Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Safe Arrival 7:23am May 28

Dear President Almond, Sister Melot,

We would like to inform you that Elder Melot has arrived safely in Harare, Zimbabwe.  We will enjoy having him with us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the wonderful people of Zimbabwe.


Thank you  

Elder Cornelius
Mission Office Administrative Manager
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Zimbabwe Harare Mission
65 Enterprise Rd., Highlands Harare
Zimbabwe
Office +263 04 776 349
Cell 0772 152 481

Monday, May 26, 2014

May 26, 2014

Hey just a super quick email to say hello.   I leave today for Zimbabwe and it will be a long flight and I will miss San Jose and this mission.   Not a long email, but lots of love.   I hope you are all doing great.   I love this work, and I am so thankful to be a missionary.

Love you all.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

More from BettyAnn

May 25  10:32am

I hope this email finds you and the family in good health and spirits.
We had lunch with the Elders yesterday, spent 2.5 wonderful hours with them.
Tonight they will have dinner with us.
Elder Melot and Elder Dean have become like family to us. I fought back tears as Andrew was telling me of his schedule for the next few days. His voice was filled with excitement while his face clearly showed the mixed emotions he is experiencing. 
He asked for deep fried burritos for dinner tonight and recalled tenderly how his dad made the beef, bean, and cheese burritos and fried them.
I wish Andrew could stay for one more transfer, Annie will turn 8 in mid July, it would have been awesome for Elders Melot & Dean to baptize her. Elder Dean will be able to baptize her.
I can't convey how much Andrew means to us. His leaving is tearing my heart apart. I can only imagine how you felt when he left on his mission! Please keep in touch, I look forward to your emails.


May 25  4:28pm

The Elders sat next to me, I always feel special when they do that. I've been home 2 hrs and still have lots to do beforw Andrew & Jack arrive. It broke my heart to tell Andrew I could not attend his fireside meeting tonight. I just can't say bye to him there.  Btw, when he was over yesterday he said he misses hearing you say you love him more than marshmellows! It was a cute story ;)
I still see concern in Andrew's face. He is worried about the long flight ahead of him, stating he doesn't fly well. He's thankful there will be "sleep time" on the flight. I'm thankful he has a companion flying with him, one he knows and likes is an added blessing.
I sit here praying for safe travels for Andrew and his companion. I will be on edge until I hear he arrived safe. So let me know!! 

Luv,
BettyAnn

Andrew's last night in San Jose.

     Had a wonderful good bye dinner with Andrew. My fried burritos (chimichangas) were a hit! We had watermelon for dessert and he liked that also. It was a nice send off visit. He had everything packed and ready and taken to where he is spending the night yesterday. He forgot to put his medicine in his carry on bag but said he'd do that later. Was glad you got his international license to him in time.
So I'm gonna hope these photos come thru to you. I only have my phone to use and I'm not that great with the gmail!!
     I managed not to cry as he left, he was so rushed it made saying bye easier.
     In the photos you will see my crazy family.
                                             Luv,
                                                   BettyAnn







Monday, May 12, 2014

Pictures 5/19/14


 I eat one Cadberry egg once a P-day to make them last, I need to eat one today.. 


 ...these are my travel papers...


....Someone seems to have put this rose on our door yesterday.


"Its make your mommas proud time! I LOVE MY MOMMA!" -Wreck it Ralph

Yesterday was Mothers day, a day to honor and remember the women in our lives who have made us who we are, and to give love to our Mothers.   And as a missionary it is one of the times you get to call home.   I loved it.   It was hard to say goodbye when it was time to go, but hearing my Mother's sweet loving voice is always a boost and a strength to me.   I love you momma.

Recently my email seems to be having problems sending emails, and I had a friend message me and express concern that I didn't want to stay in touch anymore.   To you I say "I want to stay in touch!   I am so sorry my email isn't working the way it is supposed two.   I have emailed you every week, and seems like things are having technical difficulties.   Please be patient and trust that I care about you."   I know you have been reading this email and I hope you know that I am talking to you.

This week we had a pretty good week.   We were a little low on contacts, but we picked up four new investigators, two of which were member referrals.   I love when the members get involved in the work.   It is the best thing that can happen to forward the work, short of everyone around me having an experience like Alma the Younger and Paul.   The first was a man named Ross who is a friend of our Ward Mission Leader (the guy who is in charge of us in the ward) and he was great.   He started out like he wasn't really interested, since our WML told him we wanted to "Practice" the lessons, which is always a little risky since they may ignore everything you say.   But he started to listen, the Spirit was strong and he had great questions.   When we were talking about how the Lord always calls Prophets as promised in Amos 3:7 and about dispensation (or times when the gospel is on the earth) he was like "wait when was the last dispensation?" and we were like that is an amazing question and the amazing answer to it has to do with a boy named Joseph Smith.   Long story short, he took a copy of the Book of Mormon and wants to meet again, and told us that it all makes sense.   The other was a man who came to church and has been taught the lessons by his member friends and he wants to be baptised.   I love it!   Long story short: MEMBERS, YOUR HELP FORWARDS THE MISSIONARY EFFORTS AND HELPS PEOPLE COME UNTO THE SAVIOR!!!!!

Elder Dean and I are doing great, trying to get as much done as we can in the two weeks that I am still here state side.   Can you believe that I am leaving in two weeks?   I sure can't!   His family is doing great, and that is great.   I love to work with the guy.   Don't get me wrong, we have our differences and there have been difficulties, but we are a great team and things are just going great.

All my life my older brothers have called me a "Momma's Boy" and more recently "The Golden Child".   I stand here and say that I AM a momma's boy.   And I am proud of it.   There are many people who are momma's boys.   Superman, Spider-man(for his Aunt) and countless other "Superheroes" were Momma's boys.   In the Book of Mormon we read about the Strippling Warriors who "Thought more on the liberty of their fathers then they did upon their own lives... they rehearsed unto me the words of their Mothers saying We do not doubt our mothers knew it."   Alma 56: 47-48.   Joseph Smith the Prophet and his brother Hyrum were "Momma's Boys" who gave great honor and respect to their Mother.   And undoubtedly the best example to us all, not only in loving our mothers, but in everything was our Savior Jesus Christ, who while he was on the Cross suffering the worst way a man can suffer, even unto death,  saw his mother and  the Disciple whom he loved and said "Woman, behold they son!   Then saith he to the disciple behold thy Mother!"   John 19: 26-27.   I marvel that in the midst of such pain and suffering the Savior took the time to see to it that his mother would be watched over and cared for.   

I am grateful that I have the Mother I have.   (Please don't think I love you any less Daddy, yours is next month).   I know that Heavenly Father gives us these families for a reason, and that they let us grow and they are where we truly come to understand love.   I hope that we will all take a little time and spend it with our families, because they are some of our greatest blessings.

I love you Momma.

"You are a toy!   You are a sad strange little man, and you have my pity.   Farewell."
"Oh sure save the horse"
"If I were my real size your cow here would die of fright."

Here is my travel Schedule real fast

San Jose to LA Leave 4:15pm  Arrive 5:30pm
LA to London   Leave 7:50pm  Arrive 2:20pm
London to Johannesburg Leave 7:10pm Arrive 7:10am
Johannesburg to Harare  Leave 10:40am Arrive 12:20pm

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Monday, May 5, 2014

"I swear I'm sweating like a sinner in church. What ever for? [it hit 95 degrees out here]" - Princess and the Frog "We are gonna die" - Toy Story

Hey Daddy, be safe in Haiti.   I pray for your safety while you are there, I pray for your safe return, I pray that the Lord will guide you in serving His children there, and in spreading the love for our Father and from our Father that you have, with them.   You and Mom taught me how to feel that love and express it, and I am so grateful for that.   I hope you will enjoy this experience and find joy in serving God's children.   I love you Dad.

Wow!   It got hot last week!   I mean I was just pouring down the sweat.   It was a little irritating.   I don't think I've sweated that much since wrestling practice after we made Coach Coleman mad.   It is still beautiful but dang it was hot.   I miss the rain of my beautiful Washington state.

For those of you who didn't hear it last week, (I am sure my mom shouted out for joy/fear/trepidation/excitement) I got my visa last week or so, and I leave on the 26th for Zimbabwe.   Here is a little update on the Travel Info.   I fly out on the 26th around 4:15.   I have a lay over in LA (really?   LA?) then I fly to London for a twelve hour lay over, which will be awesome!   Then I fly to Johannesburg South Africa for another lay over.   From there I will fly into Zimbabwe Harare.    Amazing!  And from the emails I have been getting from the rest of my MTC zone mates, there are like five or six of us flying out that day, so hope fully I will get to see them when I fly out.   That would be great.   


We got to do a lot of service this past weekend.   Like from ten in the morning to five at night.   First we helped move a less active/part member family out of their old home.   The best part was at least five or six members of the Elders Quorum showed up to help.   It was great, cause our Ward Mission Leader put it out there that we needed help and the ward reacted.   It was great.   The Husband of the family, Robert, was super happy to see them and us.   He told President Hall that he was so glad to see us (Elder Dean and myself).   We have really made a friendship with him, and his wife.   He has been investigating for a little while, and hopefully we can meet with them for a little while longer.   Then we did some service for a Less Active family in our ward.   I love this family and we have made a lot of headway in cleaning the house.   I won't go into to much detail, let's just say it looks a million times better and we aren't finished yet.   Then we got to help the Bishop and a member from the other ward to move some stuff out of storage, take pictures of it, and then put it all back in storage.   They are gonna be putting it on Craigslist.   That is what happens when your mission president tells you to offer service to everyone.   You get so busy helping and showing love to those around you that you don't even have time to think.   I love the Just Serve stuff we do here in Cali, and I heard from Kevin Hamlet that they are gonna be instigating it across the board.   Not to brag or anything but we got a pretty great mission out here in San Jose.   I hope they do just serve in Africa, I've gotten to love it.

Things are going great with me and Elder Dean.   We decided to skip a Santa Cruz trip today and just stay home and relax.   The zone was going to the beach and we just didn't feel like it.   So yeah, gonna take a day for ourselves.   Namely we are gonna get his bike fixed, get me some passport photos to get an International Drivers License, write some letters, and if I am lucky, nap.   Yep were are gonna visit our good friend DAN( or Daily Afternoon Nap).   I am looking forward to that.   I am tired.   If anyone ever says a mission isn't tiring they are WRONG!   It is fun, it is the best, it is a wonderful experience, it is a chance to show appreciation to Heavenly Father for all he has given us, it is a chance to help change lives and make wonderful friends, but it is tiring.  

"It does you no good to have a Temple Recommend and not use it."   Bishop Geddus Dry Creek Ward.

The Apostles have been telling us for a while now that doing Temple work will protect your families.   They have counseled us that if our children do it they will receive strength to overcome temptation.   They have put a great emphasis on the Temples.   In April President Thomas S. Monson told us "we are a Temple Building and a Temple attending people".   If the Prophet of God is putting that much emphasis on the Temple I think we should too.   I wish we as missionaries were able to go to the Temple trips of our wards, cause that would be awesome.   But we don't get to.   I encourage those of you with a current Temple Recommend to attend the Temple more often, I encourage those of you who do not have a Temple Recommend to talk to your Bishop and get one and then attend the Temple when ever you can.   I know that serving the Lord brings safety, I and my Companion are living proof that the Lord looks after us when we serve Him.  

"No, you know what the kangaroo is right.   What?! I am not a kangaroo mate.   Oh and all this time I thought you were, so then what are you?"
"The tiger girl went out of the cave, saw something new, and she died.   Wow, surprise ending."
"You won't steal my soul! I won't let you! Hey its just music man... Hey man its a good jam, don't be a grandpa."
"Zeus? He's your daddy?   The big guy?   Mr. Lightning Bolt?!   Read me a book will you dada?   Zeus is all like Once Upon A Time" 

Love you all.