Chair

Dad and I were planning on taking the chair you now have at your house to D.I. Then I noticed the folding chair in Alyssa's room and asked if she would like it. Afterward, Dad and I got thinking that she really didn't want it but was just being polite. We told her to tell you to go ahead and take it to D.I. if you didn't want it. We will be up, at 2 p.m., for me to go to the doctor. We will stop by and pickup the chair and finish our mission unless you want to keep it or have already carted it off. Let us know. Love, M


AnnMarie wrote: I put it at my desk downstairs.

Change of address for Don and Thelma

Don wrote: Hello to everyone. This letter is to inform you that my computer has been compromised again.
My new address is:  don trauntvein @ comcast.net. Please discard my HOTMAIL address.
Sorry about the problem.
 
 Have a great day
 Don and Thelma Trauntvein

To Erin, Donovin, Caydin, Arbree and David: Thank You!

Wow! We got the package and we are so happy!

We love the shirts. What artists you are. We will wear them with pride and, when we put them on, we will take a photo and send it to you so that you can see how good they look on us.

The card is amazing and is sitting on our piano. We will save it in our album. It must have taken a long time to make and we really do love it. Thank you.

We love each one of you, lots and lots and lots.


Grammy and Gramps

Thank you for the tickets to Peter Pan.

We had a wonderful night at Peter Pan! Thank you for the tickets AnnMarie, Julie, Kirsten and your families. 

The flying scenes were fantastic, the music was superb, the dancing was also so wonderful that we think that you should all run out and catch it the last day (29th). Every part was so well-done that we spent the whole time just marveling at the talent. We also had fun yelling, "We believe in fairies!"  (Even Dad!) The dog, a person, took off her head for the curtain calls. (Well, actually, one of the cast members took it off.) She was great! I still wonder she, as the crocodile, managed to crawl around and snap jaws at the same time. Of course, the scene-stealers were Peter, Wendy and Captan Hook. Smee was also great. I cannot believe the dances those pirates did: comic but with great skill. The Lost Boys and the Indians were also great. I think the whole thing was too wonderful to express. I'm glad that I don't have to review it for the paper. Who would you not compliment? Four pages later. . .

At one point, the set's drawer stuck and as Mrs. Darling struggled to open it and then Mr. Darling, in an effort to be helpful, jerked it from the case. They ad-libbed. He said the contents had all spilled and made more work for them. And she said they really needed to get that drawer fixed. 

BYU’s musical is based on the award-winning 1953 Broadway play. Music is by Moose Charlap, and lyrics are by Carolyn Leigh, with additional music by Jules Styne and additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, all Broadway legends. The director is Tim Threlfall.

 

Threlfall believes the play is an allegory for the creation of the world and the fall of Adam and Eve.

“On one level, Barrie’s classic adventure is an Adam-and-Eve parable,” Threlfall said in the program. "While Neverland is fun, exciting, adventurous and devoid of responsibility — much like the Garden of Eden — the Lost Boys are discontented there, like Eve.” 

“Even in their youthful innocence and naivete, the Lost Boys are willing to sacrifice eternal youth and freedom for something potentially more rewarding,” Threlfall said. “All the Lost Boys, as well as the Darling children, make a choice that sets them on the road to ‘eternal life’ rather than the ‘eternal existence’ of Neverland.”

The stage used a massive projection screen as the backdrop for a rather simple set. My, how great that set was. Various locations were projected onto this screen: starting and ending with the Darling family nursery, the rooftops of London and the jungles of Neverland to the deck of Captain Hook's ship and back to the nursery. Tinker Bell was a green laser light (or a beam of light of some sort). 

Peter was played by Bronwyn Tarboton. She must be an acrobat because she was a great flyer but also a very athletic dancer. She has a great voice as well. Ivan Hoffman was Captain Hook and Mr. Darling and I cannot express what a talent he is. Jillian Bjorn was Wendy, Joseph Thompson was Michael, Sam Bostwick was John, Lena Latu was Mrs. Darling, Daysha Hanneman was Tiger Lily, Jordan Dickison was Smee and Ari Strickland was Nana and the Crocodile. Tinkerbell also appears as an animation provided by Shane Hunt.

The program states that, "Other production staff members include musical director Gayle Lockwood, choreographer Pat Debenham, Jayna Butler, stage manager Lindsi Neilson, scenic designer Benjamin  Sanders, costume designer Shelby Luke, makeup and hair designers Shiloh White and Danielle Cluff, lighting designer Michael Handley and sound designer Troy Streeter. The actors’ flying moves are coached by Brad Allen. Rigging is by Flying by Foy."

This sounds so good!‏

Melanie wrote: I make this, but without so much garlic and no cayenne pepper. We top it with cheddar cheese as well. Very good. If you add a cup of frozen corn, it becomes similar to a corn chowder.
Mel

Baked Potato Soup

More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (Hyperion, 2010) can serve as lunch, a first course, or a warm-up to a hearty dinner. Top the soup with bacon, green onions, or chives for an extra flavor kick.
Ingredients:
5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced in 1- to 2-inch chunks
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
Crumbled bacon, green onion, or chives as garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the potatoes into your stoneware insert, and add the onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings and pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for eight hours, or on high for four hours. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher or a handheld stick blender to mash the potatoes into the soup. You want to get rid of all large chunks of potato to make a smooth soup.
2. After smashing the potatoes, squeeze in both packages of cream cheese and replace the lid of your cooker. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved, stirring a few times during this 30 minutes.
3. Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion, or chives.
Serves 10

Myrna wrote: How about sharing the recipe? I am soup-hungry and you are a good soup-maker.

The Visit

So this week we had the opportunity of having Elder D. Todd Christofferson visit Nicaragua, and the missionaries of the Nicaragua Managua North Mission. We were not blessed with a lot of time with him, the time we had was rather amazing. All week was spent doing reports, preparing a little bit of information about the mission for Elder Christofferson, Elder Falabella and Elder Duarte (both members of the Quorum of the Seventy). Then I had another practice with the choir that I was directing/singing in. Very chaotic week, mainly because I was trying to do like twelve things all at the same time.

Then Thursday came. We got up early got all spiffed up, got to the chapel early. I practiced a little bit with the choir (because they decided to put mics up at the last minute, so we had to see how it sounded with the mics...LAME). When the meeting finally started I was so tired, yet as the meeting got going I was filled with energy and excitement to hear an Apostle of the Lord speak to me. The choir I was in sang "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus" and it was fantastic. A number of people spoke, then Elder Christofferson stood up and first told us that as a choir we sang the best of any group of missionaries he had seen in the world. I cried a little bit. I was so nervous that the song was not going to sound like we would like it to sound, but apparently he was thoroughly impressed. What a miracle of faith that was.

He didn't really prepare a message for us, he simply wanted to answer any questions we might have had that he could answer for us. So, as a result we discussed the meaning of a testimony and conversion. In short, someone may have a testimony but may not be fully converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I never thought of it like that; often times we believe that the two come hand in hand, yet they do not. For instance, someone may say that they know that the Book of Mormon is true, but if they have a problem with the knowledge of living prophets, or do not pay their tithing, they are not truly converted. He told us that one easy way to know if we have been truly converted to the gospel if the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. If we have Him as our constant guide/help, it is evident that we are living in a way such that we are blessed to have a member of the Godhead dwell within us, to guide us, inspire us and comfort us.

Before leaving Nicaragua, Elder Christofferson made a statement to the Mission President about the mission. He said that he is content with the work that we are doing, and that we need to simply continue baptising families. He also said that when he walked into the chapel, he could feel the Spirit very strongly and that upon seeing our faces he was stunned. He said that there was a glow about the missionaries, and some of them truly shined. Something like "sus rostros brillaron", i.e. their countenances shone. It made me happy thinking that our mission made so much of an impact on him, hopefully he saw a bit of light in me too! :)

This week we have hit a milestone in the mission. We have baptized 68 families as a mission (282 baptisms). That is amazing. We have the highest amount of families baptized per mission in all of Latin America, quite possibly the world. I was AMAZED. We have been wanting this goal since October, and we have achieved it. Now I'm just finishing up some reports for the mission and making sure that they can be updated easier. But, OH MY GOSH. I was working on some reports Sunday evening and I noticed something odd...so I opened almost every single monthly report since June 2009. Upon reviewing the information I realized that every single month had problems with formulae, with numbers from the mission, and that every 3-6 months the entire format would change. I started thinking about how I might POSSIBLY be able to get around that problem, and I realized that the only way to do that would be to go through the baptismal registries that we have in another room (the dungeon) of the office. And, due to the limited time left (changes are next Tuesday), I am forced to just enter the poor information into the reports. Oh well, they just want them done, and I guess I'll finish them with the information that they have so graciously given me.

Well family, friends, countrymen, students.......I love you all so much. Thank you for your support and your love and prayers. I love this country, I love this Gospel, I love my Saviour and I know that He lives. I love the Book of Mormon and all of the wonderful stories, revelation and doctrine that is contains.

Until...well, Saturday! (hopefully I will actually get to email this Saturday)

From Erin

Hey grandma you should be getting a present in the mail soooooooon for yours and granpas birthday. it probebely wont get to you till soon its for your guyses birthday. we would have sent it earlier but we couldnt becuz we didnt have a box. well the forward part is becuz at school we are doing a fundraser called jump rope for heart. it takes heart to be a hero. you see its all about the ppl who cnt afford their heart surrgery like micha he is 8 and his heart  needed to be fixed so they had to put a tube into his throught to his heart. and jassly she is 9 and can only dream about playing basketball and riding her bike and also skating. Matt is 6 yrs and he has had heart surrgery 3 times. and Kaelyn is 6 yrs and she is a heart surrgery surviver. These ppl have special hearts and they need your help. So go americanheart.org/jump and change a life. if you dnt want to do this thats ok but plz pass on the word becuz these kids need your help and they need our help.
                                                                                         love your grandauhgter
                                                                                                 erin (D) lanora trauntvein


Myrna wrote: Thank you! I love your note and all of the faces, flowers, kisses and love. You are a special girl. You didn't even hint at what that present might be. So now we will just have to wonder.

I will go to the americanheart.org/jump and change a life. I will also tell everyone else about it. It sounds like a good thing to do.

We love you very much and we miss getting to see you very often. Hug your brothers for us and give yourself a hug from us.

Erin wrote: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WELL ME AND DONOVIN DID WORK HARD ON THE PRESENTS AND THE CARD. WE ARE SOOO GLAD THAT YOU LOVE THEM AND ARE WEARING THEM WITH PRIDE! and i dooo think it is wonderfule that we all are changing lives. it is a wonderfule site and fundraiser. donovin and i miss you too a lot so hav us in your mind and we will have you in our mind forever. we all love you lots and lots aand lost! Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was our stake conference.

They released our stake patriarch, Clark Greenhalgh, from active duty. He, of course, will always be a patriarch but he will not give blessings except to his family. The new stake patriarch is Alan Kenison, who is also a temple sealer. He will do both jobs. All of his family was present. Can you imagine? He can give blessings to his grandchildren and can also marry them in the temple. He is such a wonderful man. That is one of those calls that you know comes from Heavenly Father.

Phyllis Kenison, Dale's wife, was also sustained as a counselor in the new stake Relief Society Presidency. Dale is also a temple sealer.

The Office

So, special assignment Elder Bolton here for the update on the work here in the office. Here, things are so much more different than the real mission field. I have a love/hate relationship with the work here, as I am sat in front of a computer typing up LOTS of reports. I have gotten to know every area here in the mission, and now I am getting to know every single missionary. I am doing a lot of reports and seeing lots of numbers and as a result have gone slightly mad, just a little. ;) But I have realized something, I do not think that I could do a serious office job. I might die. Being stuck in front of a computer all day looking at reports, numbers, calling people about missing information, getting blamed for discrepancies when I use the numbers that I'm given. Yeah, stuff like that. Yet I would not trade these experiences for anything. Anyway, I am thinking about changing whatever idea I had about going into business. My life lies beyond the confines of an office and a computer, I believe.

I have been reading my Patriarchal Blessing a lot more frequently as well. I find it rather interesting that two brief pages can keep my so entertained and so happy. I am grateful for the fountain of revelation that comes from such a sacred document. I am also grateful for the Book of Mormon as I know that it truly is the word of God and that it has the power to help us to change our lives. I learn so much from reading just one chapter a day that I am amazed how many parts of my life can become better based on serious application of the lessons in the Book of Mormon.

I also have to admit how much fun I have had here with the other Secretary and the Financier. We are currently in a trio, but it is so much fun. It is interesting how relationships are formed so fast in the mission and how three missionaries can get to be such good friends in a week's time. On our P-Day (Saturday) we played tennis, we went out and got Sushi while the APs and President were gone in Matagalpa. In short, we are tight like unto a dish. ;) We get along really well, and we have fun teaching the few investigators that we have.

Well, I shall take lots of new photos thanks to the new camera that I have (thanks Mom and Dad)! You should all enjoy them so very much. 

Love ya lots,

Elder B

Wondering

Myrna wrote: Dad keeps thinking that with the skills of Brandon, Todd and Howard, there might be a way to set up a business that all of these men in vulnerable jobs might be good at. They would be the owners and would make a good living but would not be beholden to business owners because they would be the owners.

I always remember that my grandmother would say, "Never go into business with friends because, when you are done, they won't be."

AnnMarie wrote: Even if you started a business, they would be vulnerable.  So many start-ups fold every day.  Look a Brandon's brother Kalen, he lost everything.  There are no guarantees.  In fact, since Todd and Brandon are still employed at a great pay, they might be even more vulnerable leaving that for a start-up.