Jenessa's TEST

YOU DONT EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH WORK I PUT IN TO THIS TEST!!! I RANKED FFIIIIRRRSSSTTTT!!!!! I ranked 1st out of 111. YEAH!!!!!

 

-Jenessa Blotter

Name : Jenessa Blotter             Id: A01629191
Test : chem1210-1-2-0927se       Date: September 27, 2013
  You scored:  100 out of  100 for   100%
  You ranked:    1 out of  111 who took this test
Average score:  73.3 +/-   18.7 (std.dev)

 Question    Response    Question    Response    Question    Response
   #      Your   Instr |   #      Your   Instr |   #      Your   Instr |
  ---     ----   ----- |  ---     ----   ----- |  ---     ----   ----- |
   1       D           |  10       A           |  19       E           |
   2       C           |  11       A           |  20       E           |
   3       E           |  12       D           |  21       B           |
   4       B           |  13       B           |  22       C           |
   5       B           |  14       E           |  23       D           |
   6       D           |  15       B           |  24       A           |
   7       B           |  16       A           |  25       C           |
   8       B           |  17       A           |
   9       C           |  18       E           |

Dialogue

Here is our dialogue on whether to meet in Vancouver...

Ok. I read it and I am all for obedience. I have lived my entire life trying to be obedient. But since I got permission, I feel like it would be fine.   :)    On the other hand, I want to do what YOU are comfortable with. I would never want to do something that would negatively affect your mission in any way. So you tell me if you would rather wait a few more months to have lunch because if so, I am so fine with that. It certainly was a tender mercy, because Heavenly Father is kind. But I will be fine not seeing you if I know that is what you want. I am excited to see that part of the world and where you have been this past year. If you are still at the computer, let me know what you want to do. Maybe I could just drop off a package at your door if you would rather.....

After pondering a little while, I wrote......

Maybe the greatest tender mercy I can take from this experience is that I have a son who wants to be perfectly obedient. And I'm thankful to you.

A little while later I left another e-mail......

So, I guess we should plan on waiting until June 2014 for lunch.  But I will text you when we get to Vancouver after you've had a few days to think about it and we'll decide for sure. Don't worry, I will not be disappointed. I'll plan on that. That little Marc is adorable.

PS- It will always be a family joke that I was able to get permission from his very strict mission president to take him to lunch, but I couldn't get permission from Elder Blotter!

The Church is True in Burnaby

Family!

Well, it's been a great week in Burnaby. Marc had a wonderful baptismal service yesterday. We had the chance to teach an 8 year old, Nico Esquivel, with kind of less active parents the missionary lessons over the past weeks, and so although he wasn't a convert baptism, they shared a baptismal service. It was just fantastic. The Spirit was very strong. We got to participate in both confirmations, and I had the chance to confirm Marc a member of the church. He's going to serve a mission. Ha ha. We're sure of it. Baptism days are just the best. We had been fasting that day, but we still probably ate twice the number of calories as a normal day because (the Esquivels are from Guatemala) both families brought a ton of food. It was also great because the recently assigned home teachers for Marc's family were there and setting up home teaching appointments and everything. The work of salvation. It's the best.

Other than that, the work is going great! We're still working with a few different part member families. We're teaching a few different people from Islamic backgrounds, come to think of it. And a lot more with non-Christian backgrounds. We're still teaching Shaikh, who is just kind of cemented in his beliefs, although not really practicing. We're also teaching Murat, a man from Turkey who is sincerely interested in what we believe. It's been interesting teaching them, because they believe in God, but they don't understand at first why we believe that we need a Savior. It has given us a lot of special opportunities to teach very simply about the necessity of an atonement. It has also given me a deeper appreciation of the knowledge that we have of the Plan of Salvation. It makes a lot of things that don't make sense otherwise make sense. We're teaching a Chinese guy named Jason. He's a student on the last year of an economics degree at some university around here. He was raised in China as a Buddhist, and so he's very curious about God and about prayer. He is always asking about how God has helped us and how God helps us. We taught him how to pray and we'll continue to work with him.

We're also still working with a part-member family, the Steiners. Sabrina, the mom, is struggling to believe in God because she's read a lot of atheist literature, and as a result, she's become one of the people who don't have the truth "because they know not where to find it". She's really spiritually unhealthy and you can see that it's been hard on her. She'll start crying sometimes when she just starts talking about how she feels. It's very easy to see how the adversary likes to work by weaseling doubt into somebody. A little bit of doubt can undo years of spiritual experiences. She struggles with the word of wisdom, and sin weakens her faith, and it also lifts a burden of guilt that she isn't doing what she is supposed to be doing. She's really honest with us though, so we're going to keep working with her, and when her faith is strong, we'll work with the family too.

There are a lot of miracles though! We're managing to find a lot of new people teach. Burnaby is a pretty big place, and there are people kind of sandwiched all over the place. We feel very blessed to be here. I'm still blown away by how multicultural it is here. French is on all the labels, but if they printed labels by population, there would be Chinese and Arabic and everything else.

Ha ha, and, if you must know, one of my essays was indeed used for Russ Beck's English 2010 class. Last year one of my friends from high school took the class and wrote to tell me that my essay on memes was required reading and he called it a "joyful romp". I don't recall writing any poems about roses, however... I think that there might be 2 Josh Blotters. I think I googled myself one time or something and I had a doppelganger that went to Woodscross high school or something. So that's my theory. :)

Well! Out of time! Love you all and we'll talk to you next week.

Elder Blotter

Elder Francis's first chance to baptize someone.

Marc and his family with Elder Francis and Elder Blotter.

Re: Re: Re: :)

Oh mother. When you come, bring garments. That would be nice. I can give you the Canadian candy for Jacey, too.

Re: Re: :)

Oh mother. Love you lots. Hopefully you don't think I'm trying to make you feel guilty! Just tell me what you think.

Re: :)

Mother! You stinker! :)

Sister Tilleman did call...

I really can't believe that you got permission for that. I really just can't at all. But it would be just like you to at least ask, ha ha! And you know what, maybe somehow getting permission for that may be Heavenly Father giving you a tender mercy. I just do not know what else it could have been. But nonetheless!

Yeah, you should go to the Vancouver 1st Ward! Patrick would be there. I'm sure all these things can be googled, but it's at 308 W 41st Ave and it starts at 9:00 AM.

I'm not sure, but the temple might be a call in and schedule deal, and believe it or not, that Tuesday is going to be the missionary temple trip day! Our p-day is moved to Tuesday because the temple is closed Monday. So the temple might be booked that day.

But what a dilemma. Mother. I love you so infinitely much. I really do. And so I don't want to in the least hurt your feelings by not sharing a meal with you after you got permission for one. But at least read this and see how you feel! (Can you make it another 8 months? You've already done it for almost 16!)

"Visits from family members, friends, and acquaintances
are against Church policy. The impact of such
visits may extend far beyond the visit itself, both before
and after the visit and among other missionaries. It can
often take some time for missionaries to refocus on
their callings and their work. While expressing your
love and your desire to share your experiences with
them after you have been released, help those who may
want to visit you to understand the importance of
maintaining singleness of heart and mind on the work
of the Lord (see Matthew 10:37–39; Luke 9:61–62)"

That's a quote from the white handbook on page 37.

Much love,

Elder Blotter

:)

Sep 23

Elder Blotter,

   Hi. Are you still my friend? I'm tried to not facebook message Sister Tilleman, really I did. But Jean Payne convinced me that as I sat in the city of Vancouver and knew you were right there in Burnaby, I would regret not at least asking. I was almost sure the answer would be no. In that case I would be fine because I would know that it was not allowed. (Though I may have driven past your house for 4 days)  I was looking for the mission e-mail and just couldn't find it anywhere. I googled Karl Tilleman and up came a facebook page in both of their names. I looked it up and she had posted a conference talk the day before. I just sent her a private message saying I was the mom of one of her missionaries, Elder Blotter. I told her you had been there since June of 2012 and had spent most of your time up North, in what you call the "promised land". And wouldn't you know it, he was recently transferred to Burnaby. I told her about Dad's meetings and how we would be there for a few days. I asked if she knew if there was some way I could ask for permission to take you and your companion for a meal while we were there. And if not, if it would be possible to drop off a care package at the mission home". (Giving her an out so she wouldn't have to sound mean when she said no) It sounded nicer than this is.  :)

     Well, the next morning I woke up to a message back from her! She thanked me for my e-mail and told me how much they love you. What an excellent job you are doing and how you know how to get things done. She told me that you are very faithful and how much they appreciate that. "Also, I talked with my husband and he thought it would be okay for you to take Elder Blotter and his companion our for a meal and then get them right back to work"  She then gave me your cell and then proceeded to give me her cell if I had trouble reaching you. She told us to contact you when we get in Vancouver to set up a time. At this point I am having a heart attack and CANNOT believe it. I didn't tell Dad I had sent the message because I was sure it would be no. So I told him. Now I have to tell you. Don't be mad at me, please. One day you'll be a parent of a missionary and you'll understand. But clearly in my mind I can just hear you saying, "Mother.....you facebook messaged Sister Tilleman!"   Will you forgive me if I bring you garments and feed you a yummy meal? We can't wait to meet Elder Francis.  Please take a minute and think clearly about what I can bring you. We leave on Saturday, so this is your last p-day to let me know if you want me to bring you something. 

    Should we go to the Vancouver 1st Ward? Is that Patrick's ward? If there is anything else about the beautiful city of Vancouver that we should see, let me know. We are so excited to take it all in and see everything there is to see.  Dad is going to his meetings Sunday afternoon, Monday and Tuesday morning. I am hoping to go to the temple Tuesday morning. 

         Dad was feeling bad Claudia didn't have a date to Homecoming. The dance was Saturday. On Monday he found her a date with a patient and she went last night and had a great time. I bought her a Spanish Bible and Marissa Balls gave her a spanish B of M with her testimony in it. I got her a scripture case and a red pencil and she felt right at place at church. The sister missionaries spoke today and they are coming to dinner soon.  :)     Well, Sis. Tilleman told me she would call you to make sure you knew you had permission. Did she do that yet?  Can we text you or should we call?  If you've forgotten, my cell is 435-770-8628.

        We love you so much and feel it a tender mercy to be able to see you even if for just a short time. Someone told Dad at work we should go somewhere with terrible service so it takes a LONG time to get our food.  Hee hee       Love, Mom

    

The Week

Elder Blotter

Okay, so right off  I want to clarify that I did not approve of your mother facebooking Sister Tillemen to get permission to go to lunch or dinner with you while in Vancouver.  You might not even know that she has done that yet, and if that is the case I should start this letter with......."your mother facebook messaged  Sister Tilleman and she successfully obtained permission from President Tillemen for us to meet you for a brief meal while we are in Vancouver. 

I pondered this for awhile during the past month, and frankly I kind of wish they would have left you  up in Kitimat, far out of the reach of your mother.  Because once in Vancouver, "a man might stretch for his puny arm to stop the Missouri River in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream as to prevent your mother from finding you."  This is my version of D and C 121:33.

So there you have it, I guess Jim and Jill Blotter might disrupt the work in Barnaby for an hour or so.  I guess if the Good Lord would have really not wanted this to happen you would still be in Kitimat. 

Something really funny happened on the Campus of USU last week.  Jacob, your cousin, was in a class and the professor announced that next week they will be studying a poem entitled "A Rose" by none other than Josh Blotter.  This left me to wonder if there is some famous poet out there with our name, or if by chance you are the author of famous poetry.  So that is something to think about up there in Vancouver, Jacob is here at USU, paying thousands of dollars in tuition, to study your poem. 

Well, as you can see, we celebrated Grandma Blotter's big day at our house today, and it was fun.  She is just the best mom ever.  I'm certain that if the worldwide Engineering Meetings were held in Argentina circa 1986, that Grandma would have found me, whether President Pitarch would have approved or not.  I guess that is the price one must pay for having a wonderful mom. 

I sounds like the work is progressing well in the Vineyard of Barnaby.  It has been fun to work with Claudia in our home.  We are teaching her how to pray, and that religion is not a token cultural thing, but that Jesus Christ is real, and we must follow him and build our foundation upon the rock that He is.  I am teaching her Helaman 5:12.  If you have not read Helaman 5:12 for awhile, it is a good one.  As your father, I give out my core beliefs rarely, but I will say that Helaman 5:12 is one of my core beliefs. 

Well, I hope that you have a great week.  We arrive in Vancouver on Saturday Sept. 28th and leave Thursday October 3rd. 

Love Dad

Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnaby

Family,

Well, just like that it's been another week. Time is flying by, I have to say. Days go by really quickly when you're on transit, particularly when you have a lot of appointments. You go to one place, teach, then go to the next place, teach, miss a bus by 2 minutes, run, be half an hour late for a dinner appointment, that sort of thing, and before you know it you're planning your next day. And as you go throughout the day, it feels like we're perpetually making calls to schedule appointments and get members to come to said appointments. Which is sometimes like pulling teeth, but hey. They've got their hearts in the right place.

This week we managed to have a lot of success on the streets of Burnaby. Our area has 2 general areas that you can street contact. Metrotown, which is a massive mall, and parts of Edmonds, which is an area with some bigger apartment complexes and some busier streets. Those areas have missionaries in them all the time, and so we've been shaking it up by doing what we used to do in Vancouver, plotting out where all of the hundreds of less actives live and then picking a few in an area to drop by and then doing some contacting in the area that they live in. It's fun. One time we were walking to visit one, and a mini-van pulled up and offered us a ride. We got in and they asked where we were going. We told them the address, and they just pulled into the garage. Which was weird, until we found out that it was the less active we were going to drop by. Probably not the best to get into random vans, but the guy had a baby in a car-seat, so we figured it would be fine. Plus, we can help the ward clean up their member lists, because over half don't live where the list says they live. We would try to add the less actives that we find on our own to the ward lists, but for some reason, to move records, you need to have a date of birth. And we can't figure out how to suavely get that information.
Us:"Hi, we're missionaries from the Church of..."

Less-active cuts in: "I'm actually a member of your church already. My name is Steve Soandso, but I'm really not interested in talking with you guys right now."

Us: "...What's your birthday?"

Anyways, I digress. It's good because in contacting all of the less actives, we've found a few part member families. (You wouldn't think that Muslims and Mormons would be two to hit it off, but we've found two such families.) We're teaching this Muslim guy, Shaikh, who is married to a less active LDS lady, Patricia. Shaikh doesn't seem to be actively practicing, but he still holds the belief system. He's from Bangladesh, and he talked about the culture of his home and the religious practices that they had there. They have speakers throughout cities to call people to pray 5 times a day. The first one is at 5 am. And, however they managed to make it work out, they both still hold their religious beliefs and are happily married. We taught Sam (which is what Shaikh usually goes by) the first lesson yesterday. I've never considered not needing to wake up at 5 in the morning to pray a truth of the Restoration, but we'll take it. We're working with another part-member family, where the Mom, Sabrina, is the only member. She converted by herself 4 or 5 years ago, but is struggling with a belief in God and is reading a lot of evolution literature. She wanted to know if the church library had any books on "creation science or cosmology". We told her that the Book of Mormon had all the "creation science" she would need. In any case, we're going to be teaching her and her family the lessons and we're excited about that.

Other than that, the work is going well. Mark, our 10 year old investigator, has a date for the 22nd now. The only concern is that the bishop is worried that he won't have the support that he needs to stay active, since his mom is less active and his main support would come from the other members of his extended family that live in the same home as him. Difficult questions, sometimes. You don't want to baptize somebody who can't keep the commitment, but you also don't want to delay somebody's baptism unnecessarily. We're going to set up an appointment with the bishop this week to meet with Mark's mom and uncle, and we'll see how things settle.

Otherwise, life is good! I had some more Ethiopian food the other day. I tried bubble tea for the first time. It's this drink that you can get without actual tea in it. They pretty much just put big tapioca balls in flavored milk. Asians love it. Sister Harper is buying is expensive things that we don't really want. Like... a very pricey-looking bottle of "rice wine vinegar". She apparently is going to buy us a coffee grinder so that we can grind nuts for salads or something.

Well! I hope that you all have a great week!

Elder Blotter

From Dad.

The family update.  We are all doing well.  Jacey has two cats.  Ella and Root Beer and she loves them more than anything.  Root Beer disappears all of the time.  We have had to bail him out of the pound twice.  Every time he disappears jacey is heartbroken.  I am about ready to take matters into my own hands on that one. 

Jed is playing football.  It is funny to watch at this age.  He is one freakishly strong boy. Wow.  My full time job is to keep him from driving Claudia crazy. 

Jenessa is fighting the fight at USU.  So far, so good.  She has come to the realization that the party that is high school, is over.  I think she will be okay, but she does have a lot of credits. 

Claudia has just fit right in.  She is one of the family.  She has a fun personality and we like her a lot.  Unless something strange happens, our family will cry a river when she leaves next spring. 

Mom is mom.  not much different and happy as ever.  She is the cub scout leader, probably called there to keep Jed under control

Well I guess I better give you some bad news here at the end and that is that Grandpa Blotter has a tumor on his kidney.  It looks to be cancerous.  He is going to have to have surgery to remove his left kidney on September 30th. 
The tumor is stage 1 and it looks like he has an 87% chance of survival with surgical removal of the kidney.  You should keep him in your prayers.  We are hoping for the good chance of cure that he has.  Even if he has problems, he should still be here when you return regardless.  This news has us pondering the plan of salvation quite a bit around here.  I'm just hoping that the Lord does not decide he needs my dad just yet.  As ornery and stressed as he can be, he has a heart of gold and I love him. 

Well, have a great week.  You know what Grandpa Blotter would have you do:  go to work!

Love Dad

Part 2

Pt. 2...

So! The mission says we can use a computer for 2 hours, but at this library, you can only have an hour and then they can give you an extra 15 minutes. If you ask.

Dad: Congratulations on the successful Lotoja campaign! That is very impressive. Next time we have to run from the apartment in New Westminster to Burnaby because we missed a bus to make it home by 9, I will be more motivated because of the example of my father.

Mom: Elder Francis doesn't remember the postal code, but you might be able to google it. The address will be something along the lines of 6170 Rumble St, Burnaby, BC, V-- ---.

Elder Blotter

Report from Burnaby

Well hello, family!

Just like that it's been another week here in Burnaby. It's been a good week up here! We've found some pretty interesting people to teach, and had our investigators come to church. Missionary work in the lower mainland is always pretty exciting. Yesterday, we had an appointment with a 7th Day Adventist family from South Sudan with a member from West Africa, immediately followed by a home teaching visit with two white as white can be Canadians, immediately followed by a brief exchange with one of the Mandarin speaking missionaries where we went and taught a half French/half Filipino couple who has a Mandarin-speaking exchange student. (We had an appointment with a Latino part member family we were bringing an East Indian member, Bro. Raj, but the appointment fell through. C'est la vie.) Man. It's the best. Lots of people everywhere. Missionaries not excluded. There are 2 sets of Chinese missionaries here, Korean missionaries, Spanish missionaries, us, and then two sets of sisters, one of them in the North and then one of them covering the YSA aged people, and then a senior couple. We'll just be out tracting or street contacting or getting a ride in a members car and we'll see other missionaries. It's crazy.

The work this week was good! We went on exchanges in New Westminster at the beginning of the week (all the cities here do sound very British-ish. Surrey, Langley, Coquitlam, Queensborough, etc) and got to teach some pretty cool people over there. Alan Mileta is still just struggling with the word of wisdom. His wife, who we think is trying to go for "nurturing and supportive" is still doing things like giving him a ride to buy cigarettes after Sacrament Meeting. He's down to 10 cigarettes a day. But... he smokes them half a cigarette at a time, so he's having the same number of smokes. I guess progress is progress. It's hard to see somebody who knows that the gospel is true, has a family who is waiting for him to be worthy enough to be sealed together, and just can't get rid of something as gross as smoking. In the words of President Kaberry, the Australian branch president from Kitimat, it's "untidy".

But, Mark is doing well! He came to church today, even though his cousins were over. Which, for a 10 year old kid with less active parents, that's a pretty big deal. Choosing to come to church over playing with cousins? Not to mention that he's reading the Book of Mormon? There you go Jacey. I'm teaching somebody that's just about your age. He should be making his baptismal date of September 22nd.

Well, we did see a lot of miracles this week! We've been seeing a lot of fruit come from just focusing on the basics. We focus on finding time when people are on the street and at home, from 5 to 7 pm, and doing a lot of work with part member families. Mission life is pretty simple. If you keep the commandments and apply the principles of Preach My Gospel, ye shall prosper in the land.

Oh, and I randomly have an Ohio State folder that I sometimes use to put stuff in. You usually find a family that you click with in your areas, and one of the families here, the Johnston family, saw that, and we found out that they were in Ohio for about two years of the same time that we were, from like 1999-2000ish. Except they were in the Student Ward. I think we went to the Riverside ward or something? Apparently there's another member that was in the Riverside ward in the Burnaby ward that would have maybe known us, but I'm not sure, because I haven't talked to them yet. Still, it's a small world.

Well, love you all! have a great week! I have a few seconds left before the time runs out. I might be able to get more, but I'm not sure. In any case! See ya love ya bye!

Elder Blotter

I can't believe it

Well Hello there, Elder Blotter!

    We just returned from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. All the stars aligned and Dad didn't get Jacey's cold, he didn't have bathroom troubles on his bike, he didn't get dropped from the fast group, we made it to every feed station, the weather was cool and he just just got darn lucky. His goal was under 10 hours. He came in so fast we missed him! He was only 15 minutes after the overall winner. 9 hours and 12 mintues. It's crazy that he rode his bike that fast and he doesn't think he could ever repeat it but good for him! After so many hours of training and working so hard, it was fun to see him have success. He was happy. And at almost 46, it's nice to be able to do something better than a lot of people younger. Yeah Dad!

    How was your week? It sounds like Burnaby is just hopping. It really sounds very different than up North. And you forgot to send me an address. Would you please so that I might mail you something and so that I can look you up on Google earth?  Thank you, I would appreciate that. How is Elder Francis? THANK YOU so much for sending all those treasured pics last week! It was so great to get them. And Elder Francis looks like a very nice companion. And I totally loved the pic of your shoe with the hole. You should have kept that! That is awesome and amazing. Do you need another pair STAT? You must really walk quite a bit! Literally...  :)

   

     Well, I love this gospel. It is what brings me peace and joy and much happiness. I am thankful you are serving our Heavenly Father and I know how much he loves you. I love you so much. Ethan went through the temple this week and I got to stand with him in the prayer circle. I can't wait for you to see the new temple film, if you haven't already. It is amazing. I can't even describe how good it is.  Well, we will think of you this week and pray that you will be safe and have success. You are loved so much!   Mom

The Week

Elder Blotter, BC Wonder,

Sound like things are rocking in Burnaby.  Burnaby sounds like it should be next to Liverpool in England or something, but I guess it fits for Vancouver as well.  It looks like a very beautiful place to live.  I have always thought that the earth must reflect some of God's thoughts and ideas.  It is really some of the best physical evidence that there is of His handiwork.  That makes BC easy to understand, but Nevada?  When you think about it though each place is beautiful and unique in its own way.  Sounds like  you have a great companion and are in a fun place.  Kitimat strikes me as a tough place to be a missionary, but never doubt the Lord, his wonders to perform. 

I hope things are going well with your investigator.  As we learned in medical school, tobacco is an evil weed, which from the devil doth proceed.  I am very much into limited government.  Especially federal government and that is because I am a wise fellow.  One of the most shocking things in the universe is that the US government subsidizes tobacco farmers.  Children in Africa starve, we subsidize tobacco production.  Wow.

Sounds like you have good members, and those are key.  That is huge for missionary success and enjoyment.  The members were always may focus as well and that is a great strategy but they can only do so much and you still have to get out there and find people to teach out of nowhere.  We live in a very secular and wicked world that is ripening for destruction where the earth will be renewed and receive its' paradisical glory. 

Well, yesterday was Lotoja and I rode in the race.  Alway a big day that reflects months of training.  I had a monster day on the bicycle and it was the best race that I have ever done in my life.  I finished in 9 hours and 12 minutes.  This might not mean much at first glance but here are the details.  My average speed was 22.25 miles per hour over 206 miles.  This includes over 10,000 feet of climbing mountain passes.  The all time course record for Lotoja is 8 hours and 58 minutes.  Therefore, I am 15 minutes off the all time course record, which has been raced by pro riders who have competed in the Tour de France.  I didn't know that I had it in me.  Your average Joe Competitor rider, like Nathan Young (Kaylee's dad) finished 1.5 HOURS after.  I am gloating, but it was a beast of a ride for me and one for the books.  I am thinking about quitting now and going out on top.  

Anyway, things are great otherwise.  We like Claudia and she is a fun temporary addition to the clan.  It is fun to introduce someone to new things, like a buffalo and moose (which don't exist in Europe), corn on the cob, peanut butter, root beer and beef jerkey.  

Soccer and little league football make up and the rest of the activities, along with a little school.

Well I hope all is well and many blessings come your way.

Love   Dad

No Burnaby Ward, "Corn Roasts" as an activity are not an "American thing", nor a "Mormon thing". I'm not sure where you got the idea to call boiling a few hundred cobs of corn a "Corn Roast", but it was neither from America nor from the Church.

 

After 14 months of walking, this shoe is done. 

Family,

Well, just like that it's been another week already! Time is one of the most irritating things. When you're tracting Wedeene Street for the 5th time in Kitimat, there seems to be an unending supply of time, but when it takes half an hour to an hour to get anywhere and you're spending another hour of the day doing 12 Week, the extra hour of companion study for greenies, you just do not have as much time as you would like to. But the work in Burnaby is good! It kind of feels like a gigantic playground. There's streets and Skytrain stations and parks to contact in, there's endless doors to knock. P-days are the worst, because you pretty much have sitting on a bus and waiting to be checked out in super long lines at Metrotown to look forward to. Finding and teaching is much better. The ward here has a lot of awesome members. This week as a way to try and get people to come and check out the chapel, the ward had a "Corn Roast" where they boiled a lot of corn and had a potluck. All the missionaries took a few sacks of corn home and a few pounds of butter. Can't complain at all. Life is good.

This week has been a good one. I had the chance to meet most of the investigators in the teaching pool. Well. So far, a lot of time in Burnaby has spent cleaning up. Physically, and missionary work-ily. (The bathroom no longer smells. That's good.) But the teaching pool was filled with people like... "Oh, I'm a Baptist missionary from Texas, who is being sponsored to live here in Vancouver for a few years so that I can learn how to live in multicultural areas. Then, I'll be sponsored to live in Mexico for a year or two to learn Spanish, and then traveling to do missionary work in South America, and until then, I just want to squabble with Mormons in coffee shops". That type. Great people and all, just not humble seekers of truth. (But then again, I probably shouldn't criticize too fiercely, because it seems like he does have things figured out a bit more cozily than certain missionaries in South America that I know.) But in general, we pretty much just have 2 people that we're working with, Mark, a 10 year old Filipino boy who we've set a date for later this September, and Alan, who we're just working very closely with to get him living the Word of Wisdom so that he can unite with his family and be baptized by mid-October. So, that leaves a lot of time to find people to teach!

...So that's pretty much what our days consist of. We wake up, do the missionary schedule rigamarole, study, eat and then leave for the day until we get back at 9 because we don't really have time to go home. So you'd think that being on your feet all day would result in weight loss, right? Wrong. Just as there were pride cycles in the Book of Mormon, Elder Blotter's weight cycles based on if he is in the North or in the Lower Mainland. In the North, I've always lived by a track and could go running if my companions didn't want to, and food is scarce. Here, there's just too much left over food from ward activities and things. So, I had lost all of the MTC and deep-fried Mars bars weight in Kitimat, but I predict that it will be back after a few weeks. Alas, I'll run it off next summer or something.

We saw quite a few miracles this week, however! A few things have happened this week that have made me reflect on the evidences in my life that there is a loving Heavenly Father. Usually, they are just a bunch of small things that are orchestrated to make things work out just right. At one point, we were up in the North part of Burnaby for an appointment with a a member (so, it's already unusual that we were in the Sister's area, the only reason we go there is for an appointment with a member, since there are multiple companionships for the same wards here) and when we went to catch a bus going back to our area, the buses weren't on schedule (unusual. Well, not that unusual, but still) so the next bus wasn't for a long time. So, we called the zone leaders for permission to just take the Skytrain into the east part of Vancouver to transfer at Commercial-Broadway onto the line that goes right through our area. And so then we were off through Van East, which isn't even our area, which was unusual. After a few minutes on the Skytrain, this woman walked up to us and introduced herself as a member of the church, and told us that just a few minutes before she had been praying and praying and asking for a some sort of a sign to some question she had, and with tears in her eyes, she said that we had gotten on the train just moments after she had prayed. Very cool to see how God can put you right where you need to be when you need to be there. Secondly, on Fast Sunday, we were about to catch a bus in the evening so we could head home to eat. We were waiting for our bus, we sat down on the bench to make some phone calls while we were waiting. And... for whatever reason, the bus chose to just drive past us, without picking us up. Which mean probably over an hour of walking to make it home. Such a waste of time. Gah! I remember just praying that someone would pull over and offer us a ride. And sure enough, just a few minutes later, a car pulls over and a member already giving the Korean-speaking elders a ride pulled over and gave us a ride as well. What a miraculous answer that was. God is good, and he does answer prayers!

And well, I hope that you all have a really good week this week. Thanks for all of the support. It's good to hear how everyone is doing back home. The church is true!

Elder Blotter

P-day in Burnaby...

What Chinese food looked like in the 1920's......