February 3

My questions:

1) Was Quentin's baptism able to happen yesterday as planned?

2) Do you have any requests or needs that you'd like me to send?

3) Will another Senior Couple come after Elder & Sister Patterson return home?

4) Dad's e-mail said you're doing the Insanity Exercise program which sounds very ambitious.  Do you do that in the church? 

--------------------------------

Mom,

I am so excited to hear that Asher Jacob Norris arrived safely! I liked Peter a lot, because he is such an awesome apostle, but Asher is one of the twelve tribes of Israel and Jacob is Israel's birth name! Pretty awesome biblical background on those if I do say so myself. Tell Jackie and Trevor and Spencer that I love them all very much and hope that it is all going well for them! Tell Jackie I just bought some basmati rice at Walmart today so I will be able to cook up the chicken tikka masala sometime soon. Your food has been helping me a lot too! Just remember, don't send me anything that isn't healthy. I have really be turning around my diet the past few weeks to genuinely healthy things (mostly eliminating any kind of corn syrup or enriched flour and staying toward whole grains and healthy fats). It feels great so far! Nevertheless, hurrah for Asher Jacob Norris!!! So good to hear that he has made it to the world. 

1) Yes, it went forward smoothly and was fantastic! It was delayed from 8 AM to 3 PM because his mom got stuck in Window Rock the night before as they were driving back from Gallup and the road from Window Rock to Steamboat was closed off because of a snow storm! We got more snow, but still isn't a ton. A lot of it just melted the next day, except for the snow in places where the sun can't really hit.

2) Not as of right now, we just went shopping in Gallup today so I am pretty set for now. Be careful with what everyone puts in packages, it seems like the Ganado post office might not be super careful, two of the glass cans in Jackie's package were busted and one of the Gossner's milk was a little busted, but everything has been recoverable so far. Thank you all so much for the love and support! I appreciate it soooooo much. 

3) I sure hope so! We haven't heard anything yet, I just emailed President Batt asking him if there is anything in the works for Steamboat yet. Senior couples sure are helpful for small little branches in areas like this, they really help people understand how church administration is generally run. I sure hope you and dad get the opportunity to serve a senior mission or even missions! 

4) Sure is ambitious, but I can feel it working even if it is miserable at times getting up between 5:30 and 5:45. We do it in the branch building.

By the way, the mission office told us today that they will no longer be able to forward mail from there to our field locations which will cause quite the hassle for us, unfortunately, but I guess USPS changed their policy concerning forwarded mail. So, you guys will have to send any mail to me at PO Box 681 Ganado, Arizona 86505 but don't send me anything between now and next Monday because transfer news is coming on Saturday. I can't imagine that I'll be moved, but you never know! The Lord sends people ever which way he needs them. Once I send confirmation next Monday that I am staying, you guys can resume to send me mail probably until about March 17th, which will be a week before the next transfer day. If mail goes to Farmington, then I will get it whenever my zone or district leader has the occasion to go there for a meeting and will bring mail home to us.

I love you all! Thank you so much for being so aware of me. God bless!

Elder Schaelling