Friday, July 5, 2013

It keeps getting hotter and hotter, ha ha...


Dear Y'all,

Thank you so much for your letters and for the emails. I think we are both kind of getting into a groove with our everyday life and things are going pretty smoothly. That sounds like a crazy fishing trip; it feels like those things never quite live up to the potential that we think they will have. Maybe we can both look forward to when we can come back here and go on some fun fishing trips on the bayous to catch some good bass. I know quite a few people that would be more than willing to take us around on their boats. Haha there are some hard core fisherman down here: Bro. Simmons (who fishes in tournaments sometimes and has a sweet handlebar moustache), Bro Barrilleaux, Joe Stock etc. But other than that it sounds like it has been a good couple of calm and lazy summer days. That is awesome.

It keeps getting hotter and hotter haha, but my body is so used to it that 60 degrees feels pretty cold now. This week wasn't too eventful, we got a lot done, but it just kind of mozied along until it ended. S. has come back and so we have been able to teach her and the Dikets a couple more lessons. She is ready to be baptized, she is prepared and willing. But her parents still won't let her. I don't know if she will be baptized while I am still around here or even until she is 18. But that is okay, because she is still living the gospel prinicples and she will be ready to be baptized when she is old enough. So we're not worried. Heavenly Father definitely has a plan and we just have to keep working hard and following the spirit so he can guide us to carry out that plan.

I will tell you a little bit more about the Tarrs. And yeah if you ever want to know more about something just let me know. Sometimes details get lost as I am looking through what happened during my week. Bro Tarr and sis Tarr are probably in their 40's and they have three kids. 2 of them are moved out and in their 20"s and they have an 8 year old daughter who loves to act and sing. He is from Utah, Pleasant Grove actually and they moved down here so he could be an off-shore diver.  His work schedule is crazy with working off shore. Sometimes it is 7 on and 7 off. The longest he has worked is 120 days straight. That would be hard. They are both really down to earth and easy going. They are a really solid family and are a great example fo the blessings that can come from having great family values.

We had dinner with the Bybee's this week (part of the Stock family) and Sis Bybee gave us a refferal of one of her best friends, M. We went to see M. and P. that night and when they first opened the door they didn't look to excited to see us. They said they couldn't talk and it wasn't a good time. We told them that it was alright and that Rachel Bybee sent us over. As soon as they heard that they changed completely and came outside to talk to us. We ended up having this 1 and a half long conversation about religion and we were able to share that song with them. It may have been because phillip reminded me of Uncle Dan Luster, but the whole time I just had this feeling that I knew them, that they were like my family and that I really loved them. They really are our family in the grand scheme of things and I think Heavenly Father allowed me to feel that Christ like love. I was just happy and felt so comfortable. They told us to come back anytime and we created a really good friendship with them. It was a pretty amazing experience.

Another miracle that happened this week. Elder Franke, my zone leader in Baton Rouge, went home this week and he gave me a call before I left. He asked me if I had found a guitar and said that he wanted to give me his to use on my mission! I was so grateful and I am going to pass it down when I leave too. It is a little beater classical guitar that will be easy to take around with me and more importantly it works and it sounds good. It needs a little TLC and a couple new tuning knobs, but I love it already.
 
Last thing I will write about is a blessing that I was able to give this week. I am going to withhold names, because I was asked to. But somebody was having a pretty tough time that day because they struggle with depression. It was eating at them and just making it hard for them to function that day. They asked if I could give them a blessing. I didn't really know too much about their condition and so I really tried to take my time and listen to the spirit and to what Heavenly Father wanted me to say. I felt very close to God while I was giving that blessing and I couldn't remember a word that I said afterwards. But this person told me that what I said is exaclty what they were struggling with that day. That was a powerful moment. I am so grateful that I was worthy to have the Spirit work through me  and it was an experience that really strengthened my testimony of the power of blessings and the priesthood. It really is amazing that Heavenly Father has given us the authority to act in his name and to bless his children in such a sacred way.
 
Sorry I didn't have to much to report on this week, and I will try to get some pictures with the people that we are working with. I need to make a goal of that, take a couple pictures each day. Well hopefully soon I will have some of those pictures to send your way. ( I do have some I could send you haha I am just slacking and I don't have my camera with me.) I love you guys so much and thank you for all the support that you give me day to day. You are the best family an Elder Soper could ask for.
 
Prayers and thoughts always :)
 
Elder Soper

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