December 28, 2010

 

Hello Family,

Christmas was great. It really has a different meaning when you are a missionary.  It is quite awesome. It was great to talk to you all and to converse with all of my siblings and Stephanie. It was great to talk to Deisel and Dillon I sure miss them two and those nephews and niece that I have. Sorry to give you all a scare about the story I told, I will keep them down to a minimun just for you mom. It sounds like the holidays were great for you and the fact that you read the story of our Savior. Elder Luster and Ididn't read it, but we watched it with a family in our ward and then we were able to pretend to be Santa . It was awesome, the look on the little kids faces was priceless, truly awesome. Our appointments that we had after we talked to our family's were great. We went to a less active family and played board games until our appointment with our investigators  It is always nice to just sit back and relax. Our lesson with River and Roxann went great.  River said that he has not been drinking for about a week now, we didn't even teach the word of wisdom yet. He has seen how destructive it has been in his life and wants to change. It has been great to be able to share the gospel with them. Thats is about all for this week I hope that I will have more for you next week.  I love you all.

Love

Elder Bair

Christmas Day Phone Call 2010

Oh the long awaited day and time finally arrived.  Christmas Day, 12:30 p.m.  Family is gathered, everyone there....waiting.  The phone rings and Amber grabs it and runs to the formal living room.  After a few minutes, Kate decides it is her turn so she heads into the other room,  Kody, knowing her intent, wins the race and get to talk next.  Everyone in their own turn, was able to talk to Jared.  Stephanie arrived and also was able to talk to Jared.  We had an hour and a half to talk.  Dillon and Deisel both wanted to talk as well. 
    It was good to talk to Jared.  He expressed his gratitude for the gospel, his testimony and family.  He mentioned that scary things happen on occasion.  I begged him to save those stories for when he was home from his mission.  He didn't obey.  He related a story of when he had been in Fort Wayne for 3 weeks.  Jared and his companion were walking down the street.  A guy walked up to Jared, put a gun to his head, and fired!  The gun clicked but no bullet came out.  Logically he should have been dead.
Jared and I discussed the blessing that President Anderson gave him as he set him apart for his mission.  In that blessing, Jared was blessed that if he would listen to the promptings of the Lord and be obedient to them, he would be protected from the adversary's and removed from their presence as if unseen.  He needed to place his hand in the hand of the Lord and he would be guided and protected.  Wow!
    Everyone was so happy he was safe and very happy to be able to talk to him.  We are so grateful that we live in this day and time and have the wonders of e-mails and phones and so forth.  Much better than waiting for a month for a letter to come from over seas.
Next call....Mothers Day.

Sister Glenna Wolkins

     Thursday evening, the eve of Christmas Eve,  I received and early Christmas present.  A phone call from Fort Wayne, Indiana.  No....not my son.  A woman named Sister Wolkins who  is a missionary mom who watches over missionaries who serve in her area.  She proceeded to tell me what a wonderful Elder  Jared is.  She said that he still loves and insists on his Idaho Potatoes!!!!  The ward or stake missionaries, Bro. and Sis. Meyers also spent a lot of time with Elder Bair.  Sister Wolkins related that Jared's testimony is strong and he is doing great.  It appears that my farm boy, who is used to wearing his wranglers low,  is having difficulties keeping his dress pants as high as they should be, therefore,  he rips pants out in the crotch.  It must be the bike.  Sister Wolkins, bless her heart,  has mended Jarred's britches many, many, many times.  Bro. and Sis. Meyers had to take him to finally buy some new ones.

     The people of Fort Wayne have loved and tenderly cared for my son, when I was unable to do so.  Isn't this what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about?  Our wards become extensions of our families.  We watch over them and help them and love them like they were our own.  I may not do that as well as I should, but I am grateful for the sweet members in Fort Wayne who do.

     It was so nice to hear the love in Sis. Wolkins voice as she talked about my son.   He has now been transferred to Kendallville.  Alas, the people of Fort Wayne still miss him.  As we do,  and love him, as we do. Sis. Wolkins sent some pictures which with any luck I will add.  In ending,  it was a wonderful early Christmas present and one I will never forget.  Thank you Sister Wolkins.
 

Christmas Letter 2010

Dear Dad & Mom,
     In these holiday seasons, I am very grateful.  My heart is full of emotions.  As Elder Luster and I have been tracting, one frequent question that we ask those we run into is "What does Christmas mean to you."  We often are answered with "My family" or "Presents" or even "Decorations".  Very seldom do we have some one mention Christ in this wonderful time of the year.  Lately I have studied about the true meaning, I also have had some different feelings of doing so.  I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to have two great parents like you.  That have raised me into the man that I am today.  I thank you for putting up and having patience with me and all of my endeavors.  I am grateful for the righteous life that you have lived and been an example to me.  Also for seeing what was best for me.  Thank you for giving me enough room, but just the right amount of push, to come on a mission.  Without that influence & push from you and Stephanie, I would not be here.  I am grateful for the Atonement that Christ has made for all to be helped and for that repentance we can perform.  I am indeed grateful for the Book of Mormon and for the spirit that comes from reading it.  The Book of Mormon was essential to my "true conversion".  Without it I would be lost.  I have just finished it for the first time in my life.  It has truly become my best friend.  I love the work and all that it entails.  I love you and am grateful for all the sacrifices that are being made.  Thank you for everything you have done.
              Love
Elder Jared Bair

December 20, 2010

Merry Christmas Family,
Sure enough time has come and gone and it is this wonderful time of the year, and with all this it means that I will have been out for six months, 1/4 of the way done. As a sacred missionary tradition at six months we burn our ugliest tie, man do we have some ugly ones. This Christmas season brings joy and happiness into my life last night we went to a fireside with our Stake President, man was it awesome. He read out of Luke about the birth of our Savior and the three wise men who were just ordinary sheep herders called of God to witness this glory of this child. These scriptures that he read really hit  deep in my heart. These wise men were just doing their own business, what could they possibly know about our Savior? As the fireside went on he related those wise men as to missionary's, Elder Bair just a small town Idaho potato farmer, what does he know? Like the three wise men we are all called of God to witness of our Savior. and when this is all said and done we will all go back to doing what ever and will be singing the praises and shouting of the glory that we have just witnessed. How glorious  is this Season, the Season of our beloved brother.  This day I am indeed grateful for my brother Jesus and for the opportunity that he has had to live and perform the atonement.
Yesterday we got some terrible news from our investigator Linda Webster, we was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and as a result of this she has started smoking again to calm the stress in her life. She also has postponed her baptism until March or April... Elder Luster and I were devastated.  We are going to go and visit her on Wednesday and encourage her that this is what she wants to do, and also help her understand the importance of baptism and the covenants that we make in doing so. Jim Bristo is still doing great and is still on track to be baptized on the 8th. We are working really hard on helping him progress to that date, there is no doubt in my mind that he will be.  We are grateful for him.
Everything is still going great  here in Kendallville, we are still teaching a lot of people and helping them do the things that the Lord want them to do.
From my understanding Eric's release date is the 10th, it blows my mind that it has already been 2 years since he has been out. I am excited for him.
I dont know when I will call, I will call Friday sometime and set a time up with you so the family can know ahead of time.   I will be calling from a members home phone on Saturday. They offered because they have unlimited nationwide calling for $10 or something like that. All  is going will I did get you package last week sometime. I am excited to open the packages. I hope all is going well back home I love you all tons.
Elder Bair

December, 13 2010

Hey Mom, and Family,
This little redneck town is awesome, it is probably no bigger than the town of Shelly. But our area is huge because we cover all the surrounding areas. Its pretty awesome, we have a full time car, so that is helping out my knee super good. I don't really know how different the weather is. I know that it's cold, but I don't think that it is as cold as everybody says it is. It is indeed cold. I am blessed to have Elder Luster as my companion.  He is a stud. The holidays are going to be stinking awesome.  I will send some pictures of the fun times already.
That dang Grandma Snap is a super great grandma,a that is very impressive. 103 that just blows my mind but  at the same time is super cool. Grandpa is up there just throwing them down to us.
Sounds like everything is going well. The family is doing good, that's great to hear.
  Everything is going great here. Elder Luster and I have 4 baptism dates within two weeks of each other and we are planning on getting one more sometime this week they are scheduled for January 1st. There will be three and then there will be one on the 8th. We have been super preparing for them, we are stoked. We have also been working super hard with the less active members in the branch. This branch is big enough to be a ward but nobody ever comes, so we have been trying to work with them alot, getting things figured out. Hopefuly we can follow through with the things that President Collins commitment was. He said that we are to make this Branch into a Ward hopefully we can.  That would be awesome. That is basically all that I have.  I love you all and have a blessed day.
Elder Bair

December 6, 2010

Mom,
Well... I did indeed get transferred..... to the best area in the mission. My new companion is Elder Luster, oh yeah the same Elder Luster that was my best friend in the MTC together. So we are in the same Stake as Fort Wayne.  We are just north about 25 miles from Fort Wayne in a podunk town called Kendallville. It is the coolest little farming area. So far we have two baptism dates, one is Linda Webster, I don't know much about her yet, we haven't been able to meet with her yet. The other is Jim Bristow. He is such a stud, he is a straight up old fashioned cowboy from Wyoming. He will be baptised on January 8.  It is going to be awesome. The apartment is kinda better than the last one. We live above the Branch Presidents house that was converted into an apartment. It  is cool except the water heater doesn't work very good and we have no heat, none the less it is pretty chilly. We finally got some snow last night, we got about 4-5 inches, still some but not even as close as what you have there. Anyways my new address is 116 1/2 Lincoln st. Kendallville IN 46755. We how have control over our mail so it will be alot better. So far the people that are in this area are right up our alley.  Elder Luster and I feel like it is  so much like home.  Everybody that we talk to are red necks, just like us.  It is right in the middle of hunting season and everybody loves us so much already because we hunted back home and they want to take us hunting so badly.  It's awesome that we already have the trust of the members already.  Everthing is going great I could not ask for a better companion.   I will try to send some pictures sometime soon. I hope that all is well and I will talk next week.
Love Elder Bair