A New Vision

This week has been so crazy. Now I do recognize that I say that about every week, but please allow me to explain. President Arredondo (mission president) came to town this week and we had to run around doing so much stuff. Apart from preparing baptisms and trying to fight with some investigators to go to the church to get their temple dedication tickets, we had to set up a District Priesthood Conference; all of that on top of the work that I am currently doing with the Branch President to help divide the units here. We got a lot done, and there is still so much to do that it astounds me. I know that we can get it all done and I am so excited to go out and start a new phase here in this fantastic place.

We had two meetings with President as a zone, and I had three meetings apart from that. It was really fun to be able to work with him in a different setting. I enjoyed being the only youth in a room with a Mission Presidency, a District Presidency and my Branch President. They kept teasing me because of my age and the kind of work I was getting involved in during my mission. To be honest, I thoroughly enjoy this kind of work: the nitty-gritty, number-punching, time-consuming, stressful work. It is kind of delighting to have to do that instead of walking around in this lovely heat all day long. There's nothing better than enjoying the air conditioning after walking around in the heat all week. The main thing that I have to do now is prepare my recent converts, and any inactive males to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. The goal is high, but working together as a district anything is possible.

After working with President all week I have received this new excitement to go out and reactivate people and baptize really cool people. We baptized two really neat families this week and we are going to baptize two more this week (we'll see how that one turns out). ;) I am just so excited to help build the Kingdom here in this place. The promise of a Stake is so near at hand...theoretically. This place is progressing so very quickly. I want to be part of the miracles that are going to happen here very soon: the creation of another branch, the picking out of three possible lots for new buildings (two are definite, three is a maybe). President told me, "Well, Elder Bolton, if you want to get out of here you just have to let me know. However, the Lord needs you here to work a little bit longer. Can you handle it? Can you also be my eyes here? So much stuff happens here that I need to know about and nobody lets me know. I need you to be my eyes. Okay?" I was somewhat stunned.

I am excited to be here and to help this place to grow. The important thing is not being able to speak perfectly to the people or being able to be the best or highest baptizing missionary, it's using talents to their maximum and being a strong tool in the hands of the Master. I am love this work and know that the Lord is guiding this Church today. He guides even the weakest of missionaries to receive inspiration on how to progress His miraculous work: the Apostolic and Angelic ministry. I am truly blessed to be part of this. Now, I am also kind of nervous because a lot of responsibility is falling on my shoulders, yet I know that I can handle this and that I make the necessary changes in myself and this place in order to please my Heavenly Father. 

I love you all. Work hard. Love harder. Read your scriptures. Pray frequently. GO TO THE TEMPLE! Be successful. Be miraculous.

P.S. No body aches or anything this week. Just suffering from this weird heat rash that I get combined with the well water rash. Fun stuff. Hahahaha.

Love,

Elder Bolton

Neighbor Kids

One day, when I was a pre-schooler, my next-door neighbor friend, Frank Ruzzuto, who was near my age, was playing with the rest of the neighborhood gang and my boy cousins.

The cousins would, most likely have just been Garth and David. Cousin David was just a baby and Richard was not born until I was 11.

At any rate, Frank decided that he would pretend to be the father and would go to the store in the family car. The car was sitting in front of his house and, of course, was unlocked. (I don’t think people locked anything back then. At least, none of the people I knew did.)

I climbed into the front seat on the passenger side. I was always the gullible one. 

Frankie, whether on purpose or by accident, did something to the shifting column that allowed the car to move forward. 

We lived on the south side of Carbon Avenue in Price, Utah, at the time. The roadway sloped towards the end of town. Of course, we started rolling, gaining momentum as we went. 

I don’t know, to this day, whether Cousin Garth, a couple of years younger than I, just screamed or whether he actually ran to get Aunt Renee. Perhaps it was neither and the noise of the other neighborhood kids alerted her or, perhaps, knowing how children behave, she just looked out the window to check on us, 

Whatever caused her to know about the danger, she responded. She came running alongside the car, jerked the door open, slammed on the brake and slid behind the wheel of the car in what seemed one fluid motion.

Thankfully, the car stopped. She then moved it back to the side of the street and got the two of us out. 

Mrs. Ruzzuto claimed Frank and I was taken into my own house. I was scolded, told never to get in a car without an adult inside ever again and had to sit in the corner for what seemed like forever. 

Needless to say, I didn’t ever quite trust Frank again. I did, however, trust his sister, Mary, and his little brother. 

Still, with all that, Frank and Mary managed to cause trouble for all of us once again. 

We used to love to eat Jell-O powder. We would get a package from one of our parents and would open it and pour a bit into one hand. Then we would lick it off and repeat the process until the Jell-O was gone. It was easy to share a package. You just poured some into your friend’s hand and they licked it away.

One day, when we were all outside playing together, Mary and Frank came outside with orange-flavored Jell-O. It was a bit lighter in color than the usual orange we were used to but not enough to really attract special attention.

After we consumed the Jell-O, we all found out that what we had really eaten was permanent wave powder.

My goodness! We all had excited adults at that point. 

It seems that Frank and Mary climbed up into the cupboard and got what they thought was Jell-O. The lesson: always let an adult get the treat down. Don’t be sneaky.

Dr. John Frank Colombo, the family doctor of most of us, was called and each of us had to drink lots of milk. That was usually fine, we all liked milk, but in this case it was punishment and all of us were unhappy and unwilling. It must have worked, however, because we all lived.

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Working, Working, Working

This week my companion and I worked so hard. There are some weeks that pass and I think, "Well, what did I really accomplish this week?" It happens, even to the best missionaries. At times we see the fruits of our labors and at other times we have to wait to see them; it's the waiting that is difficult, but all the more sweet when you see the marvelous fruits that our labor has borne.

First of all, the achievements of the week. We baptized Jessica. We got 54% retention in the first week! That is amazing! I was so excited that i had 38 of 70 recent converts at church on Sunday. Most of them come by themselves, I don't really have to worry about going to wake them up and everything. Another great thing is that a ton of my converts were paying tithing on Sunday. I thought it was pretty funny that after having gone to their houses and teaching them how to do it all, filling everything out with them, how they still came to me to help them fulfill such an important commandment. I felt like a hen gathering chickens under my wing. I do feel privileged to have such great confidence with my converts to be able to help them with whatever problem that they have. Sometimes it's pretty stressful but I've gotten used to it. :)

I think that I am like Ammon at times. For those of you who read this and don't know who he is, ask a member of the Church. He is a character in the Book of Mormon. He is pretty cool. He's a seriously powerful missionary who knew how to get things done, and as we would say here in the Nicaragua Managua North Mission, he's pretty "jarron azul" (i.e. blue vase). That's a completely different story. Anyway, Ammon was really good at keeping the King Lamoni's sheep in the pastures, for that reason I kind of see myself as him at time: I am good at retaining people, getting them to go to church and helping them learn their responsibilities as members of the Church, keepers of a covenant. 

Alright, now the setbacks. Jessica's husband turned out to not want to get baptized. Not right away at least. Satan just attacked him this week, mainly the morning of the day he was supposed to get baptized. He lets the voices of the people in the world drown of the voice of God. (Side note: I 've had to erase multiple things in the email already because I either write in Spanish or Miskito. Bah.) So we're going to keep teaching this man, we just need him to stop listening to any person that has two legs and a mouth and happens to be Evangelical. Especially their pastors. Ugh. They are great people, truly fantastic people, but they cause so many problems for my investigators and recent converts.

Now my companion and I are focused on finding new families to teach and baptize, as all of ours are starting to just get flushed out of the system. I thank you for all of your prayers, for they worked a miracle in my area: instead of focusing on people that were progressing just based on the requisites of "progressing" rather than really spiritually progressing I have been able to get rid of the families that won't be good converts. I am going to look for good people to baptize that will contribute to the church, people who will change things out here. This is me trying to be positive when really I'm kind of freaking out...but everything will be fine.

I am feeling much better now than I was before. I have witnessed many miracles in my life and especially here in my mission, and of all the miracles I think my health lately has been a giant one. I have felt absolutely fine since returning from Managua. The doctor warned me that there would be times when I would get really tired and that I would get random body aches. I just get tired, but who doesn't with this kind of heat and all the work we do out here. Seriously. Anyway, I just want you to all know that I am happy, happily working and fine. Yes, still really, really ridiculously good looking, but healthy and well (as well as one can be out here that is). ;) 

Now, I wrote about 95% of this email last night, and as I was starting to wrap everything up, the power went out. There have been quite a few problems with the power out here in Puerto lately and we've been pushing through it. I just hope that we have electricity when the temple dedication happens. If not I am going to be very sad. I have been working so hard to get converts in interviews and everyone ready for this event. So if there is no power on Sunday, August 21 Elder Bolton will have a very sad day. Just an "FYI" for all of you. 

Officially done with the rant. Have a great week! Make good choices. Be successful. Serve others. Make sure that your constant accessory is your SMILE. I love you all.

Love,
Elder B

Hey There

Dear Grandma, This Wednesday I am going to have a foot surgery to put stay-pegs in my feet.  After my sugery I will be crawling around the house for a few days after and Aj will be my little helper for a little while so he will have to bring me my dinner and get me water refills and all that good stuff.

Sick in the City

Last week I was so SICK. I got Classic Dengue. Let me tell you all, that was not fun. I didn't even tell anyone until the night before I was going to head back to Puerto Cabezas. It all started Sunday morning: I didn't feel well, and normally when I don't feel well it's because I'm sick (and I always work so it's strange when I cannot work, that was a big hint). Well, after the flight to Managua I felt awful. I have never felt that sick in my entire life. My heart was racing, my eyes hurt, all of my joints, etc. It was a lovely array of fun symptoms. After I called the mission nurse I went and had some exams done and BAM. Dengue. I'm feeling better, I just get very tired and rather fatigued. 

The conference that we had in Managua was fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed the time I was able to have with Elder Fallabella. He gave me some really fantastic ideas to help me become a better missionary and become a better person as a whole. I know that I still have a lot of growth and progression left, but I also feel good in knowing that, according to the things he was telling us, I'm making the right kind of progress and I am BECOMING. I love that word.

This week my companion and I had to let go of a couple of really neat families that were progressing. It makes me sad when they lie to us, make excuses and everything and then finally tell us the truth. It frustrates me a little because I just want them to tell me the truth, I want them to be open! Oh, but I do have this one family that is really cool, that is super honest. I love them. They are Jessica and Hermin. Jess said to my companion and I the other night, "There's something inside me that has been telling me all week, 'Just get baptized, just getbaptized!' so I think I need to get baptized. I think that is what God is trying to tell me." Then she looked at her husband and then looked at me and said, "Have to talked to my husband about the baptism thing, he needs to get baptized again too." She is so cool.

Those kinds of families really make me happy and help me to know that despite all of the craziness and follies here with these people, there are still genuinely great people who are honest, open and are willing to follow the still small voice. They are few and far between, but they are still out there.

My companion, Elder Salmon, and I finished out the month with four baptized families and 84% retention. I am fairly impressed. Now we just need to continue to work hard and find the balance in order to maintain and improve those numbers. I have ideas, well, I always have ideas, on how to be better and improve the church out here, the leaders and the converts. Now I just have to start implementing them.

I am very excited that I am going to have the ability to watch the dedication of the San Salvador Temple. Pray that on the 20th and 21st we can have power here, enough to see the dedication, etc. This is going to be a great way to excite the people to pay tithing, to go to church and live worthily of such wonderful blessings.

Well, I love you all and wish you a great week! I know that I say the same thing all the time, but it's because I earnestly want all of you to be successful and to find successes in your every-day lives. Have fun, enjoy each moment you have with your families and loved ones and don't forget to send a prayer my way. ;)

Also, here are some people we're teaching (if you don't mind praying for them):

Adnel and Maribel

Hermin and Jessica

Franklin and Judith

Marcelino and Karina

Eduardo and Anasolki

Love,

Elder B

Emma's Getting Baptized

	Emma's Getting Baptized! Please join us for this special occasion. Saturday, August 6, 2011 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. Lexington Building of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 8710 Lexington Drive Colorado Springs, CO *Light refreshments will be served Jared, Kirsten and Emma Waite

Melanie Provides Helpful Information

Melanie wrote: Our trainer from LDS Seminaries and Institutes told us that the Church's stand at the time we were teaching was to teach that Joseph Smith said many things and wrote many things that were never fully documented. Brother Chapman told us to explain that when President Monson travels, he talks to many people and may say things to them that aren't recorded, except by those people in their personal histories. He also told us that much of the Church's early history was taken from many people's journals, as well as from Joseph Smith's journal, and can't be counted as complete. 

There is also another source of information on the White Horse Prophecy. It gives some interesting insight to what many people, General Authorities and other Prophets have said over the years. Susan Easton Black discounted the prophecy, but BYU has made an interesting finding. With that, I think it will be up to us to have the Holy Ghost testify to the truthfulness of what we believe to be true. I don't see why there would be such a fuss made about it's not being true. Brother Chapman, our trainer said that he believed that things would follow the direction talked about in the Doctrine and Covenants. That truth would be had for naught. Section 84:114-120 talks about how Boston and New York needed to be told about the destruction of their cities. He asked us about what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah and why. Gives one something to think about, with both cities being the lead in Gay/Lesbian marriages. 

The whole of the Doctrine and Covenants is a warning. D&C 1:4 "And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days." The Lord also tells us in verse 5: "And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them." The best section of scripture to read about what will happen in the last days is D&C 88. If you have access to the Church's Encyclopedias of Mormonism, there are several references in there about these things. (I have them, but can't find them in the attic...I looked. I am just not sure which box they ended up in.)

Here is an article that we were told we would find useful in making our decision. There are multiple prophets quoted at the end of the article. 
http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/whitehorseprophecy.htm

As to the answer to the other question, I am still looking through my notes. When I find the answer, I will let you know. It has something to do with our lives are so quick, we fill our days with so many things that the days seem shorter, and the seasons seem to come more quickly than they seemed to for our ancestors. 

Melanie
Myrna wrote: Thanks for the information. I do appreciate the time you have taken from your busy schedule to answer my questions. Jim is having a bad bee year and is worried that he will not have much honey. He asked me if I thought the seasons were being confused. I honestly cannot find anything about that. I have heard that people will only know one season from another by the leaves on the trees. I can find nothing about it at all. I think that must just be something that we LDS say but we do not have a foundation for it.

I love you!

How is the house selling going? I am praying that it will sell soon so that Mikaela's life will be settled. (And yours, of course.)

Melanie wrote:

I did find something that Brother Chapman told us about. It is in D& C 121:12.  "And also that God hath set his hand and seal to change the times and seasons..." and Dan 2:21, "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding."  
 
Brother Chapman said that because of the way that we fill our days, we won't have time for the things the Lord has asked us to do. Our lives, seasons of time, will feel like they will be going by more quickly. He also said that the signs that we need to have are in the scriptures. The main ones are outlined and some have all ready come to pass. Things will be so subtle, that even the Saints may be confused. That is why Jesus Christ will be able to come like a thief in the night. Even the church members need to be vigilante and watchful. 
 
I am sure the Lord is even mindful of Bee Keepers.


Melanie

Healthy Ice Cream

Source: Courtesy of A. Haas

I originally saw the idea for this healthy dessert on The Today Show. I'll admit, I was skeptical that blended frozen bananas could taste anything like ice cream, but believe it or not - they do! Once blended, they take on the consistency of soft serve ice cream. For a firmer ice cream feel, just pop the blended bananas in the freezer for 15 more minutes.

My favorite way to serve this tasty treat is with a touch of agave nectar (or honey) and peanut butter blended in and with chocolate syrup on top. But the sky's the limit - add in chocolate chips, toasted nuts, butterscotch chips, you name it, and enjoy!

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas

2 tsp agave syrup or honey (optional)

2 tbsp peanut butter (optional)

chocolate syrup or caramel (optional)

Preparation

Cut the ripe bananas into 1-2" pieces and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Place the frozen bananas in the bowl of a food processor, along with any optional ingredients you choose to use (agave nectar/honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc). Pulse until the bananas start to break apart, then switch on and blend for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl, if necessary. The bananas will first break down into a sandy texture, before taking on the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

Top with any desired toppings, such as chocolate syrup or caramel. Enjoy!

Amanda Haas is a cookbook author and founder of the website One Family One Meal, which provides free recipes, menu plans, and shopping lists to parents who want to cook healthy meals their entire family will love. Her recipes and kitchen wisdom are currently also being showcased by Pottery Barn Kids. Cooking in Everyday English, her latest cookbook writing project, will be released in October of 2011 (pre-order at Amazon).

Zions, kids in river, right off our campsite.