June 30

Mom,

I can't believe I'm hitting halfway this week! I'm sure the next half will fly by even quicker. It's weird to think that I'll probably just have two more areas on my mission and then I'll be done. Thank you so much for praying for Edna and her children and everyone else in Steamboat! We set a baptismal date with a young man named Tyler for July 26th, but he didn't make it to church this week so he wont be able to be baptized on that date so we'll keep working with him and see if he is ready for the gospel yet. Being a missionary, especially in this mission has really changed my perspective on the Church and the gospel and missionary work and really everything. I've learned here that you really can't force someone to live the gospel (at least as a missionary). If we baptize people, we need to make sure they are truly ready because there are many people here who are willing to be baptized that aren't really willing to make a lifelong commitment.

I can't imagine 4th of July being too big here in Steamboat! I'll let you know if anything exciting happens, though. I'll probably eat a jalapeno hot dog to celebrate the day, haha. I hope things go well in Layton with the smaller crowd! I'm not sure if I told you guys before, but there is actually a golf course in Steamboat! It is just dirt and sage brush, no grass, but I just think it's hilarious/awesome that there is a golf course here. Maybe dad and I can try it out sometime.

That's so awesome that Aimee is going to be able to sing in the choir for the temple dedication!!! I'm excited for her! I'll be interested to go back and see the new temple. I'll have to go on lds.org and check out some pictures of it sometime.

I can't believe it has been that long since all of those events either. That's weird that Jackie and Trevor have been married for 7 years and also that Jackie is 27! They are all getting old.

Good to hear everything is going well at the ward back home! That's nice of Skot to think of me. Tell him "congrats" on his marriage thing or whatever. District Leader is going fine, not too much has happened yet. I went on exchanges with one of the zone leaders, Elder Christensen, this week and it was a lot of fun. He and I get along great. Great things as always are happening in Steamboat, we found four new investigators and two of them seem pretty solid!

I love you so much too! I miss you all but the mission is absolutely the best thing that ever happened to me!

Love,
Elder Schaelling