Giving Thanks

Dear Mom,

Wow I can't believe it snowed that much! I sure do miss the snow. It's still 55 degress here. The Holidays just won't be the same without snow!

So it's all good news about the Perez Family. They accepted the word of wisdom. We're teaching tithing this week and they'll definately be baptized on the fifth I'm not even worried about it!

Well I got a new companion! His name is Elder Garrido. He's awesome I love him! He's from Salt Lake City. Actually from Rose Park like where dad lived when he was little. His parents are from Guatemala so he's very good at spanish. He kind of makes me feel stupid because he's so much better than me but i'm grateful because I know he'll help me get so much better! It's kind of funny becase he's really short so I went from way tall Elder Bunch to way short Elder Garrido.  He actually had to go home becasue he tore his ACL and MCL but he was out for 14 months before that. But now he's back and finishing up the last ten months of his mission. Sometimes I kind of feel like the senior companion because I inheirited the area and he has kind of forgotten a lot of stuff because he was out for five months. But we're still doing really good. We've found some new people to teach that we're really excited about. We'll talk with them this week so I'll let you know how it goes. It's pretty cool though when the spirit whispers, "Go talk to them" and then you go over and they've already talked to the missionaries before but they moved so lost contact and they invite you over. That actually happened to me a couple times this week.

Wow I was sad to hear about Grandma. I hope she is doing ok! I feel bad that I never had any idea.i'm glad to hear that it seems like she'll be ok. I'll be sure to write her and pray for her.
I'm so excited to hear Tyler made the basketball team! You're right I think he definately owes me and ben all the credit for making him tough ha ha.

Well I'm going to miss you guys a lot on Thanksgiving. It's going to be tough to be away for sure. I think we'll go over to the Perez family's. and then over to Helda's too. It'll be fun but not the same...I hope you all have fun though.  I'm so grateful for you mom and all you do! I'm grateful for dad and all the time he takes to be bishop and provide! I'm grateful for our whole family! I'm grateful for Ashlee! I'm grateful for my companion and for my investigators and for the members here. I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord. I'm so grateful for our Heavenly Father and for answered prayers and that he sent his son Jesus Christ. I'm eternally grateful to Jesus for allowing me to live again and have eternal life through his atonement. i'm grateful for the guidance of the spirit and for the Book of Mormon and for the prophet! and lots more stuff but I don't have time to write it all down.

Oh ok one funny story. So on Saturday we went over to the Familia Favela. They are amazing and she made us homemade Gorditas...oh they are soooo good. Then we went over to the Familia Perez. They always make us eat even if we've already eaten. And Josefa (oh yeah she went to church too) is a good cook so usually I'm ok with it. But this time we had Menudo...for those of you who don't know what Menudo is it's Cow Stomach Soup. It's so disgusting. It smells literally like sewer water and has a texture you would not believe...so gross. I had to pray to be able to eat it. Literally i prayed to be able to eat it. I couldn't offend them when they were so close to baptism ha ha. Oh my it was so disgusting I cant' even put it into words!

Well everything is going well for me. Pray for me taht I'll be able to improve at Spanish though. Ha ha I'm kinda depressed about how far behind I am with Elder Garrido I kinda get left out of lessons now because I can't keep up. But I know I'll get better.

I'm having so much fun with Elder Garrido though! He and I are already great friends and time flies so much faster when you have a good companion!

Well that's about it. Oh and I found out that Pirate Ross's really name is Rosondo Garcia so I was pretty happy about that.

Well I better get going. I love you so much mom! Tell the family I love them too! I'm so grateful this Thanksgiving time but I'll definately miss you!

Pray for me and I'll do the same!

 

!Que le vaya bien!

 

Con Amor,

Elder Soutas

On Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 12:39 AM, wrote:

Dear Jordan/Elder Soutas

 

Happy Thanksgiving Week!  I'm so thankful for you and that you are serving a mission.

 

Today we woke up to 12" of snow.  It was beautiful but there was a ton of it.  All of the Priesthood Boys got out and shoveled everyone in the neighborhood's driveways so that they could make it to church.   There were a lot of trees that fell down and so they were all blocking the road in the neighborhood on South pointe Drive, so they had to get them all cleared out so that the cars could get through - kind of a crazy morning.    It actually snowed more here than in the mountains.  Only 8" at Brighton.   I was still enjoying some nice warm fall days but I guess it's going to be pretty cold this week --30 degrees

 

How are things with the Perez family this week?  We are still praying for them every day.  Was Josefa able to come to church?  Have you been teaching them any more discussions?

We will also pray that you can find some new investigators.

 

So who is your new companion?  Tell us a little bit about him...

 

This week Grandma Elaine had surgery   She didn't want to worry you about it before hand so we decided to wait until everything was over with a positive result - and it is!  The surgery went really well.  She was actually diagnosed with cancer of the uterus, but the surgeon was able to get everything removed and so it went really well.  Grandma's been sick having some chemotherapy and she will still have to have a little bit more, but the outlook is very good for her ---so pray for her but don't let it worry you -  How blessed we are to have the miracle of modern medicine.  Definitely something I'm thankful for this year!

 

Anyway, because of that I spent a lot of the week at the hospital with her...I can relate to a lot of what she is going through with her surgery because it was a similar experience with my surgery recovery.   By the way I feel completely better from my kidney surgery and I don't have any problems at all.  I am so thankful Heavenly Father has blessed us to get through these trials and has helped us and comforted us completely.  The downside this week is that Grandma probably won't feel up

to travelling for thanksgiving.  We are going to go to Kathy's for dinner so I will probably just have to bring a plate of food to her.

What do you think you will be doing?  Will you be able to go to a member's home?  I hope you will get to have a little bit of turkey :)

 

Well good news for Tyler - He made the SOJO Basketball team!!   I'm happy for him     As a parent it's hard to have one child have a success that the other's didn't -like you and Ben --You both should have made it too!  He was blessed to have you and Ben teach him so young and that definitely was an advantage  so he owes you a lot of credit for his success. 

 

Jake left for the MTC this week.  I'm sure it was a difficult week for Ashlee and her family.  As soon as they get that first letter this week they will feel a lot better!   I'm sure Ashlee will tell you all about it.

 

I also was in charge of helping the youth at the cannery for mutual on Wednesday.  We got a lot of canning done for members of the ward and delivered it to them.

 

I'll let Dad tell you all the sports news in his letter

 

We will be thinking of you a lot this week and of course praying for you.  As a missionary, you are making the most of Thanksgiving - By GIVING your life to serving our Heavenly Father and teaching the gospel.  

 I am so thankful for our family-for each of you children.   I am so thankful for Dad - He is the best and a wonderful husband and father.  I am so thankful for the restored gospel, for a living prophet to guide us, for the scriptures to teach us.  I'm so thankful for the Holy Ghost to guide us.  I'm so thankful for our loving Father who sent his son, our Savior to provide us a way to return back to him through Christs' atoning sacrifice.  I am so thankful for temples and that our family will be able to be together forever.  I am truly the most blessed mom in the world!

 

I love you with all of my heart     Be happy and have a great week

 

love  Mom