Getting Back on Track

Wow!  It has been a long time since I have updated this page.
I did not even write about our Mother's Day visit.  It was so great to hear his voice.  He sounds just like Christopher.  We were able to talk for about 3 or 4 hours.  He called before church and then right when we got home, then again in the evening.  He was able to talk to everyone as much as he wanted.  It was so fun.

Christopher is still in Gregory SD.  We went for about three weeks of hearing nothing from him so I assumed he was doing great.  He has been better these last two weeks.  I will post what he has emailed to us.  He is so funny.  Only he could turn a speeding ticket into and answer to his prayers about what to do with his life.  He always looks for the best in any situation.

He is serving with an Elder Ellis from Vernal Utah.  He has been with him since mid May.

I guess I will just post all of his emails.  It is not like there is a lot of reading.  He is doing great but he wishes there was more missionary work with less manure shoveling.  He works hard at service though.

Here they are in order of oldest to today.


APRIL 26

Mom, I got my card while I was in Casper.  (This was his new debit card I had some questions about.)  I think I told you about it.

Well anyway, Kaitlyn isn't big enough to clean, is she?  And saying prayers in primary.  Gees!! What are you doing over there?  I thought you where going to keep her small for me.  And I am sorry about my dog Patches.  (Patches was killing chickens) You should have the kids chain him up.  When I get home I might build him a little thing under the big juniper tree between ours and uncle Tim's house.  You could chain him to that if you made it so he couldn't ring the tree with his chain because that would kill the tree. But that is what I think you should do or have Jacob or Logan do it.

I found a big butchers knife blade while I was tilling a garden for this guy.  I don't know if I have told you, but we do a lot of service for people here, and just a little teaching compared to other places.   I mean, I still do a lot more teaching than I would as a civilian.

I did get the package with the three cds and two pair of pants and the bunch of letters.  It was pretty good.   My cousin that I met on my mission is moving to Salt Lake in a couple of weeks.  As far as dad’s foot goes - I really don’t know what to do.  I guess just do what the doctor says and remember to pray.  I know that the lord will answer your prayers.  Well, I got to go.  Love Elder Esplin


MAY 3
Hi.  How are you did you take pictures of Kaitlyn (hint-hint) and dad’s foot.  I would like to see the x-ray or just a picture of it.  I am doing good here and everything.  I am kinda wishing there where more people to see but it comes with work.   So I guess that is what I will do.

It is funny, wherever I go on my mission I always seem to bring good weather.  In Casper they told me that it was one of their best winters.  And when I got to Gregory they said it warmed up right when I got there.  That is too bad about the peaches( Our peaches all froze.) Did you keep an x-ray of your foot.

Just wanted to tell you all that I love you and that I wish I could be home helping out there, with milking and butchering and just helping out.  But I am here helping out strangers and their families.  It is strange how I look forward to helping you out.  Because I  help these people and they don’t know me and they express so much appreciation.  And I just know that when I get home that I wont have to work to be appreciated.  It is kind of funny.  And that when I do work I will not have the same kind of appreciation that these people give me because it will kind of be expected of me.   But I will enjoy working with you so much more.  Well, I  got to go.  Love, Elder Esplin


MAY 17
Hi.  I guess that the horse got better because you didn’t mention it in this email.  (Yes the horse got better.)  As far as the cds go I found this new singer.  I can’t remember his name but he is a Rabi and he sings a song called King Without a Crown.  He is pretty cool, but I don’t think most of the family would like him.  He is better than nothing on the 2 hour drives and I told Kab but I didn’t tell you that I want a cd case preferably a big one.

I drove over a thousand miles this week.  At the first of the week I drove to Rapid City, but I had to double back to Chamberlain.  Then I drove home from Rapid and then I drove to Valentine, Nebraska.  It was pretty funny because we had used about 1500 miles by the 16th that is more miles than most people get in a month.  When I get home I will be able to drive forever and not even care because I drive so much here.

Talking about manure,  we helped a guy clean out his lean-to on his barn and we got a pile about three feet high and ten foot by ten foot and it was just a little lean-to on this barn probably 20x20. So that was fun.

We finally went down to Valentine, Nebraska and guess what!  I met a Tongan guy there.  It was funny because I thought he was a native but he had the wrong accent.  Then he started talking about the Lamanites that we need to help.  It was kinda crazy but all the other members down there are ranchers.  It is my kind of place.  Well, I got to go.  Love Elder Esplin


JUNE 9th

Hi.  I am good.  I got my new comp.   Elder Ellis from Vernal.  He is pretty cool.  There is a family here and their dog had puppies.  They are half catahoula and the dad is a mutt but he is at least part border collie.  They look like really good pups so I told him I would send one home.
Well, I got to go.  Love Elder Esplin.  Tell Grandma “HI”.  I don’t have time to email her.


JUNE 14th

Hi, How is everything?  I am doing good.  I like my comp.  He is different than the last one.  He is from Vernal.  His name is Elder Ellis and he has been out 20 months.  He just turned 24 this last week.  There isn’t much else going on.  What puppy do you want a dark one or a catahoula looking one.


JUNE 21st

Well mom about the blood pressure pills- they gave me a headache and I ran out in October.  But my new comp has high blood pressure and he takes pills for it but they are cayenne pills and hawthorn pills.  I think that that is what I want you to get for me.  One more thing I need more contacts.  I am wearing my last pair but I am not to worried because I have glasses that will work if I run out.  But I hate how I look in glasses and service clothes.  In pros (proselytizing clothes) I look ok,  but we wear service clothes most of the time here.  That is what we mostly do.  Our last big service project was shingling the branch presidents house in Rosebud, actually Mission is where he lives, but the church is in rosebud.  I decided that I will save money and not have a roof on my house or put steel roofing on it.  I am going to build a new house and nor have a basement and not have any valleys on my roof.  Well, that is the future, and another thing you will be happy about is I am thinking about being an architect.



I think I will get a big black snake whip 12-16 feet long.  The guy that makes boots and saddles has been showing me how to use one.   He is teaching me on a little nylon one but he has a big leather blacksnake that he is fixing right now that I might be able to use.  That is kind of scary Logan driving.  If he gets mad and starts kicking or punching he would drive off the road so just remind him to stay calm.  It also sounded like fun that you where able to drive down to St.George.(That was when we went down to Bo’s blessing.)   I thought you would play the foot hurt card to get out of going anywhere but I guess that it gets pretty boring at home.  One more thing.  Zach is to small to carry anyone.  (I told him that Zach crashed with Paxton on his shoulders.)