Monday, October 5, 2015

September 21, 2015 I'm a real cowboy!

First, I wanted to give a little update on a girl named T.  She is about 14 and has investigated the church for well over a year.  As we have gotten to know her we have learned just how much she loves reading the Book of Mormon, and as we talked with her, one day we asked her if she knew it was true.  She told us she never really thought about it, she just liked it.  We invited her to pray to find out if it was true or not, and the next day we got a text that told us she got an answer and her answer was it was true!  Once that happened, everything started to fall apart.  Her parents found her reading the BoM (which, we didn't know they didn't know she was reading it considering we've talked to her about it around them before) and they flipped.  At some point her dad forbid her from reading it as well as from coming to Wednesday night activities, and she called us in tears asking us what to do.  We had no idea what to say, so we told her to turn to the Lord.  We had our district pray for her for 2 weeks, and then we got a text from her saying her dad said she could keep reading and that she could come on Wednesday, but not on Sundays.  We were so grateful!!!  Prayers truly are answered!

Well!  I am officially a cowboy!  We left Monday night, stayed the night in the McKimmeys bunkhouse, got up at 5:45, got out by 6, rounded up the cattle on 4-wheelers (there was more than 500 head of cattle from what I understand... When they counted them up at the end they had to use both hands to keep track of the hundreds), than started herding them into a coral.  We would drive in circles behind and on the side just hooting and hollering, and at some point I thought to myself "Self, you sound like Link when he's riding his horse."  So, guess what was going on in my mind the rest of the day?  You got it!  Zelda music.  Anyways!  Once we got them into the first one, we started herding them by foot into the next one, than we would take about 30 at a time between the corals into a circular one where President McKimmey and I started separating the cows from the calves and the bulls (don't worry, they were all steers..... which, if you don't know what the difference is, it has to do with oysters. Steers are very calm compared to bulls).  Once we did that, we herded them into this chute that was only wide enough for 1 cow at a time so that we could immunize them and all that jazz although we didn't actually end up branding them, this was probably the same batch of cows and calves that I helped brand last time.  It was quite the adventure for sure!  When we were sorting the calves, one of the cows full on faced me me with her head down, so I hit her with my "cattle wacking stick" and hollered at her, so she turned and went the way she was supposed to.  When she was through the gate, President Mckimmey came over with a big grin on his face and said "When a cow looks at you like that, that is when you are supposed to hop the nearest fence.  But that works too!"  And to answer some questions, no we didn't get any oysters, and yes we were... ehem.... "safe".  Although, Pres. McKimmey did offer hehehe.   I am very sorry that I have no pictures, but it is probably best that I didn't have my camera.  There were a few times that I am sure it would have gotten damaged or would have fallen out and been a few inches under cow manure.  But, we both came out unscathed, except for the spot on Elder Peays shirt where Pres. hit him when he threw one of the oysters at us!

We are going to baptize E this week!  Everything is a go, as long as nothing drastic happens before Saturday.  In case I didn't say anything before, she is one of the 9 year olds that we teach, but she isn't related to the Whitehawks.  She actually is a Littlehawk haha!  Darn names that end with 'Hawk"!

As you will see in the pictures below, we saw the Whitehawks again, and they are doing great, although trying to have a lesson with them was super tough this time.  They were all bouncing off the walls... almost literally.  

We got to see J and C this week!  Turns out that C is sticking around, although I don't know where we got mixed up thinking he was going to Wyoming...  But hey, we're alright with that!  This last time was a bit on the awkward side...  While we were there and we were talking with them, Cand his girl friend E decided to bring up the religious argument they were having the day before about how God and Jesus are the same person.  So, while they argued, we stuffed our faces with homemade chicken 'n dumplings (made by a real southern woman!  J is a great cook!), then J joined in.  C and J were arguing that God and Jesus were separate distinct individuals, but E wouldn't have it.  So, we continued to stuff our faces in the hopes that no one asked our opinion, since E was already well out numbered....  But, they simmered down and we were late to our next appointment, which was with G at the Jail.  He's doing great.  He's just good ole G.  He's always got something funny to say.  He gets out in less than a month though!  We're super pumped for that.

Other than that, I have nothing more to report.  Love you all and hope all is well!  Hope you like this photos!!

Elder Carter V

This is right after our lesson, Mayla swiped my camera again and we took a selfie with Genio  



So!  Here are most of the Whitehawk kids!  From left to right: Genio, E. Peay (obviously), Emelissa (Blue shirt), Aleeah, Miaa, Me, Mayla, Adriana, Chloe, Luke.

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