Chaos

So....big news. The Lord has taken me out of my first area a little abruptly and rather quickly. On Tuesday night I got a call from the APs and they said the following: Elder Bolton, there are some problems in other parts of Nicaragua and the Lord has spoken to the Mission President and says that you need to be in Managua, pack your bags and be ready to leave tomorrow at noon (you have emergency changes). That was a little abrupt.

 

I got to Managua all by myself, took a taxi to a little place called La Primavera (the spring) and met my companion and my district. They are fantastic! My new comp's name is Elder Stratton. He's from Snowflake, AZ. We are working hard together in this very interesting area. I'm in another Branch out here and on Sunday the branch president asked us to be his counselors as I help him organize the branch a little bit more and help have more unity between Branch and missionaries.

 

Teaching, finding new investigators, everything here is new to me. The people here in Managua are hard-hearted, but not solid as rock. We can still penetrate the hearts of this people. I have found success as I have tried to show a Christ-like example for the people here. Sure it may be VERY different, but I know that I can adapt. I am so happy to have the opportunity to apply a lot of what I have learned and haven't been able to practice out in Puerto. Also, I love that here I live IN my area and that there are just 2 of us instead of 6. I actually have the opportunity to STUDY. Wow...  Hahahaha.

 

It is so interesting how the Lord puts His hands in our lives. I think that He knew that taking me out of Puerto would be like ripping a band-aid off of a wound. It would hurt, but if He did it fast it would be better for the wound (my area) and the bandage would have served its purpose (me). Sure, it is difficult to leave my son, my first area and the amazing zone that I was in to come here, yet it is very evident that the Lord needs my influence here. I have been prepared for situations like this.

 

I have found solace in reading my patriarchal blessing this week. It helped me to remember that the Lord has said that He'll guide me but that I need to trust in Him.

 

Well, I gotta go, but I love you all so much. Stay strong and pray lots.

 

Love,

Elder Braden Bolton

Re: Hello from the OLD Grammy!

Oh my goodness! I thought you were turning 69 this year...talk about a year off. How exciting to be 70 (although we both know that you don't look at all like you're OLD). ;) Christmas is not too far away! How exciting Grandma! Don't worry about your age mainly because the saying is true...

Halloween Cards. I am so excited to receive the card from you. As soon as it comes in the mail I will let you know, so have patience because central american mail systems are rather slow (I honestly believe that if they introduced the Pony Express here the nation would be benefitted).

Kirsten had let me know in February that they were planning on taking you down to Disney again. So, yes, but I have known for a while. :) But how was it? Did you enjoy your trip? Did the kids rip ALL of your hair out this time? Hahaha.

My advice with Rachel: tell her to cook while you play with the dolls. See how she likes that idea. Hahaha. She is such a goofy girl.

Thanks for all of your prayers and for thinking about me. I can feel your love all the way down here. It makes a huge difference knowing that there are so many people rooting for me in this battle that I'm waging down here.

I did get the snail-mail letter. I loved it so much. I love it when Grandpa shares his mission stories with me. They mean so much more to me now that I have had similar experiences...

Love you lots,

Elder Braden Bolton

On Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 1:34 AM, Myrna TRAUNTVEIN wrote:

I don't want to seem obsessed with this, but I suppose I am. I will be the BIG 70 in December! So while you are celebrating Christmas Eve there in your mission, I will be celebrating getting OLD. Just be warned, young Elder, that it happens much more quickly than you would suspect. There you are, knowing that with any luck (blessing) at all, you will likely triple your life. Can you imagine how old even doubling 70 would be (140). NO ONE today lives to be that old. Oh, well. I suppose that means that things that I have been procrastinating should be done now and not tomorrow or the next day. 

I hope that you receive your Halloween card. After I got them made (and sent them), I thought they were kind of dumb. Too late, they were mailed and on their way. I hope you can find a place to spend a couple of American dollars. Let me know how that goes. I will send your comp a Thanksgiving card but Halloween seemed sort of un-missionary except for a grandson who already knows I am nuts. I know that in most places in the US Halloween is just playful pumpkins and friendly ghosts. Hmm, I don't know about that. Rethinking, rethinking. . .we have Halloween Town in Nephi this year. There was a contest to see who could make the best decorations out of all the businesses along Main Street. Some are fairly gruesome. There are stakes through the center of dummies and refrigerators sitting on top of other dummies. The fire department/EMT station put a wreaked car in front of the building with a bleeding, headless "person" hanging out of the side door. They posted a sign: "Don't text and drive; don't talk on a cell phone and drive; don't drink and drive." The Times-News has a humongous spider crawling up the front. So maybe Halloween. . .

Did Kirsten and Jared let you know that they took us, along with their family, to Disney World. We had lots of fun, got tired out and, after four days of fun and frolic, came home. You know me, I do not like rides like roller coasters. Therefore, little Jake, who is too young, and sometimes Ryan, who is just 48-inches tall, did the little kid things together. I enjoyed those kid rides. They are, after all, just my style. You cannot believe how excited little Jake was to see Mickey Mouse.  He ran up and gave him a big hug and then he got in line to wait his turn to get his photo taken with him. Mickey gave him a BIG hug when he got back to him and he was a happy boy! 

Rachel stayed overnight with us on Thursday (we are having our temple break so that it can be cleaned) and I spent most of the day playing with her. When we were taking her back home, Gramps asked if she had had fun. "Not really," she said. "I thought we had fun playing dolls," I said. "Not really, you just kept stopping to work." (I fixed lunch and treats and Gramps fixed breakfast "Awful Waffles.") "I just wanted to feed you," I said. "Well, I just wanted to play dolls." So next time, I will not feed her? 

Jim has just been called to be in the ward Young Men's Presidency. He will be over Adventurers. Julie will continue on being Cubmaster. She says that, when Jim was called to the YM, she was told she would be released. However, seven people turned the job down. "The eighth person accepted. That was me," she said. 

I'm afraid that this is getting too long for you to have time to read so I will close. Gramps and I are fine. We pray for you several times each day and keep your name on the prayer roll at Manti Temple. We have great faith in you and know that you will be a great missionary for our Heavenly Father and our Savior. We so enjoy your letters. (Could you sneak in a sentence on whether or not you ever got Gramps snail-mail letter?) 

WE LOVE YOU! 

Grammy and Gramps

Holiday‏

Kimberly wrote: Do you know the plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year?  Times mostly. 

Kirsten wrote: Well, according to my calendar, Thanksgiving Day starts, technically at midnight on Thursday, Nov. 25 this year running until 11:59 p.m. that same day.  Christmas starts at midnight the day your 65th birthday comes to a close and runs the whole day.  New Year's... well, now that will depend on if you want GWT time, EST, CST, or MST?  :)

hehehehe

So helpful ALWAYS!

Kimberly wrote: Funny, Shawn would be so proud.  You guys coming to Utah this year?

Myrna wrote: Yes, in answer to your question, we will celebrate Thanksgiving at our house. We will also celebrate (?) my birthday and Christmas Eve at our home. (I will be 70!) As to the times, suggest something. Dad says that whatever time he sets it will bother someone and someone else will be late. He thinks should you figure it out and let us know. We will be here all day each of those days.

Thanks for getting reservations- follow up on Eva.‏

H D TRAUNTVEIN (prute@q.com)Add to contacts 10/26/10
To: leonard trauntvein

Dearest Hon and Myrna: thank you for the reservations for the 22nd November. Am really looking forward to this special opportunity.

To let you know - Eva received the results of her pulmonary tests, done a week ago, this past Wednesday or Thursday. Spent much of the day with her on Friday, cleaning and just sharing thoughts and feelings. The results of the test are: she has diminishing lung capacity disease. This results in difficulty in breathing and having the lungs expand. Cause is unknown and the only treatment, at present is the use of a hand held nebulizer with medication in to deep breath into the lungs, and also to just deep breath as much as possible. This really diminishes her energy level. Several months ago after having sleep apnea testing at Intermountain Medical Center, and being diagnosed with the same, the doctor ordered to have equipment in the home for oxygen- she didn't use is very much and so after a period of time had it taken out. She is going to contact the doctor and see about getting it again-

Thanks again for the reservation- Have a good week and be safe, especially in driving- Love you much. Just Me.

District Puerto!

So this week the first District, District Puerto Cabezas, was formed here in Nicaragua! All of the organizations have been put into place and I have felt a bit of weight lifted off of my shoulders.

Our Mission President came to speak with us, do interviews and organize the district. it was fantastic being trained and guided by our mission president as to how to become better missionaries and be lead to change. I love my mission. I know that may just sound wierd, but it is the truth. These experiences are amazing. And now 5 months of my mission have just passed me by! Wow.

While I was speaking with the President I told him how diffifcult it is to serve in a place where the church is not very well established, but that I love it here and that I love the people so much. He and I spoke for a little bit about the people and the culture. It was a good, short interview.

My comp and I are doing very well. Elder Johnson and I have been working very hard on visiting less-active recent converts. It is a lot of work to do, especially with the normal work that we have to do every day. Sometimes it seems like SO MUCH WORK, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Sure this may be a lot for a few missionaries to handle, I know that the Lord wouldn't have put us here if He knew that we couldn't handle it.

Thanks for the update on how all of you are. On my P-Days I love getting updates on the Fam, how you all are and how the world is (the relatively normal world).

I got the update from the church newsroom about the Groundbreaking and I almost cired. I just thought about how happy I would be if they announced a temple for Nicaragua (based on how much I love these people) and I thought about how much Dad loves Italy. So yeah. There were almost tears. :)

On Saturday night I was talkiong to a bishop from Managua, who had come to work on the Chapel here in Puerto. He and I were discussing the culture of the Gospel and the conflict with the culture here in this city. It was a nice chat that helped me understand that these people will change, little by little and adapt to the culture of the Gospel. He also gave me some great ideas to motivate the people to action here. ;)

Mom-The package can have ties, chocolate, socks, pens, etc. Those are great ideas!
Dad-I'll contact the chambón (lazy boy).

I love you all so much...and this week I'll be on top of things and actually remember my agenda...

Love, Elder Braden D. Bolton

More from Toni

Hi friends and family,

    I know this summer I have not been very good about keeping in touch with everyone or sending updates about me.  I've just been really busy with all the usual 'warmer-weather-at-last' chores and plenty of fun activities too.  Like me winning 6 bottles of wine in the Lucy look-alike contest at the grape stomp. My only complaint is not enough family time.  But the time we shared was great .... scenic and fun.  Some of the other stuff we've been busy with is below.

    Most of you know I was the 'guest of honor & featured speaker' at the Bosom Ball a couple of weeks ago. Last Weds. I spoke again at the tennis center for the Rally For The Cure. Then this Saturday was the big fashion show & tea party for breast cancer survivors & they have a hat contest.  I wore the huge pink hat I made 8 years ago for a costume & I've added lots of breast cancer related pics, cartoons, sayings, logos, etc to the veil.  I'll try to send a pic or check  my facebook pages later.

    If you had been there you could have watched me win lots of stuff!  My hat won First Prize, (an overnight stay at the casino/hotel) and there were LOTS of fancy hats there this year, plus I won the centerpiece because my program had the special mark on it, plus won a door prize of an angel/cherub about a foot tall, plus won a manicure but I gave that one away.  It was fun. Craig & another guy came down & joined us for drinks & a little gambling after the tea.  We walked over to the new hotel lobby and spa to get a price list since I won ANOTHER overnight stay plus $100 spa treatment 2 weeks ago at the chamber party.  I need to buy some lottery tickets!

    Yesterday we went to a 'cowboy golf' game at a local ranch.  It was a charity fund raiser also.  I used to think Craig was the only cowboy-stockbroker around here but THIS guy & his family live like cowboys! It was very blustery, cold, rainy, windy so I stayed in their house & watched TV while they all trudged around through the pasture & cow pies hitting muddy golf balls!

    As for my health, I'm about the same.  Had another nuclear bone scan last week, didn't hear the results yet but my CEA # is still going UP, which is the wrong direction.... 6 mo in a row now. :-(

    I'm going to the Slocum Center in Eugene tomorrow to get my feet checked (finally) cause I just about can't wear any kind of shoes and that sucks!  The bone scan tech said that they took an extra 'view' of my feet because "something is going on there". ... & they hurt all the time.

    We're still planning to go to the Tacoma area for Thanksgiving with Rick & Kim & all.  I thought at first that maybe both Leslie & Don would be there as well with spouse + but guess that's not going to happen.  Maybe next time.

    But first...We're going to Maui Nov. 12 to Nov 20 and staying with our friends, the Rinaldi's.  I'll send you kids more info on that later.... flight info, etc.  You know I'm scared already (a total of 5 friggin' flights!), but I'm sure we'll be fine... I'm just going to pretend that we are Angelina & Brad & that we fly all over the world constantly! LOL

    Guess that's enough for now.  Hope you are all well and happy!

    Keep in touch.... miss you, lots of love & hugs, Mom/ Toni

Long Letter

Toni, congratulations on all your many honors. I always thought you were pretty enough to be a movie star and now you are one.

Don't be afraid of flying! Just go and have a good time. Life is too short to worry about things like falling out of the air.

Whenever a plane flies, it is suspended in air which is too thick — far too dense — for the plane to fall through it. Even though you cannot see air, and thus cannot see how thick it is becoming, you do know you can’t pedal a bike much faster than twenty miles-per-hour; and yet, at five miles-per-hour, you walk across a room without being slowed by air at all.it is possible to go faster than the speed of sound, but as you come close to that speed, air becomes nearly as solid as a brick. And, even at the speed a plane accelerates to on the runway before taking off, air becomes as solid as jello.
Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, flying the rocket-powered X-1 airplane. However, until that day, scientists were not sure it was possible. The plane had previously gone right up to the threshold of the speed of sound and stopped accelerating. It was as if it had hit a wall. Thus, the term, the “sonic barrier”. As it turned out, it is possible to go faster than the speed of sound, but as you come close to that speed, air becomes nearly as solid as a brick. And, even at the speed a plane accelerates to on the runway before taking off, air becomes as solid as jello.

Whenever a plane flies, it is suspended in air which is too thick — far too dense — for the plane to fall through it. Even though you cannot see air, and thus cannot see how thick it is becoming, you do know you can’t pedal a bike much faster than twenty miles-per-hour; and yet, at five miles-per-hour, you walk across a room without being slowed by air at all.

Thus, considering what a dramatic difference, effortlessly moving across a floor at five miles-per-hour and unable to pedal faster than twenty miles-per-hour because of the air holding you back, it is easy to imagine how much “thicker” air is at forty miles-per-hour (as thick as water) or eighty miles-per-hour (as thick as oil), or one-hundred-twenty miles-per-hour (as thick as molasses). Just a bit faster, and air becomes, as far as the plane is concerned, a mass of jello which sits on the earth and rises on up above the earth twelve miles to the edge of space.

The airplane, once it reaches “jello-speed” stays suspended in this huge mass of jello that covers the earth as a twelve-mile thick blanket. Or, if you prefer, think of the earth as a huge jelly donut, with the jelly on the outside. That is what we fly it. But it is a misconception to even say fly. Really we don’t. We simply sit suspended in jello as engines push us forward in it.

magine you have a plate of jello in front of you. There is a cube of pineapple suspended in the jello.  You pick up the plate and shake the jello. You shake it hard, trying to dislodge it, and make it fall. It is impossible. You cannot do it. You can only make the pineapple shake in the same direction as you shake the jello which is holding the pineapple.

Replace the pineapple with a toy model airplane, an inch or two long. Again, try to shake the jello enough to cause the model airplane to come loose and plunge through the jello. Impossible.

The jello is so thick that the plane can ONLY move forward, and it can ONLY move forward because of tremendous power from the engines shoving the plane forward hard enough to CUT the jello so it can move at all.

While the plane is on the runway, it speeds up until – as far as the plane is concerned – the air is as thick as jello. THEN, once in air as thick as jello, the plane can ONLY go where it is pointed, pushed by the tremendous force of the engines. So, the nose is raised a bit above the horizon, and so the plane goes exactly where it is pointed. The nose continues slightly up until reaching the desired cruise altitude, and is then pointed at the horizon so the plane neither climbs nor descends. Then, when time to descend, the nose is pointed slightly down, and because it is going downhill, the engines are not needed for it to cut forward through the jello.

The plane can only go where it is pointed. Turbulence can only make the jello jiggle, and thus the plane jiggle. It cannot make the plane come loose from the jello-like air. It cannot make the plane fall. In fact, use your imagination and you will find you can’t imagine the plane — in jello — going any direction except where it is pointed.


An accident can only happen under two possibilities: 1. The plane is pointed wrong, such as at a mountain, or at some point when near the ground other than the runway (there are warnings, now, to prevent both; 2. The plane goes too slow and the air is no longer like jello (that never happens with an airliner because the pilots are professional and there are warnings if the plane starts to go too slow).


If difficulty persists with concern the plane could fall, you will need to actually buy some jello mix and a little plane, and some skewers to simulate the engines pushing the plane forward (place the skewers against the rear of the engines and push).

I Am A Child of God (as re-written by Paul Sutorius, LDS Seminary instructor in Nephi, Utah)

I am a child of God,
But that's but half the view.
If I don't put off the natural man,
I'm sunk and so are you.

Lead me, guide me, reconcile me.
Help me be born once more.
If I don't overcome the fall,
He'll slam the celestial door.

I am a child of God,
But that doesn't make me great.
I'm carnal, sensual, devilish, too,
In a lost and fallen state.

Save me, change me, please exchange me
With grace from up above.
If I offer up a broken heart,
I can sing redeeming love.

I am a child of God
Great blessings I await,
If I submit my will to his
And enter in the narrow gate.

Lead me, guide me, justify me
Cleanse and make me pure.
Fill me with the Savior's love,
Or I know I won't endure.

(Or, I'll be in deep manure! Just kidding, but figuratively true!)

A Great Reason to Nap

Beth Durfey 10/19/10 
To: L H TRAUNTVEIN

My father used to take 10/15 min. naps 2 to 3 times a day. I was worried about this and wondered if something was wrong with him so I asked my Dr. what could be making my dad so such a thing. He told me it was good for my dad and that he would probably out live us all because of this habit he had. I guess I should have asked dad instead of the Dr. but I was embarrassed to ask him. Anyway I got my answer, it was good to have these power naps. They sure did help him. He learned this at work apparently and also in NZ when he was temple Pres. and could not leave the temple as dad was the only sealer at the temple for 2 yrs. He left once and came back to find a couple  came in an were waiting for him, He never left the temple again, he was so embarrassed to have someone wait for him. He had to go to the dentist that day. Never again. How easy out temple Presidents have it in the US and maybe now days, when they make sure that there are sealers available. At least I hope they do in all these little temples around the world. Dad & Mom had a long hard 5 yrs. but one that was very close to the Lord. Then they came home and spent another 4 yrs. in the Alberta temple as Pres. & Matron. That was a good 9 yrs. in the Celestial Kingdom, is how my Mom put it. The day they were released the pain hit my Mom, she said the jolt of being in the Celestial Kingdom and then hitting the Telestial again were very hard for her. 

Talk again.



   

Greetings‏

Pitts, Alan R 10/19/10 

We enjoyed (4) count 'em four days in SLC at conference time attending 2nd session on Saturday.

Nice visit with Mother and Joan.

Returned home with Konnie having been gone for 12 weeks.

She then told her RS class that she had to pull weeds when she got home using that activity to relate to sin (weeds) and repentance (pulling weeds). She indicated that there were a lot of weeds to pull after she had been gone for (12) count'em twelve weeks.

I told her it was 25% of the year at that single time I did not include the twice before of (3) weeks each time.

HeatherJo now has (3) boys, Noah age 4, Micah age 2 and Jonah new on July 16th.
I do hope your are well and happy.

Love
Your cousin alan

Al Pitts
Manufacturing Engineering
Ph. (206) 544-3098
alan.r.pitts@boeing.com
M/S 4F-14