Fortie Family Flyer
August 3 – 9, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
A week of visitors and pictures, it was great. My Uncle Eldon and Aunt Janice came to Salt Lake to go through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on Saturday and they, along with John and Shauna, came over to my parents house on Monday night for a FHE. We talked and had ice-cream (of course) until the cows came home. While visiting in grandma and grandpa's back yard, someone saw the moon coming up over the mountain and told me I should get my camera. I did and took a shot. It has been fairly popular on the internet.
Cheryl and kids were here most of the week so our kids were over there (grandpa and grandma’s) most of the time. Everyone came and stayed at our house on Monday night and we (Jennifer, Brandon, Conner, Ashley and yours truly) slept out on the tramp. It was a nice night. The kids went to Movies, Lagoon and Cowabunga Bay while Tami and I worked. You’ll have to ask them about all their activities.
I did go to a concert put on by Sounds of Zion. They had some of their musicians sing or play some of their songs from their new CD’s this year, it was great. I went to it and saw Mary Kay and Facel and his wife there so I went and sat by them. We had a great time. I also talked to Doyle from Sounds of Zion about putting my pictures in his booth at the LDS Booksellers Convention. He took them. I think it is going to work out to have them help me get my pictures out to stores around the country.
I took Senior pictures of Whitney on Thursday (between other activities). Michelle went along; it seemed to go well.
Cheryl and fam went home on Friday. The kids all had fun while they were here. Tami and I enjoyed a few nights of family activities with them and Eldon and Janice and John and Shauna.
I went to Sam’s Club on my scooter mid week to print pictures for LDSBA and when I came out the weather had changed to high winds with some rain blowing sideways with the dust (turning some spots to mud). I went quickly to the LDSBA, dropped the pictures off and stayed until the wind calmed down a bit. Several branches from the trees in the parking lot were ripped off. Sometimes it can be dangerous to ride those things.
On Saturday I worked.
Sunday I got very sick after church; every part of me hurt. I went with Bro. Mueller again and we visited 3 families in the ward to talk about their genealogy and how we can help them get going. I came home after that and went to bed for 4 hours. I got up for dinner but had a hard time walking. I am supposed to go to girl’s camp early in the morning. Hope this goes away by then.
Well, I must pack for camping and I am dead tired so this is it for this week. Not much excitement for me anyway. The kids had all the fun.
Keep on keeping on,
Ken and clan
From Elder Fortie:
Monday, August 10, 2009, 12:54 PM
Hello to the world outside!!! I don't know how or where, but I found enough spare moments with enough time to breath through the week that I didn't die of lack of oxygen! I know, lucky me eh? I swear I've never felt so un missionary like since I got into missionary leadership! I spend more time in meetings and disciplinary councils then I do teaching, I'm rarely able to be home or in bed in time as I am out having to deal with all the problems, my poor greenie has to chill half the time just reading his scriptures while I'm on the phone with half the world dealing with everything from the foundations of the world collapsing to cows jumping over the moon. I ask you where does time go!!!????? UGH!!! Not to mention I am suddenly finding I am no longer one of the "young" missionaries (missionaries who haven't been out long), I am the only missionary left in the field that remembers my trainer! Missionaries come up to me asking me "don't you go home soon?" And I'm like NO!!! I'm not going home! Stop asking me! If I had time I might feel sad about how old I'm getting, but I guess the one blessing of staying so busy is I don't have time to realize I'm running out of time!
Anyways, we confirmed Jean yesterday in Sacrament meeting! Since I baptized him my companion confirmed him! My greenie was busting out Spanish up there like no body’s business! I was just up there smiling in the circle thinking, "yeah I taught him that one" and then two seconds later "wow... I sure haven't taught him that one yet... YEAH!!! That means he's got the spirit running his mouth! GO ELDER GO!" it was exciting. After wards I was just like "yes, that's my son" haha (your son is a missionary you train... sorry mission lingo.) So that was exciting! Then we had an appointment that night with him and his mom, who are usually our most lively and happy family, who we just love being around, but as we knocked on the door his mom was in tears and stayed inside crying for several minutes. I was so worried, my mind was racing through all of these terrible possibilities of what could have happened, but then Jean came outside and told me that it was because it's father's day in Brazil and she was just chatting online with her family and she got really sad and missed her family and felt terrible because she can't see them again. (long story short she can't return to Brazil because of a political situation). So that was of course sad, but not as horrific as I was pondering up. So my companion and I went to work doing one of the things he and I do best, making people smile!!! It only took us two minutes once we got her outside to have her choking on her tears because she was laughing as I told her the story of when I went to the lion exhibit at the zoo with a bunch of kids from work and when they told us all to make a lion noise I made the loudest chicken noise you could ever make, and all the kids busted up laughing and the lady doing the presentation was standing there as confused as could be not knowing what to do. Then we pulled out the Piñata magic! and by the end of the night she was laughing her head off and doubling over unable to breathe because she was laughing so hard.
I LOVE that, I love making a difference in people's lives, making them happy. While on a mission I get to do it in two ways, one just by my random self and knack to make a fool out of myself, and two by sharing the irreplace-able... (I know, my English spelling is getting horrible, it's not my fault!) joy that comes from the gospel! Being a missionary is amazing and it gets rough and stressful at times, but even when I'm stressed I'm loving it because I know I'm making a difference!
We've got another lady lined up for baptism in 2 weeks, her name is Oti, we've got a lot of work to do still but we are excited to be moving forward with her! Well, other then that my week has been pretty much meetings and dealing with problems, so that's not worth reporting haha. Stay strong one and all, read your scriptures, say your prayers, and remember, keep the little rules and it will be easier to keep the big ones. Smile on!
August 3 – 9, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
A week of visitors and pictures, it was great. My Uncle Eldon and Aunt Janice came to Salt Lake to go through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on Saturday and they, along with John and Shauna, came over to my parents house on Monday night for a FHE. We talked and had ice-cream (of course) until the cows came home. While visiting in grandma and grandpa's back yard, someone saw the moon coming up over the mountain and told me I should get my camera. I did and took a shot. It has been fairly popular on the internet.
Cheryl and kids were here most of the week so our kids were over there (grandpa and grandma’s) most of the time. Everyone came and stayed at our house on Monday night and we (Jennifer, Brandon, Conner, Ashley and yours truly) slept out on the tramp. It was a nice night. The kids went to Movies, Lagoon and Cowabunga Bay while Tami and I worked. You’ll have to ask them about all their activities.
I did go to a concert put on by Sounds of Zion. They had some of their musicians sing or play some of their songs from their new CD’s this year, it was great. I went to it and saw Mary Kay and Facel and his wife there so I went and sat by them. We had a great time. I also talked to Doyle from Sounds of Zion about putting my pictures in his booth at the LDS Booksellers Convention. He took them. I think it is going to work out to have them help me get my pictures out to stores around the country.
I took Senior pictures of Whitney on Thursday (between other activities). Michelle went along; it seemed to go well.
Cheryl and fam went home on Friday. The kids all had fun while they were here. Tami and I enjoyed a few nights of family activities with them and Eldon and Janice and John and Shauna.
I went to Sam’s Club on my scooter mid week to print pictures for LDSBA and when I came out the weather had changed to high winds with some rain blowing sideways with the dust (turning some spots to mud). I went quickly to the LDSBA, dropped the pictures off and stayed until the wind calmed down a bit. Several branches from the trees in the parking lot were ripped off. Sometimes it can be dangerous to ride those things.
On Saturday I worked.
Sunday I got very sick after church; every part of me hurt. I went with Bro. Mueller again and we visited 3 families in the ward to talk about their genealogy and how we can help them get going. I came home after that and went to bed for 4 hours. I got up for dinner but had a hard time walking. I am supposed to go to girl’s camp early in the morning. Hope this goes away by then.
Well, I must pack for camping and I am dead tired so this is it for this week. Not much excitement for me anyway. The kids had all the fun.
Keep on keeping on,
Ken and clan
From Elder Fortie:
Monday, August 10, 2009, 12:54 PM
Hello to the world outside!!! I don't know how or where, but I found enough spare moments with enough time to breath through the week that I didn't die of lack of oxygen! I know, lucky me eh? I swear I've never felt so un missionary like since I got into missionary leadership! I spend more time in meetings and disciplinary councils then I do teaching, I'm rarely able to be home or in bed in time as I am out having to deal with all the problems, my poor greenie has to chill half the time just reading his scriptures while I'm on the phone with half the world dealing with everything from the foundations of the world collapsing to cows jumping over the moon. I ask you where does time go!!!????? UGH!!! Not to mention I am suddenly finding I am no longer one of the "young" missionaries (missionaries who haven't been out long), I am the only missionary left in the field that remembers my trainer! Missionaries come up to me asking me "don't you go home soon?" And I'm like NO!!! I'm not going home! Stop asking me! If I had time I might feel sad about how old I'm getting, but I guess the one blessing of staying so busy is I don't have time to realize I'm running out of time!
Anyways, we confirmed Jean yesterday in Sacrament meeting! Since I baptized him my companion confirmed him! My greenie was busting out Spanish up there like no body’s business! I was just up there smiling in the circle thinking, "yeah I taught him that one" and then two seconds later "wow... I sure haven't taught him that one yet... YEAH!!! That means he's got the spirit running his mouth! GO ELDER GO!" it was exciting. After wards I was just like "yes, that's my son" haha (your son is a missionary you train... sorry mission lingo.) So that was exciting! Then we had an appointment that night with him and his mom, who are usually our most lively and happy family, who we just love being around, but as we knocked on the door his mom was in tears and stayed inside crying for several minutes. I was so worried, my mind was racing through all of these terrible possibilities of what could have happened, but then Jean came outside and told me that it was because it's father's day in Brazil and she was just chatting online with her family and she got really sad and missed her family and felt terrible because she can't see them again. (long story short she can't return to Brazil because of a political situation). So that was of course sad, but not as horrific as I was pondering up. So my companion and I went to work doing one of the things he and I do best, making people smile!!! It only took us two minutes once we got her outside to have her choking on her tears because she was laughing as I told her the story of when I went to the lion exhibit at the zoo with a bunch of kids from work and when they told us all to make a lion noise I made the loudest chicken noise you could ever make, and all the kids busted up laughing and the lady doing the presentation was standing there as confused as could be not knowing what to do. Then we pulled out the Piñata magic! and by the end of the night she was laughing her head off and doubling over unable to breathe because she was laughing so hard.
I LOVE that, I love making a difference in people's lives, making them happy. While on a mission I get to do it in two ways, one just by my random self and knack to make a fool out of myself, and two by sharing the irreplace-able... (I know, my English spelling is getting horrible, it's not my fault!) joy that comes from the gospel! Being a missionary is amazing and it gets rough and stressful at times, but even when I'm stressed I'm loving it because I know I'm making a difference!
We've got another lady lined up for baptism in 2 weeks, her name is Oti, we've got a lot of work to do still but we are excited to be moving forward with her! Well, other then that my week has been pretty much meetings and dealing with problems, so that's not worth reporting haha. Stay strong one and all, read your scriptures, say your prayers, and remember, keep the little rules and it will be easier to keep the big ones. Smile on!
Love Elder Fortie
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