Weekly Baby

Friends and family… Brayden is doing great in Bandon. He is anticipating a transfer next week. He said he has knocked on every door time and time again. He has been frustrated with the lack of results and would love a winning score on the scoreboard.  The members are great to them there by feeding them and taking care of them. He is still training Elder Goode from Altamont, Utah and is the District Leader for his area. He really enjoy teaching the other elders but isn’t quite as in love with training. For the past few weeks, Brayden has been, as he calls it, in a rut. Last week, he felt like he had hurdled it and is flying back on the field ready to work harder than ever. It’s football time… GO TIME!  time to get his game on. Gear up in his armor of righteousness, Plan out his plays and talk to the coach – He always knows what we need and how to use us best. Missionary work, much like his football team, is about a series of plays. Each moment makes a difference to the outcome of the game. Each little tackle..every block, Every time he gets down in his three point stance… or takes a knee, it is making a huge difference. I love that he ties that in at the end of his email. I have copied a part of a speech by Ezra T Benson, who is a former prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, at the end of this letter. It’s something that I sent him this week. Sometimes, we forget we have our cheerleaders in the stand… the unseen eyes that are always watching us. We are surrounded by loved ones… both on this side of the veil and the other. We have a tremendous cheering section!  This coming Saturday and Sunday are the General Conferences of the Church. We invite all of you to watch them. Open your hearts and ears and hear what a true prophet of God wants you to know at this time of your life.  Enjoy your week… enjoy football and the fall weather! XOXO Terry and Diane

So this past week has been kinda ok. We had 5 lessons total. Three of

which were to less actives. While the other two were to investigators.

Been kinda a slow week. We did a lot of service as usual. We dropped

and got dropped by 8 people. 4 of which were a family we were

teaching. That was kinda a bummer. Really hurts to get dropped. It's

something you want people to have so desperately. And you knows it's

true with all your heart but no one wants it. I think the highlights

of my week were very few. But I will tell you of two experiences in

which I just had laughs and spiritual promptings. So to start with the

funny. Every Tuesday we work In a community Christian food service. We

serve the desert.  Alothough our job is super small the people tend to

appreciate the service we offer. Often reminding us of how handsome we

look( the average age is 70), how smart we are and how kind we are for

doing this. So back to the story. Every week this lady. Who is roughly

83ish, comes up to us and says... "There's my handsome boys! (Wrapping

arms around us) come to momma and give us a squeeze." Then very

awkwardly she will give your bottom a little pinch. And say " ohhh if

I were younger! Woo !" Than she walks away as if nothing happened. Me

and Goode are petrified. And we stare at each other. It's terrifying.

But something I appreciate is it always makes Goode and I laugh. All

though it is creepy. And I don't know if I should report it, haha.

It's something that has just become a memory. So there's a semi funny

story.

Now on to the spiritual. Besides the fact that Bandon is so FLIPPEN

beautiful and amazing. I will say nothing can trump the beauty of

testimony sunday. So the hard thing about being in a branch is you get

the same people if any getting up to bear there testimonies. I felt

prompted before the meeting to bear my testimony on the power of the

Holy Ghost and hopefully that would stir the hearts of the

congregation. Btw we had 3 investigators at church today. Most on my

mission :). When sacrament had started everything was going good. Than

the branch president gets up and bears his awesome testimony of the

Holy Ghost. I'm thinkin "well cool. We on the same page." I go to

stand up when the music chorister gets up and beats me there. Family,

it's Sis Sessions the one who took my stuff home for me.  So I sit

back down and listen. She proceeds to bear testimony of the spirit of

the temples. And the Holy Ghost that dwells there. Than bears special

whiteness to the power of the priesthood and sealing ordinances. And

from there on every testimony 8 to be exact were all on experiences of

the Holy Ghost. When I looked down at my watch to check time we were

10 minutes over. I looked around the congregation and everyone was in

partial tears. My chest was burning. Prompting me to get up there and

speak. I needed to! The spirit was soooo strong. I knew that what was

said was true.

I went to get up but I was to late. The branch president had gotten up

and told us how the remainder of the meeting would go. My heart sank

deep into my stomach. And a feeling of sadness came over me. I wanted

so badly to cap on this amazing feeling that I was having. Something

honestly I haven't felt my whole mission. So I decided I would just

bear my simple yet honest testimony to all of you through email.

A lot lately I have been think about families. Not just my current one

but also my future one. The family that came a crossed the plains. And

the many families I have been trying to unite on my mission. What an

amazing social unit God has put us In. Words cannot describe the love

I have for the not only immediate but distant relatives of the past.

Those that paved the way for me. That suffered so I could so freely

enjoy this amazing gospel. My amazing brothers and sister. Who have

always unconditionally loved me. Who have all been my best friends. I

know we are eternal. I'm so greateful for that knowledge. My parents,

goodness how wonderful and amazing they are. To teach me the plan of

salvation. To teach me the atonement. That taught me to love my father

in heaven with all my heart. I love you. I'm so thankful ! You have

each played such a big part in my conversion to the gospel. Which gets

me into my next point. Which is on the Holy Ghost.

Thousands of times out here on my mission I have heard the voices of

my angel parents encouraging me to be better. I often hear the words

of my mother, who encourages me to, "fake it till you make it." Or to

"say your morning prayers" or to "wipe off the seat when I pee on it".

Folks this is the promptings of the spirit. This is a way God speaks

to us. Tender mercies ! I would much rather hear the voice of my

mother or of my father telling me to do things, than that of a random

angel. Don't get me wrong, I'll take revelation when I can get it. I

just know my family and would much rather feel of those tender

mercies. I think my most favorite encouraging words I hear

everyday.... And sorry if I have already said this... Is the precious

words of my father. The sacred times when I hear his words. That

strengthen me to the very core. The phrase in which I hear daily takes

me back to Friday night lights. When I'm dog tired out on the field.

When it's 4th down and we have 1 yard to go. Or when we are trying to

get a three and out on defense. When the crowd is roaring. And the one

voice I hear. Over every single person in the audience. Is the voice

of my father. Yelling down at me. Words that gave me power. Words that

jacked up my adreline. The famous phrase in which I will always

remember " Come on Grizz!" Now I'm sure my dad was up there in the

stand frustrated with my performance. Or maybe how the game was

turning out. But every game this made the difference on the effort I

put in the next couple of series. I will forever remember those words.

For the rest of my life. They have impacted me far greater than I'm

sure my father ever anticipated. I know the Holy Ghost often reminds

me of these words when I am weak. And why? Because he knows how much

they mean to me. He knows the power behind them. I am greateful for

the Holy Ghost in my life. I am thankful for my Heavenly Father. Who

never gives up on me. Who always has loved me even when I have turned

on him. I challenge each of you this week to listen to the promptings

of the Holy Ghost! Do not miss out on his blessing. Don't let your

heart sink into your stomach because you decided to ignore it. Trust

me it's not worth it. However I'm greateful for it because now I know

what it feels like :) anywho that's all I have for today folks ! Love

YALL. Thanks for reading :)

Love

GRIZZ 👻

True story, as it was given by Bob Richards in his book Life’s Higher Goals. Lou Little tells this story about his greatest football team. They were on their way to the conference championship—one last game. He had a boy on his squad who had not quite been able to make the team for four straight years. Just before the game—three days before—Lou was given a telegram to give to this boy that informed him his only living relative had just died. The boy looked at the telegram and said, “Coach, I’ll be back for Saturday’s game.” The morning of the game he came up to his coach and said, “Lou, I want you to put me in this game. I know I haven’t made the first team yet, but let me in for this kickoff. I’ll prove to you that I’m worthy of it.” Well, Lou could see that the boy was emotionally upset, and he made all kinds of excuses, but finally he thought, “Well, he can’t do much harm on the kickoff, so I’ll put the boy in.”

The roar of the crowd followed the kickoff. The opposing quarterback took the ball on the goal line, moved up, and on the seven-yard line there was a tremendous tackle. The boy had dropped him in his tracks. On the next play Lou left him in. He made the next tackle; he was in on the next tackle; you couldn’t move him out of there. He made practically every tackle that day—terrific downfield blocking. He was the reason why Columbia won the championship. Afterwards, all the guys were pounding him on the back. When they were all done, Lou Little went up to the boy and said, “Son, I don’t understand it. Today you were an all-American. I’ve never seen you play like this in four straight years. What happened?”

And the boy looked up at his coach and said, “Coach, you knew my dad died, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I handed you the telegram.”

He said, “You knew he was blind, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I’ve seen you walk him around the campus many times.”

He said, “Coach, today is the first football game my dad ever saw me play.” It makes a difference, friends, when those unseen eyes are watching.