WEEK 42 - The day after Mother's Day/ May 14, 2018

No words!!! Just love!!

From the Mission APs to all the moms of the missionaries!! SO SWEET!!

Hi fam!

I'll be staying here this change with the same companion. Had a really good interview with President this morning. Email more later! 
Connor

LATER: Good news about the change Elder Owens will be my new District Leader and Elder Thatcher as my new Zone Leader! Pretty cool!

TOTAL and COMPLETE surprise - A genuine Ukulele concert from Connor on Mother's Day.
FOR REAL!!! He actually taught himself to play on his mission!!!
AMAZING and OH HOW I LOVED HIS SONGS
which I was FORBIDDEN to post ha ha

THE DAY AFTER OUR MOTHER'S DAY SKYPE WITH CONNOR I WROTE THIS TO HIM:

I LOVED LOVED LOVED your awesome Mother’s Day gift of the Ukulele concert!! It was more than I could have ever imagined!!! I ADORE the fact that you have learned how to play and sing those amazing songs on your mission!! I just LOVE that sweet talent and I LOVE hearing your voice!!!!

On a little side note - Have confidence in your voice - it’s a great tool to use to teach - remember music has a power to convert!! I PROMISE!!!!  David Archuleta tells a story from his mission like that!! You have a beautiful voice and I hope you will share it with others!! <3 

For Mother's Day Tyler treated me to a very special afternoon at a conference called "keep rollin'". It was so much fun and I want to tell you about it I don't think you want to hear hours and hours of all my learning ha ha 

However John Bytheway spent a lot of time talking about when we think things are sometimes seemingly bad we should look again bc often it's actually a good thing. 

He use the following humorous skit from an old old TV show called HEE HAW to make his point: 

"I’m going to tell you a secret. I grew up in the South, watching a variety show called Hee Haw. The show was centered around country music and Southern culture. It took place in an imaginary county called Kornfield County, which was just as corny as it sounds.

Buck Owens and Roy Clark co-hosted the show, but my two favorites were Grady Nutt and Archie Campbell.

Archie owned a barber shop. Each week Roy would go to Archie to get his hair cut, and Archie would tell him some good and bad news. Let me read a portion one of Archie’s routines with Roy.

Imagine the two men talking back and forth.

Archie first.

[Bear with me ... Only take minute. Roy walks into barbershop ...]

Archie: Hey Roy, I guess you heard about my terrible misfortune. Roy: No, Archie, what happened?

Archie: Well, my great uncle died. Roy: Oh that's bad!

Archie: No that's good!

Roy: How come?

Archie: Well, when he died, he left me 50,000 dollars. Roy: Oh that's good!

Archie: No that's bad!

Roy: How come?

Archie: When the Internal Revenue got through with it, all I had left was 25,000 dollars. 
Roy: That's bad.

Archie: No that's good.

Roy: How come?

Archie: Well Roy, I took the $25,000, bought me an airplane, and I learned to fly. 
Roy: Well that's good.

Archie: No that's bad.

Roy: How come?

Archie: Well, I was flying upside down the other day, and I fell out of the darn thing. 
Roy: Well that's bad.

Archie: No that's good.

Roy: How come?

Archie: When I looked down I saw a great big ole haystack underneath me. 
Roy: Well that's good.

Archie: No that's bad.

Roy: How come?

Archie: Well, when I got a little closer, I saw a pitchfork aimed right at me. 
Roy: Well that's bad, Archie.

Archie: No that's good.

Roy: How come?

Archie: I missed the pitchfork. 
Roy: Well that's good. 
Archie: No that's bad.

Roy: How come?

Archie: Because Roy I missed the haystack too.

Those two went on and on like that week after week. 
Good news.

Bad news.

So I was beginning to make the connection between our house getting flooded and how I was thinking it's a bad thing but as you really think about it it's a good thing because if it is enabling our family to get new flooring and new cabinets and basically update our house and not have to pay much because of insurance - that's such a blessing in disguise, right??? 

Then it made me think of you and some of the many challenges you have been dealing with during your mission.

I am also thinking about your lessons you received from present Harbertson.  I sent you all those notes this morning I hope you have taken the time to read them because it is pretty brilliant to see how it is all playing out in your life right now just as he shared with us only a year ago....

Maybe using that "oh that's bad-oh that's good" skit outline you can craft your own Peru Mission ending with a "that's good" statement!! 

I love you, son!

Mom