Email from Mom: Saturday, October 2, 2021

To: Christian.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2021
Subject: What a day

Happy Conference Saturday! I have been wondering all day long what the timing looks like for you to watch/listen to conference? Did you go to the church? To a members house? How did you get to listen? Then talk to me with the time zone change?? How the heck does it all work? :)

Before I get into my thoughts on conference, here's how our week looked. Pretty quiet again with the exception of Brooklyn having an orthodontist appointment. She is progressing right along and that girl is ANXIOUS to get them off. She got the in May of 5th grade we realized. That was forever ago! Tyler was supposed to go hunting on Wednesday again with Banning buuuutttt Banning called Wednesday morning and said he was on mandatory OT for the station so needless to say it wasn't a real happy day for Tyler. Plus, Banning could have avoided it but he only worries about himself and not that it may put others out by his choices. Ah, lessons that we have to learn I guess.

When Tyler and Banning finally got to Wyoming on Thursday, Banning had failed to call the guy they rent the horses from and let them know they wouldn't be up on Wednesday so the two horses they had arranged had been taken back to the corral and the guy wouldn't be able to meet them until like 7:30pm that night. Another moment of frustration for Tyler that there is another full day of hiking and scouting and finding deer gone. They ended up renting a hotel that night after getting horses arranged and were finally able to start up the mountain on Friday. But not before a funny happened...you ready for this? Jaime calls Banning Thursday night and says that Cowboy has bitten ANOTHER neighborhood kid (that makes 5 now) and the parent is so mad that he has called Herriman City to report it and also divulged the other 4 kids that the dog has bitten and no reports have ever been made. Herriman City shows up and tells Jaime that they will need to take the dog to put it down immediately for a cost of $250 or Herriman Animal Control can keep the dog for 10 days in a quarantine (the Stephens have to pay for a nightly boarding fee) and then after that they have to get the dog put down by the County for $65. I don't know the nightly boarding fee but true to Jaime being Jaime...she opted to quarantine for 10 days because she is sure she can find a cheaper way to put the dog down. WTH?!?! That isn't the end...the parent of the child who the dog bit and who called Herriman City is now suing Jaime and Banning for medical care that was required and that their kid is now terrified of dogs and doesn't want to go outside. This is all in the last 3 days! Secretly...between me and you, I love this. It makes me laugh so hard. We all knew they never should have gotten the stupid thing and now they not only have to put it down but they are dealing with legal crap on top of it. Holy cow.

Now... Conference today. I immediately loved that President Nelson say how joyful he was to be there! It made me so happy to see some sort of normal when it comes to this meeting. I really loved Elder Holland's talk too. In order to inherit Eternal Life we just need to remember to stay the course and be committed to the Lord 100%. We need to be ALL IN.

It was interesting as the morning session went on how much it was focused on loving our neighbors and how missionary work and the Gathering of Israel applies to all of that. I loved that as Elder Christofferson talked he reminded us that God loves us for who we are right now but that we all have work to do and we have to be better in order to obtain the Celestial Kingdom to dwell with God. Go back to loving the neighbor...harder than we all think. Even when we have extended olive branch after olive branch. But also a great reminder that I just need to keep being better.

My favorite talk from the morning was Patricio Giuffra (member of the 70). I could not help but think of you and Kaitlyn serving right now as he shared his testimony of how he came to the Gospel. It affirmed to me even more than it already has been shown that you both are doing the right thing and that the Lord is mindful of you. He has people there in Africa just waiting for the opportunity to meet you.

I thought the afternoon session was just as good and interesting that it came down to loving our neighbors again, ministering and taking care of everyone and not just members, and also including ourselves in being taken care of. My all day favorite talk was Elder Rasband. I love that he knows how many times the word "things" is in the scriptures and how little value he placed on that word until he did some digging. I don't know if you were able to write down his 7 'things' of his soul but here they are:

1. Love God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ

2. Love they neighbor (see...there it is again)

3. Love yourself. (why is this so hard for us? It is easy for me to care for those around me and my calling puts lots of people in need to care for. It would only make sense that I take care of me too?? Easier said than done)

4. Keep the commandments. We need to strive daily to be a little better

5. Always be worthy to attend the temple (even if they are currently closed, etc)

6. Be joyful and cheerful

7. Follow God's living Prophet that we are blessed to have on this Earth because of the restoration of the Gospel. (DON"T EVER DISCOUNT THE VALUE OF THIS!)

As members of the Church, we do all 'things' in the name of Christ and as I think about the lessons we have taught and the lessons we are taught during Primary, YM/YW we say the word things a lot. I am sure I will see it in a whole new light moving forward. I love loved that talk so much.

I am anxious to listen to another round here in an hour or so (again, wondering how that works with your time zone. I don't imagine you are up at midnight watching it?!) and then I am taking Brooklyn with some friends to the Haunted Forest. She is NUTS!

I love you and am so proud of you. Can't wait to hear about your week. I have loved the new photos you have uploaded. They are so fun to see just what it is you are out and about in as your new normal. You are doing great things. I have you in my prayers always.

Love,

Mom

Images for ya