10/13/13 Surgery and Happy Families!

The foot is doing fine now don't worry!! I want to send you a picture of what it looks like now though.  I'ts just a beautiful looking toe!!! They had to use three shots to get the thing numbed up though!  I hope Kalan is doing well.  I havn't been able to email him very much>  ( I had told him how Elder Cantwell uses Facebook in his mission to post about the Gospel.)  Pres. Monahan said we might be able to use Facebook next year here in the Urdaneta mission. I'm glad you fasted for me.  I probably needed it.  But McDonalds made up for it! (He got to go to McDonalds after the surgery, which is a treat as he does not live near a city with fast food etc... Yep, he is still my Riley!)

 

In this next email Darin, Riley's dad, told him the story about John Rowe Moyle.  He was called as a stone Mason to work on the Salt Lake Temple and walked 22 miles there and 22 miles back each week form Alpine Utah.  He would awake at 2:00am to leave to make it to work by 8:00am, stayed with his son all week and then walk home Friday night to arrive at midnight.  He would then work on his farm Saturday and do the same thing again the next week.  All this after crossing the plains by handcart and never allowing anyone to help him push or pull his cart.  He was always worried about someone else needing help.  He did this for 20 years.  Then one day his dairy cow kicked him and broke his lower leg requiring it to be amputated from the knee down, at his home, with a saw while laying on a door!  After healing he formed a prosthetic leg out of wood.  He learned to walk around the house and then the property and soon decided to go back to work.  He told his wife he was never released from his Stone Mason calling and again took up the 22 mile trek weekly using a prosthetic leg.  He had to climb ladders to do his work.  He carved on the East side of the Salt Lake Temple, the Gold carving saying "Holiness to the Lord"  He was doing this at 77 years of age!  He died four years before the completion of the Salt Lake Temple!  This was a dedicated Man of God and a true hero!

 

Riley's email

 

This picture is at a dinner appointment that members invited us too. They are way good at cooking and make delicious food haha! But yeah the members are way fun here. One thing I started doing instead of writing in my journal is I'm just doing a voice journal it's way easier and faster but I can also get a lot more info down.  If I ever want to write really personal experiences I will just do it in my journal. About the work. We  are doing pretty good.  Pres. Monahan is having us change our focus a little bit again. Our focus has been on less actives but this past week he told us that we cannot teach a less active lesson unless they bring an investigator to the lessons. So we will be working on finding a lot more. That's one thing I would like to ask if you will pray for us to have missionary opportunities to meet new people and to serve people. Dad,  he is one tough son of a gun!! (Meaning John Rowe Moyle)  I have heard his story before and what he experienced is a lot worse than what I went through haha! But that just shows his desire and determination to do good and serve the Lord no matter what happened to him. That's one way how we need to show our appreciation is to be willing to serve him diligently every day. Now I say diligently because of what diligent truly means. When you think of being diligent you think of working hard.....what I think of in diligence is working hard and never complaining. When we were baptized it is what we covenanted about. It is  our promise to Heavenly Father. He loves and supports us as long as we serve him. I'm very excited to hear you say that, (Referring to Darin saying he may want to serve an adult couples mission someday) though dad I'm gonna hold you to it though!,  about serving a couples mission. Honestly you would do great and would have a great time! I see the couples missionaries here and they have a blast. And I promise you don't live how we do.......you can basically do whatever you want hahaha but I love you guys.  Thanks for all the good news.  Tell Jordan that I'm praying for him always and that I love him. You can tell Alex that too if you want! haha But wish him good luck on his exam if it isn't over yet. But I love you all.  I'm excited for tomorrow. All of the foreigners go to  Urdaneta to get finger prints. Oh and by the way we don't get to go to the Manila temple anymore when we go home.....so I would like if you deeply thought about picking me up here so we can go to that temple together!!

love Elder Hansen

 

He has my vote to go pick him up!