Sunday Best!

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“We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith.
The stories of Jesus can be like a rushing wind across the embers of faith in the hearts of our children, Jesus said,  ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ The stories of Jesus shared over and over bring faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strength to the foundation of testimony. Can you think of a more valuable gift for our children?
Are the teachings of Jesus Christ  embedded in the minds and souls of our children? Do they think about the Saviour’s life when they wonder what to do in their own lives? This will be more and more important in the years ahead.”
-Neil L. Andersen
Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Put some "flesh on the bones!"

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Mine in Cornwall, England
What does putting “flesh on the bones” have to do with our ancestors? Well, let me tell you of an example of just that.  My maternal grandfather had a pretty rough childhood. His family didn’t share much, and weren’t really all that educated. He worked from a young age, and didn’t have the opportunity to have much education himself. In fact, my great great grandparents, who I have talked about before on my Family History Friday, signed their parish record for their marriage with an “X”, because they could not read or write. They were miners, and spent their lives working very hard. Other family lines have many hand written histories telling of the ancestors experiences in their own words, but not this family. When my mom was researching this family, she realized that she was not going to get much information except names, places and dates, the “bones”. She really wanted to know more about them, the “flesh”. But how? She checked the location. Where were they living? What was life like in the community? She checked the date in history. What was happening in the history of the world, area, or town? What were the customs? She read histories of others who lived in the town or area. Could their life be similar? 
You bet! 
I live in a community, 
and my neighbors have 
a very similar routine as I do. 
What about those you work with? 
Do they have a similar work day?
 If you work in a mine, you’re doing about the same thing as someone else working in a mine. So if you found a book or a history that described life as a miner, would this give you an idea of what your ancestors work and life might be like? If you found a history of the town or parish where your ancestors lived, that talked about the customs and traditions of the area, would this give you an idea of what life was like living in that place? What about pictures? Wouldn’t it be neat to see a detailed picture of the ship your ancestors crossed the ocean on? Or better yet, actually print an internet picture from space of the town they lived in. The town that these ancestors lived in is still a tiny place. That is the kind of research my mom did to build a history of my ancestors on my maternal grandfather’s family. The book of histories and information about life in the area, and at the time my ancestors lived is a treasure to our family. I believe, because she put “flesh on the bones” of this family. They mean more to me than they would if she hadn’t found this information. 
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Remember!

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Smile.
The most destructive habit……..Worry
The greatest joy……………………………………….Giving
The greatest loss…………………….Loss of self-respect
The most satisfying work…………………Helping others
The ugliest personality trait……………………Selfishness
The most endangered species………Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource…………………Our youth
The greatest “shot in the arm”..Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome…………………Fear
The most effective sleeping pill………….Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease……………….Excuses
The most powerful force in life………………………Love
The most dangerous pariah……………………A gossiper
The world’s most incredible computer……….The brain
The worst thing to be without………..Hope
The deadliest weapon………………………….The tongue
The two most power-filled words……………….”I Can”
The greatest asset……………………………………….Faith
The most worthless emotion……………………..Self-pity
The most beautiful attire…………………………..SMILE!
The most prized possession……..Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication..Prayer
The most contagious spirit……………………Enthusiasm
Author-Unknown

I Voted Today!

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“I pledge allegiance
to the flag, of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 
I am so grateful to live in this “one nation under God”! To have the freedom to choose our leaders, and vote!  God Bless America, Land That I Love!!

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

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Elder Flexy 5:1 -email-

Mama!!

this week has gone by so fast!!! so we saw conferance yesterday and it was amazing!! it made me miss home just a little bit. the best talk to me was Richard G. Scotts talk about building your character. it was so good because if you build your character around the gospel than you don’t even have to think about obeying it just comes natural.
1.ok i’ll send photos home asap so you guys can see them.
2.investigators are coming slowly but surely they don’t want to change but they are doing great.
3.ya we found this new family that both parents are pastors for a differant church but they are progressing well.
4.well Elder Brown my good bud from the M.T.C. is in my zone now so thats good he is a brother!!!
5.well weather is freakin hot!! its summer now so its very warm.
6.nope it never snows here and its pretty hot all year round
7 Are you warm enough?(I forgot it’s summer down there now! dumb question)
7.yep
8 How is your coat, shoes and suits holding up? Do you need any more shirts?
8.they are doing fine and if i need any i’ll buy them myself or i’ll let you know.
9 Any spiritual teaches? Tell us about it!
9.yes we have this video that we use its called finding faith in jesus christ and it just brings the spirit into any lesson and we are teaching well.
Special Question of the week-
10 Why do we need the priesthood? and how does it bless our lives?

10.we need priesthood because all of the revelation is received through preisthood and all saving ordinances is through the priesthood 

love you tons!!!

                                                                     Love Elder Flexy

 

 
Baba, 
Holy Cow you rode 180 miles in three days!!!!!! i would have died that fifty miler was killer as it is!! thats good that you got the trailer winterized and i’m glad Emily is getting some teaching experiance. Anyway i hope things continue to go well for you dad. Love you

                                                                            Love Elder Flexy
 

Hey Flexy, 
So…I have officially decided to go on a mission!! Woohoo! I talked with my bishop today, and started filling out my papers earlier tonight. I’m way excited, but scared at the same time. I cry every time I think about it, because the witness I had that told me to go in the first place was so strong, and when I talk about it to others it brings that feeling back. It’s crazy. I’ve turned into such a cry baby. I’m hoping to leave close to January so we can come home about the same time. Wouldn’t that be so cool? Anyways, how are things going for you? I hope everything is great. Well I better go now. Love you to bits and pieces. Love, Kelsey

 
Kelsey!!!!!!!!
 My Elder SEESTER that is flippin awesome!!!! you will love it so much, its great fun and its what the lord wants us to do. you had a witness telling you to go on mission that is so freakin sweet! you better let me know where your going that is so exiting ya if you leave in january you will be coming home close to when i come home!!! oh that totally just made my day!! anyway things are going great. I love you too!!!

                                                                      Love Elder Flexy

Family History Friday (FHF): Slow and Steady!

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Life is busy!
 I’ve been feeling that, more than ever lately!  My son, Alex gave me the best advice years ago! I needed a reminder and thought you might too! For this week’s Family History Friday please read about what my son told me here!
Remember this story when life is overwhelming. I do! Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

If at first…

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     …you don’t succeed! 
What? Try again? Or decide maybe you’re not that great at growing corn.

My darlin’s first attempt at growing corn! 
You can’t really tell here, but they are only half the size of a regular corn stalk. He just laughed. 

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

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Elder Flexy 4:4 -email-


Mama,

              This week has been great we have had some powerful lessons after hearing from Elder Holland it has been powerful. we had a missionary return home to our ward due to sickness so he has been coming with us to be a member present. its been great!
1. acually Elder martin is staying for another transfer so either i’m staying in my greeny area for six monthes or next transfer i’m leaving Elder Martin here. but i don’t know whats gonna happen.
2 Have you run into the senior couple Elder and Sister Ward? Their daughter is on the missionary moms email group?
2.i think i have met them but just breifly i haven’t spent much time with the senior couples.
3.no i heven’t met him. Swaziland is a six hour drive from where we are so we don’t see them much.
4.Ya Swaziland is kinda coveted but it has its downfalls too. the missionary work goes great there because the people are humble… but the power co. has to be paid with our alotment so you have to budget like crazy there which is something we don’t do well.
5.no i haven’t heard about the nativties but i’ll check them out if i’m sent there.
6 I am going to send your Christmas box this week. I will send some good stuff. Any requests, besides letters?
6.well i would love some pictures and any food that you think could survive the trip. but i don’t mind what you send whatever you send will be appreciated.
7.investigators are doing good they are slowly progressing but they will come around.
8.ya we saw frank the other day to do service, help him put up curtains, and we had a powerful lesson afterward it was awesome.
9 Anything new on the pictures? Ask one of the senior couples if they can help you make a cd to send home?
9.I know how to make a CD its just that sending anything thicker than paper in the mail and they open it and take whats inside so i just don’t want ti risk anything like that. 
10 Do people have cats and dogs as pets? are there any unusual pets, but common down there?
10. they have basicly the same pets here there are just more parrots than back home. but one family we teach has a pet tortoise that is pretty cool!!!
11 Do you often see safari type animals? you know giraffes, elephants, etc.
11.not at all those animals are only in game reserves now it kinda stinks but we will go see them sometime. but there are lots of Vervet monkeys we see tham almost every day!
12.the zone conferances are held in a very simmilar place as where we work so its about the same.
13.people are nice as long as they are not racist then it gets pretty scetchy!! but the people are super nice 95% of  the time.
14 If you could say something to someone who is struggling with life, what would you say, and how would you encourage them?
14.well when you struggle you should look at it like God is telling you that you are tougher than you think you are. Because its true He won’t send anything you can’t handle and the harder it is the more God knows how strong you really are. so take that as a challange and be the person God wants you to be.
anyway things are going great. Love you tons!!!!

                                                               Love, Elder Flexy

 
  

Baba,
         I went last Mon. with mom and dad to the lake to winterize it. Ya remember pulling that dead skunk out of the trailor man that was truely aweful!!! I miss mountains there are none here there are just pasy hills but they are pretty to but i want to see big rocks!!!! thats good that your getting all that work done i’m proud of you Baba! Love You

                                                             Love Elder Flexy