Elder Owen's Adventures in the Land of Zion!

2009-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

What a crazy time it has been these past few weeks. Everything has happened so fast and abrupt. Finding out I had a tumor growing in my median nerve (which runs in your forearm) was not exactly on how I planned to spend the holidays. Even more so was finding out that I would have to go home and have surgery on it to get it removed. I found out that I would be going home on a Saturday and was on a plane headed back for Texas on Tuesday morning. As soon as I arrived at DFW we hurried to a Dr's appt. that we had gotten thanks to the help of Steve Leach who was able to come and visit me while he was on a business trip up in SLC. He checked out my arm and MRI and was then able to recommend who I should go and see. That Dr's appt. worked out great because we were hoping on getting an appt. in a few weeks. After talking with the Dr that Steve Leach has sent us to he thought it would be at the soonest a month before we could have the surgery done on my arm because he needed a six hour block of time to operate. He even said it would be best to send me back up to SLC till we could have the surgery. After he left the room he sent in his scheduling coordinator and they said they had an open block for the next Monday!

All of these things just fell into place and everything just seemed to work out. The surgery went better then expected and it only took about 3 hours to operate. They did not have to do any nerve graph after all and they saved them from making another 6 in cut on my left leg. Now I am just recovering and working on getting my movement back. Everything has healed and going better then what anyone could have even ask for. The Lord is definitely mindful of my situation and has been looking out for me this entire time. If nothing else this is just a huge testimony builder to not only me but all those whom surround me.

Elder Scott Owen

Edler Owen/The Update

2009-11-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Hi all, Steve & I just wanted to update you, we have been so blessed
and appreciate all your thoughts and prayers offered in Scott's
behalf. We are doing well, and it was just easier for me to send out a
"blanket" e-mail because our weekend will be full with Angie's
wedding :)

First of all, it was a miracle that Steve Leach "just happened" to be
in Utah this week. He called us last night and asked if he could get
Scott's phone number... he would go and see him, see what he could do
to facilitate things.

Dr. Leach called me this morning and by about 8:20, we had him
registered in the UT Southwest MC system, and Steve had conferred with
a couple of doctors, and called us with the name of a plastic surgeon
whom he thought would be the right one for Scott. (He has never met
the Dr. he referred us to).

Miracles have happened with Scott...He came home today, we went
STRAIGHT from the airport to see the doctor Steve Leach referred him to.
We got right in... (that is a miracle in and of itself :) and here is
what we know:

He has a tumor, 4-5 cm. in size, in his median nerve on his
right arm.

The surgery will be somewhere from 4-6 hours, and a possible graft
of another nerve from his wrist or upper arm spliced into his right arm.

The doctor told us to "send him back up to SLC" until he could work
out a surgery schedule for a 6 hour block, and told us it would be at
least a 3 week wait, so we were amazed when they came back in and
told us the doctor "just happened to have" a 6 hour block open, and
could do the surgery on Monday!
We will be at Zale Lipsy hospital Monday morning. The expected
recovery will be around 3-4 weeks or so.
Pres. Blake issued him a "temporary" release, and Scott is
planning on returning to SLC to finish his mission as soon as the
doctor okay's his arm.
We feel absolutely blessed and are so appreciative to Steve Leach for
all his help. We know the Lord is mindful of Scott and our family.

On another note, we are happy to have Scott home this weekend in
particular to be with family, be in the temple with Angie & Ryan on
Friday, and spend Thanksgiving with us! :)
Thanks for all your support.

Leslie & Steve

Elder Owen

2009-11-15T05:43:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone, hope you are all doing well. We are so excited for Angie & Ryan's wedding this next week. We think it will be a wonderful day. We wish you all could be here with us, and know you all would if you could.

I wanted to send you some information about Scott...

Just to make our lives interesting and a little less boring, we got a call from Scott's mission president...he has a tumor/lump? (not quite sure exactly) in his right arm, and has been in a lot of pain. We basically thought it was nothing and sent him a bottle of Ibuprofen a few weeks ago. An MRI was done last week and apparantly the growth is wrapped around a nerve and causing numbness, and a lot of pain. This has been going on for a while, several months. I thought maybe they would just give him a cortisone injection and he would be on his way... we were wrong and he is being sent home on Tues. to have the surgery done here. We talked with Scott, and he tells us the lump is now visable on his right forearm. The tumor has grown over the last couple of months, so they will biopsy it to see if it's malignant or not. We will plan on arranging Dr. appts. ASAP here in Dallas.

That's about all we know for now, mission medical will call me on Monday morning, and we will find out his flight info and more information on his arm.

The tumor has grown over the last couple of months, so they will biopsy it to see if it's malignant or not.
Hopefully, it will just be outpatient surgery with no other problems, and Scott will head back up to SLC to finish his mission.

He has asked to just take "medical leave", but the mission president is strongly suggesting he be released from the mission for the time it takes to get this taken care of, we don't know what the decision will be as of right now. We will keep you posted as we learn more, and would appreciate you keeping him in your prayers.

Love, Steve & Leslie

2009-11-15T05:42:00.001-08:00

Well hello to all! This last week has been very crazy for me as you all know already. Lots of work and lots of dealing with my poopy arm! We have had a lot of lesson to go to this past week and that has been keeping us moving. On top of that we had our 24 hour exchanges with our Zone Leaders and then we have to do exchanges with our district as well. We also have to do member exchanges every Tuesday, Wed, and Thurs at night. To top things off the other district leader and his companion both got sick after eating at a fast food place and we were covering their lessons that they had planned and exchanges for them. Wheewww! To much to do and to little time.

Well I got my MRI yesterday and got that taken care of. That was a very uncomfertable 30 mins! They had my arm pinned up with sand bags and they had to redo some scans because I moved arm a bit. Then they pulled me out and shoved a needle up my other arm to inject some dye to the MRI would turn out better I guess. Thats what they said but I think they just wanted to keep my arm still for another 5 mins! By the time i could move my arm it felt like it was dead. Not a fun time. Well the docter was supposted to get the results of the MRI today and i have not heard any news yet. So thats the latest I know of as of right now.

Well today for lunch i went to Chadders! That is the In and Out Burger knock off. Dad you and I went there when you took me up to school. It was goooood! Double Double! Also a member said that they are now building In and Out Burgers in Utah now. There are going to be about 5 of them. They are about to start building one right by the West Valley Mall off of Redwood Road!!! They better keep moving over to the East around Coppells area huh?!

Well the wedding is getting closer now. Only 9 more days to go!!! Time has moved fast! Good luck with all of the wedding plans and with everything! Mom make the boys clean the house really good for the wedding just for the heck of it. It could always use a good "blitz" huh? No need to thank me Jeff and Mark! Jeff hows the green machine holding up for ya? Have you changed the AC belts yet? They joys of taking care of a car! Mr Mark what the latest wit you dude? Write me you punks! Or else you may have to clean the house every week when I send out my email!!!!

So the Sub needs a new tranny! Sounds like fun to me and a cheap fix, not! Dad by the way I am all for you trading up for the new years model BMW. Just keep the one you have for me and when I get back you can give it to me! (Keyword there was give!!!)

Well thats all for this week for now. Have a good time MMAB at Disney World! Talk to you in a week!!!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Zone Conferance Week

2009-11-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

Well hello hello again,

Another week has come and gone and what a great week it was. We have been pretty busy teaching all of the time. We have been doing close to 20 lessons a week. Some days we are doing 4 to 5 lessons! The work is so much better here on the West side of SLC! That is defently a great thing. Lets see we also had Zone Conferance this past Friday. That was great to be able to have trainings from President Sonne. He talked to us about the differance between faith and hope and how they are both important to have in our lives. He also told us that he didn't want to be happy with only 2000 baptisms this year he wants to raise the bar to 2100 by the end of December! So that means that we have to get 200 baptisms both in Nov. and Dec! That is a ton for us. I guess this last March we got 247 baptisms so he knows 200 should be cake for us!

Well our zone met a goal the the AP's set for us. We had to put 20 investagators on date for baptism in a few days. We reached that goal so now we will get to have a reward. Probley a privite training by President Sonne or and FHE at the Mission Home with him. Something along those lines. That will be cool to have that huh?!

Well Mom I got the package you sent! Wowzers!!! Oreos and BUSTER!!!! They are both black and white! : ) I was cracking up when i found Buster boy in the gloves! He is sitting on my desk now watching me study being such a good good boy!! Thanks for sending all that stuff. It has heated up here at the moment but it supposted to be getting cold this Sunday and then stay cold! I also got my invite to the wedding! I will be a little booked that day so I wont be able to make it. Although if you had it in the Salt Lake Temple on my P-Day I am sure I would be able to go! Keep that in mind Angie and Ryan! Oh and I also got a letter from the Greasers! Tell them thanks for that. They had Grant and Gage send me a drawing also in it. Could you get me their email so I could send them a quick note? Thanks.

Well it sounds like all is coming along at home. Send me more pictures of the grand kids. (They are cuter then you Mom and Dad! : ) And dad please make sure that Media room is sound proof so when i get home you and I can crank those sweet actions movies and Mom wont be able to hear it and get mad!!!! Smart move pops, I tought you well!

I glad Sonic was good oh the Spoooooky day of Halloween!!! I cant believe those corn dogs were 2 for a buck. I can remember back in the day when they use to be $0.25 each. What a rip off now huh? I hope Michael ate 2 Extra Long Chili Cheese Coneys for me with a Rt 44 Dr Pepper! Thats the meal of champions for ya!

On Halloween we had a zone activity from 6-9 PM because we had to be inside during that time. We played a little basketball and watched Ice Age 3! Sa FUN! Oh and Elder Parks deep fryed us some octopus! Yes I even tryed it. It still had the tenticals on and all. It was so chewey and slimey. The longer you chew it the more chewey it gets so you have to just let it slide down your throught. Hows that for a scary food. And you guys had corn dogs! I'll send you some pictures of the tastey dish!

Hey Mom if Ryan has a hook up on shipping then there should be no excuse to send me packages all the time! Haha! Keep that in mind and everyone else as well! : )

Well thats all for right now! Ill talk to yall next week!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Tues. November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T14:07:00.001-08:00

Dear Scott,

So much has gone on this past week, I hope you have had a good week, I know you are busy in your new area. Do you feel like you are getting to know the West Valley area?

Well, we met as the "new" Coppell 1st ward. It was good, rather small in numbers now, but good. We could have fit everyone in the front part of the chapel seating. It was pretty quiet in there too! There are a lot of babies, but not as many as we were used to.
Sis. Dance is the new R.S. president, Sis. Lisa Hansen is the new Y.W. president, Orman Anderson is the new Y.M. president, and Dad is the Sunday School President, aka, bell ringer! :) Lots of new callings as you can imagine. There is a new primary president, Sis. Priestly, but I don't think you know her. Anyway, it is all coming together, and we love Bishop Yorke, he is a good man.
We had our final activity last Friday, the Harvest Carnival. It was so crowded, and busy, but fun. They did a trunk or treat, and all the little kids loved it. We had a great turn out, but when you see all those people, you know it was time to re-align those wards. Coppell is just a growin area!
Michael & Megan came with the kids, they both wore clown outfits from when you guys were all little, they looked so cute. I will try and send some pictures.

Now for the update on the new house. There is not a whole lot to update!
We met with the cabinet people this morning, picked out cabinet styles, tried to figure out what to do in the kitchen and baths. They are thinking we might not break ground until the end of Nov, or beginning of Dec. We hope it goes a little faster than that. Still trying to get back pricing on things, and getting brick and paint picked out. I think we will do a red color of brick, with stone on the outside. Dad is having fun figuring out the media room, he wants some extra insulation and sound boards put in. I don't want to hear the down stairs rattle when he is up there listening to movies :) We did get the laundry room figured out, and we will have a little sink in there, and also a built in ironing board, and extra cabinets for storage. We will also be able to put the freezer in that room, and get it out of the hot garage...yeah!

Angie & Ryan's wedding is getting close! We finally got all the announcements in the mail, and you are getting one :) She is working on a wedding video, and a guest book. The pictures for the reception are ordered, and it is fun. Actually, it's great, because Ryan is such a good guy, and they are so happy. The temple is closed right now for cleaning/maint. but as soon as it re-opens on Nov. 10th, they will schedule the ceremony. I hope we can get to the temple with Angie at least one more time before the wedding, I know she and Ryan might try and do some sealings together if they can. So fun! We will be sure and take lots of pictures to send to you. We will miss you, but know you are doing important work.
Have you been able to get to the temple lately? I hope so, it's such a peaceful place, I love it.

Well, Halloween was easy this year, we fed the missionaries (Sonic) and passed out candy all evening. Not too exciting. Mark trick or treated for just a while with Ethan Judd. Jeff went to a party after working at the gun range, and we all ate Corn dogs from Sonic. They were sa greasy and good! Got to eat one every year or so. 2/1.00, what a bargain. Anyway, we are now into the holiday season, and I busted out the christmas CD's! I love the Christmas music.

We sent you a big box, you will be getting it Fed-X, courtesy of Ryan and the great discount he gets :) Let me know when you receive it, I hope you will like it all.

Keep up the good work, I know you are really needed in the SLC mission. I love you and I am proud of you. We pray for you everyday, and know you are working hard!
XOXO,
Mom

3 Coppell Wards??!!!

2009-10-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Wow!!!! That is crazy news! 3 Coppell Wards! I remember when we all thought we would never get 2 wards out of Coppell and now look at it, 3 of them!!!! That is great news. That must mean that the church is growing! Neat. That great news to hear. So Bishop Strong now huh! Cool, he is such a great guy. He will be a GA soon enough!

Well it has been a crazy week for me as well. Lots of learning in my new area. Its kinda stinks to have to learn my way around again but ill have to get over that. The entire area is basicly under construction and has been since 2007 from what people have said. It really makes getting around hard navagating through everthing. But i guess ill have to get over that as well.

Well yesterday and today it has snowed. That is the weirdest thing for me to have snow. Most of it is starting to melt off by now but it is still cold. Its in the 40's and 30's. My companion loves it being from Alaska. He just had this big old grin on his face all day. Well he is from Ankerage Alsaska. He has been out about 15 months now.

Well dad asked what the heck i mean when i say transfer. That is a mission term we use. That means a six week period when we may or may get, transfered. There is 17 transfers in you mission and so that is kind of a way that we measure how long we have been out. So right now i am on my 4th transfer. So there you go Dad!

Well our baptisms all went well. We had two 8 year old baptisms and then one convert baptism. They all were good. I did not get to teach them but once. So i really dont know them that well. I think that we have one on the 7th of next month. I cant remember off the top of my head if we do at the moment.

Well Dad that is weird that you lived in this area I am in now. I just went to the Valley Fair Mall today. We went to Desseret Book. What office did you have there?

Well we have a lot of investagators right now. I would say around 10-15. We also work a ton with less active. In this area there is around 40% members and about half of those are active. So just working on that alone could keep us packed. We teach about 15-20 lesson everyweek. Somewhere around there.

Well on Halloween we have to be locked in from 6-9 PM. So we are going to watch a Disney movie and play sports as a zone. That will be fun. We are not allowed to go out and work on holidays on the nights. But we still have to work for most of the day.

Well I hope all is well and safe back in the Big "D". Have fun and keep in touch with me! Till next week.... Peace be unto you!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T18:18:00.001-07:00

Dear Scott,

A lot has happened to you this past week, transfers, new area, new companion and such! You have been busy. I hope you have had a good week in your new area, I know West Valley is very different from the Millcreek area. I know there are probably a lot of great people, and members there and you should enjoy it.
Glad to hear you are in a nice apartment too. :)

Be sure and tell me about your baptism's this past weekend. I hope everything went well. I bet the members will all treat you so well. Do you think you will have a lot of investigators, member referrals in this new area?

We had the missionaries over last week, we fed them a big breakfast, and they left us a good message. We liked it so much, we are having them come back on Halloween night for dinner again! :) Sonic corn dogs!

We have had a big weekend. The news is, there are now 3 Coppell Wards! Wow! a lot of growth in this area too. They divided up the wards vertically, and now we are back in the Coppell 1st ward with Bishop Yorke. Bishop Huntsman was released. The bishopric is Riley Yorke, Dayton Judd, and Elliot Phillips. Dad was released as High Priest Group Leader. Lots of changes. It seems like our ward stayed a lot the same, the boundaries for our ward are basically everything west of Denton tap, up to where the Phillips live.
Now there is Coppell 2nd ward with the Taylors, Melvilles, Erickson's in it. The new bishop of that ward is Chris Strong. Dan Buhman is one of his counselors now. The new ward, Coppell 3rd, is the area where the Hurst's live, and the Weidmans. It takes in a lot of the apartments that used to be in our ward. The bishop is Brian Willey, a young guy who was in the Coppell 1st ward. Crazy, so many changes, but all good.
The bad news is our wards new time to meet, the rest of this year and all next year...2:30!! So late, but I guess someone has to do it. There will be 4 wards using our little building, and it will be busy. The church is really growing here in TX! I might mail you off the maps they gave us, just so you can visualize all the changes. We are still Carrollton Stake, and everyone really likes it.

Last night for FHE we went to Brooke's had did our pumpkin carving, ate some tortilla soup, and made some caramel apples. It was a fun night. Will send you a picture of the festivities. This Friday is the Harvest Carnival, and chili cook off. Always a fun night for the kids. It will be the last event we do together as the "old" Coppell 2nd ward. We will be taking the popcorn machine...it wouldn't be the harvest carnival without it!

That's update all for now. Seem's like these weeks just fly by, it has been very busy around here. We have had a lot of rain, and the weather is beautiful and cool out. I love the fall time.

Could you do me a favor? I am ordering you a plaque to put in the hallway at church. I would like to include a scripture on it. Will you write me and tell me which one you want? I will put of picture of you on it, the scripture and the SLC mission. It also has your date you left. I need to get that done, so please let me know.

Love you forever,
Mom

Transfer #4

2009-10-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Wow what a week i have had. It sounds like your week back at home was just as crazy. Well I'm sure you want to know what is going on with transfers. I am now out of the Parley Zone. I have been in that same zone since i have come out. 4.5 months. I was kinda ready to go else where. I am now in a zone called Granger. It is in West Valley. My new comps name is Elder Parks. He is from Alaska. He is a lot of fun and it is going to be a good transfer again with him. Elder Rice stayed in my old area again.

Well we have one convert baptism lined up for this weekend and then two 8 year olds that we will be baptizing. They have helped teach them because their parents were less active. We should also have several more this transfer.

Well Elder Parks in a District Leader so that makes me the District Leader Companion or DLC. Not that that means anything for me but it could be that President wants me to be in leadership soon so this is kind of a way to train me how to do it. So who knows if it comes cool if not cool. Mission politics are a joke and get out of control at times so i want to stay out of that as long as i can.

Right now we only cover 1 stake the West Valley Stake!!! Wow! What a change for me! Going from 3 stakes to only one and covering 21 wards to only 5! This is because one Elder Parks is a DL and then second on the West side the people are a lot more humble and the work is a lot more crazy. We have a ton of people that are investagating at the moment. Kind of cool huh?

Well I also have another car because my comp is a DL. We have a Mazda 3 now. Its a "Cute Car" like Ryans huh! Well things are going great here. We dont live in a basement either. We have our own apartment. Sweet! But the down side to it is that we dont have a washer and dryer. For that we go to a members home and use theirs. So that makes it better.

Well I'm glad that Angie had a good time at the temple. The more she goes the more she will learn. Its neat to be able to go and learn. Keep up the work with all the wedding plans as well. Its almost November already. Keep me in tune with everything that is going on. I got to go but ill send some pictures to yall! Have a good week and talk to you later!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

October 20, 2009

2009-10-21T07:10:00.001-07:00

Dear Scott,

How has your week been? I hope you have remained busy, and going strong with missionary work. We have had a good week here at home, and I will try and catch you up on things.

After coming home from Utah, we jumped right back into the routine. Dad & Jeff had finished tiling the kitchen floors, and the next step was to put the kitchen back together. What a lot of cleaning and dust, and dirty cupboards we had. Brooke came out a couple of different days, and we cleaned a lot! The island is put back down, and the baseboard is back up. Just need to finish up putty and paint. Whew! I think Dad was very happy to get that job completed. Now it will be on to the next project, mulching the rest of the yard, planting a new tree in the front yard, and re-staining the fence. Always a project to do.
I have been cleaning out my closet, which is not a fun job, but with Brooke's help, it is looking better.

The biggest news this past week was Angie going to the temple. It was so nice, she did great, and it was a wonderful experience. It was so special as a Mom to watch another one of my kids receive their endowment. Angie & Ryan are so happy together and are getting anxious for their wedding day! I will attach a couple of pictures for you. We went to the 5 p.m. session, and Ryan's parents were with witness couple. It was just great to be with them all in the temple. Afterwards, we had dinner at Celebration, a good night. Angie, Ryan, Dad and I are planning on going back to do another session this Friday.

My time has been spent addressing wedding announcements this week. I am trying just to get envelopes addressed, and first, I have to round up all the address's. That is a job by itself. Angie also had a really nice shower on Saturday morning. Lisa Taylor had it at her home, and there were a lot of people there, and it was so fun. Lot's of fun shower gifts, and yummy food. Anna and Carli got to go...Carli said "No boys allowed, just girls bridal shower". They had their engagement pictures taken on Friday morning, it was a tad bit nippy out! They got a lot of good pictures, will send you one of those too.

Last Thursday, Dad and I went over to CMSW for a early morning breakfast and award ceremony. Mr. Mark was giving the "Wrangler Award of Excellence"!! There were 10 girls, and 2 boys given the award, and Mark was one of them! We were so proud of Mark, he is a good student and always try's to do the right thing. The teachers were very complimentary to him, and he got a nice framed certificate, and some fun coupons to use. He gets his name on a plaque that will be left up in the school. Very nice! Will send a picture of him too.

The weather here has been gorgeous! Nice cool, sunny day's, and even cooler nights. I love the fall time. Makes me want to cook some soup, bake some bread and curl up with a good book, and a cup of hot chocolate :).
I have not sent your sweatshirt, and heavy gloves, don't know for sure what you want, but let me know, and I will try and get that done okay?

We had a really good lesson this past Sunday in R.S. It was on the prophet Joseph Smith. I wanted to share a quote with you that I thought applied so much to missionary work. This is from Eliza R. Snow, she says:

" in the cause of truth and righteousness, in all that would benefit his fellow man, his integrity was as firm as the pillars of Heaven. He knew that God had called him to the work, and all the powers of earth and hell combined, tailed either to deter or divert him from his purpose. With the help of God and his brethren, he laid the foundation of the greatest work ever established by man, a work extending not only to all the living, and to all the generations to come, but also to the dead."
"He boldly and bravely confronted the false traditions, superstitions, religions, bigotry and ignorance of the world-proved himself true to every heaven-revealed principle, true to his brethren and true to God, then sealed his testimony with his blood."

I know that God has called you to the work, and will sustain you in your calling as a missionary. I hope you will be true to every principle, and true to God too. Be the best you can, and work hard :)
I love you and I am proud of you and all you do.
Love, Mom

Cafe Rio was Fun!

2009-10-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Wow i dont know if i even need to write you because we talked for an hour and a half at Cafe Rio. But i am such a good good boy i will email yall! Well i dont really know what to say because we covered so much in that time. We are getting excited for our two baptisms this Saturday. The stake is really excited for them as well. It is going to be a busy rest of the week. We have the two baptism interviews tomorrow and then temple square in the evening. Friday we are booked with lessons and then on Saturday we are going to be busy filling up the font and at the baptismal services.

It is never fun the last week before transfers. I hate waiting to hear if I am staying or going or what the deal is. Our ZL's reccomended that my comp and i both stay in our area another transfer. They said we work really well together and i think so too. Our area is booming now. It is so much more busy then it was when we came into it. That is always a good thing I guess. So I will just have to wait and find out what will happen.

It is crazy that this is going to be my 4th transfer. I have been out 5 months now. It does not really feel like that at all looking back on it.

Well I really dont know what else to say. I guess Mom can pass off to everyone else what we talked about at Cafe Rio. I dont really even remember what we talked about. All the days just get mashed into one and I never remember what day it is.

Well that is all for now. I will email you again next Thursday because of transfers. Talk to yall then. Good luck Angie at the temple on Friday. Have fun!!!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Fun Weekend!

2009-10-12T20:40:00.001-07:00

Dear Scott,
Wow! What a week end we had. Everything was so fun, busy, hectic, and great!
I am glad we got to see you for a quick dinner, you are doing fantastic. You have a good companion, and I know you boys are working hard. I worried so much about seeing you, but it was great and worked out well. You looked just the same!

We made it back with no problems. Angie was with us on our flight, so that worked out well. We had a good time with Ant Nikki, and Uncle Aaron, they treated us like royalty!

Dad tiled the kitchen, and it is beautiful. Now we (as in Dad and the boys) get to put the island back in and put everything away out of the dining room. Lots and lots of dust everywhere, but so nice to get that done. The kitchen looks nice. It should help when we sell to have the kitchen updated a little.

We got all of Angie's temple clothes. She is very excited to receive her endowments this Friday. Ryan's parents will be here, and we will go Friday at the 5 p.m. session. I will take lots of pictures, and send some to you. These events are the one's that parents really look forward to, very special days. We are so proud of all of our kids!!

This week will be really busy. Dad is at the U2 concert tonight...got tickets last minute through work I guess.
I have a couple of nativity meetings, and am working on Wed. at the hospital. Dunstan's will be here on Wed. night, and we are looking forward to being with them too.
We have temple on Friday, another bridal shower on Saturday, (so fun!) the stake Roadshows on Sat. night. Whew! I am tired thinking about it all. I really need to put the house back together too. No rest this week, but it's good to get all these things done. I am sure we will survive it all!

You have a great week, and know we love you a lot!!!
Leslie Owen

Week 4 in Transfer 3

2009-10-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a weekend!!!

It was so fun to be able to see General Conferance for the first time. It was a neat experance to be able to be in the same room as the prophet. Even if it is a huge room! Well we got tickets to Sat AM, Preisthood, and Sunday AM. They rest we gave away to other missionarys who did not have tickets. I dont know if i told you but we have to be there during GC. Even if we dont have tickets. The sessions that we did not have tickets to we watched them in the Joseph Smith Mem building or the North Visitors Center on Temple Square. I would have to say that my fav talk would have to be Jeffrey R Holland of course. We watched so many talks from him in the MTC abouth missionary work. He is gives such strong powerful talks. I think that was everyones fav! I also took notes in every session on all of the talks. It will be good to be able to refferance those talks from the notes I have now.

Oh have you talked to the Brassfields? I saw them at GC! Sister Brassfield and Scott. I also saw Kim Cangalosi and Cierra Boyd there. Sister Brassfield took a picture to give to you. I also have one of us all. It was fun to see them. If you guys ever come or anyone from the ward comes tell them that all of the missionarys gather around the Reflection Pool on Temple Square. If they ask for me someone will point them in the right direction. So that will be fun to see some people i know. I will be there every GC! So keep that in mind.

Well things are starting to get cold here. The high has been in the 40's the past week. Burrrrrrrrrrr. Speaking of which could you send me my big ski gloves and some sweat shirts? My big heavy A & F sweat shirt would be nice because it is heavy. I also got your "Fall Package" mom! Wow what a treat! I am loving the trail mix. Its almost half way gone. I only got it last night too!!! Yummy! Thanks for the other treats. If you keep that up i just may gain the 20-25 lbs that most missionarys gain here in SLC! Fattys!

Oh Uncle Matt sent me back that watch also. He said the company replaced it! So now I have it back and its brand new! Cool. Well i bought a SD card reader so i could be able to load my pictures on the computer and email you some. So ill see if i cant do that.

Well we also have two people on date for a baptism for the following weekend! I am stoked about that. They are great people! Well I think that is about it for this week. Not to much more going on are here. Lots of love to all!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

So any who here are a few more pictures. Ones of me and my comp Elder Rice, Another if at the end of a session of the prophet, and the last is for jeff and mark they need to go to this place i am pointing to!!!
Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Week of Oct. 5th, 2009 Spooky Halloween is Getting Closer!

2009-10-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,
What a wonderful conference weekend we have enjoyed! We loved hearing from our prophet and apostles. The Sunday morning session was just so great, I think I have never heard a more powerful testimony than that of Elder Jeffrey Holland. I loved his talk, and have listened to it 3 times already. What a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the truthfulness of the gospel, it has helped my testimony become more strong too.
All the talks were so good, and every time there was a talk on missionaries, or missionary work, we thought of you. I feel renewed after listening to such good talks, truly inspiring.
Were you able to get in the conference center for the priesthood session? Any other sessions? Let us know all about your weekend, I bet you had a good one :)

I talked with Grandpa last night, and he got the shoes. He is going to go down to Mr. Mac's and see if he can get them exchanged. I will keep you posted on that. Hopefully, we can get those replaced.

Last night the family came over and we did our "1st Annual Chili Cook Off!" It was sa fun! We had 5 different chili's, and gave out a few little prizes...shekels to the winners. The big winner was Brooke with her white bean chicken chili, then Megan with her all meat chili pie, and Mr. Mark with his 2 alarm spicy red bean chili. Actually, all the chili's were yummy. Chad made a good one, very flavorful, and Angie made one with Chipotle peppers and chocolate, a "mole" type and it was so good. Dad was the judge, he was not good!!! Could not make a decision and said next year, we need to get an impartial judge to come in! :)
I am attaching some pictures of the fun night. We had breadsticks, and I made a pumpkin sheet cake. Fun to get together, I think we will make that an annual event!

The house plans are coming along. We sure have a lot of little changes along the way. We think they will start the house sometime in November, but not sure yet. Trying to get all the pricing done, plans re-done for the kitchen, and dad is working on some things for the media room. It is time consuming, but I'm sure it will work out. I have picked out cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms, and some counter tops for the kitchen, and island. I think we will put hard wood floors in the family room, and kitchen area. A big project to work on!

This week, I think Dad is going to jack-hammer up the kitchen floor, and replace it. We need to do that before we list this house for sale. We have picked out a new tile...large tiles I think 18X18? Anyway, they will look nice, it will be a HUGE mess to get that job done, and hopefully it will go smooth. Maybe Michael and Butch will come help, I know dad would appreciate that.

The boys are out of school this weekend, Friday and Monday. They were going to Broken Bow, but now will stay here and get the tile job done instead. Bummer! Broken Bow, and 4-lers would have been more fun. Speaking of 4-lers, I think Brooke and Chad have sold one of theirs. Michael sold his to Justin Nagle. Just didn't use them enough to keep them. We still have all of ours, guess we will keep them for now. I don't think we will get up to the cabin until Hillbilly new years, so busy with wedding, house, nativity etc. Sad!

Well that's about it for this week. I just can't wait for the conference talks to come out in the Ensign. SO Good!!! Let me know all your thoughts and feelings on the weekend.

Did you ever get a letter from the Greaser's? She asked for your address so they could write you, I bet they will, they are such a great family.

Love you lots, we pray for you to have that "missionary" spirit, and be the best you can be.

Love, Mom & Dad

Leslie Owen

Week 3 in Transfer 3

2009-10-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well hello to all!

Dad I put that subject there just for you because you were confused. Hey dad what is up with being in SLC and not stopping by? You can visit me you know. Our mission president is very chill about seeing family! And 3300 South and State Street is in my area that i cover!!!! You were in my area for 3 days and I never knew. Thats weird to think about.

Well this week went well. We had interviews with President Sonne yesterday so thats why our P-Day is today. He is such a cool guy. He remembers everything about everyone. He started compairing this to the Police Dept for me when we were talking in our interview. I could not belive that he could remember that i wanting to go into that. He only has around 180 missionarys. The more i am around him the cooler he is.

Well we are having more and more success in our area. Again all of it is just coming from one of the stakes. The Grant Stake. The reason why they are doing so well is because they are pumped to do missionary work. They understand that the members are the full time finders and the Elders are the full time teachers. We get close to 5 plus refferlls from that stake each week. The other two stakes that we cover are Highland and Parley. They are border line horrible. The stake corralations with them are the biggest joke. Very unprofessional and waist of time. There is never a High Counseler there and they dont give two hoots about it. Thats why they are not doing good. I told President Sonne about them and he is going to have to have a chat with their Stake Presidents. The Grant Stake keeps us busy enough so President told us to just keep working where there is the work.

Well we are really working with one of our investagators a ton. Her name is Lorana and she is solid. We went to Temple Square with her and a baptism. She is sooooo ready! She just loves feeling the spirit. We had a lesson with her last night and her in laws came. They are members and support her. The lesson went way long, about an hour and a half. But the spirit was the strongest i have ever felt in a lesson. We tried to commit her for a baptimal date but she said she was not ready yet. Well later that night we got a call from her asking all about baptism. She thinks she has to be perfect if she gets baptized. And then perfect from then on. I know she will get baptized soon and well keep focusing on the importance of it. Well meet with her again on Friday at 6:30. Everyone is invited if you want to come.

Well the other people we are teaching are coming along great as well. I dont have time to type all the info up about them. Sorry. We have lots of people were teaching and working with. So I guess thats a good problem. I think for next transfer they will make Grant Stake its own stake. Thats what they need because there is so much work to do there. People are pre paired everywhere here. Left and right. Even in our other stakes but we just need the help from the members to let us know who is the elect.

Well we are still in our place. We have not been booted out yet but we may. It is the basement of someones home. Its kinda ghetto!!! Our window in our bedroom wont close. It sticks because yesterday and last night it started to snow, sleet, hail and rain. Kind of like Texas weather huh?

Hey when you guys are up here let me know!!!! Its ok to come and visit me. I also sent off those shoes to G and G's yesterday. Well do you know if any family from here are going to Gen. Conf? We have to be there the whole time. We will have to watch it in the Joseph Smith Mem building if we dont have tickets. So its better we get the tickets huh? It aslo sticks because Gen Conf means wearing our suit jackets from Conf to Conf. Bummer!!!!

Well it also sounds like you have your work cut out for you at home. Lots to do. I also hope that you have all that done by the time i get home! Dad hows my BMW doing? You need to keep that thing waxed and spit spot clean for me!!! You will have to hand over the keys to me when i get home! No Joke!!!! Plan on it.

Well that was a long letter!!!!!! That sould keep everyone happy for a week! Ill talk to you next week!!!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Wowzzers!!! New Home?? Whaaaaaaattt?

2009-09-23T15:48:00.001-07:00

Hola Family!

WOW your are getting the new home!!!!!!! I cant belive it!!! Like i told your in one of the letters you go through this whole house buying phase and never do buy a new home. And now you are doing it. You will have to send me a picture of our lot. If it is a big lawn we are getting a riding lawn mower. Thats part of my requriments if we move! Keep that in mind Dad!!!

Well I guess you want to hear whats new in Elder Owen's world here in the big SLC!!! Well this past week has been great! We have gotten about 3 or 4 refferls that are sounding golden. The work in just this one stake is out of control. The other two are about worthless though. But thats ok because that one stake is keeping us busy enough. We have still been working with that one family from Napal that has 33 family members. My comp said that if got all 33 baptized in one transfers that we would be ledgens in the mission. We also have about 7 or 8 really great investagators at the moment. They are also progressing great and we are planning on having some of them get baptized this transfer. So this seems to be a very motovated area, or at least one of the Stakes seems to be at the moment. They said their goal was to get to have a set of missionarys to be assigned to only there stake. I know that they will get it if they keep up this work!

Well i have a pic for yall but I dont have a SD card reader for the computer and none of the other missionarys have one either today that I can borrow. So maybe next week! So mom i did like i said and got you a picture. Also thanks for the 5 sheckles yo!

So the Sub a du buba ja buba trans pooped out? That sticks. No pun intended! : ) So are you going to get a new car or whats the plan with that? Cool stuff. Well hit me back ASAP so i can respond to ya!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Week 2 in Transfer 3

2009-09-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well I am shocked to see that mom and dad did not write me at all!!! That's nice!!!!! Well this week was good so far. We have been learning about our area some more and are starting to get it down. We have our Zone Conference tomorrow so we are looking forward to that. Those are always fun. It may just be because they have lunch there provided for free. Elder Rice and I have been having a great time together so far. Oh I don't know if i told you but i have a car again and this time i don't have the black box in it!!!!! That was the best news so far this transfer. We have been working with the Stakes to help us learn the area and our investigators. Our apartment that we stay is big but the people upstairs scream and yell at each other all day long. So the mission office is trying to find us a new place. It makes it fun to do our study time! Well I hope you can still get me some conference tickets!!!! Let me know what you can do on those. Also mom can you mail off more meds.

Well I think this is just going to be a short email but i guess i can do that because i did not even get one from mom or dad. They are way to busy cruising and having to much fun! So until next week........ Peace
Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Transfer #3

2009-09-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

Well transfers are over for another 6 weeks. I also did not go into the Spanish program either, yet... My new comp is Elder Rice. He served in my zone last transfer and he is so cool. It is going to be a fun time with him. Well this is kinda odd. I live in my old area but i now have a new area. We cover three stakes now!!! Wowzzers! Its something over 25 wards that we cover! And our area we have is huge!!!

There is a Nepal family we are working with and they will have 32 people living with them in Oct. If we can get the Dad baptized then everyone else will do it. Can you even imagine 32 baptisms? That would be a record for the mission i think for one companionship. Crazy huh? And as of right now we have one person on date for baptism coming up. Well the three stakes that we cover are Parley, Highland and Grant stakes. Well i am excited for this next transfer. I will have to keep you up to date on things. Oh and again you don't have to keep rubbing in the whole cruise thing either. You just keep mocking me with all of these pictures! Haha

Well and also this iPod you sent me completely went poopy on me. : ( It wiped itself clean and now i can put the music back on it. This just happened right now so thats a big bummer. I think i will just go and buy one at Best Buy or something so its ok.

Well i think that is all for now. Ill talk to you later....

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

An Especial Email

2009-09-08T13:05:00.001-07:00

Well today is not my pday but my comp had to do more school stuff on the computers. So heres your especial email for the day! Well i found out that both me and my comp are going to be transfered out of our area. When the companionship both leave they call that a white wash. Just in case i ever say that latter and you dont know what im talking about now you do! So what this means is i am no longer a greenie missionary! Now that i have spent over 3 months out in the field i have been trained and then this transfer, greenie broken as they call it! I still dont know where i will go but i will find that out tomorrow at transfers.

I guess lots of other Elders have told the AP's and President Sonne that i can speak pretty good spanish. They are all wanting me to go into the spanish program. That is just teaching in spanish full time. I dont know what will happen with that. Who knows i may get put into a little espanol. Or as grandma says "little Mexico." I would like to learn spanish but i dont really want to serve in the spanish program to much. They dont get "hooked up" as much as regular missionarys do. Haha But i would love to be speak spanish like Michael when i get home. Ill just have to wait and see "what goes down in da hood" for me.

So today we have done lots of packing and cleaning our apt. We also have to update our Area Books which keep all the infomation and paper work in area. And we have a dinner we get to go to tonight that the mission is going to pay for. The whole zone and the AP's are going to go. This is a reward for adding 8 more people on date for baptism. Out of those 8 my comp and I put 4 of them on date. They are 4 kids from a family we have been teaching. They have plans to be baptized on Oct 2! I will be able to come back to the baptism then and be there for them. But I wont get the credit for the baptism. But that is not what matters. Thats 4 more people that are that much closer to eternal salvation!!!!

Well i am really starting to love the DI! Last week when we went i found an iHome for the iPod. It was only $15! I am such a smart shopper because they are normaly around $100. So that is my speakers and alarm clock. Sa sweet!!! The only bad thing is it is just more junk for me to haul around during transfers but its worth it!

Well you stinkers enjoy your cruise! And quit rubbing it in with all the pictures you keep sending me! Haha. Thats all for now and ill email you on Thursday!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

All day P Day today!!!

2009-09-02T14:57:00.002-07:00

Hey hey hey!

Today is an all day p-day!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!! Our zone got our goal of 22 baptisms for last month so we get an all day p day! I think we got 25 for the month. So we are doing a BBQ for dinner tonight and then we are going to watch a movie, Forever Strong. I am so stoked! So its a really good day! Hahaha

Hey mom i got the ipod! I am a happy boy now! Thanks for that. Also one of the missionary's has all the Mo Tab CD's and now i am just dumping them on my ipod. So i am good on Mo Tab now.

Bowling last week was fun. The Huntsman had 4 lanes and all the goods needed to bowl. It was sweet. If your building a new home i recommended we do that! I am astonished that your wanting to building another home. You guys have been on this new home kick on and off for years now. Like when we were looking at buying the house near the Stocks... That would be cool if it did go through though. Let me know. And dont buy the lot if it smells like Mc D's there all day.

Wow and it also seems like everyone likes to travel right after i left. You have been to Europe and now Alaskan Cruise! Its ok because i know that you will take me everywhere that you went when i get home! Right?

Well we had 24's again yesterday. That is just when our ZL's go on exchanges for 24 hours. I went to their area for the time. This past week has been really good though. Some of our investigators have really been progressing recently. It really has been nice. That is just one step closer to coming unto Christ for them. And another step closer to baptism. Our ZL's recommended we stay in our area again for another transfer. So we will see what happens. Transfers are next Wed. so p day will be next Thursday.

Well i am reading right now in 2 Nephi. I have just started in the beginning and started over. I am going really slow just reading and making marks and understanding. I am not just trying to read to say that i have read and blow through it. Well thats all that i can think of the write to you today. Sorry if that was short but i am brain dead. Well everyone have a good week and be safe and mail me off some packages!!!! : )

Oh and mom if you want me to label those pics just send them to me and ill write what they are on the back. Then ill mail them back to you. Reply if you have time so i can get it today!

Peace Out!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Howdee!! (from Megan)

2009-09-02T14:57:00.001-07:00

Hey Elder,

I am trying for two weeks in a row! How was you week last week? We have been busy again but enjoying ourselves. The weather here this past week has been pretty good not to hot. Anna started preschool yesterday she goes for a full day, 9-2 and she loves it. Only one more year and she starts kindergarten. Michael started school also. He is just taking 2 classes this semester because his work supervisor's keep him busy with TCLEOSE training weekly. Blakey is really starting to talk like crazy....finally. He loves airplanes and helicopters and especially loves to go flying with Michael. My calling is keeping me busy especially since school has started. We have standard's night next week and we are scrambling to put that all together, but I think all will turn out nicely. I have never been to a standard's night so this will be a first for me. So tell me about some of the things you have been doing this past week. Is the weather turning into fall? I bet it is pretty up there right now. Let us know if you need anything! Thank you for being such a good example to all of us and being so faithful!

Love,
Megan

September Already! (from Mom)

2009-09-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Scott!
Wowser's! Can you believe it is September? Fall is in the air. I love the smell of crayons and markers! It has been good to have the boys back in school. Life is busy, but so good:)
We had really good meetings on Sunday. Talked about "Holding to the Iron Rod". I was looking at the verses, and loved reading the words of that hymn.
The 3rd vrs. is: And when temptations pow'r is night, Our path-way clouded o'er, Upon the rod we can rely, And heaven's aid implore.
The 4th vrs. (which we hardly ever sing) is: And, hand o'er hand, the rod along, Through each succeeding day, With earnest prayer and hopeful song, We'll still pursue our way.
I LOVE that 4th vrs!!! I think it's just like life, one day at a time, going hand o'er hand. I also like that is tells us "through each SUCCEEDING day.
I have thought about that a lot the last couple of days, and just wanted to share that with you. Everyday can be succeeding for us if we "hold to the rod."

Well, on to the week. It has been very busy as usual. If we didn't have enough to do already with leaving on Saturday for Alaska, and getting a wedding planned for Angie, and working a lot on the stake nativity....I think we have pretty much decided to build a new home!!! We are looking over in Arbor Manors. Do you remember that subdivision going in there? Behind McDonalds. There is a great lot towards the very back....Juniper Court Cul-d-sac. There would only be 5 homes back in there, and It is nice. The lot is right next to a green belt walking trail, so we would have no neighbors on that side of us, and only 1 house on the other side. We are busy pouring over house plans, and trying to get it figured out. It is a David Weekly home neighborhood. So fun! Also, the yard would be big enough to put a diving pool in the back yard.
So, we will keep you posted about this new thing! We have not signed anything yet, but I think we are pretty serious about doing it. The house would not be finished until next Mar/April or so. We would need to get this house on the market to sell, and that is not the fun part! If we get the lot, and house, I will send you some pictures. I bet it would be different for you to come home to a different house!! :)

Tonight was curriculum night for Mark. Dad went with him, and I went with Jeff to get him signed up for a SAT prep course. Made spaghetti for dinner, and off we all went. Divide and conquer, that is my motto these days. Sometimes I don't understand why the weeks are so busy, but it is all good stuff.

Did you get the ipod we sent? Can you just make that one do? I hope you liked your little package...did you read about the Bobo's? Fun!

Angie and Ryan now have the wedding date for Nov. 20th. The temple was closed on Nov. 6th for cleaning!!! Boy! Good we found that out now rather than later. I know Angie has written you a letter, so you should feel a little more up to date on her life. It's good!

There has been no boating this week, so not much to tell you there. I am starting to read the BOM again, I hope to finish it for the 2nd time this year, by December. Also working on the YW value that was added on "Virtue". I enjoy the reading so much, and know of the truthfulness of that
book.

Anna & Carli are both headed back to pre-school, they are so excited. I am including a few pics of Brooke's family.....one of Brooke, a cute one of Nate, and also Kyle. They are all growing and are so cute and fun.
I was with Blake today and he is starting to talk a lot! Check the blogs if you can, they are just darling!!!

How are your investigators doing? How was your bowling night at the Huntsmans? We love hearing about all you do.
Keep us up to date on things and let me know if you need more meds. or anything else.
We will be gone until Sept. 12th, and then back home from the Alaskan cruise!!
We are going on the cruise with G&GG, they are very excited, and we will take lots of pictures for you!!! Eat, seafood, ice cream, and seafood, and gain lot's of weight on the trip!! :)

Lots of love to you, Elder Owen!!

Yaaa P-DAY!!!

2009-08-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Well your getting a letter and you know what that means, P-Day!

Well the week went by really fast again. It could be because we had our last P-day on thursday. Thats why it seemed like you got your email from me a day late.

Well today was really a lame p day. We went to DI a little before 10:00 to be the first set of missionarys there to grab the good ties. Well we felt like nerds because there was a whole line of people that gatered out there. It felt weird trying to be the first ones into a thrift store! The bad part of the story was there was no good ties or books or anything! We also went and warshed the Corlla and then went home and waxed on and waxed off! Grandpa would be proud of me, but not proud that we did not use Dupont Wax! (That is the best wax he says! And I think so also)

I am on the hunt for a tie rack hanger. Just something to hang my ties on and keep orgnized. If you see a good one snag it because i am not having any luck at the moment!

Things have not really changed as far as the work goes here in our areas. Things still are slow but we keep working hard. We are still busy contacting leadership and we have gotten lots of refferls out of it but nothing promising so far. I think things will pick up here soon, or at least i hope.

Oh Mom and Dad, get as many tickets to gen conferance as you can. And the best seats possible to send to me. I cant get tickets to every session here so the more you can get me the better. And any of the extras i can give to some other missionarys.

Well one set of missionarys in our zone had 19 baptisms this last week! And as a zone we set a goal of 22 for the month. So we have already reached our goal so next week we will have an all day P day! That will be sa nice. We will get to do a zone activty that night and watch a movie like Rember the Titins! It will be the first movie i have watched in 3 months other then the Joseph Smith Movie which i have seen around 20 times already.

Tonight will be a fun night though. We get to go to a mutual activity. It will be at the Huntsmans home. This is the Huntsmans who donated tons of money to the Utah U for cancer reasearch and is really famous here. The activity is in his basement. A full blown bowling alley! We are so stoked! But we are there to meet the youth and meet the non members that they bring with them to the activity. And of course to bowl for a little while.

Dad keeps wanting to know how our WML's are doing so here it is, we meet with them at least once every other week as a stake. In that meeting we go over with them one on one how they are coming with helping us find people to teach and how any of our current investagators are doing. Right now we are covering two stakes still, Foothill and Mounument Park Stakes. On Sundays we just try to attend as many Sac meetings as we can. We choose by first going to the ones where we have an investagator there and then to the ones we have not been to in a while. We typically go to around 3-4 a week. We would be able to go to more but we have meetings that day also and about half of the wards Sac meeting start at 1:00 PM. So we miss being able to make a lot because of that! We have only 3 church buildings in our area but that is only becasue our Foothill Stake Center is torn down to re build a bigger one. So we cover two more buildings out of our area and one that is out of our zone. We have to do this because Foothill is down a chapel now. So they have moved all the wards that meet there to the other three and scatterd them out all over the place.

Well i think that is about it for this week. I still have not heard from Angie yet!!!!!! BOORAY what the heck???!!!! I need the 411 on things. Well everyone take care and ill be waiting for those packages! I can't wait!!!! Oh and Jeff good job on biffing on the wake board! If I tried to flip i would have landed and it would have been narley and the board still would have been in one piece! (Or i would have done a belly flop!) Take care and ill be looking forward to next weeks emails! Also if you send one back to me before 5 my time ill be able to reply! So ill check before i leave! Peace Out!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Hey (From Megan)

2009-08-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hey Scott! It's Megan, your pitiful sister in law who has only written you once. It is so nice to hear from you each week, it sounds as though you are doing awesome! I wish that we could get a good missionary in our ward like you are. I get to sit with our ward missionaries each month in ward council and I can honestly tell you that it makes a huge difference. It seems to me that the youth of the church are the best missionary referral sources in a ward, and the better the missionary the bigger the success we have. Have you been in the same area since you left the MTC?

Things here are going crazy! It seems as though we always have something going on. Anna started soccer last week and has had 2 practices, which are comedious. We can't wait to see her first game. Something about 4 year olds trying to dribble a ball against each other makes me laugh. Anna is most excited about the uniform, and not so much about the actual sport. She gets to start pre school next week and I think that I am the one who is most excited about that! Two full days with her gone ever week....sweet peace! Blakey is doing good as well. We have him potty trained him so that is good. He is beginning to put more sentences together and he loves to sing. If you can check our blog mmowenfamily.blogspot.com and check out his version of I am a Child of God!

We are glad to hear from you everyweek and are grateful for you service to our Heavenly Father. We are blessed grately becaus of you and your example.

Love,
Megan

August 26, 2009 (From MOM)

2009-08-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,
Wowser's! Another week flew by! It sure was a busy one around here!

Ant Nikki flew in on Thursday to surprise Angie, and come for Angie's engagement luncheon. I picked her up from the airport, and later that evening we went over to Angie's school...it was "meet the teacher" night, and Nikki walked into her room. Boy was Angie surprised! It was fun, and we had a great weekend with Nikki. She stayed here one night, then went up to Angie's house. We went to a movie, went shopping, had a fun lunch with the girls on Saturday, and ate custard at Culver's. It was so nice of Uncle Aaron to surprise her with a ticket to come visit. I hope she can do it once a year now! :)

Sunday was good. I am on organ duty for August and Sept. The talks were very good, spoke on temples. Our stake has a "temple day" coming up in Sept. They want everyone to do as many sessions as they can that day. Also, our R.S. lesson was on the temple too. I will try and get to more sessions now the kids are back in school.

Speaking of school, the boys are back in session! Yippee! So far, so good. Mark is very happy to have somewhere to go, he was getting very bored at home. Jeff started seminary today...he is also taking a dual credit course at North Lake, a business class. He and Scott Dance ride together. I hope it will be a good class. I think Jeff has also made "sergeant" at the Coppell Explorers class. He told me that last night!

The wedding plans are coming along. Angie registered at Williams-Sonoma this past week, and I think I found some ties for the guys. (I know you really want to know all the details for the wedding! :) I think we do have a date...Nov. 6th. She will have the reception at Castle Hills. She also wants a chocolate fountain...yum. Did I already tell you this? If I did, sorry about that!

Monday night for FHE we went boating with the Brassfields. It was fun. Scott B. can sure wakeboard! He was getting some big air! Jeff also was doing well, he even tried a flip. I don't know what happened when he was out there boarding, but he broke his wakeboard! :(( It was strange. I will try and attach a picture for you! Anyhoo, we had a fun night. Ate pizza, and spent the evening on the boat. All the kids have left Coppell now, and headed up to BYU. You may run into some of them, who knows!

That's about it for now. I sure love the blog Brooke has done for you! What a great way to journal all of your mission! She even posted a slide show of all all the pictures you sent! Watch your mail for a little package. Dad mailed it off on Monday, so you should get it next week.
Lots of love to you, as Grandma Webb would say, "Keep striving!"
Love, Mom
Here are a couple of pictures: Angie at the "engagement" lunch, and Nikki and Ang at her school. I will send the wakeboard picture separate!

Week Number??? (I lost count)

2009-08-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Family!

WOW! I opened up my email and had 9 email!!!! Woowzer! Its a good P-Day! Thanks for all the emails yall!
Well out of those 9 emails i will try to answer all the questions! Lets see yes i can go to the blog Brooke is making so that is nice. We started setting this up last week. (That means it got my approval and Brooke did all the work) That will be fun to look at once i get home and to have that journal! Well this last week was crazy. We had interviews with our mission president and more training and my comp had a Dr appt and it was just a crazy week. We are still slow in our teaching pool. That means we probley only have about 8 people we are teaching. But we have lots of refferls that we have not even had time to follow up on yet because of the crazy week so far. We will be able to do that tomorrow i hope. Things are starting to pick up slowly.

Well i am glad everyone liked the faith dinning! I think everyone said something in thier emails about it! And i can also just see grandpa testing his faith at a resturant!

Mom i got your package! I just started laughing when i saw that pillow case. Sa cute! But i am not sure if i can use that anytime i have a comp! Just kidding i will use it! I know my comp is really wanting that. He just wont admit it. When i pulled it out of the letter i saw money and pulled it out and saw six bucks. I was wondering because that is a kinda random amount to send me. Well when i flung the pillow case open to look at it the room starting raining cats and dogs with one dollar bills! Sa fun!

I cant believe you printed off all the pictures! that was a lot! Please send me some of them like will Elder Ballard and the pat of the church. And any other cool ones. You might need to make extra copies of a few so you can have some as well! My comp gave me a photo album that is a Utah licence plate folded into an album. It says "Powder" on it and is pretty neat. A fun keep sake. Brooke i put that picture of Naters in the album already. I think mom sent it up in that last package.

Wow mom your getting me and ipod! Yesss! The sooner you could mail it off the better because my comp has lots of muisc i could put on it. So that would save me from buying it. Hey mom does the front yard look bare without our old tree out front?

Wow that was fun to hear from Michael. I have not heard from him since the MTC. Sounds like poor Anna misses me. Poor sweet girl! Tell her hi for me and give her a hug. She never liked me this much before. That could be because she was to busy being a stinker to me! Haha i miss her too! Sound like all is well with that occifer and his family. I cant wait to get the package from M & M & A & B! Thanks for that, im looking forward to that. Have fun a Disney World!

Ill start sending this weekly email to everyone. I did not remember everyones email but now i have gotten emails from everyone i have them. But i do need Boorays email.

I am guessing that everyone would be interested in my diet and cooking skills. So far i have branched out a lot more then what i did at BYU-I. Cold unhealthy surgar ceral for breakfast. That is the one i have having the hardest time getting down. I can never get the right amount of milk and ceral. Its always very un proportional.I am now making tuna fish sandwiches and Mac and Cheese. If i am really feeling bold and daring i might pre heat the ovan to 450 and put in a $1.25 frozen pizza from wal mart for 15-17 mins. (depending on how crispy i want the crust to be!) Thats about it! I kinda feel like i am a dog after typing that because i have been eating same food for over 2 months now. HAHA

Horray for school starting up! I am happy for you mom! I know why you were always so happy now! Well i think as of right now my fav scripture is Jacob 4:8. But if you ask me tomorrow it will be another one. Everyone should go and read that. It is really a humbling scripture. One of my investagators pointed that out in his reading. It is so good because almost any question or doubt about the BOM or chuch can be answered with that one verse.

Well i g2g yo's! Hope all is well for everyone. Keep in touch and those packages coming! I will wait for them! Dont forget this new picture of me that i attached. Its a pic of me taking in the entire Salt Lake City Vallay.

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Hola

2009-08-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Elder Owen

Well another week has gone by, time seems to just be flying! I am sure you are starting to feel the same way. So how is

the work going? It sure sounds like you and your new companion are staying busy. I was glad to hear you finally got a

new one that you like and get along with. Although he was not your favorite, I am sure you were still able to learn from

him and take some good to your new comp! How many people are you currently teaching? Were you able to get a fire

lit and get your WML in gear? You already know this, but there is no better way to get referrals and new investigators

then by using members!! I had so much more success in my mission using members, rather than working hard and long

hours out in the heat knocking doors. Work smart and hard, but work smarter! So are you still in the same area or

were you moved? Mom said she got a bunch of pictures developed, and we are excited to see those. We were looking

at the blog the Brooke has put together for you, and Anna just started crying last night and said that she just wanted to

see you! It was soooo sad!

Well Megan and I both thought it would be a great idea to put together a lil package for you, maybe even include some

gift cards. After your last letter though and hearing about "faith dining" it sounds like you no longer need those! From

the sound of things, I bet you are eating well and doing just fine!!! The losing weight is probably coming from work, rather

than not eating :)

Megan and I have decided to take a family trip in November to Disney World. Anna kind of thinks we are going, but we

are trying to keep it somewhat of a secret, so she does not drive us nuts about it! We are going to fly, and are staying

at a resort on the Disney property for six nights. I think Megan is the most excited, I am excited about flying! I am sure

Blake will love the plane also.

Well, continue the great work. We love reading your letters each week, and it sounds like you are just doing great!!

Keep it up, and know you will continue to be blessed for all you are doing.

Love Michael

August 18, 2009 (From MOM)

2009-08-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,
Well I took a ride up to Utah this last weekend, and I gave you a BIG shout out as I drove by SLC on I-15!!! Sa good!!! I knew you were very busy and all into the work, I thought it best not to disturb you! he he!!

We got your package in the mail. Thanks! I took the CD of photo's over to Costco and got them all developed...all 269 pictures!!! Wow! That was a lot of photo's you had! I will try and mail you up a few of them, you might want some to put in a frame or just see. It was great to see them all. You will need to label them when you get home!:)
I also had a big surprise when Brooke showed me your mission blog!!! It was fantastic, and I just love it!! Brooke has done such a great job! I sent out the blog address to everyone so now that can keep up to date on you. Brooke will post those pictures from your CD on it too. She said she might add a slide show of all the pictures. Anyway, I was so happy and excited for that, what a great way to record your mission. Are you able to see the blog on your p-days? I hope so, you will really like it!

I know you want the ipod. You have mentioned it about 10 times now. Did I tell you that the front yard looks so bare without that big tree now? :) I have asked Dad about sending you that ipod, and the decision was to send you Mark's old one. It is small and should work for you. Now all I have to do is get Dad to actually clear it off and mail it up to you...that will be the hard part! We will try and get that done soon for you. Should we put Mormon Tab. music on it for you? Let us know okay?

We have laughed a lot about your "Faith Dining"!!! Grandpa thought it was pretty funny too. We all went out to dinner in Bountiful at the "Mandarin" and we would not let Grandpa pay. He said "Faith Dining" works for me!!! ha ha! So funny!

Melanie was married this past week in the Manti Temple. I went to her reception last Saturday night and it was so nice. Melanie looked really pretty and happy. I think she married a really nice guy. He is in the pharmacist program at University of Utah. Lots of weddings coming up.
Guess who else is engaged? Chelsea Owen!! She is getting married on Feb. 13th, 2010. She graduates in Dec. with her RN degree. That was fun news to hear! And of course, Angie & Ryan. So fun, love is in the air!!

I am finally proud to say I am on the last few chapters of the BOM! I truly have enjoyed my reading this summer. I think I have learned more that ever with the reading this time. I know that book is true. What are you studying during your personal scripture time?

Jeff and Mark are back to school on Monday. Yeah! "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" I will take Mark to register and get his schedule and locker tomorrow. Jeff is busy with Vivace practices, and is working a few days at the gun range this week. It's the last few days of freedom, then back to school!

Sad news, do you remember Glen Davis? He passed away this past week. His funeral was today. It was so nice, but I wished more members would have attended. He was such a sweet, gentle man. He was buried in the Coppell cemetary. He has been so ill the past year, I know it was hard on him. I will miss his kind manner, and his handshake each week at Sac. Mtg. He was a such a faithful person. A sweet man.

Let's see, what else can I tell you? Clarke Hill is working in Roy at a paint shop. He moved down last weekend and is staying with the Hill Grandparents. Marilyn said it was a good job opportunity for him. He will work fulltime for a few months and save up money for his mission. He leaves for the MTC on Nov. 4th, so he has time to work. I think he is delivering paint/supplies to different job sites. It will be good practice for him to get out and meet people...help prepare him for mission work right?
I was able to see Marilyn while in Utah. She and I have so much fun together!! We never seem to run out of things to visit about. She is such a dear friend. It's great she is in No. Ogden so I can see her a little more often.

Tell us all about your week. We love to hear about everything. Can you send us your favorite scripture? I need to order a plaque for the church. I will put a picture of you on it, and want to include your scripture too.

Lots of love to you sweet boy!!! Keep working hard. The weeks are going by so fast!
Love, Mom

Que Pasa?

2009-08-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

WOW!!!!!!!! Angie is engaged!!!!! Congrats to my big sista! I figured it was only a matter of time like Mom kept hinting to me!!!!! Thats good news to hear. I saw that ring which i will refer to as "bling!"

Hey mother dearest, I got your package! I dont know if you remember but you have told me about the tree in the front yard falling down like 8 times now! Haha. Almost every letter since it has happened! I just think that is funny. You must be getting old! JK JK. Well you said that i am getting spoiled by getting all these packages but i think its ok! Keep them coming! I sent off the CD with all my pics and a few otra things para an especial! Hey mom could you mail me a color picture of Anna and Carli hugging each other on the 4th of July? That is the cutest picture and i want to put it in a frame. I can only print it off in black and white. But i love that picture of them!

I am loving my new scrips! They are so nice and they have that new scripture smell to them. I wish i could get that as a air freshener fragrance for the car! Dont you just love that smell? Haha

Well i have an idea. Instead of putting so many treats in the packages a great idea would be some gift cards to restaurants or wal mart! Isn't that a great idea? Que bueno idea no?

I hope that your trip up here is fun. If you want to "bump" into me go around 1300 S and 2100 E. : )
We went to the Blue Plate Dinner in our area and i guess it was shown on Dinners Drive In's and Dives. Let me just say i dont know how the heck it was shown on TV because it was not that good and it made me sick for the rest of the night!

I learned something new this past week called "Faith Dining" We go into a restaurant during the busy times and rely on our faith that some member will see us and pay for us. Lets just say so far i must have pretty good faith because it have worked! We tried it at a Costa Vida and it tasted even better free!

I liked the pics of the girls on the boat. (By girls i mean Jeff Mark Dad and Michael) I like the picture of dad sinking and going under! The first one with him actually wake skating had to have been to good to be true! Sorry Pops I know you too good! Hey Dad asked about how the meeting was with Elder Christinson and he the lord knows every time we lose a hair on our head. So i just laughed because i know that he has been watching you and Michael for quite a while slowly balding! Hahaha.

The meeting was really good though. He talked about the Holy Ghost the whole time. There was a lot that i learned and i think everyone else was able to learn. I had to buy a poster of all the general authorities so i could mark off all the ones i have met so far. I have a few down and have not even been here 3 months yet! I wonder how many it will be at the end of the mission.

Well the work in our area is starting to pick back up. We have been getting lot of referrals from our leadership and the members are really helping us out. I have not been able to contact Dennis yet. I am hoping he will come around soon though. But we are moving on and just continuing our work. We will check up on him every so often.

Well Dad also asked how our WML's worked. We have one for every ward and then a stake HC. I am lighting a fire underneath their butts and getting them to work. I will tell them about that. I do have a few that are just great and do everything for us! Thats what we need everywhere.

Thanks for everything everyone! Stay tuned for next weeks letter and i will for yours. Angie I want to hear from you and how NYC was!

Love
Elder Owen

August 12, 2009 (From MOM)

2009-08-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,
Well I always wonder what I can write to you each week, but this week is full of news!!!

Angie got engaged! So exciting and we are so happy for them. You knew this would probably happen right? Ang flew up to NYC, just for a few days. She did not know anything about getting engaged up there! Dad and I knew about it, and kept it a secret from the whole family!! (we are good liars). Anyway, he popped the question in Time Square, and she was so surprised!!!! Her ring is gorgeous, and she is so happy. They went to the Statue of Liberty, a broadway play Phantom, and Stomp. They also went to the Good Morning America friday concert! Had a blast, and then Angie came home on Saturday night.
Last night after Ryan got home, we all went and celebrated with them at Red Hot and Blue....yummy BBQ! So, stay tuned for wedding details. I think they will be married here in Dallas sometime in November. Thats the big news!!!

Loved your last letter!!!! You are doing so well, and I was sa proud of you for buying new scriptures. What a good boy you are. I am mailing off ANOTHER little package today for you. Watch the mail. You are getting way too many packages these days!!! :)

I am now in "Mormon" in my BOM reading. I LOVE THAT BOOK!!! I have had so many questions answered as I have read this summer, it has really been a blessing to me.

Jeff and Mark are getting bored. Jeff registered for school on Monday, and Mark goes next week. Jeff also has been doing the Police Explorers,
and had to attend a luncheon with the Chief to present his trophy from the competition to Coppell P.D. I think he will keep going this next year too. The gun range is keeping him busy with work, he seems to be in the office most of the time. He did clean a gun for somebody last week, and they tipped him 20 bucks, he was way happy with that! :) Anyhoo, Jeff is doing well. Going boating all the time with Brassfields, Dances or us!
Mr. Mark is becoming quite the wake boarder/wake surfer dude too. I will attach some pictures if I can. Mark is getting tall, and his poor voice is cracking! He mowed the lawn by himself yesterday, not too bad of a job either. (Jeff will have to repair some of it today)!!!

Well, lots of back to school shopping for supplies going on here. Now, the wedding planning will start too. I sent you a "picture" announcement of Angie and Ryan, so have fun looking at that. They are sure happy.

Thats about it for now...keep those letters coming. We LOVE hearing about your weeks. Did you ever get your suits fixed? I hope all your clothes are holding up ok. Do you like the shoes you have? Did I tell you we got the picture from Sis. Erickson? That was so fun!! You looked great, and it was such a treat to see you. Send pictures when you can ok?
Lots of love to my sweet boy, We love you so much, and know you are a fabulous missionary! Work hard, I know the Lord is blessing you beyond measure. We feel the blessing too of having you serving.
Love you LOTS!!!
Mom
Here are a few pictures....Dad trying to wake surf, the boys seem to like that! Mr. Mark wake surfing..................Cute Brooke! The Brassfields sure have a nice boat!

Weekly letter Aug - 12 - 09 (From DAD)

2009-08-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Elder Owen, or Scott as we call you…

I hope you have had a good week. It has been the same go, go, go around here. I guess you heard the news about Ang and Ryan, We are all happy for them.

We went to dinner last night (everyone) as an engagement dinner for them. It was nice and everyone had a good time.

So how is the work going? I hope you have found a few more people to teach. Mom got an email for a lady who’s so is in the Odgen Mission and I thought I’d send you a part of it about Elder Perry’s visit.

“So, Sunday was pretty much a crazy day. You'll never guess who we ran into
at church. None other than Elder L. Tom Perry and his cheesy grin :). He was
in one of our wards for a mission president he knew who just had finished
there mission. So when we saw him, we first talked to a member of the
Seventy, W. Craig Zwick, I think, anyways Elder Perry came up to us and
shook both of our hands and asked us where we were from. Apparently he had
the gift of discernment and knew I had been out longer because he turned to
me and started asking me all kinds of questions with his hand on my shoulder
the whole time! AGHHH!!! I was so scared lol.

He asked me how many lessons we had set up this week in members homes. I
started to say "Well.... about... ugh...." and he gave me a little love slap
on the back of my head and poked me in the chest and said "Elder Norton, no
'abouts', that's why you have that planner so you can know exactly what you
have set up." Then I told him we had 4 set up for the week.

He then responded and said, "Well that isn't enough! You should be teaching
20 lessons a week here. Get a hold of your ward mission leader and have him
set up 16 lessons today for the rest of the week. I don't care if you're
teaching recent converts, less actives, part members, or non members, you're
the teachers, and the members are the finders! When you get those lessons
send me an email tonight telling me how many you have." He told us to have
our ward mission leader send the email when we told him we can't except for
Tuesday's. I was shaking when I pulled out my planner to write down his
email address. I think he told us he appreciated our work or something like
that. We had to speak in another ward right after and I was still shaking
from talking to Elder Perry a half hour later haha.

Well we got a hold of all our ward mission leaders and had 18 set up at the
end of the day. We had Bro Barton email him (when we asked our ward mission
leaders in stake correlation he said he would just so he could say he has
emailed an apostle lol). So we have a busy week set up. I wish I had used
this on people before, "Elder Perry said you need to set us up x many
lessons before tonight is over and email him and report it" haha. People
listen to you when you tell them that haha.

So, we have a lot of lessons set up for the week. Mainly less actives but we
have a few part member families we will teach. So that's pretty exciting.”

So, if things are a bit slow, you might want to pass this on to your mission leaders and put them to work for you. Do you have a mission leader for each ward? Or one per Stake? How do you do it?

How did you visit’s go with Elder Christenson last week?

How did things work out with Dennis? I hope you were able to fine him and spend some time with him.

I’m glad your new comp is working out. That makes all the diff in the worked when you’re both getting along and on the same page. It’s all good exp for life.

Have you sent the CD yet? It will be fun to see some more pic’s.

Mom is on her way to Utah at this time for a few days and then will be back up again next month for wedding showers… I know she would invite you, but I hear your busy. Sorry.

Well I have a meeting to go to so, gottorun. Get your Mission Leader on the ball and get to it. Let me know next week how many they set up for you guys.

Love you, Keep up the good work! Dad

Pictures soon...

2009-08-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here's Elder Ballard and I

Me and the Patriarch of the church and his wife after

they showed us Hyrams clothes the day he died.

Hyram Smith's clothes

Hey Hey Hey

2009-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey Hey family,

Wow another week has come and gone again! Things are working out great with my new companion so far. He is good and is not a slob like my last one. You should see our apartment and car! Its sa clean and such!

Well when you come up again tell me and i guess i could get permission from the mission president to go to lunch with you! I would have to ask him and double check. Also when your here drop off anything at the office instead of paying to ship it.

Well i have bad news! My scriptures fell apart already! The quad i have had from when i was baptized. The binding is all messed up and the pleather ripped away from the glue. So i just got back from the Distrubtion store from Temple Square and i just spent the last of all my money for the month on a new set! I got a triple combo and bible. These are nice leather ones colored blue. They cost $75.00! But they should also last for the rest of my mission i hope! You would not mind re embursing me for those so your Elder can buy food and survive for the rest of the month?! I have already lost about 7 lbs. So im out of my monthly money already and today is only the 6th! But i knew i could not go without some scriptures thats fo sure!

Well yesterday was our zone conferance. We had lessons from our two AP's and the president. They talked about using members and how the BOM can answer any question that someone has. Even if it is an Anti Mormon question. That was good training because i have been running into lots of antis trying to trick us and prove us wrong. I dont even waist my time on them though. But that was just good training.

Tomorrow we have a mission tour and a fireside tomorrow night. Elder Christenson of the 70 will be touring our mission. That will last till one and then back to work. Then we have a fireside with him at 7. So that will be real fun. I have met lots of members of the 70 just at church and about.

Well we get to attend one of the Temple Dedacations but we dont get to go to the temple and watch it in person. That kinda sticks though huh! Were so close but we cant even go. Oh well. They dont have church on the 23 in all of Utah! Everyone is supposted to go to the dedacation.

Well about all we have right now as far as investagators goes is one guy called Dennis. He was supposted to have his baptism interview yesterday at 5 PM but never showed up. At 6 we found out that our font was going to be closed for six weeks because of a flood in the basement. And then at 8 we found Dennis and he said he was done with learning about the church. So last night was not one of my best. We are still going to work with him through someone else. That does not sound like him. Everything was still good on Tue! Something happended or came up and he changed his mind. We are just keeping him in our prayers for the time being and hoping he will come through.

Well I am going to get my pictures onto a DVD and mail them home so you can see them and get started on that scrapbook! Well i am going to get started on burning that DVD for yall! Lots of love and keep in touch EVERYONE!!!

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

August 4, 2009

2009-08-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,

Well, how was your week? Ours has been going fine. Seems to be going by really fast these days. I did get a fun picture on my e-mail from Sis. Erickson!! Cute picture of you and her at the parade. That was fun to see! You look great, and Dad really liked your "nerd" pockets with pens and missionary book in it! :) You need to send more pictures!!!

You will be glad to know there is another package in the mail for you. You just have to wait and be surprised on this one I guess! he he he

This week has been all about getting a lot of stuff done around the house. Dad had a tree company come and grind the stump down in the front yard. It looks so bare out there. This fall we will plant a new tree, but for now, we will have to just have it look ugly. It is way too hot to plant one yet. This week we are in the triple digits again. Whewww, I will be glad for fall time. ::<}
We are slowly changing all the door knobs in the house. Dad has just about got the downstairs finished up. Dad had jury duty today, and I worked at the hospital, so that was our fun day!
Michael took Jeff and Mark our on the boat, and Jeff went to his police explorers meeting tonight. He is having a rewards luncheon next Monday, and he will present the chief of police with his trophy from the competition. Did I tell you this already? I lose track of what I have written.

My dumb computer is acting up, the hard drive is quitting on me, so we need to fix that ASAP!! I hope I don't lose everything I have saved on it.
Oh my, that would be terrible.

Angie is flying up to NYC this week. She and Ryan are going to the big apple. She sure gets around with those free flights and they have so much fun. I see a wedding in the future! :) She is doing well, and is getting excited to be back teaching in a couple of weeks.
Your cousin Melanie is getting married on Aug. 11th. I will go up for the reception and spend some time with G&GG. If you are a good boy, I might send you a little especial from Logan again!! Everyone always asks how you are doing, and I tell them you are doing so well, and how proud we are of you. We love hearing all about your mission!!!
Well, tomorrow, I am going to Hawaiian Falls, and meeting all the grandkids there. I will try and take some pictures to send to you if my computer quits being gay.

I am now in 3rd Nephi in my BOM reading. I am learning so much, and trying to apply it in my life. I really love the reading.

Also, I have been doing a lot of sewing. Made a little quilt, some pillow cases, and a little hooded towel. Just trying to stay busy!

In my spare time, I am still working on the stake nativity. Ryan is going to make all the outdoor nativity pieces for us, with a little shelter and manger. I got all the wood from Bro. Nagle, and got all the supplies for Ryan. He will make it up in Angie's garage, so that is even better. I think he will do a great job! Also, it's good to get him involved in a project for the stake...he flys a lot on the weekends, and it's hard for him to get to meetings. He is a great guy, and was good to take on that project for me. The nativity is sure a lot of work, but I hope it will be a good missionary tool, and let other community members, and other church groups come in our building. I bet in SLC you will have them going on too.

Do you get to go to the Oquirrh Mountain temple open house? What do you study in your personal study time? How are your investigators?

Well, that is all for this week. I work again on Thursday, and then that is it for the month. I do think I will work a shift or 2 at Lewisville medical center, they called and asked if I wanted to pick up some shifts at that hospital, so I may consider that. Might be fun to see how things are done at a different place.

Love you lots and lots, we pray for you everyday, and know you are doing a good job serving the people in SLC.

Love, hugs, and kisses, XOXOXO
Mom & Dad

Transfer Week

2009-07-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Hey! No mom i was not sneaking on computers! It was all legal! I had permission to do that! Haha nice try! Yes i got your package! Thanks. What is that cord you sent me? I need a SD memory card converter to USB. That way i plug in my memory card into the computer and can load the pictures on it via that.

ANGIE WAS AT THE PARADE???????? I WAS TOO!!!!!! I was over on 200 S and 500 E I think! That would have been crazy to run into them!!! Hahahahaha! We were out doing street contacting that day. The best was seeing the motorcycle cops pulling wheelies on their bikes!!!! I did run into sister Erickson from the Coppell First ward. She took a picture of me and her so you can ask for that. I also met the Hansens aunt like you were saying! She asked where i was from and i said Dallas and she said I have two nephews that are going to West Point there. Then i asked if it was Matt and Mitchell. She is in one of the wards i cover. Small world huh!

Well I stayed in the same area again. I did get a new comp which is good. He is way cool!!! His name is elder Fulneer Transfers were on Wed. We stayed up till 12 talking!!! He is fun and it will be a good transfer. He is from Tennessee and has been out 19 months.

We also got a new car. New as in BRAND NEW! 2010 Corral! Its so much nicer then our last one. I am the driver again so its fun. Dad said as soon as winter gets here i will get a bike. I hope not. I also guess on days they have bad roads here they will call us and not less us drive that day.

We also met the patriarch of the church!!!! Brother Smith. 102 years old he still drives! He has the original cloths that Hyram Smith was wearing the day he was killed with Joesph at jail. He has the shirt vest and pants. One of the pocket watches that was shot and another good one he had. His sun glasses. They were not Oakleys though! Haha. And he had Alvin Smiths lap desk he made!!! Joesph used this very desk to keep the gold plates and other things that he got in the hill. He just has this stuff at his house. I have pics of that so when i mail off the package to you this week or next week ill put my memory card in it!

Dad asked how i could use an ipod. We can run itunes on the computers we have here to do email. So i can load all my music i have now and put it on the ipod. Dont worry about having anything on it i can do all that on my pday! I can get all the conference talks and music on it and other cd talks other people have here.

Well last transfer we got our goal of 5 baptisms. The dog lady got baptized at 6AM on Tuesday before we had transfers. We are running dry on people to teach now. So we are going to do a Zone find and have everyone in our zone come in and tract and help us. We only have like 3 investigators now we are teaching.

Well i gotta go. Send me an email back soon so if i get a chance to send another i can reply.

Lots of love!

Edizzze Owen

Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Letter July 29 (From DAD)

2009-07-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Scott,

I thought I’d send you a quick note and check in… You said that I have not sent you any letters yet and I’m not sure what that’s all about, because I have sent several to you at the MTC… I guess you did not get them.

It’s been a busy month here with Mom and I going out for town for almost two weeks, then back home to get on top of things, up to the cabin, etc. Go, Go, Go. We just got back last night from the cabin. We went up Sunday night, and came home last night. We went to change out the rental company. It was all work and now play. We did not even pull out any 4 wheelers. I hope the new one will be better to work with. What a joke.

I don’t have you last letter to review for notes or comments, but it sounds like you’re doing great! We were talking to Lisa Hansen and she said someone in one of your wards knows them. It’s a small world, and you will run into others along the way. Who knows, you might run into us some day as we are in SLC.

It sounds like you like your area, but it will be time to make a change soon. They can send you packing or keep you set and send your comp. So time will tell. Transfers are always a mixed bag. Looking forward to new people, but at the same time not wanting to leave the ones you have come to know and love. I know you will keep us posted. I’m sure that by the time old man winter gets here, it will be time for you to get a bike, so get ready.

By the sounds of your letters, the work is going very good, and that’s a good thing. Have you found and started to teach new families? What has been your best way of finding people? I’m sure a lot comes from other members. I don’t remember her name, but you had a lady you were teaching and had a date set to be baptized. How is she doing? I hope she is learning and growing, as she gets ready for that big day.

Did you get your suits fixed? Did they give you any problem? How has everything been holding up? I hope it’s all working out ok.

You keep asking for an iPod. How do you plan on using it? Do you need for me to load it with everything and send it to you? If so, what do you want on it? How do you plan on adding things to it?

Not much more has changed around here, so keep up the hard work, follow the rules, humble yourself, seek the spirit, and you and your families will be blessed.

Love, Dad

July 29. 2009

2009-07-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott, Well where does the time go? These weeks are still flying by!
We have been up in Broken Bow the last couple of days. Not a fun trip by my standards! All we did was clean, and clean. It rained all day on Monday, so the boys did not even get out the 4-lers. Just a lot of laundry, cleaning ceiling fans, and washing decks and windows. Brooke and her kids went with us. We got home last night at 10 p.m. Oh well, we are switching rental companies, so we really needed to get up there and take care of things, like changing all the locks.

At church last Sunday, I talked with Bro. Beard. He wanted me to tell you hello, and let you know that "he was still working on it" . He said you would know what he was talking about. I showed him the picture of you and Elder Ballard. He thought you were doing great!

I will mail off your copy of the Mormon Tab. Choir CD that dad burned for you this week. I know you would like some new tunes to listen to. I did mail you a little box last week, so I hope you got it. I can't mail packages every week, but I think you would love it if I did! :)

Not much going on around here. Mark is quite bored with life. Nothing to do this summer!! Jeff is working a lot, but this week his hours were cut by 2 days. He is at Hurricane Harbor with friends today.

Angie just got home from her week in Utah with Ryan. She had a lot of fun, went to Payson Lakes, a parade on the 24th, Trolley Square, shopping, and had fun. She flew home in first class and loved it. Spoiled girl!
She is back to the grind, and the heat. Her car pooped out on her, and she and Ryan are out looking at cars today. She thought she might get a Honda. I will let you know what she decides. She is getting ready for the school year to start up. She is teaching 5th grade math this year, also at the same school.

This week is Megan's birthday. I am not sure what the plans are, but Happy Birthday to cute Megan!! Blake was over here today and now wears big boy undies. He loves them. He kept trying to go 'doutz" but no luck!! Both he and Nate are about potty trained! Yeah! Now that is bog news!!!
Still loving my BOM reading. I am reading in Helaman this week, and should be into 3rd Nephi really soon. I am busy working on the Stake Nativity. I hope it will be a good missionary tool. Maybe you will get to see one in Utah this Dec.?
Let us know all about your week, I know you are trying hard to be a good missionary and are having a lot of success.
Love you so much, and miss you too. I am attaching a couple more pics of our trip to Europe. The first one was taken in Scotland, the next was eating belgium waffles in Belgium!! Enjoy! Send pictures when you can. You need to mail some home so Angie can be working on your mission journal! :) You can print them in SLC, and then mail them, your not THAT poor!!!

Texas News

2009-07-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,
Well this will be attempt #2 at sending you a letter. I wrote one yesterday, and we think it got lost? My computer has been a mess, and we have had all sorts of trouble with it. You may get 2 letters from me today, who knows? Oh well, would rather you get 2 than none at all.

This week has been a busy one. We made it home from our trip. We had a great time. So much to see and do in Europe. I think my favorite was Scotland, and Normandy France. It was neat to see all the D-day memorials at Omaha Beach. So many american soldiers died that day. Very sad.
Anyway, we are home and back to the grind.

Jeff has been working a lot at the range. It has been so hot, it has slowed business down. He works Wed. thru Sat. He is in the office a lot it seems. He is glad to be earning a few shekels. He has met a new friend, a relative of the Normans. His name is Braxton, and he seems to be really nice. He is only her for a few weeks, but they have had fun. They got the old motorcycle from Michael and have fixed it up. Now it just needs to get out of my garage!!! AARRGGGHHHH!

Well this weekend we are going up to Broken Bow. We are switching rental companies, so we have to change the locks, and take up a bunch of new bedding and towels, linens etc. Brooke and the kids are going up too. Don't know if we will take the boat. It will be a fairly fast trip. Come home on Sunday night.

I am still reading in the BOM. By the end of this week, I should be in Helaman. It is so great to be reading it, and I have learned so much.
I love to hear all about your investigators, and what you are doing. Dad and I loved that you were looking forward to mowing a lawn and doing something physical! How did that go? Do you get to do service projects on your p-days?

Well, I think our a/c is slowly going bad. Dad has got a guy coming this morning to check it out and tell us what we need for a new system. Not a fun thing to spend money on, but it is so hot here it is necessary!!! Maybe a new one would be a lot more energy efficiant too. I will keep you posted on that mess! :)

I am attaching a few pictures for you.

Mrs. Hebert and me in Scotland at the Edinburgh Castle, Grandpa and Andrews boys celebrating his birthday with a candy bar card, and a picture of the family on Fathers day. I think everyone looks the same, huh?

Anyway, lots of love to you, We know you are working sa hard and being a great Elder in the SLC mission!!!
Love, Mom & Dad

Gun Range/Hi from Jeff

2009-07-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Scott, this is Jeff.
Jeanne needs the i-tunes password for her i-phone to update it to the new system. She said you are the only one that know it? She is waiting on it. Can you send that to Mom today?
The range is going good. Everyone is wondering how you are doing. Stephanie quit, and Ryan is now in the army. Other than that, things are going about the same.
I went out with the missionaries in our ward. It was their p-day and we play laser tag. Sweet!
Don't speed! Sounds like you have cute car!:) Wow a Corolla. Angie's car has gone poop. She is giving it up for good, and is shopping for a new car. Don't worry though, the green truck keeps on truckin! We will save it for you!
Love,
Jeff

Your Fav Missionary Again

2009-07-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello yall!

Well you wont even believe half of the things that happended this last week. Well last sundee my talk was good. In front of Elder Ballard that is!!!! He said i did a good job though. I got a picture with him and I in it so i will have to email you that sometime. I got to the family history center and remembered i forgot my camera and everything!!! Stupied me! Its a good picture though! I may be able to send it to you later today i think. Well it sounds like all is well still in Zion down there. Thats good. Dad you may have to send me a privite email about all the new guns you have bought. Have you gotten that reloader going yet?! I have not heard from dad but only once at the MTC. I never got the other letter he said he sent when i left to go out in the field.

Well we had another baptism this weekend. Her name was Chelsia Saxe. She was a different kind of person though ill just say that. She had mood swings alllll the time. She would be nice and real angey at everyone. But she loved my comp and that is the only reason she was baptized. She never even said a word to me at her baptism or confirmation. I think she just hated me for some unknown reason. I didnt think she was ready for baptism when she would call threating people to call off her baptism if they didnt do everything she wanted! I dont think she has been my best experance so far! Hahaha. But oh well thats over now.

We have another baptism this sundee and tuesdee!!! A double whammy! Me gusta mucho! Josh Besser is on sundee and Elizibeth Shui on tuesdee. Both of them are sooo cool. Josh has been ready for a lonnnnngggg time now but did not think he was ready for baptism. We have tricks though about making him think other wise to where he is ready! He has had his own set of scriptures and has basicly been considered a member for a while.
And yes i am getting Elizibeth baptized also!!!! I have tought her basicly all on my own. Yesterday was the first time my comp has had a lesson with her. We have always been on exchanges with our Zone Leaders or District Leader when i have tought her. She is the coolest investagator anyone could ever have. She is considered a platium investagator because she was so ready to hear this message. Her baptism is going to be on Tuesday at.... 6:00 AM! Whaaaaaaat! And the font takes 3 hours to fill up! So guess who gets to be the luckey ones to wake up and fill it up? You guessed right me and my comp! We will have to be at the church at 2:30 to turn it on! Thats preatty crazy man! Its worth it though! So that will put us at 5 baptisms for this transfer which will end this next Wed. So our P-Day will be on Thursday next week because of the transfers. Who knows where i am going to go! I am really liking the area i am in right now. I dont want to leave the current people we have been teaching. There will deffently be baptisms from our current investagators.

Well i am sure that you wanted to hear how the roofing went. Well it was cool and they loved having us over to help them. We ended up going back over monday night to finish it. It took so long because we didnt have a nail gun! We did it all by hand to it took for ever. We are allowed to do service anytime really if we have any to do. Doing that roof was a work out. I was dripping with sweat the whole time!!! This dry heat is worse I think because it always seems like it is burning you!

We went to the temple again today. It has been a while because it has been closed for the past two weeks for work. Every so often we get to go and do service in the temple if we are picked. When we do it i have been told we get to go into every room there. Like where the prophet and the 12 meet every week! And all of these other cool rooms for them. I want to go and see it all soon.

Well just FYI mom, if you are up here again you can drop off a package or mail or anything at the mission office. That is fine and it will save you on postage! Just so you dont have to mail me boxes from Logan. I am so needing some new mo tab music. That one CD i have Called to Serve is getting a little old after listening to that one CD for 4 weeks! Haha. And the other one i have i cant listen to because it is not mo tab! I want to get some more but they are like 15 bucks. I don't have that kind of money to spend anymore! Haha so that would be something i would like in the future.

I got a letter from one of the primary CTR classes. They told me what they had learned that day and signed there names.

Well i have to get going to keep me up to date one everything. Love ya lots!

Elder Owen
Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

2009-07-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Elder Pearl and I at the Temple

Chris Browns Bap pics (In the green Shirt)

Chyanne Rust Baptism

Our Mission Car No JOKE

My Fav quote so far

Oh Busy Busy! (From BROOKE)

2009-07-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Big Elder Owen! What up?

I love getting your letters! So fun to hear how great you are doing. All the kids are asleep right now, so I am just trying to get some things done.

I have decided to become an ISR (Infant Swim Resource) Teacher. Nate has been taking lessons for 8 weeks now and is finally starting to get it. I think the program is so great, that I wanted to train to teach myself. So I am already supper busy with that getting things ready. Still not sure when training might start, but prob in the next few weeks or so! Im really excited about it, but a little nervous at the same time. It will be really intense training for 6 weeks. I had gotten so frustrated that Nate was just not getting it that I had Chad give him a blessing. Monday morning Nate didn't do so hot. Got a blessing Monday night and on Tuesday his teacher said he did so great and that a light bulb must have gone off! Oh the power of the priesthood. I'm sure you are witnessing that everyday!

Chad is working hard on getting the gun range up and going. He's almost done with the business plan and then just has to find some money! It for sure will be up and going by the time you get back! :)

Kids are starting to wake up. Have a great week!

Here is a cheesy picture of Nate! We are working on potty training! His big 2 year bday is on Friday! Wish you could be here to party down with us!

Still in SLC

2009-07-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well keep rubbing in the whole Europe trip and such! Sounds like your having a fun time there and everything! Well this last week went by fast. We are still busy all day long going to apts or meetings or dinner or whatever it is! Mom you asked me in one of your emails how my talk went. I have not given it yet. It is the sundee in front of one of the quarm of the 12!! Yikes!!!!!! I still need to prepair that come to think about it! Well all is well here in zion...(so it is reffered to here but we all know that it really is Dallas!) I had my last New Missionary Training Meeting on Tuesday so now those are over. At the end of next week will be the end of my first transfer! That means six weeks in the field already! I hope I can stay in this area because we have a few baptisms planned for next transfer here. And also I am starting to get to know the people really well and that is fun. President Sonne said he likes to keep us in the same area for 2-3 transfers if he can but that is not always the case. So i will just have to wait and see what happens!

Hey when you get back can you send me my new pair of Oakleys? I bought those to take with me but they never came in time. Also what is the status on the iPod Nano and speakers? I am wanting to get some music from other people but i dont have anywhere to put it at the moment. That and I can get all the Gen Con talks and scrips on it to listen to also! One other thing I need for my camera is a SD to USB adaptor. That way I can email some pics to you via email.

Well you have asked to hear a little about some of the people we are teaching. The coolest person I think i have tought so far is a girl named Elizbeth Shoe. She is from China and has lived here for 7 years. She has a PHD in Bio Enginering and teaches here at the U. She grew up Budism but never really praticed it. In Feb her dog died and she was soooo devestated about it. She then emailed one of her friends which happended to be a member and he said she could meet with us to help answer where dogs and people go after they die. So I met with her when we were on exchanges and I was with our DL (district leader). He was doing two baptismal interviews and so that ment i was teaching her by me self with her fellowshipper Paul. I went over the plan of salvation with her really quick and she liked what I tought her. She said that made more sense then buddism. She went running out the church doors to go buy a Bible, BOM, PGP, D&C because DI was closing in 20 mins! Well last night was our third time to meet and she is just better then a golden investagator!!! We gave her things to read and she is asking for more because that was not enough! We are going to take her down to Temple Square and see a new Joseph Smith Movie they have. I'm not sure if you have seen it or not but its good! She is also planning on getting baptised on the 25th if everything is still going well. Its crazy to me that she knew NOTHING about church and scriptures and she is just so willing and acceptive to learn about ours now. She also attended church last sunday for all three hours and loved it. She is also going to go to our baptism this Saturday to see one. She is just great and loves reading out of the BOM. She keeps saying things like "after I get baptized can I do this?" She is already planning on taking that next step! And she just thought I was going to answer her question about where dogs go when they die!

This Saturday we are going to help a guy that is investgating shingle his shed that he has built him self. We went and talked with him and told us about doing it and we offerded to help. I am so stoked to do something physical or some sort or work! I am even asking people if we can mow their lawns for them! I have reached a new stage of desporation for physical work!!! I never thought that this day would come! I will take some picture of before and after. This guy reminds me of dad because he does everything himself. Even if it takes three years to get whatever done he is working on! (Don't loose anymore hair of that comment dad! You know it's true!)

Well let me see if i can attach some pics in another email. I have to borrow the SD to USB thing from my comp to do this.

Well I will talk to you later as in next week. Let me know about that package coming for me! And I also want to hear from everyone else! Everyone can email me but I cant email everyone back. So get Jeff Mark Michael to email me sometime! Brooke and Angie have sent me mail and packages so they are on my good list right now! Hahaha. Thank you much yall!

Peacing out here is E Dizze Owen!
Elder Owen
Salt Lake City Mission

Greatings from Dublin Irlin

2009-07-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone by and very fast at that. It has been a busy week, as we have been in, Paris, Kortrijk & Brussels, Edinburgh Scotland, Dublin Ireland and when you read this we will be in Normandy France.
This will be a short letter, as it's coming from my phone.
Every one is doing fine, and keeping busy for the summer. It's been 100+++ every day for over a week. It looks like sumer is here early and here to stay. I hope your enjoying the cool eve and nights in Utah.
It sounds like your doing great! Already having baptisms, teaching, learning tons. What's is I hear, you have a car? I can't beleave you pull that one off. Enjoy it, it won't last for ever. Tell us more about the families your teaching, who are they, who did you find them, etc..
Hi Scott this is mom now! We are in dublin Ireland as I type this. It has been a fun and busy trip. We have been to belgium and Scotland. Tomorrow morning we fly to France. We will spend a day there and visit normandy, you know, d day and all that!! We have loved the cool weather and have seen a lot of beautiful places and country. I am craving some good Mexican food!! Haha!!
Wow for u getting a car!! Let us know about all that! How is the work? How did your talk go?
Well tonight we are going to see the Irish riverdance. It should be good. It is in the gaiety theatre here in Dublin !!! No kidding!! I will take a picture of it!
Off we go. Will try and write more next week and send some pictures too. EDEP!!!
Love mom and dad. Xoxxo
Sent from my iPhone

Sup Roach (from CHAD STOCK)

2009-07-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Scott,

I know it is weird to read your name and not hear Elder Owen. That is
mainly why I am doing it. Well I hear you are pounding down a lot of
food here in SLC. I work at the gateway mall here for Fidelity so I am
right up in your neighborhood.

Life is pretty chill for myself here. I just work everyday and party at
night. I don't start school until the beginning of September so I still
have a while and yes I am kind of dating a girl right now if you wanted
to know. Your mom was telling me that you were having a hard time with
your trainer, is that working out better for you? How did you like the
MTC?

Well I know you don't have a lot of time on P-days so I will keep this
short. I do have one other question for you. I am trying to get me
some Oakleys and wondered if you could let me know, or tell Jeff, where
your discount card is so I can pound me down some sweet shades? Also,
let me know if you ever want anything since I can get it to you pretty
easy here. It sounds like you guys get hooked up pretty well anyways,
but if you ever need something I can get it to you pretty quick too so
let me know.

This is my work email, my other email is chad.stock@gmail.com. Let me
know if you need anything. My address is

121 E. 500 N.
Provo, Ut 84606

If you ever need that.

Keep it real Yo

-Chad

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,
I hope you have had a fantastic week! You will have to tell us what you did for the 4th of July...God Bless America!!! :)

I will try and fill you in...
We all got together and had a very american hot dog dinner on Friday night. Everyone swam for a while, ate, visited, watched the grandkids swim and have fun. It is kind of goofy though because we don't have any glass on the table outside! :) After that, we packed up carmel corn, and drinks, snacks and went over to Andy Brown to watch fireworks. The fireworks were so good! A great night, except that we were melting in the heat! 104* that day!
Saturday Dad and Mark chain sawed down the big tree in the front yard. So sad!!! It looks really strange, and we have no shade to keep the house cool. It is down to a stump now. We will have to get that removed, and plant a new tree. It was so hot outside! That night we took the boat out to Lewisville Lake and watched the fireworks. It was not that great at all! Lots of boats, drunks, bad rap music, and choppy water! I don't think I want to do that again on the 4th of July, but it was OK.

Well, today Dad and I leave for Europe. We will be gone until the 17th. We will be going all over the place, but will still get e-mails.
I mailed your meds up, so watch for them. How are the knees? We couldn't believe you were getting a car!!!! Is that just because of your knees?
Wow!
We love getting your letters, it sounds like you are so busy. I bet you are doing really well with the teaching, and helping people in SLC. Do you know if you get to go to the new temple open house yet?
Love you lots, you are doing an important work, we are proud of you!!!!
I will try and attach a couple of pictures from 4th of July for you! PS...I had fun in Utah for Grandpas 78th birthday. It was weird being up there and knowing you were in SLC! I was a good girl, and did not go to SLC!!! Tempting though! :)
Love, Mom

Hola mi Amigos!

2009-07-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well another week already! It was a good week. I had my first baptism this past weekend and it was great. We also had a zone conferance and that was a lot of fun also. President Sonne and Sister Sonne were there and tought that. Nothing has changed with my comp but I am going to make it work i think. I am just going to butt into the lessons to get some teaching time in and just force my way into things if needs be. So far it has been going better. I think it will work out alright. I guess i need to learn how to handle these odd comps anywho!

Well the members here are soooo nice. We were at walmart again today and a member offered to buy our food for us. I turned her down because i dont like letting other people pay for me unless its you Mom and Dad! Then at lunch they slipped me money so i got free lunch! And tonight we are going to Olive Garden for dinner! I think this is better then Boliva! What do you think Michael? We get hook ups at Dry Cleaners where anything we bring in is free, car washes they just let us go whenever they are there and all sorts of other things. We get taken care of.

Well last night we were on exchanges and I was with the District Leader. He was off doing two baptism interveiws for me and my comp and i was teaching a lesson to a non member who wanted to know if her dog that just died will go to heaven! She was really serious. So i tought her about the plan of salvation and explained that she would. Then i commited her to get baptized on the 18th this month. She accepted!!! It was weird after talking about dogs going to heaven or hell but now we have a new investagator. So it works!!! And our two baptism interviews went through so we have one baptism these next two weeks.

We also had an interesting Sunday. We took this huge black guy to church with us and he did not speak to much english. We were a few mins late and when we got there they just started singing the nation anthom. He just stopped dead in his tracks and put his hand over his heart. We kept telling him to come to our seats and then stand but he stayed in the middle isle. Then we had our confermation from our baptism and we got up and went to the circle. Well halfway through the prayer i felt another hand come down on top of mine. So i looked up and there was our investagator!!! He just butted in and broke the circle! He was just gazing around with his hand on top of mine in there. The Bishop did not even know till we told him about it. He thought that was classical! But we did not have to re do it. It made our day and President Sonnes also! We brought it up in a New Missionary Training Meeting we went to.

Well they are also giving me a car for my knees. So that is sa sweet!!! I went and bought an aux cord for and iPod connection today so i could connect it to the sterio once i get the iPod! Crank up a little Mo Tab if you know what i'm saying?!

Well so far things were much better this week the the last week. Besides we have the 4th of July this Sat and we are going to a bunch of "Partys" to meet new investagtors... and for free food. Then that night we are put on lock down from 6 to 9. We have to be at a members house and chill. We were going to see if we could go to Elder Ballards house because he is in one of our stakes, but we don't know how to get ahold of him so oh well. That would be sweet though. He attends one of the wards here if he is in town. I have yet to see him but my comp has meet him.

Hey angie i got your package!!! Thanks for the ties and stamps and SD cards and everything!!!! It was sa good and such!

And mom i got your package from Logan! Thats why everything was Peperage Farm treats! And thanks for the G Tops! I really needed those.

Thank you everyone for your support and letters and packages! It really means a lot to have that support. Our success right now in our area is just through the roof!!! We have so many apointments and meetings and our working our little tooshes off. We saw it pay off last night though with the new investagator and two old investagators ready for baptism. The lord is blessing us in our work efforts here as long as we do what we should. I know that to be true. Well Thanks again for everything! And mom we live on Sherman right off of 2100 S and 1300 E. So if you want to come and stop by for a bit you know to clean up the crib and all!!!! Haha. JK

Love Elder Owen

June 30th

2009-06-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Scott,
How are you doing? I hope your second week in the field has gone well. We were a little concerned with your comp. Not sure if he was being a good trainer or not? Hope you were able to get that taken care of with the mission president!! :)

Life is good here. So hot we could die! Temps have been in the 103 * range. Yuck! I know SLC has been a lot cooler than that!
The boys got home from the high adventure camp. They had a lot of fun. I think it was a really hard hike for them all. They hiked in 8 miles!
Does not sound very fun, but they all loved it and had a great time. Now it is just back to normal. We still need to get all the camping equipment out of the living room and off the dining room table! Everything is a mess right now, but hopefully tonight Dad and Jeff will work on that.

Well, the big news is that Dad & I are taking another trip to Europe!! Dad has to go to Belgium again, so I will tag along with him. We leave on July 7th, and return on the 18th. We will go to Scotland (in honor of you) and Ireland this trip. Also, we are planning on seeing Normandy France. Anyhoo, it will be a good trip I am sure. Don't panic if you don't hear from us!!! I will try and send you an e-mail though.

Hope you have got the box I sent. I also hope the garment tops were the right ones. Don't lose any more of those! :)

You had asked for some addresses:

Brooke & Chad Combs
5987 Wallis Drive
Frisco, TX 75034

Michael & Megan Owen
2316 Del Mar Ct.
Denton, TX 76210

Angie Owen
908 Yukon Drive
Lewsville, TX 75077

Grandpa & Grandma George
1682 No. 1515 E.
No. Logan, UT 84341

Stock Family
4906 St. Lawrence Ct.
Plano, TX 75094
Leslie Owen
leslieowen@verizon.net

Let me know if you want any others. I also will send off your meds this week, so watch for them. How are your knees doing? I am not sure what to think of that? Aleve works the best!

I am now at the end of Mosiah in my BOM reading. I love it a lot!! It has been so good to be reading the scriptures on a daily basis. I know you are learning a lot too.

Well, better go, Dad just got home and we are having Spaghetti for dinner!
Love you lots,
Mom

Hey Hey!

2009-06-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Elder Owen!

I love getting your letters and hearing how great you are doing. How fun to be out serving the Lord and not having to worry about anything else! I hope you are enjoying and learning lots.

We have been spending every day in the pool! I love it. Nate has been taking swim classes everyday for the last 5 weeks and still has about 2 more weeks to go. Its more of an infant swim/survival course, but he is doing so great. He loves to swim and thinks he is just as good as Carli. They love to jump off the water fall, and Carli can even jump off and swim all the way to the edge. Both of them are of course getting very tan as well. Chad is now trying to get them to dive for things. I just kick back, hang out and watch.

Well, Nate just woke up from his nap so I better run. Sorry this was so short. I will write again soon.

We love you.

~~Brooke Combs~~

First Week in the Field

2009-06-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hey hey hey!

First off all I want you to be keeping all of my letters that i am sending home as a journal. If you could be printing them off and saving them for me please. And fix any spelling because i dont have time to even do that here!!! Haha thanks!

My first week was nuts!!!!!! Non stop go go go go go go!! Very long days and lots of walking all day long! We get dinner everynight except our PDays. But we just call someone up who has been wanting to have us over and have dinner then! So ya about every night we get dinner. It is great because like last night when they dont have time they just take us to a Subway or out to eat real quick and buy for us. On Monday we have a zone meeting everyweek and we all went out to Wendys after for lunch. Well the was a member in front of us in the line and they bought for all 18 of us! They just told us to order whatever we wanted!!! That was really nice of them! It tasted even better because it was sa free and such!

About the iPod. Im glad you have not sent that out yet. I can only have one that can't play movies on it. So only an iPod Nano would work. Thanks for doing that again. And some speakers. We dont have a boom box or anything, but i would need my own for the next transfer in 5 weeks.

Well right now i am not sure if i am going to be learning spanish or not. I may be later down the road but there i would be put into a spanish district. Ill keep you informed on that if anything changes.

We have a bap. this sat! Chris Brown is his name and now his sister is most likly going to get bap. as well!!! I am almost postive she will. They are both really cool and are fun to talk with. It could just be because they have a little pug dog and it looks like buster! We also have two more bap. coming up. About one each week. I bet by the end of this transfer we will have over 5 bap! We have several more people that are coming along really well in the lessons and seem real interested. So i think they are on the right path for bap also.

Everyweek we can go to the temple if we do have a ride. We went again today. Early 7:00 session again! Then we went to Wal-Mart again to get some goods and home. Started some warsh (not a spelling error) and came to a church to do email. We do this in the family history center on the computers in here. These computers are SO SLOW!!!! No wonder they are all PC's! It takes about 2 mins to bring up the internet and 5 mins to load you email account!

Well now you have requested more about my comp... Lets just say whenever we go and teach someone the only words i get to say is in the prayer!!! He talks and talks and i never get to say a thing hardly. Its basicly a one man show. He is also not training me at all. When we are meeting a family I have not met i try to ask him about them so im not left in the dark and he says you will find out when we get there. So i dont know if they are members, bap, or what!!!! He just takes over control on everything including what i can buy at the store with my own money. He says no you dont need that you need this. And he also loves to talk and argue with the real anti mormons and then says things like "ya we hate christans also just like you" and "who cares if joesph smith saw jesus christ and heavenly father we dont." He is not training by the book they give trainers but by his own way! So i talked to the District Leaders and set up a time to go and talk with President Sonne. This is not helping me at all. The only thing i have really learned is our schedual. When we get up shower eat leave...... I dont teach or learn at all. So I really hope i can get a new trainer because this is horrible at the moment. I am his second person to train and he told me that he just wants to train me a differnt way. So ill be talking to the president tomorrow sometime during our big Zone Con. I talked to my old comp from the MTC and asked if he was being trained the same way and he was not. I dont think he is a bad missionary but yes to a bad trainer. So anyways enough of that mess! Ill have to get that fixed.

The boat mess sounded like fun. I just think that happended because you were going without me! I am glad things are going well at home. No i never did get Dads letter. If it was a dear elder at the MTC they will just trash them because it is a free service and they are not going to pay for postage. I asked them. so i hope you still have it saved somewhere. Sorry about that. Well all mail and packages I get Tuesdays night when the ZL's come by. So FYI. I have to go and do a driving test sometime to prove I can drive. Then depending if i get relocated because of some issues... I may get to drive. My knees are also really killing me when we go out. No I dont think it is because i am out of shape its just my knees hurting. We cover two different stakes and we always go from one end of our area to the next which is a few miles. I dont know if there is anything I can do about it. I have to stop every so often and just sit because i just cant go any farther. Its not that physically demanding because we are only walking. Its not like i am tired. Its odd. My elbow is normal now. Im not sure if i told you last week or not but it is great!

Also If you could go ahead and send me more meds. We are not supposted to get low at all! I know it will take sometime to get it to your home and then to ship it up here and then i have to wait till my next PDay. So if you could just plan sending it up way ahead becuase i know i will forget.

Also i need you to get me everyones mailing address. If you email it to me i can print it off. I want M and M's B and C's and Angies and G and G and anyone else you thing i would write to.

Oh the nice watch that Matt gave me fell apart and quit working. One of the buttons fell out and the time just stopped working. So i dont know what to do about it. I says it has a one year warrenty but i dont have an address to mail it off to. The brand is Heco or Hero or something like that. Could you look that up and get me somewhere to ship it off to? I can ONLY go to a few websites, email, lds.org and mormon.org.

Well Love yall lots! I have to do a weekly letter to the president right now and then get going. And you know some hard mail and packages would really not hurt at all!!! Haha...

Love your fav Missionary every
Elder Owen

Love to Elder Owen

2009-06-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Scott,

How great it was to get your thank-you card and know your email address. We will write to you now. I am not so good at sending regular mail but this will be much gooder.

Grandpa and I are very proud of you and the courage you are showing by doing well at the MTC. It is hard to do!!!! Wonderful, but hard. When you get out into the field, it will be easier but you will be working hard for the full 2 years. We hope you will learn to love all the people you will be associating with in all the small towns and branches, as well as in the wards. Let us know where you are being sent to--how exciting to learn about new places and what is going on in this big world.

Search out those good people who want to know the truth about who they are, and what will become of them when they die. Just to know about who God is and that He is so loving and caring about us, is a miracle to people in the world.

I have a testimony that the work you are doing is true. I have felt the Spirit so many times in my life, helping me and directing me to live my life as I should. THE GOSPEL IS TRUE, only the people in the
Church are not perfect and we must love them anyway and help them all do better.

KEEP BEING GREAT!!!!!! Love forever to our wonderfu grandson.

Grandpa and Grandma

Letter from Home :) June 20, 2009

2009-06-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hi there Scott,

I wanted to take a few minutes and write you a letter today. Things have been busy, crazy here. I am so glad you got your big box, and you are out in the mission field now! We got your e-mail and were so happy to hear all about things! We also got a letter from you in the mail that same day! Keep them coming. We would love to know what stakes you are serving in, and more about your life!!! Tell us everything you can. We were so glad to hear from you.

This past week, I went up to the cabin with Mr. Mark, Michael, and Megan, Anna, and Blake. Michael was needing to take the boat up and use it at his wards high adventure. We left about 8 p.m. on Sunday night. We were loaded up! Anna and Blake were so excited to ride the 4-lers.
Dad & Michael fiddled with the lights on the trailer/boat, and the tires, etc. What a pain. We were hoping to make it without having a tire blow out on us. We almost made it! Right when we were crossing that old bridge into Broken Bow, we heard a funny sound. I thought the breaks had locked up, but NO, it was a tire that had blown on the goofy trailer! :( We were not happy! Michael drove really slow, and we pulled over at the Tyson Chicken Plant....you know, with the "Gravity Flow" system! We were lucky to make it there, because we did not have a flashlight, and their parking lot was lit up. Anyway, we took off the tire, the whole wheel well was bent to pieces, and the tire was a disaster. After the tire was off, the brakes just fell apart!!! Plates came off, and the hydrolic brake line was cut! :(((( What a mess. The robo-cop security guard at the chicken plant was sa nice...(Paul Blart) and helped us with a flashlight, and a better jack. We were on the phone with dad, and trying to figure out what to do and such. Anyway, we got the spare on, and took the trailer to Stewarts tires the next day, and they fixed it, and the brakes. Big Pain!!! :{{{{{{{
Well, that was the worst part of the week. The rest of the week was great, the boat worked great, (we put it in a slip) and all the scouters were happy campers. We even got Anna and Blake out on the tube. Mark is getting to be quite the wakeboarder! He did great, and even pulled off a "180" out there. He was so proud. The lake was absolutely gorgeous, and the water was glass every day. Goofy gas at the marina was 3.99 a gallon....what a rip-off! :) Any hoo, we all had fun, and came back on Thurs. evening after a little lunch at Papa Plabano's. Yummy! Michael & Megan took some pictures, so maybe we will try and send you some.

Finally, the city came and picked up all the broken branches, tree limbs from the storm. It was a mess, and just sitting out there killing our grass. We will still need to cut down and big tree now. That will have to wait until Dad is back from Scout camp with the the boys.

Speaking of scout camp, the day today...Saturday, had been spent getting packs ready for the trip to New Mexico. Chad came over and helped the boys and Dad. The house looks like a bomb went off in it! They are having fun rounding up all the hiking junk. Remember when you went to Philmont? Dad got some new hiking boots, and so did Jeff, Dad also bought a "back packing" tent. They are all into getting things ready to go. They leave at 4:15 a.m. on Mondee morning. 4:00 a.m. was to early, so Bro. Brassfield pushed it back 15 min! Ha ha! I also gave the boys haircuts this morning!

Well tomorrow is a double holiday! Father's day and Mr. Mark's 13th birthday. Everyone is coming over for dinner, we are having a taco bar.
Mark wanted a fudge cake with marshmallow frosting on it. We will take some pictures for you. Mark is all excited for his big day, he is counting down the hours now!

I am still reading the BOM, and I am loving it. I think I have learned so much more this time with my reading. I am in Mosiah. I should finish the reading by the end of August if I stay on schedule. I have such a strong testimony of the BOM. I feel the power in it while I read. I love it!

I am attaching a few pictures for you, a cute one of Nate by the pool, and the grandkids by the pool eating fudge bars! Also, a storm picture or two! Brooke had Kyles picture taken, so I will send that too. Cute nieces and nephews for you, remember they all look up to you, and you are setting a great example for them.

We are so proud of you, we know you are doing an important work. Tell us more about your comp. Elder Pearl. I hope you are learning a lot from him. Your apartment sounds great. I bet the members there will spoil you! I was so happy to hear you made it to the SLC temple. Do you know if you get to go the the new Oquirrh Mountain temple? I know the open house has started now for it. I would love to see it. The pictures look beautiful. We will try and send you the IPOD in a while. Right now, just focus on your scripture study out of the books. You do have some of the CD's I gave you, I think they were Tab. Choir? Does your comp. have a little boom box?

Dad wants to know if you got the letter he wrote to you last week...you should have got it on Wed, but you may not have because you left the MTC early. I wonder if they forward those on to you? Let us know.

We don't know what has happened to your garm's? They are not at G&GG, we don't have them here. You must have lost them at the MTC, or got them mixed up with someone else's laundry? I know we had them for you. I guess if I need to, I can buy you a few more and mail them. I think it would be easier for you to buy them up there at distribution. Let me know what is going on with those, and also, what happens at Mr. Mac with your suit! I think they will take care of you, you should not have a problem with that.

Love you lots, keep up the good work! :) Mom

Week 3! In the Field!

2009-06-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well I made it out of the MTC and can live to talk about it! Today is our P-Day because we were tied up with getting into the field yesterday. It will normaly be on Weds though just this one time it happended like this. Just FYI! Well my new comps name is Elder Pearl or as he refers to himself the Black Pearl! He is from South Africa and has been out 17 months. He is very smart and a go getter it seems. We got out of orentation yesterday around 3 and then had a dinner appt and two lessons to go and teach already! I never even got to unpack all the way. I still have not had time to today and it is my P-Day!!! We went to the temple today. I guess we can go every Pday if we can get there. We spent some of our time today helping move a new member who was baptized on Sunday. And we also went to wal mart and got some food. I only have $47 this month but normarly ill have $110. Well after our trip to wally world im down 15 already! Our area does not have a car but it is small enough. The District Leaders have a car so we just bum rides off of them and members lots. Every 6 weeks we will get transfered and depending where we go we may or may not have a car. Theres about 65 cars in the mission and 90 comps. I sent yall a had written letter yesterday with a pic of the mission president and I so you can look forward to that. There is also more info about our mission so i wont spoil it for you! We went to temple square and did a quick two hour tour and went back for more meetings. They served us breakfast and lunch because we are the greenies.

I got your package yesterday at the mission home. It was there waiting for me when i got there. Everyone was wanting to run off with it! Thanks so much for the shirts and the treats. I really love them! The Zone leaders will go to the mission home once a week to pick up the mail and get it to me usualy on P days FYI. So email works just as good now that i cant Dear Elder everyday like i did in the MTC. Its up to you. I wil not complain about any sort of package at all!!!! Keep that in mind!

Our apt is in the basement of a members home. It is really nice! we have a kitchen and washer and dryer and its pretty roomie down there. The only thing is that the ceiling is so low that if i was any taller i would have to hunch over to walk around. We are the only companionship there so its nice. The best part is the washer and dryer!!!! Yay we dont have to pay to wash clothes!

One of the people we tought yesterday was another new member. She is wanting to get her patrical blessing so we talked to them about that. Her husband is a member and he helped out with the lesson and we took a ward member who helped because my comp is stuck with me! (So right now he is down a person!) Anyways the new members husbands is the 2nd richest guy in Utah my comp says. He was here from the last transfer and baptized her. Their house was really nice. They were very very nice humble people though. The other lesson we tought was the member who we helped move today. So they are now out of our area.

Our dinner apt was with the ward mission leader from one of the stakes he just took us out to dinner! We went to some nice cafe. He was also the one who took us to the temple at 6:15 this morning. I think we are having dinner with him again tonight. he is a really nice guy also.

Well maybe by next week i will be able to mail you some CD's of all of my pics so far. What I would like to do is have two SD cards so we could mail them back and forth. That is the best way everyone says. That would save me from having to buy blank CD's and spending that time burning them. I have hardly any money so you will have to tell me what you want to do. I only have one 2 gig SD card so if you buy a new one and send it up then i can swap you and keep in touch that way. I can also have an iPod with ONLY Mormon Tab Music but we can have the scrips and teaching lessons and lots of things like that to listen to. So if dad sent me up one of his 20 different iPods clean or with some of that music stuff on it then i could use it. I would rather have some sort of iPod speakers instead, if you could send me an iPod then a boom box. That way we could plug in an aux port into any car when we have one. No iPod touch though. Nothing with internet features. Something like an iPod Nano or Classic. Not a shuffle because that would do me no good! So if you could look into that for me and maybe get some of the scrips off of the LDS.org and music so i could use it right away. Off of the website you can get all that for free and I would like it in Spanish also. I can get onto iTunes from one of the church computers and rip my CD's to an iPod and get things from other Elders so i think it would be a great learning tool for scripture study mainly because I learn better audioly it seems.

That brings up another subject!!! Here was my big suprise, we are in a very big Spanish speaking area so guess what they want me to start learnig? Spanish! My comp is going to start teaching me. He wants me to learn not really the mission president or anyone else but 45% of our baptisems are spanish members. And the elders who can speak spanish baptize more! So i am going to try and start learing. Most of the elders were called to english but have learned spanish while they were here and not in the MTC. So I am kind of excited about learning spanish because i wanted to learn it. It would be great help teaching and for down the road like Michael.

Well i am still a deer in headlights here but i am leaning as quick as i can. (theres tons of things i have to learn on rules and things we can do!) I think my comp will help me and do a good job even if his accent is hard to understand sometimes. He is a good guy and has lots of faith in me and during lessons just puts me on the spot and makes me learn by fire! How very nice of him! I guess they have a guy commited to baptisem on the 27 this month if thing go well with him. I have not meet him but look forward to! We are expected to do 2+ baptiems a month so this is good. Our Zone is the Parley zone and our area is Monument and Foot Hill Stakes. Yes we cover two different stakes as one set of missionarys!

Well i think i am out of things to say here but for thanks for all your love support and prayers! I know i keep buggin you for things and am sorry but I dont have the money to buy all of it! Being able to listen to the scrips would really help me learn during my personal study and keep me going and not falling asleep at 6:30! It is a lot to ask I know but it would help me more then you know. I would need some sort of speakers to play it off of also. Without it the ipod is worthless! THANK YOU so much again.

Oh mom the iPhone Password should be: 112544
I think what it is asking for is the iTunes password when you download and app. If it is have dad set up your phone with your iTunes account so I dont get charged of my debit card. He knows how. Just sync it with the iMac. That is the only password i can think it would be. If that is not it try sowen2209
If either one of those dont work just wipe it clean and start fresh with it. But one of those should work.

Well I am already working my tail off and this is noting yet. I know that the lord will bless me and you for my service. Bring others unto Christ is one of the most important things we can do here on this earth. Thanks for your love and support again and all the time you spend getting me started out here. I know that this is the one and only true church on earth and that Joesph Smith did restore it in this dispensation. I am excited to learn the ropes and spanish out here so keep me in your thoughts and prayers! Call my cell phone if you want to chat! Haha

Love
Elder Owen

Week 2 MTC

2009-06-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

"I wish I could call all your mothers and tell them how wonderful you look." - Sis. Bednar

What is going on family? How is the real world treating everyone? Well week two here was just as busy as week one! They are now letting people leave for their missions if they pass some health test or something. Speaking of me leaving the MTC my final departure date is now on the 17th. This is the final word! We got our travel plans from the MTC yesterday.

So everyone wants to know what the typical day is here so here it goes.
Wake up by 6:30
Breakfast at 7:00
Classes are according to the teachers schedual so it varys. We typicaly have two classes a day though.
Lunch 11:30
Personal Study
Comp Study
MDT Time (Missionary Derected Time)
Dinner at 4:30
LGM (Large group meeting)
9:00 Planning for the next day
10:15 Quite time
10:30 Lights out!

So that is the basic lay out but everything is moved around as far as our classes and our study time goes. Mom those thank you notes are off in the mail now. They went out on monday! I am sa good an such! Now you can keep writing me! Haha!
I know everyone is on edge for this letter only to hear about my comps BO problem so here it is! He did warsh his towel last p day and i about died! My prayer was answered. Well i thought that would be the end of that problem but the next DAY it was back just as bad as ever! So the lengend lives on of the stinky towel! Stay tuned for next weeks report!

This sunday was not the best day for me. I woke up and did not feel good at all. I went and got checked out by the nurse and i had to stay in my room all day! I was almost in prison it felt like. They keep anyone in their rooms if they have any sign of sickness at all. Mine was just very minor coughing and that stuff but they wanted me in my room all day. There is also one of the elders in our district that got the swine flu. He was sent into isolation for 5 days and is supposed to be getting out today. That is if he has survived this punishment!

Well we had our typical Tuesday night Devo last night and i bet you wont guess who came! Elder Bednar! He was so good. He talked about being a "good boy!" He said to listen to the promptings of the spirit and dont worry if we think it is us thinking it or the spirit. He said if it is a good thought then it is the spirit and we should just act on it! One of our teachers room mate works as a robo cop here and knew it was Bednar coming. This info they keep top secret! But our class knew he was coming! I was able to be a Little Debbie Cake on this saying it was going to be Bednar. On Tuesdays its all the talk about who is coming. Last week it was one of the 70.
"I wish I could call all your mothers and tell them how wonderful you look." - Sis. Bednar (This was typed by one of the sisters in my district. She acts like our mom here and wont let me get dessert until i finish my vegs. She is from Plano. She's cool though)

Well right now im just doing my laundry. We are planning on going to the temple latter today after lunch. We went last P day also. I hope everyone has gotten my letters so far. I think i have only sent one to everybody so far. I will send yall some pics sometime soon of life here.

Hey mom how is that Moshi pillow coming? I also need two more short sleeved white church shirts. Neck size 16.5. Ones without the coller buttons please. I had a pen blow up on one of mine......

Well i hope all is well in good ole Texas! Keep in touch!
Love you very much and know that this work is very important! I am excited to hit the mission field. Ill have to talk to you later. Again only one min left!

Love
Elder Owen

Hello from the MTC

2009-06-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Well hello family! The first week at the Mtc already! I am glad that i don't have to wear an orange dot anymore or as the older elders like to say dork dots! I dont know if you have heard about the swine flu and flu spreading around here or not but it is really bad at the moment. There have been 10 confermended cases of the swine flu just yesterday. The MTC has also delayed sending anyone out this week. So anyone who was supposed to depart wont this week. I think they may delay it again. And today there are around 560 new missionarys coming in and they are running out of room to put eveyone. This has all made big news around here so you will have to look it up and tell me what you can find out about it. They use sealed plastic utincels now and paper cups and plates. They are not risking anything.Well i dont know if you got my cards yet or not but i had time to send one to Anna and just home. My comps name is Elder Williams and he is from Hawaii. He is cool but his towl which hangs right next to my desk smells like total BO! When we come back into our room the entire room smells like it! I hope and prey he is washing (warshing as they say here) it today! I have been very busy studing and working. They keep us really busy and we are supposted to be working on writing our lesson plans for investagors. Thanks for all the letters everyone has been sending me! Dear Elder is great! For now just use that and not my Email because i wont be able to check it till P Days. That way i can get the Dear Elder that day or the next one. How are all the grand kids doing?

The food is alright. Not anything like moms cooking but its not bad. Better then what ill be able to make in the field. I am not sure what is up with my elbow. When i went to the Dr he said it was fine and would just take time to heal. The MTC Dr said by today i should be able to extend it all the way but i still cant. What do you think i should do? I can twist it fine but not extend it yet. I can do physical therypy here but im not sure what to do.

On Sunday we had a tie swap which is what they do for people leaving that next week. Everyone puts in thier ulgy stained tie and then we draw from a pillow case. When they asked me to do it they all went nuts looking through my ties and wanted me to put in my new blue and white one you just bought me one. I was offered up to $30.00 cash for that tie right then! I told them no of course.

Well in one of your letters you asked what i would like and i need an new Moshi Black pillow. Mom i hope you know what i am talking about. the thing like marks spree pillow. The one i have now is getting really bad and we never had time to find a new one when we were up here. Plus mine has a few holes in it.
Oh i also dont know if you have gotten the rest of my Oakley order yet or not but when you do if you will send that up. There should be one more pair of sweet shades and cleaning cloth and some other random things for me. Those glasses would be the best to use up here. : )

Well i think if you send the dear elder by around 12ish at the latest then i will be able to get it that day or the next so just keep that in mind. And mom if you would just send this to everyone you want to thats fine. I dont have time to send anymore then one today. I only had 25 mins after setting up this email today. And again tell them to do the dear elder or regular mail or else it will be a week before i get their email.

Sorry if words are mis spelled Angie can correct me after she tells me where that place in Florda is! I dont even have spell check on this email account so oh well! And i have been typing like nuts to get all this in.

I love you all and know that this is important work! I miss you and look forward to hearing from you soon! GTG 1 min left before i loose everything and this wont get sent!

Love
Elder Owen!

Welcome to the MTC!

2009-05-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Owen Kids

2009-05-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

2009-05-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

Patriarcal Blessing

Temple Day

2009-05-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Scott's Farewell Dinner!

Chinese Sundae's! Yum Yum! (25 people)

Chicken/Gravy/Rice...Leslie

Grated cheese, chopped celery, gr. onion, Cheri & Suz

Pineapple tidbits, coconut...Megan

Chowmein Noodles, Cherries...Brooke

Diced tomato, peas...Angie

Desserts...Leslie & ? (let me know)

Dinner at 4:30 p.m. after meetings

2009-05-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Missionary Talk
Scott will be speaking in the Coppell 2nd Ward before Leaving for the
Salt Lake City Utah Mission!
Sunday May 24th
1 p.m.
Dinner After Meetings
Scott will be set apart as a full time missionary early that evening
and leaving for Utah
at 9:30 p.m.
We would love to see you all!

2009-05-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

BBQ At Elm Fork Gun Range!

Honoring Scott Owen

Friday May 22nd

6 p.m.

Hamburgers & Hotdogs!

Drinks!

Please bring a side dish or a dessert to share...

RSVP

2009-04-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Scott's Temple Session tonight...

6 p.m. (Be there at 5:30)

Dinner at El Fenix @ Webb Chapel to follow

The Call

2009-04-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Blogging for Elder Owen

2009-04-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine gave me a great idea to start this blog!

I will be adding all pictures, emails, and great stories we get from Elder Owen! We are so proud of Scott for setting such a great example of serving the Lord.