Letter - 3/16/10

Hello everyone! Yes, I am in fact, alive and well, still in good old Rupert, Idaho! Things have been just great out here, although there hasn't been much change to report, as I am still with Elder Henao and we are still having a blast and doing lots of work. We recently have had the opportunity to do a lot of service work in the mornings for and old couple named the Rasmussens. Brother Rasmussen needed help with yard work, so Elder Henao and I leaped at the opportunity to shed the suits and get into our jeans and t-shirts! So, the first day, we just shoveled and wheelbarrowed (that is now a word) a ton of mulch into his garden. Then, we moved a ton of cut trees he had from a storm this past fall to a GIANT burn pile which I hope I will be around to see incinerated.

Then, we helped him move around his food storage the last few times we were there. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Oh, a couple buckets of wheat..." Wrongo bongo. This guy had SHEDS full of food storage stuff. SHEDS. With an "S." As in multiple. It's beyond incredible. So, we do all this work for him every other day for about 2 hours (10 AM to noon) and then his wife makes the BIGGEST lunch. It's the greatest, because they're both about 70 years old or so and just charming and in love and everything an 70 year old couple is. It's adorable. Anyway, so they make this big lunch, and let me tell you: there is NO better feeling, in my opinion, than eating a burger or sandwich or anything when your hands are covered in dirt after doing a solid few hours of manual labor. EVERYTHING tastes refreshing. When there's a salad, it's amazing. When there's peas and carrots, it's amazing. I love it.

Also, we have had the ability to meet some very great people out here. It always seems that the members of the Church in our area want to make sure we are well taken care of. For example:

Normally, we are fed a meal by a family every night except Tuesday (When we make our own food) But this past Sunday, the people who were supposed to feed us unexpectedly canceled and Elder Henao and I were without food. We normally only keep just enough food around for breakfast and a light lunch, and we didn't really have any food to eat and we didn't want to buy any since it was the Sabbath. So we called up a really great family in our area named the Copelands (Greer = Dad, Kay = Mom, Kris = Son) and asked if they could feed us. Kay said that Greer and Kris had gone to Arizona to see Spring Training for a few days and that she could maybe make us a small something and bring it to us. We suggested we meet at a church building just down the street and we could eat in the kitchen there. We were expecting some sandwiches and Kay.

About 30 minutes later, we arrive at the building and Sister Copeland shows up with her mom, a friend and a TON of food. It was amazing. We had chili, chips and salsa, salads, and cookies and Creamies for dessert. They brought everything, silverware, a tablecloth and even a Diet Coke for me :D It really meant a lot for them to take their time to do that for us and it's humbling to see the good that's in the world. It also made me think of the way Heavenly Father works in our lives. When we ask God for just a simple thing, he often blesses us with more than we are even able to handle. He loves us more than we can ever know and there is no way we can ever repay him for what he does. I think that's why sometimes in life, we feel the best when we do selfless acts of service for others. When we go and help with no expect for reciprocation, we truly get in tune with that love that we so often receive from our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ.

So, my hope is this: don't lose faith in people. Don't give up on humans just because there are a few bad apples. As Gandhi once said "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." I really love that quote. I find that when you put your trust in people, they realize the faith you have in them and respect that 9 times out of ten. I think the hardest part in life is relearning how to trust after that tenth person abuses it.

I love you all, and hope everything back home is going well for each of you. I appreciate the prayers and letters you send my way, as well as the help you give to my parents. I am truly blessed to know the people I do.


Rocking the 208,

Elder Hops