October 20

My questions for Matt:

1) Did Tiffany come to church today?  I sure hope so!  Thanks for sharing about the wonderful testimony meeting you had with her family and the timely opportunity of helping them with blessings.
2) How many senior couples are serving at Bluff Fort?
3) How long do most of those couples serve there for?
4) How many companionships are you serving as Zone Leader?
5) Are any of those companionships sister missionaries?
6) It seems early to ask this question, but President Batt wanted everyone's Christmas packages pretty early last year.  What is on your Christmas list this year?  I know you don't need or want unnecessary stuff, but what would benefit you and help as you serve The Lord?  Clothing, music, church materials, household goods, money?  We want you to know we're always thinking of you and want to help in any way we can.

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Mom,

Yes, I am still in Bluff with Elder Vicznesky!

1) Miracle of miracles, tons of people came to church yesterday! We had 75 or more people at church yesterday in Bluff (because it was a combined meeting of Bluff and Toda with the lunch afterwards) and there were lots of people we have been teaching who came, and for many of them it was their first time at church. Tiffany was able to come with her three sisters-in-laws, Cody came with his grandma and aunt, Sister Lameman (a new awesome family we have been teaching) came and it is about a 35 or more drive for her to come to church and she made it! It was their first time at  Bluff for all of them! There were some others who came that had come before too. Tiffany is now on date for November 29th, Cody for the 22nd, and we are going to put Sister Lamemans three sons on date and her soon to be son-in-law will hopefully get baptized also! Miracles are happening here in Bluff and it is pretty awesome. We taught Tiffany and her sisters on Friday and talked about the Holy Spirit some and we sought to help them recognize and understand the Spirit and they testified about how they felt it on last Sunday night during our "testimony meeting" and that they felt like it told them to come to church and they came so it is so awesome. 

2) There has been 10 couples here throughout the year but two more have arrived in anticipation for the winter. A majority of couples go home in about two weeks but the two new ones and two of the more seasoned ones will be staying for the winter. 

3) Most of them serve for the season, March through October, but some of them stay around for the winter and some of them have done two or more seasons here. 

4) We serve 8 companionships throughout San Juan County basically. We cover Blanding and Monticello stakes. There are elders in Montezuma Creek (Navajo), White Mesa (Ute), Blanding (3 of the 7 wards), and Monticello (all 4 wards). There are sisters in Blanding (3 of the 7 wards) and another there in Blanding (YSA branch and one ward), and then a set of sisters in Dove Creek, Colorado and a set in La Sal, Utah (they cover Paradox, CO too). So four elders and four sisters plus us in Bluff make up the Utah Zone in the New Mexico Farmington Mission. There is one zone in Colorado, four in New Mexico, and four in Arizona. 

5) Yes.

6) I am doing pretty well right now, I don't think there's anything I really need. My short sleeve shirts are kind of gross but I'll be wearing long sleeve until next March/April. I'm not sure if you've gotten any word from the mission/church about the deal with the iPads, President Batt said it will cost between 300 and 400 dollars so that can be my Christmas.

Sounds like an awesome time in California! I'm glad you all got to go visit Jackie and her family. I have shared a lot of spiritual experiences the past few weeks and so I thought I'd share a funny one today. Here on the reservation there are TONS of dogs, and a lot of them are pretty mean so just about everyone's house has 2-10 dogs and they usually don't bite but most all of them bark at you and try to act tough. We found out that casting Harry Potter spells or using the Force on them causes them to run from us and no longer bother us. I can't really describe it over email, but it is hilarious because some dog runs up at us to bark at us and we just wave our finger in the air and then point it at him and make a zapping sound and then they jump up in the air and run away, almost without fail! Haha, missions are some of the coolest times with spiritual experiences, but there are ton of pretty funny experiences. 

I love you all! Have a great week.

Elder Schaelling