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1st Feb 09- Email

Dear Family,

We got an ice storm on friday night! It was really cool. The only bad part
was no car. I guess this was a good thing because we were out of miles. Was
Rex not allowed to drive in snow?

We haven't been able to see our new investigator (who also has a date) since
thursday. She is so cool. Her name in Katherine Fox. She is 85. She is
Catholic. Her late husband was a former catholic priest. She loves to serve
and to give. She made us a cherry pie and baked chicken. Both were
fantastic! The only book we had that she could read was a large print gospel
principles manual. We have ordered her a large print Book of Mormon.

So the company that powers MyLDSmail is going out of business or something,
so the church has "worked closely with Gmail to make a new MyLDSmail." the
problem is that we were suppose to set ours up today and get it next week
but it won't let me in. Elder Lindner's worked. Lovely.

So here they call a beanie (or a stocking cap) a toboggan. When we first
heard it we were at a member's house and elder lindner is like "A toboggan
is a sled with the front curved up". I had thought it was just something
that family called it but every one calls them toboggans. odd.

Well all is well.

-Von Sowards

Email #3 sent from Elder Sowards

The snow is melted.

So the fist time it snowed hard core and stuck to the roads we didn't know
what to do. We had a few appointments but couldn't get to them, and couldn't
find anyone to drive us. So we made cookies.

All we had was margarine spread and not sticks of butter so I just measured
out half a cup of spread. We didn't have chocolate chips so we cut up
chocolate kisses and used that. And on top of those substitutions probably
half of the ingredients were stale. The results were flat, slightly fried due
to the excess oil in the spread, burnt chocolate chunks because the kisses
weren't the baking kind, stale cookies. Lovely.

Elder Lindner says they weren't as bad as I make it out to be, when they were
fresh out of the oven... I've never really been good at chocolate chip cookies
anyway. They never seem to work right... I don't get it. I can follow the
directions to a "T" but still they just don't work.

Anyway. James still doesn't have a date. He has stopped the coffee but not the
smokes. President says to not set a date and just wait till he has stopped for
a few days and set a short date of 2 or 3 days. Hopefully that will help.

So I haven't see any stone bridges. But it is the "Golf Capital of Tennessee".
there is a huge water tower that says that and we live right under it! There
are tons of water towers everywhere! I thought they were a thing of the past.
I learned that Crossville houses the largest tree house in the world. I hope
to go see it before I leave here. It sounds awesome!

Well I'll close off. I'll probably think of something else to say once I log
off. Then I'll send a letter as well to include that forgotten stuff, and then
think of something else after I send it.

-Elder Sowards

Handwritten Letter

Dear Family,
I hope you are doing well. It has been snowing here, which means no car. So we weren't able to get much done the last few days. School has been canceled the last few days. Church was canceled yesterday as well. My companion, Elder Lindner, was really annoyed from it because he is from Wisconsin and he has experience of driving in 10 times this snow and if they had canceled church for this then they would not have church more then the would the whole year.If it snowed like this in Mesa they would cancel church in pure amazement.
Have I told you about James? He is a 53 year old man that the missionaries were teaching. We committed him to be baptized last Sunday for Saturday the 16th. He struggled with Word of Wisdom and it will be pushed back. He is a great guy. He wants his son to be baptized as well. It would be great if he could baptize his son. James will be baptized. He knows it's true and he knows he needs to give up the coffee and cigs.
The bike. Ya, it's not that urgent and if we get a used bike that would be great. With not having a car it has made me feel like I need a bike. But ya, no rush. The snow is clearing out. We are starting to give families the same challenge that Pres Ahlstrom gave us to "invite." Hopefully it will get us some new referrals.
-Von

Email #2 sent from Elder Sowards

Family,

I am in Crossville TN. It is pretty cool here.

On Saturday night (4:00) we were leaving apartment and I lock the door
behind me and then my comp, Elder Lindner, says "oh no. did you lock it?" so
we spent the evening locked out and trying to get back in.

We start by calling the management, who is a larger company that owns alot
of other apartment and storages, thus leaving no management on site, and get
an answering machine, they already left for the night, where ever they were.

So we called the district leader, who happens to be Matt Lluellen's (sp)
brother, and he calls the office and they say call a locksmith.

We called a recently baptized family, the Pattens, who come and pick us up,
because our car keys are on the house keys, and brought us to their house.
At their house we look up locksmiths and found out that everyone could get
us into our car but couldn't get us into a residential place.

So Brother Patten calls one of his workers and asks him if he could brake in
for us. Yes we had a slightly drunk little Mexican guy come and use credit
cards, illegal tools and a tool belt to try to break in. still no go.

The Pattens had already offered to house us for the night and then even to
drive us to Knoxville to get the spare from the mission office. We then call
the management and contacted them. They come and try to unlock it with their
master key..... and it doesn't work.....

So we stayed at the Pattens that night and went to church in dirty stacks
and no suits the next day. The matinence guy, who lived 45 minutes away,
came and climbed up and got through the back door. Today another one came
and showed us that "some jerk stuck a little peice of mettle" in our lock.
More like a little drunk mexican guy.......
.......... our bad.....

My trainer is cool. This is only his 3rd transfer. Last night we taught
James a lesson and he committed to be baptized. It is awesome. I got to go.
Love
Sowards

1st handwritten letter from TN

Dearest Family,
I'm here! It took my across the entire country and 5 cities later to get here... but I'm here! Sorry I didn't call in Chicago. It just didn't happen.
So ya, I'm here and ready to go. There is no snow. Some what cold. I get my trainer tomorrow. I'm excited.
The President, his wife and his assistance made us a very good roast & potato dinner. It was much appreciated especially because we has only eaten MTC food for 3 weeks.
I need a bike. He says every thing will work out. I'll find out more and email you on Fri. P-day this week is on Fri but usually on Mon.
I love you all. I probably will have more to talk about on Fri.
-Von Sowards

Hadwritten letter: Christmas Day 09

Dear Familia,
Happy Christmas! Well I guess it won't be Christmas when you read this, but Happy Christmas anyway! And Happy New Year! I'm glad you get to read my email on Christmas anyway.
So as you saw in my email I heard from Elder Anderson and now I just got back from hearing Elder Perry. He brought his family along and they read the scripture talking about Christ's birth. It was cool. Both Apostles spoke about the Condensention of God (1 Nephi 11:13(?)). It was the main thing in Elder Anderson's and Elder Perry mentioned it. I need to understand it a little more.
Yesterday somebody said that the Devotional would be Elder Perry and the fireside would be that "Reflections of Christ" photo guy. They might be right. I'l know by the time you read this.
Look up Brud Pelo and find out who he (and his family) is/are. His family gave every missionary here a card and scripture book marks. Who on earth are they?
We taught a sister teacher who was from Kentucky. I asked if she knew Laura Krebs from her home ward. Her name was Sis Hatch.
Yesterday a Sister came up to me and said "I saw your last name and I was wondering if you knew a Kristy Sowards." I said she was my sister and she said she knew her from Virginia... I then told her that we couldn't be thinking of the same Kristy Sowards. What are the chances?
Well all thing must end when you run out of things to say (though I'll remember after I send it off). I love you all! Merry Christmas
-Von