! Have fun with the new puppies! I want to name them all :) Just make sure that one of the girls is named Milady. haha :)

Grandma Bowcutt:

Thank you for continuing to write me every week! It's always good to hear from you and get updates on how the post mission experience is for you guys :) Haha. Thank you for your uplifting (and funny) messages! I'm sure that you'll get everything back in order eventually, and I support your decision on keeping all of the houses! haha :) So is everyone up in Utah now? How is everyone? Hope everything is going well! I'm praying for you guys!

Aliza:

Thanks for the recipe! I'll definitely have to try it. There's like 4 Anderson families in the ward, so I'll have to do some snooping and see which one it is :) How's Utah? I heard that you're pregnant, is that true?!?! Congrats! How far along are you? Hope everything is going well, glad you made it to Utah safely!

Makell:

Happy Birthday last Saturday! How old are you now? How was Boondocks? It sounds like you guys are having such a fun time this summer! Are you still dancing? We've brought a lot of people to church! We had two people get baptized on your birthday, and then we have about 5 other investigators that come to church regularly. have you been to Bear Lake yet? how was it? Hope you guys are having a great summer!

Pictures 7/7/2014

This is the Scott Family.  They are getting baptized on the 12th!

One of my new favorite recipes!

Transfer week!

Hi Everyone!

This week has been crazy and sad and happy all wrapped up in one. We found out for sure that sister Hamilton is leaving :( But she's going to Vacaville, which is only 10 minutes away so she'll be able to come back for all of the baptisms! My new companions name is Sister Harston, she comes on wednesday. Everyone has been telling me that she is really awesome, so I'm excited, just a little sad that Sister Hamilton is leaving :( And I have to lead out my area now! Scary! I'm terrified that I'm going to forget someone or something, so this transfer is going to take a lot of relying on the spirit! 

Fourth of July morning was great! We had a pancake breakfast and pinewood derby at the church and a couple of our investigators showed up! Unfortunately we had to be back in the apartment before fireworks started and we couldn't see any from the apartment. We could sure hear them though! There were fire trucks racing up and down the streets and a huge fire started in Winters, so it definitely was an unusual holiday :) 

I'm glad that everything is going good at home! It sounds like everyone had lots of fun together as a family. Thanks for all of the pictures! It's fun to see what's going on at home. It's sad sometimes to know that missing a lot, but I'm also doing a lot here and seeing so many more miracles than I ever have before :) However, I already know what I'm doing first thing when I get home...Bearlake here I come! haha. I really have started to miss the mountains, but it's a lot nicer to walk around in the heat when I don't have to climb hills! 

Hope that everything continues to go well and that you're all having a great summer! 

Lots of love!!

Sister Lesser

Mom:

The pictures look great! Grandma Nana sent me like 14 e-mails with pictures this last week :) I'm glad that you had a good time, even if it wasn't at Bearlake! It sounds like everything's been really crazy! Mandee cracks me up, my companion was looking at me funny because I was dying laughing at her letter. I'm glad that someone thinks to send me pictures though! You should try Aliza's meals at Bear Lake :). Hermana Melgar-Fetzer has gotten me hooked on chia seeds. I have to drink them with oils in my water or with juice because they're like mini snot bubbles with no taste, but they help fill you up, so it's a nice snack :) Hermana Anderson is dairy free and gluten free, so I've gotten used to lots of quinoa and stuff, it's not too bad if you have the right recipe :) Maybe you'll like it and decide to use those recipes for yourself! haha. How have family home evenings been going? Have you guys been reading the scriptures and praying as a family? You know, nothing brings a family together like inviting the spirit through the Book of Mormon :) So I have a package request :) could you please send me oils? (lemon, grapefruit, slim and sassy, terra shield. breath, elevation, etc.). Also, the brazil butt lift work out came with some cards or a little booklet or something that has a bunch of on the go workouts, could you please send mandee to find them and send them to me? and if you could (but you don't have to) a gps device :) I've learned to read a map since I've been out here, but anywhere off the map and I'm completely lost! California signs and directions suck!! Thanks so much :) Love you lots!

Mandee:

Thanks for all of the pictures! It's fun to see what's going on back home. That's so sad that Skylee got her face cut! Is she doing any better? Your letter cracked me up! What is up with you and toes?!?! you talked about people's toes like 5 times throughout that letter! haha. It sounds like you're getting in shape! Keep it up! haha. I'm glad that you had such a good time with Libby and Lisa's kids. Keep trying to get Kaden to cut his monkey butt beard, my companion made a gagging sound when we saw that picture! :) haha. It's good to know that you're having a good time! Keep me updated on all of the hilarious and unfortunate things that happen! 

Grandma Nana:

Thanks for all of the pictures and for the letter you sent! Those pictures came in like 14 different e-mails, so when I looked at my e-mails the other day I was just like, What?!?! haha. It was good to see everyone! Libby's kids have grown so much, I can't even believe it!! I'm sad that I didn't get to see them this year, but maybe we'll be able to have another family reunion when I get back! How is everyone? What was the best part about having everyone together? Is it nice to have the house to yourselves again? :)

Grandpa Bick:

It was so good to hear from you! I hear from you about as often as I hear from my dad! haha. Thanks for all of the support, it's nice to know that everyone is still thinking about me back in Utah! How was the family reunion?! It sounds like you guys had a crazy house for a while! Hope everything is going well!

Grandma Bowcutt:

It sounds like everything is going good for you guys! are you having anymore luck getting back into the swing of things? I miss Bearlake a lot! 80 degree weather sounds so nice!! I'm sad that I didn't get to be there with you guys this year, but we had some pretty sweet lessons that day, so I guess it makes up for it :) Was Kari's family the only ones who made it up there this year? I'm glad that Grandma and Nancy (or Peggy?) got to go up with you this year! It sounds like you all had a great time and that Grandpa's still keeping himself busy. haha :) Hope that you guys are having a great time being home! 

Kari:

Thanks for the picture! I didn't realize that Haley's wedding was so soon! You should really get Kaden to shave that beard though, It's getting a little bit out of hand! haha. You guys all look so cute! Grandma said that you all went up to bear lake for the 4th, how was that? were the fireworks awesome?! I wore some of that stuff that you gave me to the ward pancake breakfast that morning and got lots of complements on it! :) haha. How is everyone doing? Is it still crazy soccer season? Have you been watching the world cup? I've never seen so many people that watch soccer in my whole life! EVERYONE watches soccer here!! It's a good way start a conversation with people though, except for everyone yells at you when you knock on their door and the game is on! :) haha. Hope everything is going well with you guys and that you're all having a great summer!

Aliza:

Happy Birthday last saturday! Hope your day was great! How was your 4th of July? Are you guys in Utah now? It's too bad that I'm going to be missing cousin camp, it sounds like a lot of fun! Hope you guys all have a great time in Utah!