January 24, 2011

Hey Mom.
Everything is going well here in Kendallville. Lynda Webster did indeed have her surgery finally and she is doing remarkable better. We have been keeping in contact with her, but we have not been able to meet with her due to her being on pain meds. We plan on meeting with her some time this week tho. The prayers in her favor from the temple are defiantly helping her, thank you so much for doing that. Brother Jim Bristol is still doing great, he is still loving the church and is getting home teachers this week so elder luster and I can wean him off of us. It might be hard for him, but it is for the better so that he is not so dependent on us and more on the ward. We have an new investigator this week, her name is Tami Philo, she is awesome and so solid. Her daughter is a member in salt lake and is the biggest influence ever for her. Tami has read the book of Mormon many times and knows that it is true. She also goes to our church quite often we has a lesson with her on Wednesday and she had a whole bunch of questions for us to answer  it was awesome. We invited her to baptism and she said that she would in due time, she wanted to make sure that she was doing it for her and not her daughter. We are also teaching a part member family the Short Family. They are awesome. She is so receptive in learning the gospel and all that stuff. The only thing is that she is not really getting the support that she needs  from her husband, he is not a positive or a negative influence he is just there. The whole family are investigators and so it will be awesome to see them all come to church.  Elder Luster and I have been working on this whole big community BBQ. We presented in front of the ward counsel and got all of the support that we deed to do this. We are going to announce it over a radio station and in the newspapers we are going to have a dinner.  Also we are going to have a tour of the church. We have chose six of the most important things in church, 1 the sacrament meeting, 2 relief society, 3 The Youth programs, 4 The Family history and Temples, 5 The Priesthood, 6 The Missionary. At each of these stations, we are going to have members of the branch explain what these are and how they can apply to all that comes. We will also have all of the branch there to fellowship and different elders from our zone. President and Sister Collins also will be attending with the assistants. It will boost the ward in unity and in numbers. We are really Excited to see how that go
I am very grateful that Diana is OK and is getting around Elder Luster and i have been keeping her in our prayers. it is a scary thing that happens. that is awesome to hear about sister going she is a very super nice lady, Nick martin and i have talked to her and her husband also. I didn't even know that he was a member. that's awesome. It is also awesome that Daniel and Karli had a baby? I had no idea, that so cool. It sounds like everything is going great back home. That's cool. Everything is going great here too, I love you all very much.
Elder Bair

January 18, 2011

Hey Mom,
My week went really well. Elder Luster and I are both doing great! We are both sick still with a cold it is really frustrating because we both cant breath. Sister Linda Webster did not have her surgery yet she has been postponed until tomorrow when she is scheduled to have it. We gave her a blessing last week, so it will be exciting to see how things go with her. Brother Jim Bristol is still staying strong in the gospel, he is still coming to church and is going to be getting a calling here pretty soon from my understanding.
Thank you for putting her in the prayer circle, it is greatly appreciated.
It has been pretty cold here lately but it is still all good.
We have received news that our branch President has submitted an application to become a ward to the first Presidency. I hope and pray that it gets approved but at the same time I pray that it doest. As much as the branch wants to be a ward they have a lot more work to do before it becomes a ward. They still  have a lot of issues that have to be worked out before they can do so. Other than that they have became alot stronger than they were before we got here. I don't have much this week and give Diana my love. We will keep her in our prayers. I love you all.
Elder Bair

January 10, 2011

Hey Family,
Kendallville for another six weeks!!!! We are not getting transferred on Wednesday like we were expected to,  there are only five companionship's in the whole mission that are not getting transferred,  and we are one of them. We must be doing something right? Jim's baptism went great,  however the water was not that warm and deep, so he fell when he was dunked, but he fell all the way in, so it counted the first time. It was a really good turn out, he had a lot of support from the members and also from the nonmembers. It was really what he needed. Its awesome that we got a new bishopric, they will be great I like Tracey Hawker. He actually sent me a Christmas card a while back. I suspected that he would be the new bishop. I keep forgetting that you are over in Boise. That's is crazy that it is that time already. Last Friday was Elder Luster and my 6 month mark. We went with a less active member, and as a missionary ritual, we burn a tie at six months. Instead, we blew them up with a firework. It was awesome. It was a huge boom. I will send a video of it when I get time next week. Everything is going great in Kendallville, we are still teaching Lynda Webster. She is not good, she does have cancer and on top of that she has the flu and bronchitis.  She was scheduled to have surgery last week but the Dr said not while she was sick, so they are going to do it either this Friday or next one or the other. So our prayers will be with her. We have also been teaching a part member family. The husband is a member and the wife is the investigator. She is coming along slowly, she is kinda an internal gator. She is slowly realizing the truth of it. We have also been working with A LOT  of less active families  This week was not as successful as last, but they are getting their trust back in the church and in the members. In order to have a full ward, we have to reach out to those less active members, therefore we are going to have a big BBQ in February.  Bigger than anything this branch has ever done. It will be open to the community and will be advertised in the newspaper.  Along with the BBQ, we will have church tours for those who are unfamiliar with our worship. It is going to be awesome. Now we just need to find some activities to do or something to raffle off.  It is going to be great, we are going to give responsibility to ALL of the members that are active and make them come. It is going to be a ward by the time that Elder Luster and I leave!!.
It's funny to hear that Katie and Tyson got stuck in an elevator.  That makes me laugh so hard.  It reminds me of the time that I had to install one into an old building for industrial metal. I was stuck in one all day welding and that jazz. Kendallville is going great it is a lot of fun.
 I love you all
Love Elder Bair

January 3, 2011

Earthquake? What? I probably did feel it, I just don't know, I feel one about every 30 minutes when a train goes next to our apartment. Its kinda hard to tell the difference. Don't be too happy, because I don't know how you gave it to us, but both Elder Luster and I have really bad colds too.  We had no medicine for colds, so we had to go out and buy some. They seem to be working, hopefully they are Elder Luster and I have been grounded a couple days due to the sickness, it is kinda of a bummer deal.

We are sill working on Linda, she hasn't been to church for 2 weeks.  We are super worried about her. We have recently found out that her son in law recently lost his job and is moving and is going through a hard time. I presume that Linda not coming to church has a lot to do with that. It is a little bit ridicules if you were to ask me. Jim Bristol on the other hand is still on track he will be baptized on Saturday. He had his final interview yesterday to do, so hopefully all will go well this week. We are going to make daily contact with him because we know that Satan will work super hard on him this week. Brother Patterson is going to be the one that is doing  the baptizing and I will be preforming the confirmation next Sunday.

River and Roxann, they are still meeting with us and the same old story with the book of Mormon, they don't want to believe that it is true. It is so frustration to teach them because they don't want to believe they know that everything else is true even the Prophet Joseph  Smith. confusing HUH.

It boggles my mind that it is that time to move to Boise again, it is amazing at how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that Eric and Wayde were leaving.  Now I will have been out for six months on Friday. It boggles my mind. We must be doing something right because it never happens for two elders to be together before six months, especially double transferred into an area and  expected to make the branch into a ward. President Collin's must see something in us that we don't see. This past week we have activated 3 less active families, and plan to make this branch into a ward. We finally realized that we will not be able to baptize that many people, but to bring back people to the church. There are over 300 members on the roster, but only 75 are active. So that is where we are working our hardest.

Indiana has been nice in the high 40 and low 50 this week it melted ALL of our snow. It is now just bitter cold and nasty now. The cold weather is killing me. it gives me 1-2 bloody noses a day. It is not cool at all. The work is moving on. I am excited to hear about the new bishopric. I would not be one bit surprised to see the Hawker brothers in it together. I can't ever imagine Josh and I being in one together either. I am not going to place any bets on it. Everything is going great here, I am still doing great.  I love you all.

Elder Bair

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.