Seamons scrolls from October 6th and 13th

Ramblings from our October 13th letter:  

Dear Joey

How are you? Are you having fun? We won 33-6 Saturday. It was a pretty cool game. I laid a lot of people out. I also led the team in tackles. I got a sac but it was on an extra point so it didn’t count. But I’m still counting it. I only ran the ball once for 7 or 8 yards, but I had the sickest blocks there was one where we were running a 28 sweep and I nail the D-end then continue on to absolutely punish the corner. He was laid out. Hard. On the ground. They absolutely could not run it up the middle with me as middle Linebacker. So yeah we’re in the playoffs and then on to the Minnie- Dome. School still sucks. Good luck. Have fun.

Ben

P.S. Do you think I should do basketball or wrestling?

P.P.S. If you don’t answer me this time I’m never writing you again.

P.P.P.S. We went to Devin’s wedding reception. There was unlimited Sundays and Sam had 30 of them.

Dear Joe,

I had 2 comp. games this week. We lost the 1^st game because we put our best goalie in a little bit of the 2^nd half and we didn’t put him in the 1^st half. When we didn’t have our best goalie in the game they made a point. On the 2^nd game we tied 1-1. The reason they made a point is because I wasn’t a defender and the defense was out of their shape. In the 2^nd half I was a defender so I made sure that we kept our shape and they didn’t score in the 2^nd half. In the 2^nd half we also made a point so we tied the game. I also went to someone’s party it was at a mansion it had a gym and a swimming pool. So see ya.

From,

David Seamons

P.S. I still haven’t gotten your letter yet.

Dear Joe,

Well we had a great game this week Our JV team won Minico 20-0 this week so we were pretty happy about that the varsity though alas lost 13-12 I felt bad for RJ though because he missed both of his extra kick attempts and missed a field goal so it was pretty sad plus the fact that it was his birthday didn’t help either especially after some people had decorated the bus for his so year not a memorable 17^th birthday for him. Well next week we play Poky and I’m ready for some revenge plus I think that they suck this year any way so were look to punish them pretty bad hopefully. Oh we also get to play in the Holt arena this week so that should be pretty cool experience for us so we’ll see how it goes. Oh and you should also answer Ben’s basketball/wrestling question because I am getting pretty tired of telling him that it his choice and to stop asking me to make his decisions for him. Well that pretty much sums up my week of school and keep up the good work that you are doing out there sounds like you had a great week last week keep it up!

Samuel

Dear Joseph we went to the wedding reception in Logan. We ate unlimited cake and ice cream. My last game is this week. I had to write a talk for the primary program about the Holy Ghost. So I decide to talk about how I feel when I pray. The Holy Ghost helps me to know heavenly father is listening to me. Love Jonathan

Dear Joseph,

Well another busy week; so busy it seems that I can’t even remember what I did. It just seems that I haven’t been home at all this week except for Friday when it was rainy and cold outside. But I guess I shouldn’t complain about rainy and cold because missionaries often times get that day after day. Sam had a home JV game on Wednesday night that had a long delay because of lightning in the sky, so it was pretty late by the time it was over. But he did play really well and they had a good spread on the score. Your cousin Devin got married to a Jordan Peterson from Cove Utah on Saturday. They had a good ceremony and had lots of people to the luncheon and to the reception that evening. They had four different cakes and ice-cream Sundays for the treat at the reception. My cousin that was observing the boys at the reception claimed that David had about 20 ice-cream Sundays. She was sure that he was going to be sick, but luckily he wasn’t and that he was healthy this morning to go to church and be sustained to receive the Aaronic priesthood. David didn’t want Sam to ordain him to the Aaronic priesthood but did allow him to stand in the circle. This next Sunday we get to go to see Nathan Erasmus off as he gives his fair well talk at church. They added another picture to the missionary case at church today and now there are 13 pictures there for another 2 months. Then we will go down to 12 again but by February we will have 14. I am sure that by far the most youth missionaries that the ward has had out at one time. I do remember that back in uncle Morlyn’s time that we has somewhere around15 missionaries but 6-8 of them were couple missionaries. Elder Jerman’s mom called tonight and your mom and she talked for at least ½ hour about their missionaries. The fall colors are now out in their full glory this past week. But I’m sure that they don’t compare to what you have over there in the Alpine. You have a great week and do some more good! Love, Dad

Dear Elder Seamons

Hey, we really enjoyed your letter last week, it sounds like you are doing great. I’m glad to hear that you are singing and sharing your talents with the rest home people---did you play for them too? I bet they would really enjoy that as well. We have been praying for Rita this week and hope that she is able to receive a witness that the gospel is true and that she will be ready to commit to taking steps towards baptism.

Hey, guess what? Tonight I got a call from Kallene Jerman, Elder Jerman’s mom. I guess she was at a baby blessing in American Fork and the Steele’s were attending and she asked them if they knew you. I guess they were mixed up a little because they said you were in their ward and gave them Aunt Janele’s number, so then Aunt Janele gave Elder Jerman’s mom my number. It was fun to talk to her and she told me a little about her son and you sound like you have a lot in common. Anyway, it was fun to talk to her and get a little better acquainted with her and her family and your companion. I thought that was really thoughtful of her to make an effort to contact us and talk to us a little about her son. They sound like a great family.

Well, this week has been----wet! Wow, for such a dry summer, we sure are making up for it in rain! Did you see the pictures of the canyon that I posted last week? I tried to send the link to it, but I wasn’t sure if it worked or not. I was going to send you more game pictures, but Sam’s game was really wet—actually, even more lightening than rain, I didn’t make it to any of David’s games because of it being during the wedding and when Jacob was sick and we missed Ben’s because of the wedding also. Anyway, I will get some more uploaded for you. I don’t think David ever got the letter from you and I’m not sure why. But anyway, he does appreciate all the advice you give him. He is not very happy with me right now because his competitive season is over, but they are playing a tournament this week and he can go to the first game, but the second game is during his orchestra concert and lesson on Wed., and he can’t understand why I’m making him do the concert (ummm, you know, school really isn’t very high on the list of priorities!). So I need to talk to his coach tonight and explain, I’m sure he won’t be very happy about it either.

David was ordained a deacon today. I asked him if he wrote about it and he said “oh yeah, I forgot.” Anyway, he seemed excited to be ordained and with his usual David candor was very talkative during the ordaining. They invited Sam to stand in the circle and he said, no, he didn’t like Sam, he was too mean. But after we gave him THE look and said you better let Sam stand in the circle, he decided to let him come. He also bore his testimony in sacrament meeting. He had to write his testimony in his Faith in God book and then when I asked him if he was going to bear his testimony at Fast meeting, he got up and took his book with him and read it. It was an interesting way of doing it, but at least it got him up there and he did give a very correct testimony about Joseph Smith, the priesthood and the prophet. So, that’s a good start! Anyway, it’s a great blessing to have a deacon, teacher, priest and elder and high priest in our family now! What amazing young men we have been blessed with! It has definitely been a very eventful year for our family, all these ordinations, Jonathan’s baptism and a missionary in Germany. We are very, very blessed!

Yesterday we attended Devin’s sealing in the temple. It was beautiful. Dad and I were, as always, a bit on the late side, so I’m glad we got there just in time. Devin married Jordin Peterson---I am going to send you their announcement and also some missionary letters from the ward this week. Anyway, I love the way they do the sealings now, the sealer does so much teaching about the temple and the endowment ceremony and the sealing ordinance----it really is a wonderful opportunity to meet together and be taught from these amazing men. After the sealing, Aunt Dawnya wanted to go through the endowment session, because there was two hours until the wedding breakfast so she and grandma and dad and I and Randy and Janele all went, but we realized as we were sitting in the waiting room that poor Uncle Morlyn wasn’t going to have any of his family represented in the temple pictures, since we all went directly to the session---probably not the best planning on our part. But I hope they got some good pictures at the reception. I am so glad that we were able to go to the session. It is the second time that I have seen the new temple film and I’m not sure what it is about it, but I just can’t help but sit and bawl through the whole thing. It really is beautiful---I listened more to the music and thought how much it represented the spirit of what was being represented in the film. It’s very different from the last temple film that way, it’s a very integral part of the ceremony. I know I told you a little about how I felt about it the first time I saw it, but I thought even more this time that the difference between satan and heavenly father is that satan makes you feel bound by your sins----he makes you feel that you are backed up against the wall and that there is nothing you can do about problems or mistakes that you may have made. But Heavenly Father’s plan opens the door to change and encourages forgiveness, no matter how many times the mistakes are made. While Satan tends to bring feelings of tension, stress, hopelessness, misery and control, Heavenly Father and Jesus’ presence tends to bring feelings of lightness, hope, kindness, forgiveness, encouragement and love. In watching the movie, it seems so simple, I can even identify places in my life and experiences when this happens to me every day, and yet I forget that Heavenly Father is not the one who is making me feel bad about myself or what I am doing or not doing, those feelings are coming from Satan and he is trying to keep me from the feelings of encouragement, hope and love that Heavenly Father wants to share with me. I am sure that this may be how investigators feel sometimes as they strive to get their lives in line with the gospel and the things they are being taught, which they recognize as truth. Satan is the one that makes them feel incapable, uncertain, hopeless and inadequate. It really is simple----we only have to turn to Heavenly Father to feel our burdens lifted and renew our hope, but sometimes, just the simple act of turning seems hard because Satan makes us feel unworthy. I have been thinking a lot about the fact that Heavenly Father knows and cares about each one of us. I know in my head that this is true and it is what I want others to believe also, but for myself, sometimes, I can’t fathom why he would want to be bothered with me and my continual faults and inadequacies---I certainly wouldn’t want to be bothered with me. But I’ve been trying harder to really strive to believe how the God of the Universe can care and know each one of us---it is a little unfathomable, and yet we have to believe that to know that we are the reason all of this was created. Very humbling and a little unbelievable. But the temple helps, because when you go there, you feel that spirit and kindness and love in every part of the temple. Anyway, I need to go more often so that I can remember those things when I am home.

The Olsen’s had two cute girls from England visiting them this week. They took part in Sunday School and Relief Society and were so grateful to be here and loved being in Mink Creek. It was fun to hear their delightful accents! One of them looked just like Gina Hoyt, who was a baby sitter that we used a lot in Cedar City when you were younger. I don’t know if you remember her---anyway, it reminded me of her.

Jacob is doing better this week. We got him on some medicine on Tuesday that seemed to stop his fevers and horrible congestion----it just makes him have diarrhea all the time-----not sure which is worse! But I am grateful that he feels better and he seems to be doing well going back to school for 2 days so far. I was able to sub 2 days last week for Lana McCracken and work with some of the kids in the Special Ed room. One of the kids I worked with was Aland Swaton. He is such a handsome young man and loves to grab girls hands and kiss the. I was acquainted with him from seeing him in classes when I’ve subbed before, but I had never had the chance to be with him and help him in classes. What a kid! He has a lot of dialogue from movies memorized----like Coming to DVD soon, that he likes to write over and over and he makes a lot of noise! It was quite a challenge. There were a few things that he was also saying that weren’t appropriate and so I told him not to say those things and wrote it down for him to read----I think he knew they weren’t either and I’m wondering if maybe he’s a lot more capable of doing and saying things then he’s letting on. Another boy, Carolos, was such a cutie! A handsome, tall, Hispanic boy, so agreeable to everything, that when I asked him if he needed help, he would say, Oh yea, I got, it I got it! But when I looked at his paper he had painstakingly written out lots and lots of letters, but none of them really made sense. But he was so attentive to class, so kind, so willing to do whatever was asked of him, that I couldn’t help thinking----even if he can’t complete the work, in some areas he is so much further ahead of a lot of kids in the classroom who didn’t have those same qualities. Another boy, Jonathan, who has down syndrome, I just wanted to take home with me. He was very quiet, but had this slow, sweet smile and peaceful manner about him that just made you want to bask in his presence. I thought, if Jacob grows up to be like this Jonathan, I will be happy! I went to a woods class with him and he was making a night stand----although he needed a lot of help to do some of the work, he was willing and able and gave me back the front of the night stand a couple of times to sand because he didn’t think it was smooth enough---again, again, he kept saying. What a wonderful spirit! I was very grateful to have the chance to sub for these kids last week because it made me feel much better about pursuing special education certification. I have been kind of wondering if this was really what I wanted to do, even though I’d felt directed to do it. But I kind of felt like I was coming home to something I really wanted to do and people I really wanted to be with as I helped with those kids this week. It was a great blessing for me and seemed like Heavenly Father was giving me a significant experience so that I would feel more committed to the decision I made and more excited about the work I want to do. Anyway, it was great! What amazing spirits I was able to be with, I learned a lot!

Well, I’m a little long winded again! I hope you have time to read all this, if not, feel free to skip it and write us, because we love to hear from you!

Love you so much, Mom

Ramblings from our Oct. 6th letter:

Dear Elder Joe,

Well not much good happened this week our JV team got our butts handed to us this week so it wasn’t good Varsity also lost 35-7 against Shelley this week either we just have to shake off this loss and get ready for Minico this week. I also got asked to girls choice this week even though it’s not till about the end of November and I got asked by Claire Jepsen so I got I also don’t have my license so I guess I’m just going to have to wing it this dance than figure out what to do. Nothing else came good of this week though except for conference so I hope you had a good week. Ben fumbled the football twice in his game.

Samuel

Dear Joe

How are you? Our team won 37 -12 Saturday and I scored a safety. I kind of screwed up my back though so I only ran 3 or so times, 2 of them for more than 1 yard. I caught 3 passes through and Papa Joe said I did a good job blocking. I got a bunch of tackles up the middle so that was fun. On the safety they were on their one yard line and they did a statue of liberty to the left and I met him at the line and hit him so hard his head bounced. So yeah that was fun. The best part is Young owes me $5. So that’s my week besides conference, school, and my lesson. Happy birthday Bro. Go do some good. Ben fumbled only 2 times because they speared me.

P.S. Do you think I should do basketball or wrestling?

Ben

Dear Joe,

What’s up? I had a birthday today. I got a new violin case that is blue and silver in the inside. I got a soccer backpack and it is blue. It has a spot for a ball, soccer cleats, shin guards, cloths, and a pocket for other stuff. I think it is very cool. I got a bag of three musketeers. For my 12 year old trip I am going to the museum of natural history, BYU planetarium, and Heber Creeper steam train. So that is pretty cool. Do you think I should buy some other cleats because my other cleats don’t have any more traction? The cleats are $30 so should I buy them (they are the cleats in the box in the picture)? I had 2 comp. games this week the 1^st one we did good in the 1^st half and bad in the 2^nd half so do you have suggestions to do better in the 2^nd half? On the 2^nd game we did worse. We did badly in the 1^st half and good in the 2^nd half. In the 1^st half strained my leg sand I was late so that is why we were doing badly so coach put me in defense in the 2^nd half so we could do better. Also for my birthday present grandmother gave me bomb that was meant for 5-6 people, a pizza, and brownie hot fudge Sunday. Then I went to soccer practice. So ya that was my week.

From,

David Seamons

P.S. Happy birthday yesterday.

Dear Joseph

I have 59 A.R. points. I got to eat lunch with M.R. Harrison. I made a dream catcher at Scouts. It’s hanging above my bed. I didn’t play soccer this week because it was conference. I read about king Limhi and his people escaping to zarahemla and also about Alma and his people’s burdens becoming Light. I listened to conference and kept track of different words I heard and the word I heard the most was Jesus Christ. Have a good week did you have a good Birthday? Love Jonathan

Dear Joseph,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YESERDAY!! You are no longer a teenager, so now I’m down to just 2 of them for 1 year before David gets there. Your 16 year old brother just got asked to his first girl’s choice dance/date last night. The dance isn’t until November so I guess Claire Jepsen felt that she needed to ask early so that she could get the guy of her choice. I don’t know what it is about our cute Jepsen cousins that ask us out on our first dates. Kind of got a trend going. Your letters are sounding great. You haven’t emailed us any pictures yet. I think I forgot to tell you last week what Eldon Wilcox said. So as it goes, Jesse Wilcox went to the Philippians and got married to his fiancé the beginning of September. He took an extended break from his work here in America to get married and then to prepare the paperwork for his new wife to get her visas and stuff so she could move to America. His plan was to be gone for a couple of months in the Philippians to do all this. Well as it turned out now that he and his wife are there in their Philippian ward and Jesse gets called to be in the bishopric. So now they don’t know how long Jesse will be in the Philippians. So it kind of looks like Jesse will be giving up his American job and looking for a Philippian job. Kind of funny, huh? Friday night we finally got our 1^st major killing frost; the garden is now completely gone. I just hope the snow stays away until January. Thursday night the scouts had an overnight campout up at the Bensen ranch. They were going to sleep up in the loft in the top of the barn but there was tons of raccoon poop up there so we all slept on the hard concrete in the lower part of that barn. Any way in the middle of the night we could hear the raccoons bounding their way down the steps to the loft. It was a cold night but David and I stayed warm enough this time. Next time I hope to remember to bring a lot more blankets from work to make my sleeping spot a lot more soft or at least more tolerable to my aged bones. I missed out on Sam’s games because of the camp and because Jacob has been sick. But I did make it to the last three quarters of Ben’s game after priesthood session was over. He had several good carrys of the ball. On one of them it looked like he got 20-25 yards. Then it takes 3-4 of their guys to wrap up on him to take him down. Keep the Spirit on your side always and all will continue to go well for you. Take care! Love, Dad

Dear Joseph

Happy Birthday yesterday! I hope you had a great birthday! I’m glad you could make use of the sweaters and coat. Did you make a cake and sing? I hope you played pin the tie on Elder Who, because Jonathan and I had lots of fun drawing him! And Jacob loved the ties! Anyway, we missed you lots, so we put your name on the birthday cake and sang to you and Grandmother and David today. We ate lots of breadsticks and lasagna and salad and cake and ice cream for you too! I hope you had something yummy on your birthday to celebrate with! We missed you lots!

This week has been a little weird, because every day it seems we’ve had to cancel something or juggle something around because Jacob has been so sick. We’re going on 8 days now, so I am going to take him back to the doctor tomorrow and see if they can please figure out what is wrong with him. He seems to have a few good hours every day, but he has a terrible runny nose, mucous on his tongue and throat, runny ears and fevers all night. It’s not very fun! Of course, he doesn’t want to sit still and watch TV when he’s sick, he runs outside barefoot and runs away a lot, so that is probably not helping him! Anyway, if you could remember him in your prayers, that might help him a lot get over whatever it is that is not going away! I was desperate on Wednesday because I had sat home with him for 2 days and figured he would be okay if I worked a half day then, but he wasn’t doing very well that morning, so I did a very bad thing and begged
Ben if he would stay at home for a couple of hours for me and make up his work later. Hmmm, probably not the best thing to encourage, but I think it worked out okay because he has his easier classes in the morning, at least that’s what he claims, and since he’s always saying how bored he is, maybe that made it more interesting to have to make up the work! Anyway, I hope that we can get back to normal here soon, because we are all a little out of sorts and poor Jacob is not enjoying life!

We are still continuing our dispute with the school district, since they won’t get Jacob an aid to accompany him to school. They tried to pull someone off the playground duty to help Jacob, but she’s not working out either. We actually have had a rough time with Jackie and the bus too. I don’t think it’s entirely her fault, because the superintendant and Kevin may not have communicated well with her, but as a result of several problems on the bus, Kevin has been driving and supposedly they are figuring things out! Because the District cannot come to a decision on what to do with Jacob, we have asked for mediation from the State, so we will see if anything can be accomplished there! It just seems like all this drama is taking a lot of time from our lives, when it seems like it could be cleared up so easily, but apparently, nothing can be done without a lot of complaining! Anyway, I will be glad when we can figure something out permanently.

Conference was wonderful. Did you get to see any of it? Unfortunately, yesterday we listened a lot in the car because we were running David back and forth between Papa Joe’s market and his game and getting Samuel to film or whatever it was he was supposed to be doing (probably it was just the coach letting off steam about Friday night’s game, which was, in a word, a complete disaster!). But we did still hear a lot of it. Jonathan said to me, “Aren’t we supposed to be taking notes on conference?” which made me feel good and bad----I’m glad he remembers that we take notes during conference, but I felt bad that I was setting such a bad example, so today, I made sure and got a conference packet out for him. I really enjoyed Elder Scott’s and Pres. Eyring and Pres. Monson’s talks. I thought when Pres. Monson got up at the end of the Sunday morning session and said that he would write in his journal tonight that that session had been one of the most spiritual sessions he’s ever been in, that I better make sure I listen to that one again and read every talk! Sam and Dad and David caught most of the priesthood meeting last night, but Ben hasn’t been able to see it yet, so we will have to download it or invite ourselves over to Papa Joe’s to watch it. I wasn’t able to go to a lot of games this week, because of Jacob being sick, but kind of glad I missed Samuel’s in the snow, rain and sleet! He didn’t seem very happy about it, but Ben seemed a little happier about his. Grandmother and Papa Joe said he did really well! David is keeping a good attitude about losing----what a streak! Hopefully, they will be the better for all the games they are getting beat at. But actually, I am proud that David is able to take it as well as he does. He’s just a bit bossy about his back line, but he doesn’t have much support there, so hopefully, they will figure it out in time!

We watched conference at Grandmother and Papa Joe’s today and had the birthday dinner in between. It was nice and a beautiful day to get together for a party. David seemed happy about his presents and everyone seemed to be getting along for the most part. We got Grandmother a little coat, and she seemed to like that too. Aunt Dawnya was up with her family and I asked her about TJ and she said that he is working with his Dad back in Michigan. I asked if he plans on a mission, but she says he feels like everyone is forcing him to go----well, it is a priesthood duty, so I guess you can count that as ‘forced’. It seems like a lot of the talks at conference were centered on the priesthood and the blessings it brings to all members of the church. Were you able to hear any of the talks? I hope that you are able to. I remember being in Germany when Elder McConkie gave his amazing talk on the atonement, just before he passed away---probably one of the most powerfully spiritual moments of my life. His testimony hit me with such force, I think we all knew that HE KNEW the Savior and would be greeting him in the very near future. Watching conference on my mission and then afterwards was definitely a turning point for me. It began to mean so much more to my life that I felt that I actually hungered for it to come so that I could be filled up with the words of the spirit and learn.

Anyway, I hope you have great experiences this week. It sounds like you are very busy and very happy with the people you are working with. I hope that many are able to commit to reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church. I know those two things do so much to begin the process of gaining a testimony of the gospel. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. I have felt that I have been very weighed down lately with things that have been going on in our lives, but every time I read in the Book of Mormon or listen to conference talks, I feel so much lighter and grateful for the knowledge that there is a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of my needs and who knows what I need in my life to grow and change. Jonathan said tonight that he didn’t want to say his prayers because Heavenly Father isn’t real. I was a bit dumbfounded at him saying that, since he has never said anything like that before, but isn’t really gung ho on saying prayers. So I tried to talk to him about it, explaining that Heavenly Father wasn’t a ghost and how he was very real and had a body just like Jonathan’s and that he has known Jonathan for a very long time, much longer than me. After giving him the analogy of him going on a trip far away from me and then him calling me and hanging up on me before I had a chance to respond to anything he said, he seemed to start getting it. We talked about what it feels like to feel the spirit and know Heavenly Father is aware and listening to our prayers. I told him of an experience I had on my mission when I was having just kind of a sad day---nothing was going right, I was cold and wet and discouraged and I just knelt down, because I didn’t know what else to do and I just felt like there were arms that suddenly surrounded me and I felt that I was being embraced, but when I opened my eyes I couldn’t see anyone there. But I felt something in my heart, and Jonathan responded that that was probably the spirit. What a kid! Love how smart my boys are and how much I learn from them! I am so lucky to have all of you in my life, I learn so much everyday from all you do and who you are. I am definitely one very blessed mom!

Have a wonderful week and think warm thoughts! Would you like any more sweaters or do you need any boots or anything? It may be easier to get things like that over there, but if there’s anything we can get for you and send, we would be happy to!

Love you much, Mom

P.S. Mr. Lords asked about you and said to tell you hi and that you are a great kid and he’s sure you’re doing great things on your mission!

P.p.s. Devin is getting married this week! He’s marrying a girl from Cove who is 5 years younger than him.

I’m trying to upload some pictures of the canyon leaves Jacob and I saw and also David wanted to show you all of his birthday gear, so hopefully I can get it to download fast, if not, I’ll get it on tomorrow before your next letter.

Elder Seamons letter October 7th and 14th!

Hey Guys!!!

Sorry, this letter might be pretty short. The internet cafe is pretty full, and the other two elders still need to do there emails. Anyways......

Ben, sorry i keep forgetting to answer you, i am of the opinion that you should do what you want. There are three things you need to remember though in making this decision. 1. Are you going to get over the height of 6 foot 2 inches, cause if not, i would do wrestling. 2. Which one of these sports is going to help you be a better football player. Basketball teaches you good field vision, but wrestling teaches you how to be tough and how to endure. 3. Which one do you think you will have the most fun/success with. It is your call Ben, but just remember whichever one you choose this year should probaly be the one you choose for the rest of high school, but i do know that whatever you do, you will be successful at it, and also remember that Dad was a state champ wrestler......just saying, it's in your blood. Congradulations also on your game Ben, i am very proud of you and wish you the best of luck heading into post season play. Hid em hard, get some yards!!!!! Good luck man, take care!

Sam, ya won your game, congradulations!!! If i remember right, you lost to Minico last year, so that is a great accomplishment. That is to bad the varsity lost there game, sounds like RJ had a rough night. Maybe they need somebody that can actually kick a ball though....like you maybe? Just kidding, RJ's a great kid, but let's be honest he should have played soccer. Cool!!! Good luck this week man, get another couple W's and remember wrestling is right around the corner. (Hey, two quick things. 1. How did the soccer team do this year and 2. If Ben decides to do wrestling, talk with Coach Olsen and ask him if Ben could train with the High School team, it would really help him.)

David, hey, it sounds like your team is doing better!!! Keep up the good work, sounds like you are doing so good work. Good luck at your tournament next week, sorry you won't be able to play in all the games, maybe you can fake a broken arm or something so you don't have to play in this (stupid..cough, cough) orchastra concert. Play hard buddy, always give your best. Also, ill write you another letter, im not sure why you didn't get the last one, but will give it another shot, be watching the mail. Love ya man!!!

JONATHANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How are you buddy? Is soccer already over? YOU GOT UNLIMITED CAKE AND ICE CREAM!?!?!? Get out of here man! That is awesome, sounds like you had an awesome time!!! Sounds like you have a sweet talk prepared for primary. A scripture that i really like that talks about the Holy Ghost is in Moroni 10:3-5. I love it cause it promises us as we ask God about the Book of Mormon and really about anything in life, he will let us know the truth of the things we ask and answer our questions through the Power of the Holy Ghost. Cool buddy! You'll do great on your talk, take care!!!

JACOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey Mini Man!!! How are you doing? Mom said you are getting better, that's awesome!!! I've been praying for you every night i want you to know that, i hope school is getting better and that there is not so much "drama" in your life anymore. Take care bud, have a great week!!!

Dad, i found a funny political picture i think you will enjoy, it is the donkey one, see if you can get the joke. Hope all is going well for you and work and at home. We got our first snow for the year on friday, but is was just a brush through here, everything is still so green, you would like it over here. Have a great week, take care.

Mom, sounds like you had another crazy, chaotically awesome week! Im glad you got to sub for special ed, sounds like it was a great experience for you. Your right, i think your meant to always have someone there to take care of, other wise i think you might go crazy, maybe that is a part of the reason Jacob is in our family, cause Heavenly Father knew you would love to always have someone there to take care of (and boss around :)  ) cool, hope you have another wonderful week!

My week short version:

Monday: Helped Dzeirzon family move there wood pile and clean up their yard a little.

Tuesday: Zone Training and German class

Wensday: Lesson with Frau Sherer and Berdigung for Sch. Waber from our ward who suddenly and unexpectly passed away last week on a trip in southern t-roll on Oct.3. Super sad, but the funeral is not one i will ever forget.

Thursday: Helped Familie De Fillipo some more with there house most the day. Had a lesson about temple's with Sch. Kissler, talked about setting Temple date for her.

Friday: Had a lesson with Fam. Krugel, went well, Sister Krugel really expressed her worry about her huspands drinking and her desire to come to church. If you could keep them in your prayers, i know they would appreciate it.

Saturday: Helped De Fillipo Familie again, all day. Grouted tile and painted cealing.

Sunday: Had a great church day, and then spent the rest of the day for the most part doing studies and going through the ward list with our ward clerk updating and fixing member information. Was fun though.

Couple other things, we got transfer calls this week. I am STAYING IN ROSENHEIM!!! Super excited, me and Elder Jerman get to work another transfer together (that is cool that his mom called you). Unfortuanately, Elder Bassett is leaving to Klogenfurt for his last transfer, which is sad, but he'll do some good work there. The new Elder we are getting heisst Elder Hogan. He is from Smithfield, Utah. Should be fun with him there!

To close i wanted to share with you a really cool miracle that happened to us this week. So me and Elder German were cleaning up after the funeral and a guy walked into the church and first off asked if we spoke English then after we said yes, he told us he would like to start coming to our english class, and church from now on. We sat down and talked with him for a little while, his name is Arnold and he worked on a ship in the Caribean as a cook for quite a few years during his lifetime. We found out that he has had a really hard life, but despite that, has a great love and trust in Jesus Christ. We talked to him a little about what we beleived and gave him a Book of Mormon with the chapter Moroni 7 vorschlagt. The next day when we were at De Fillipo's, we got a call from him saying he wanted us to come over and talk to him more about this book. I think i almost passed out when he said that, so we hurried and called the other two elders and they ended up going by him, teaching him a lesson, and commiting him to baptism! It was so cool, the only sad thing is he is in the other elders area, so we won't get to teach him. That is ok though, it was such an awesome experience and such a testimony strengthener to me that this really is the Lord's work. That he has indeed prepared people for me and all the missionaries out in the field to find and teach. I am so grateful to have the oppurtunity to be a missionary, to be an instrument in the had of the Lord to bring souls unto him. Thank you for all your support back home, and for all that you guys have done for me throughout my entire life. I have been blessed passed anything that i ever deserve, but i hope in serving this mission i can begin to show Heavenly Father how greatful i am for all that he has given me.

Have a great week this week guys, i love and miss you tons, take care, win your games!

Elder Seamons


Oct. 7th letter:

Hey Guys!!!

Good to hear from you again! Sounds like another fun filled week and it sounds like there was alot going on. Ben, ya won your game!!! That's great!!! Keep up the good work buddy, sounds like your doing a lot good out there on the field, try not to drop the ball at all next time (just kidding, but seriously don't drop the ball)!!! Keep winning so that you can make it to the Mini Dome this year! That would be sweet!!! Hey David!!! Sounds like you had a great Birthday and got some pretty sweet presents. I really like you soccer backpack, i know i always wanted one, super cool. About those cleats, if i were you, i would by them. If i am remembering right, those are the Adidas Classico or the Adidas Supreme. Some people say they are the best most reliable cleats ever made, i never had a pair, but i know they usually cost around $100 so ya, if they are only $30 then i would sure as heck by them! They are made out of kangaroo leather, which is the best possible leather you can get for soccer shoes. I would buy them if i were you. Sorry your games didn't go as well as you wanted, but keep in there, i know that you will always give your best and i am sure you are learning alot of skills now that will help you in the future (soccer and life wise). Cool!!! Eine Frage, did you get my letter to you yet? I had some tips in there that i think can help you and your deffensive line, if you don't get it by next week, tell me and i will write you another one. Cool!!! Hey Sam, i guess your not as ugly as you were when i left cause someone actually asked you out (OHHHHHH BURNNNNNN!!!). Just kidding, that is cool Clair asked you out to the dance, i hope you have a great time, and i hope your group is a lot of fun. Also Sam, i wanted to let you know again (pretty sure i told this to you before i left) when or if (ha ha) you get your liscense, you are welcome to use my car, just please, don't do anything stupid with it (zum biespiel, let Jesse or Sage drive it). Sorry your games didn't go so well, hang in there bud just always give your best and don't let anybody stop you from literally being the best. Good luck this week buddy, take care, and WINN!!! (you got to get in the habit of winning again before wrestling season starts up). JONATHANNN!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey man what's up!?!?!?! 59 A.R. Points!!! Man you are on fire, keep up the great work and let me know when you get to 100. What book are you reading right now? How is school going? Thanks for sharing with me what you learned this week, i love that story from Alma and King Limhi's people making it Zerahemla. We can learn alot from the part where the people of Alma turn to the Lord when their burdens are heavy, we can also do so in our lives. When we feel overwhelmed, or that we can't "handle life" we can turn to our Heavenly Father because he knows us and loves us, and as we ask him for help he will give it just like our Dad gives us help when we ask him. Cool, thanks again buddy, i hope you have a wonderful week, and that you are successful in all that you do!!! JACOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey mini Man, how you doing? Im so sorry to hear that you are so sick, that is no fun, i hope you get better soon, remember you are always in my prayers!!! Sorry school is still a lot of drama, i don't see what the big deal is, but i hope that some people can get their heads on straight and CTR. Have a great week buddy, love you tons!!!

 

Cool my week:

Monday: Went by and talked to our friend Priest Schmit. He isn't an investigator, but we did have a really good discussion about both of our religions. Helped him to understand what we really beleive, not just what is on Wikipedia.

Tuesday: Had District Meeting and singing practice for our singing deal last friday. Got back in Rosenheim a little later than expected, but we did find some cool potentials that we can hopefully meet with this week.

Wensday: Had a lesson with Schwester Morgner about building upon the Rock of our Reedeemer. She seemed to really enjoy our discussion, but once again, turned down our invatation to Church. She said she was going to try the Salzburg Gemeinda cause she doesn't know anyone there and it gives her kind of a "fresh start" i think. I don't know, hopefully that will work out, im kinda of out of ideas on how to help her. We also had a lesson with Rita about how to identify the Holy Ghost. It was such a spiritual lesson, and we extended her a baptismal date, but she says she is still not sure if it is right for her. It was kind of heart breaking, cause we both know it IS what she is looking for, but we will see how this week goes. Please keep her in your prayers if you could.

Thursday: We tried a new way of finding called "A Window to Heaven" that our GML taught us. We didn't get a lot of potentials out of it, but we did talk to alot of people that i feel, really needed to hear what we had to share. Two really cool miralces that did come out of it was 1. We ended up contacting a former investigator that meet with the Elders sometime last year.  Her name is Frau Berbec and we had actually been trying to make contact with her for the past couple weeks or so. She said she would love to meet with us again once she has her baby in a couple of weeks. She is super cool, and is so enthusiastic about the Jesus Christ. Im excited, i think we could help her get somewhere. 2. Our second miracle is right after we were done talking to her, a guy came up to us and said he wanted to meet with us! WELL THAT NEVER HAPPENS. We were so suprised, we forgot to give him a Book of Mormon after he gave us his contact information. Unfortuanately, he lives in the other Elders area, but that is ok that fact is, there are indeed people out there who want to hear the truth. AWESOME!!!

Friday: We did the singing deal and that literally took up the whole day. We sang at two old folkes homes and it reminded me of when we used to go play our instuments for the old people. Good times, brought back good old memories, i hope you guys are still doing that often!!!

Saturday: Woke up early and went and helped Famile De Fillipo with their house some more. We were there the whole day until we needed to come back to Rosenheim to watch conference. We watched the Saturday Morning session live at the church and it was only us four elders and one member.

Sunday: WATCHED GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!!

 

Cool that was my week. To close, i just wanted to share a cool verse i read this week in my scripture study. It is in Helaman 5:6-8. I won't type the whole thing, but i wanted to share part of it. In verse six it say,"6.Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first ^aparents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were ^bgood.7 Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them." As i read these words, i thought of my name and all the people i was named after. Joseph is the Papa Joe's first name, it is also the name of the 3 Later Prophets, Nephi's brother in the Book of Mormon, and the name of one of the twelve sons of isreal to which i can say i am a proud descendent of. My middle name Scott is Grandpa's name, it is also the middle name of all of his son's and the middle name of a great deal of his grandchildren. And my last name Seamons is the family name which i proudly wear. It is the family name of some of the greatest people i know, and the last name of some of the greatest people i look up to. I guess what i am trying to say is we all have names we can link back to great admirable people. I know mom and dad took alot of thought and care into giving us each of our names, because they know the power that a name can carry. It gives us something to work for, something to strive for, i challenge each of you my little brothers to think of your name and the greatness there of. To think of the many great men and women who carried that same name and do your very best to represent that name as best as you possibly can. I promise us all as we strive to live up to the great names we carry and bring honor to each of these names, we will bring pride to our families, and those who have come before us.

I love you guys so much and pray you all have a wonderful week, take care, and know you are in my prayers.

TCHUSS!!!!

Elder Seamons

Elder Seamons got to make his own birthday cake!

!

News from our amazing missionary! Sept. 29, 2013

Hey Guys!!!

Good to hear from you again! Sounds like another awesome week. Rats, i was looking forward to another story from "Ben the Beast", but it looks like im gonna have to wait another week to hear about these 150 rushing yards and 15 sacks next week, right Ben??? Well, good luck at your game this week buddy, play good, and win!!! Sam, sounds like you have some really good games this week to. Four sacks, that's really good, keep up the good work. Sorry you didn't win your JV game, but it sounds like it was pretty close, so keep up the good work, you'll get em next week. And concerning the varsity game, i don't think Preston has beat Blackfoot for over 7 years, so that is quite an accoplishment. Keep up the good work there bud, and good luck with you audition pieces for bass. David!!! Sorry, your cleats look red in the picture, but orange is cool to. Congradulations on your goal buddy!!! Left footer? Not bad, keep up the good work, and make sure you are improving every time you play or practice (be careful with these Rec. games, im still pretty sure you can't play in two leagues). Also David, HAPPY STIKING BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK!!! Dude, you are so old. 12 man, i remember those days, scouts and such. I had such an awesome time with my Deacon's quarum and i know that you will to. AND YOU ARE FINALLY OUT OF PRIMARY!!! WOOHOO! Have a great Birthday this week buddy, party hard, and do some good!!! JONATHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sorry to hear you crashed your bike dude, that really is not fun, i remember when we used to live in Cedar City and i crashed my bike and had gravel in my hands for the next two weeks. I know how you feel buddy. hope it gets better. Thanks for telling me your story you read in the Book of Mormon this week. Abinidi and King Noah, that is a really good story and we can learn alot from it. One thing that sticks out to me in this story is even though Abinidi probaly felt that no one listened to him, we find out then and later that Alma was converted to his words and in the end he ended up being the High Preist over the people in the land of Zerahemla. We can liken that to our lives, in that sometimes we don't think people listen to what we say or watch what we do and for this reason, we sometimes think that what we say and do doesn't matter. But as we learn from this story, our words and actions can and will indeed affect others. This being the case, we should always strive to be desciples of Jesus Christ, to say what he would say, and do as he would do. Even if you sometimes feel to little Jonathan, or if sometimes it seems hard to choose the right, i promise as you do, you will bless other peoples lives and these people will look up to you and admire you. Cool!!! Let me know what cool story you read this week buddy!!! JACOB MY MINI MAN!!!! How ya doing? I got the package you sent me for my birthday, those cards we really pretty and they made my day. I hope school is going great, and i hope you have a fantastic week man, take care!!! Hey Mom and Dad, sorry i already opened the package, but i haven't opened all the presents yet if that's any incentive. I would have waited, but i really needed a coat and sweaters this last week, cause it's raining cold! So, i hope you will forgive me and know how thankful i am for the gifts!!! Have a great week!!!

Ok, my week:

Monday: Well, you heard the majority of Monday last week, playing at the funeral and emailing you guys

Tuesday: We had district meeting and then we tried to make a vor bei, but unfortunately the place ended up being a lot further then we thought it would be, so we didn't get it quite done, but we had a great German class with Ijaz again and later had GMK that night.

Wensday: We dropped some flowers off at a former investigators house. She has cancer and had been in rehad the last month or so. She wasn't home, but we left them anyways. We went contacting most the day, and we actually had some good success!!! We have a couple termines for this week so hopefully they all work out. Later that day, we went and helped Frau Sherer again in her garden. She's a hoot and shared with us a bunch of strories from the "Good ol days". Didn't have time to teach her a lesson, and i don't think she was really in the mood to listen. That's ok though.

Thursday: Tausched with Elder Young and we had a lesson with Andreas. We taught the first lesson, and he seemed to really get what we were trying to say and how we beleive that it is the authority from God to lead his Church that sets us apart from the other Churches. Went really good, Elder Young taught really well (he is a transfer younger than me).

Friday: We had "Singen Uben" with the other Elders in our district in preperation for this singing thing we are doing in Neuatine this Friday. Then we had Mitagessen with Familie Krugel and had a great lesson with them (first lesson). They also told us that they had been thinking that they would wait for Afra (their daughter) to get baptised (probaly a couple years). They said they wanted it to be her choice, and that it is something she is sure she would like to do. We both agreed that is a wise decision seein as they have not been to Church in over a year. It was good. Later that night we met with Schwester Kissler and talked more about putting our trust in God, this time tying it into the Plan of Salvation. It went really well, and our joint teach John Lindstrom was awesome. He offered picking her up for church and she ended up coming to church because of that. It was awesome!!!

Saturday: We had mission putzen tag so we cleaned till about 3, then we went and helped Bruder De Fillipo work on his house the rest of the day.

Sunday: Went to church, had some awesome meetings and then did weeklly planning the rest of the day.

 

Well that was my week, went pretty well. To close i just wanted to share a cool experience that i had on Sunday. On Sunday, an older lady from our ward asked all four Elders if we would give her a blessing and of course we said yes, but she asked me specifically if i would seal the annointing and give the blessing. I was actually shocked that she asked me, but said yes even though i had no idea exactly what to say, or if i would even half way say it right. It turned out to be a really powerful experience for me. I said the prayer really slow trying and concentraing 1. To say the right words and 2. To conjugate the words right. As i gave the blessing, i felt extremely guided to the point where i know for a fact that what i said came from God and it was what this Sister needed. After i closed the blessing, she said the same think i had been thinking, that that was what she needed and she told us elders that she knew we really called from God to serve here in Rosenheim at this time. It was a really neat experience and i hope that my description of it can serve justice. I don't share this story to "Glory in myself" and my "wonderful" German, but simply to Glory in the power of God and his love and willingness to help his children do his work here upon the Earth. I know it was really only through him that i was able to say the things i said during that blessing, and i know that the things i said in that blessing came from God. I challenge you all to seek out how God can help you in your Church Callings, to look for what he wants, and not for what we want or think. I know as we all do this, that we will be greatly blessed and be able to "magnify" our callings in the church that our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ have generously given us.

 

Well that's all folkes!!! I hope you have a wonderful week, know how much i love and miss everyone of you guys, and know that you are always in my prayers!!!

 

Bis Später,

Elder Seamons

 

PS: Hey mom, thanks for your letter this week, it was the best Birthday Gift you could have given me. Please know what a wonderful mom you are, and please don't ever doubt or question your successfulness as a mother. Your the best mom anyone could have and i know all your "little boys" love you very much. Take care, have a great week!!!

Ramblings to our missionary Sept. 29, 2013

Dear joe

How is Germany? We had a bye this week so no exciting tales about Ben the beast. School still sucks. I went to the farmers market with Papa Joe this week. It was good. Jordan’s mom says hi. He is doing well. Do you think I should do basketball or wrestling? Have fun. Do some good.

Ben

Dear Elder Joe,

Well this week was pretty good first of all I had 4 sacks in my game, I haven’t had that many sacks since little league so it felt great. We still lost thought 20-12 so that was the sucky part of this week I start D-end right now and linebacker depending on the formation but 99% of the times in games I have been D-end, we should have won this game and the Rigby game but Talbot quit and Conner Durrant is injured so right now we only have one original starting linebacker (Kyon), but Jesse and Colten Keller are doing alright right now though, right now we run a 4-3 defense right now 4 lineman and 3 linebackers. The Varsity beat Blackfoot 7-3, man I have never seen them so mad, Keaton Wardle the kid I beat from Blackfoot 17-3 in wrestling and he was the Broncos starting D-end and I think Sargent is injured right now because I didn’t see him play but it looks like he will probably be going my weight. Coach Despain was happier than I have ever seen him before; he must really hate Blackfoot because he went wild after the game. We might actually might have a chance at the playoffs this year if we keep up the way we move. Well hope things on your mission turn out great.

Samuel

Dear Joe,

How’s it going in Germany? We tied our game 3-3. I made the first goal with my left foot! And Ramon (Ra-m-oe-n) made a goal on a PK right between the keeper’s legs! And Paton made a goal too! It was 3-1 in the 1^st half and I don’t know what happened in the 2^nd half. If it wasn’t silent Saturday we would have won because our team wasn’t listening in the second half. In the Rec. game on Monday we went against the Jankee’s team and won them 3-2 and boy them were such poor sports because at the end of the game they didn’t give us high 5. And they were trying to trip us.  I went against Coach Reynolds team and we lost to them 2-1. At least we got a goal on the goalie. The goalie had no goals scored on him before so that is pretty good.

From,

David Seamons

P.S. My shoes are orange not red and I got them from the D.I.

P.P.S. Those pictures were of my Rec. soccer team (Neon green is our uniform for Rec.)

P.P.P.S. I wasn’t kicking with my toe I was doing the power kick.

Dear Joseph,

Well it has been a wet week. Jared cut Bishop’s hay last weekend and all it did was rain on it ever since. It is pick the apples off the ground and put them in buckets and then feed them to the cows season. And this year there are quite a few apples on the trees. We haven’t had a deep freeze yet because the garden is still green, but it is producing a lot slower now. But I sure hope that it warms up again for another 3 months it would be nice to have a long Indian summer; it has been awhile since we’ve had one. Sam had a good JV game up at Blackfoot even if on one of his sacks the ref decided that he needed to help Blackfoot’s team by calling a personal foul of 15 yards on Sam because he pitched the ball on an option right after Sam was wrapping around him. I, myself thought it was a pretty sweet play. Anyway the JV lost that game. Then next night Sam got to dress up again for varsity and got to do three plays on special teams when they did the kickoffs and returns. But the varsity won their game so Sam was happy. Today at church Tyson Hall got ordained an Elder. Rico spoke for his farewell talk today also and he did a pretty good job. Tanner Daniels was in the newspaper this week he is getting married in the Logan temple. He has been working at the NAPA auto parts store for the last while. Last week Macy Jepson got her mission call to Cambodia she will be leaving in February. But right now Macy and McKenna are in Italy with BYU study abroad so if you see a bunch of BYU looking people say Hi because you might know someone. Robert Kemsley also got his call this week he is going to Puerto Rico he is leaving the first week of January and will be going to the MTC in the Dominican Republic. Papa Joe’s brother Bob is coming to visit them this week it was just about 6 weeks ago that Bob’s wife Elizabeth passed away from cancer and Papa Joe and grandmother went to Oregon to the funeral. The leaves up on Peaky and South Canyon are starting to turn this week which is about 3-4 weeks later than normal but they aren’t that bright of colors this year. Well I got to get going to a standards night with the boys, so I’ll write to you later you have a great week and take care. Love, Dad Dear Joseph how are you. And my bike crashed. And I crashed on the tip of the handle. It really hurt a lot. So mom gave me medicine but it still hurts a lot but it is getting better and that’s all I did this week. I read about Abinidai and king noah. They burned abinidai. King Noah told them to run away from their families. Then they burned king Noah. And I made a comic book. Called Super Underwear. I will send you a copy. Love, Jonathan

Dear Elder Seamons

So, I want to know if you are okay and if you made it through the month with no money, since you were scraping the bottom of the barrel. Why does it cost to email in Germany? I would be happy to make sure you had more money, if you’re not getting enough, please just let us know, because we want you to keep emailing and we don’t want you to starve!

I’m so sorry to hear about the family that lost their baby. That was really hard, I bet. I’m glad you got to play for them---I’m sure that was comforting. We have kept them in our prayers this week and hope that makes a difference for them. I can’t imagine losing a child. How has it gone with your other investigators this week? Did you finally find the less active person you looked so long for? I hope you have had a successful week. How are you and your companion doing? I hope that you are starting to feel comfortable together. Make sure that he knows that SATURDAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! You are no longer a teenager! How does that feel? You might need a cane or something now if you have to walk too far!

I just can’t believe I have a son that is 20!!!!! That’s amazing! How did that happen to me? I can still remember the excitement of having you before you were born. I think Dad and I tried on about 100 different names, and we couldn’t decide what would fit! I think you were supposed to have been named Joseph McPherson Gregory Scott Seamons---good thing we shortened it just a bit! I was thinking of what a rambunctious little boy you were. Eyes always opened wide!----loving to wreck your room if I put you in time out----I remember the one time I left you in there and it got too quiet and too late, I realized that you had taken a jar of Vaseline and smeared it all over the rug and walls---wow, what punishment for me for putting you in time out! Then I remember that you wanted to run away all the time and we lived on 300 W. which was a pretty busy street, so I told you that if you kept running away that the police would come and put you in jail----not really one of those nice sweet things that you’re mother is supposed to say to you----but I think I was a little desperate! I remember telling you long stories before you’d take a nap or go to bed---Peter Pan was a favorite, not that you wanted to be Peter Pan—more like Captain Hook! I was thinking of how we dressed you up as a baseball for Halloween and how appropriate that was, because you were in love with balls from the minute you could hold one in your hand or kick it with your foot. I think every house we have ever lived in has some permanent dents in the sides of it from your eternal kicking. David was asking me if he played like you and I had to say that he’s not knocking the sides of the house down, so he probably has a ways to go still. I loved watching you play soccer. Whenever you played it was like someone turned the light on and pushed the acceleration button and you just went wild. ‘Perpetual Motion’ I think would have been a good term for you! I have loved watching your games and feeling the excitement of each game and also being proud of the way you treated your teammates and the respect you showed them when you played. Well, except for some of the Ref’s during your Avalanche days! But I’m sure they deserved your wrath! (No, actually, I shouldn’t say that!)

I loved how you put your whole heart and soul into everything you did----soccer, wrestling, track, music, school, moving pipe, work, church, etc. I think you can feel proud of the fact that no matter how it ended up you always gave 150%. I know that’s the kind of missionary you are too! Even when things are probably not going the way you’d like, I know that you are still giving it your all. And the blessings will come from that effort, because it is who you are.

Of course, I loved being part of your music also. Today Kerry Christensen was teaching RS/Priesthood combined meeting and he was giving an example of how Jyllian likes to play the violin and some days she likes to practice and some days she doesn’t, but he wanted to know what his responsibility would be as a parent on the days she doesn’t want to play. Of course, someone said, “well, you should just not make her play when she doesn’t want to.” Others said that it was important to make her do it so that she knew she had to keep her commitment, even when she didn’t want to. George Rasmussen asked me afterwards why I didn’t say anything and he wanted to know what you would have said--If you would have been glad that I made you practice or not. And I said that I really didn’t ever feel like I had to make you practice---I reminded you a lot and made you do it sometimes when it could have gotten squeezed out of your busy schedule, but I didn’t feel like I made you do it, but maybe I did. If I did, I’m glad I did, because I love the way that your soul sings through your violin. Today, once again, we had the musical number Savior, Redeemer of my soul---it must be the popular sacrament song, since we’ve had it twice in the last 2 months. Anyway, Tate Bradfield sang and Diane Petty played the violin part and it was okay, I mean, it was good, but the violin just didn’t sing the way you make it sing! Anyway, I’m glad that I got to be a part of that part of your life---going to lessons, ISSI workshops, Suzuki concerts, district and state solo, Lyceum, Bennet Cup, playing for others with your brothers, etc., they are all good memories of time that I got to spend with you and get to know you better and share my love of music with you. So, I guess I’m glad I MADE you do it! I hope that it will be something that enriches the rest of your life.

I think the turning point in your life came as you graduated from high school, made some mistakes and got back on the right track. I don’t think that I have ever loved you more or been as proud of you as I watched you struggle and work through the process of being able to serve a mission. Actually, I didn’t like going through that part of your life with you at the time, but in the end I was able to see the amazing young man that you were to be. Also, through your service in the YM’s presidency I was so impressed with how you ‘went about your Father’s business’ with mature leaders and were not intimidated by them, but contributed your unique talents and gifts to the building up of that program in the Stake. I also remember the amazing talk you gave at the Stake Standards night when the Youth Council presented it your Senior year and the amazing talk you gave at Seminary Graduation and of course, the amazing talk that you gave at your Farewell. I know you felt bad that you could never get through speaking without shedding a few tears, but I think that’s what made your words sink a little deeper and people feel the spirit a little stronger. You do carry a unique gift for helping others feel the spirit---through your words, actions and music.

I have been so blessed to have learned and grown from the many experiences that you have shared and I am grateful that I was chosen to be your mother. I KNOW the choice was made more for my benefit and not necessarily for yours. I can feel in your letters that you are continuing that growth in the mission field and through your service to the people in your mission. As you truly come to love and serve them, you will continue to be blessed to become the man you are meant to be and the servant of the Lord that Heavenly Father needs you to be. I am grateful that you are sharing those experiences with us in your letters. It is a great blessing to our family----especially for your brothers to whom you mean so much.

Anyway, just reminiscing about my little boy that has grown into a man and I’m wondering how so much time could have passed so quickly? Thanks for all the many good memories I have of you----I miss you so much, but I’m grateful to have you where you’re at blessing the lives of many, as well as ours. I hope that you have a wonderful birthday and remember that we are celebrating here for you—along with David and Grandmother! Make sure that you have a real party on your birthday! We want to hear about it!

Love you forever, Mom

Seamons Scrolls from Sept. 22, 2013

Dear Joe

We won! 30-13! It was a really good game. I had a lot of good blocks and good tackles. Their running back was huge. He was at least 10 pounds more than me and probably was 1 pound under the weight limit. Plus he was black. I still stopped him. It was really cool playing under the lights. So yeah our teams in shape now and there is nothing from stopping us from the dome. I didn’t really run much during the game. Only about 3 or 4 times. That’s probably because I was blocking so well and we did a lot more passing so I caught one for about ten yards. But there RB was huge. I bet he was over. They also had a little fast receiver that probably gained 90% of their total yards. It was really fun playing LB. So other than school that’s my week besides practice, Church, and mowing Brother Wilcox’s lawn. Have fun. Good luck. Ben

Dear Joe

I am going to orchestra on Tuesday and Thursday I’m not sure I like it because Miss Durant yells a lot. I played soccer on Saturday. My team did really good. I play Defender a lot but sometimes I play forward or midfield we lost. The goalie was kind of slow we read about Jacob and sherem this week. I love you. Love Jonathan

Dear Joe,

How’s it going in Germany? We played the Best team called, Ruckus. We were doing really well in the 1^st half of the game. And then in the second half I don’t know what happened to the defense it’s like they just gave up so my coach got really mad so Romeo (Roe-moe-n ) and I got put in the defense ( We were Defensive Mids. ) I took the place of Joana who is the reason of all their goals and he just says ’’It’s just a game.’’ I do not like I when people say ‘’It’s just a game.’’ So ya do you have any tips for me and my team? So see ya.

From,

David Seamons

Dear Joseph,

I guess we were wrong about Ben having more career points than Sam because the previous 2 seasons Sam was the PAT kicker and he put quite a few of them through the goal posts. So I think that it will take atleast 1 more and possibly 2 more touch downs for Ben to get ahead. The weather around here feels like it’s preparing to turn to Fall. There were a few patches of frost down the creek two days this week. The trees in the mountains haven’t really changed any color but as dry as the summer has been they might just turn brown then fall off. I saw president rounds this week at work he has a scar on the side of his head by his ear where the cut to remove the tumor from his head. He started chemo and radiation this week. He looked good but he said that it had made him really tired. Yet he seems to be taking it well and doing well so we have been asked to remember him in our prayers. Take care, love,dad.

Dear Elder Joe,

Well It was our bye week his week so not a lot happened this week except for practice and lots of it. Since it was our bye week this weekend I went up to Bob Firman Invitational and I thought I should have done better than I did. I did improve by about 20 seconds but The course was way easier than Soda’s was but I have been sick all week and my nose kept clogging up and on Monday I got hit in the back of the shins and whenever I ran it would throb like crazy, I thought it would be good by the meet but no it throbbed the whole time and my other leg started to hurt to. We play Blackfoot this week so got to do good and pickup another win or I don’t know what we’ll do. Well hope your week was better than mine because it sucked and I still fill sick (Everybody on the football team is sick right not) and there is a 9^th grader on the XC team who is a little version of Ryden because he ran as fast as the fastest kid on the Varsity team (Kaden Shumway, Kendon won’t be back until districts) and he hasn’t even ran at all this summer he got a 18:24 which is what I would like to ideal get this year by districts but if not I’ll still have a lot more endurance than the other wrestlers especially those around my weight so it will turn out good in the end. Keep doing good on your mission.

Samuel

Dear Joseph,

How has your week been? It seems like they are flying by for us. Some new things that got added in this week were Samuel’s bass lessons. He’s needing some help in getting ready for All State auditions at the end of the month. Since he didn’t have lessons all summer, the lesson was spent getting back to basics----metronome, slow, intonation practice, etc. I hope that he will implement these suggestions, because right now he is fast and flying through everything with not a lot of accuracy and intonation issues. Anyway, always good to get back to lessons. Ben had lessons in Rexburg this week too, so I noticed that on Friday I filled up my car, drove everyone where they needed to go---back and forth to town a couple of times and then drove to Rexburg and was totally empty by Pocatello---395 miles and then 108 more by today. Seems kind of ridiculous, but I’m not really sure of what to do about it. Fortunately Sam had a bye this week, so we didn’t go to games and couldn’t get to Boise to the cross country meet, which was sad not to see Sam run, but nice for us not to have to have football games in the middle of that, too. I didn’t get to see David’s game on Saturday, but I saw part of the game on Tuesday (comp) and I thought David was doing pretty well. It was 5-2 at the half, but then ended up being 10-2---kinda sad for him. It’s hard for me to sit and get the continuity of the game, since Jacob is not too keen on holding still! The comp team is supposed to be going up against a Tremonton team that’s not quite as high level as the other teams they’ve been playing so maybe the score won’t be so discouraging. I’m not sure whether I should leave him on this team next year and hope they get better or look for a different team. I subbed on Monday for Alice King in an EMT class and talked to Michael Winward, who’s on the soccer team and he said they weren’t doing very well this year---about equal on wins and losses. He seemed kind of discouraged. Eli was homecoming king---I thought that was kind of funny and Colby Hendrickson was one of the princes? Not sure. Anyway, I hope that the team does better. I told Michael that you would probably yell at them if they didn’t do better---they were playing Century this week, but I didn’t hear how it turned out.

Ben did well at his game and they seemed to gain a lot of confidence from that win. They played really well in the first half and Ben blocked really well, opening up holes for the running backs. He wasn’t able to catch very well himself---not sure why, just kind of off that night, but I think he was happy with the way that his team worked better together. I’m not sure of how good a team the Raiders were, but Preston pretty much dominated in that game. It was nice for someone in this house to get a win! Yey! It was a fun night. I didn’t get to see Jonathan’s game either, because I was in Rexburg with Ben, but I guess it didn’t go very well from what he said. I hope all these game losses will build character, or something like that.

Today the Bishopric spoke on preparing for Conference. Br. Beardall talked about what Elder Porter taught the youth last week (we thought it was only the presidencies that were supposed to go to last week’s Stake Conference meeting, but apparently it was for all the youth, so Ben and Sam missed out!). I guess Elder Porter said that the youth should be reading the book of Mormon twice every year from the time they are 12 to the time they are 18---hmm, I guess that’s 12 times! I have to say, I’m not even sure I’ve made it through it half that many times, so I have some work to do and so does everyone else in this house!

Br. Christensen talked about how we can receive personal revelation during conference, even when a talk isn’t on the subject we need the revelation for. If we are preparing ourselves to hear the word, we will hear the things that we need to for our lives. He bore testimony of such experiences that he has had. Bishop talked about really knowing what the prophet is revealing to us in our day. He gave the example of a member talking to a non-member and explaining that in our church we have a prophet that receives revelation for us in our day. When the non-member asked the member excitedly what the prophet had recently revealed, the member was stumped and couldn’t think of a reply and the non-member was quite disappointed that the member wasn’t able to give any examples of modern day revelation by a living prophet. He also counseled us strongly that we need to get on the technological bandwagon and take advantage of having all the church resources at our finger tips. Well, I was trying to take advantage of this this morning when I was substitute teaching Ben’s class and had my notes and scriptures on my Kindle, only to have it come up missing minutes before church started. No one has a clue of where it is! So, I struggled through without any technological help! I am thinking that I will ground everyone from their games until someone ‘remembers’ what they’ve done with my Kindle. As I was teaching the Sunday school class and about half the kids had he scriptures on their phone or device, I couldn’t decide if I’m as forward thinking as the apostles and prophets, because I am worried about what’s on their devices, and I think they are distracting sometimes when you are trying to teach and you’re not sure what the kids are looking at---maybe it’s scriptures, maybe not. Anyway, like I said last week, I’m not sure I’m on the bandwagon of having kids govern themselves and giving them suggestions---I guess it’s just the power monger in me! It is so much easier to use a device to look up scriptures, etc., but there’s also something about holding your scriptures and Ensign in your hand and leafing through them and finding what you need. I guess It’s just my middle age inabilities that are speaking out here! We have survived without internet for at least 6 months now, but it isn’t very convenient, and I’m not sure if I’m closer to a solution. However, I know that the technology we are blessed with today is to help us help our dead and forward the missionary work. So…..I guess we will figure out how that works for us!

The lesson I gave was on how keeping the commandments helps us live and understand the gospel better. The video we watched was of Daniel and his friends when they were in King Nebekenezzar’s court (spelling!) and asked if they could keep their covenants by not eating meat and wine and then by keeping this covenant they were given power to interpret the King’s dream. I thought it was interesting in the video that it kind of ends abruptly and doesn’t include what the interpretation of the dream was and the kids were kind of upset about that and I was thinking that it didn’t really matter what the interpretation of the dream was for the King, because the King was probably just given the dream so that Daniel could interpret it and the Lord could show forth his power in his righteous servants. Anyway, I was thinking that could be a lot of how life is----sometimes we are experiences we are given may not be for ourselves, but may be for the benefit of others and to show forth the power of God---which in a way, is like baring your testimony. I also shared Helaman 10 with them, because I remembered that you suggested reading it a couple of letters ago, and I thought it was so powerful and a great example of the power Nephi received because of his obedience.

Did you get our package yet? If you did, remember, you CAN’T OPEN IT UNTIL YOU’RE BIRTHDAY!!!! No cheating! I wish we could talk to you on your birthday, but hopefully you will have a great day as a 2 decade old dude (as Jonathan says!). We really hope that you enjoy playing the game we made you! It’s quite unique!

We pray for your investigators daily and hope they are making progress. I was thinking we could probably be more specific in our prayers, so I will look for any suggestions that you send. Did I give you Sowensky’s address----I think sowensky.lumene@mylds.net. He sounds good! I hope that he enjoys the MTC and his mission.

Rico Crosland had his Eagle Court of Honor tonight—also David advanced to first class and Ben to Life—Samuel still needs to finish up his project and get 4 more merit badges before Eagle---they aren’t hard, camping, communications, and physical fitness (which should be a piece of cake for him!). He’s just hesitant to get it done, but hopefully, he will be motivated as it gets closer to Christmas and he wants to get his license! I’m hoping.

I think that is it for the week----more bus drama with Jacob, Jackie made some new rules for Jacob, we didn’t like them and complained and Kevin’s been driving the bus now, so it will be interesting to see what the resolution is tomorrow. I could have been a lot nicer and not lost it with her----I’ve tried to be friendly and get along better, but I think I shot it all out the window by losing my temper so badly at her last week. I need to figure out how to fix that!

Take care! I hope you are feeling good and feeling good about your work in Rosenheim! There was an interesting article in this months’ ensign about missionaries and realizing that when you set goals, even if the evidence shows otherwise, you show faith by going out every day and bearing your testimony and those that hear it and are meant to hear it will receive it---even though the numbers may not all line up like you’d hope they would! We love and pray for you and are grateful to have the bestest son in the world!

Hey, your German was great! Keep it up! Jonathan felt pretty special with a german message just for him!

Mom