THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE!

Heard from Elder Nicholas Dees on Tuesday and just getting around to getting this out.  He sounds pretty good.  Here is his current address:

Elder Nicholas Dees

12357 Chicken Dinner Road

Caldwell, Idaho   83607

There are a few pics attached of him and his companion / trainer, Elder Kurtz and their Mission President, President Cannon and his wife.  The other picture is when Elder N. Dees was at the MTC.

Elder Nicholas Dees (3rd) w/President and Sister Cannon
and first companion/trainer Elder Kurtz, (from Canada)
Elder Dees just arrived into the Idaho Boise Mission!!!  10/04/11

Elder Nicholas Dees, with President and Sister Cannon,
Idaho Boise Mission---just arrived!  10/04/11

From: "Nicholas Dees" <nicholas.dees@myldsmail.net>

Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 1:08:15 PM

Ain't got no job but i stay fly! (As a missionary)

Hello Everyone, well i have now been in Idaho for 1 whole week and

lots or good/crazy stuff has happened. Well the lady Tina we are

teaching lost it and got sent to the hospital bummer ):, she still has

a desire to get baptized and speaking of baptisms we have 17 potential

people who want to be baptized :D. And two others with confirmed dates

already! We began teaching a family of four named the Loewens. Very

truly awesome family who said they would like to get baptized but the

Dad really said he doesn't know just yet and then they all said if we

are doing this it will be as a family. Two days later he was trying to

get internet set up but the landlord went back on her word and said

they can't get a new internet service wired in because they would have

to run new wires and mount a antenna on the roof. So he was very upset

and sad because his kids are home schooled so they need internet and

dont have money for the existing cable. He was willing to pack up and

move back to washington where i guess it was cheaper for him to get

internet and live just so his kids can get an education. What a great

parent it really struck me how much he loves his family so we taught

the plan of salvation and he stopped us mid lesson and said "We want

to be baptized" Talk about heart stopping so we are working with them

now. #superlongstorysorry

Anyways we attended 8 hours of church on fast sunday

#thoughtiwasgoingtodie but we had a ton of investigators there it was

so awesome! The wards here are very laid back the testimony meeting i

was dying laughing because one guy got up and said the same story 3-4

times then sister russell (the member family we live with) raced some

guy up to the pulpit it was hilarious then i ripped my suit pants on a

STUPID ARMREST ON THE PEW #hatethosethings. But we have an awesome set of members here so i got them fixed yesterday! Well today for P-Day we already played volleyball and afterwords we are driving to meridian to shop etc then we are going to a place called jump time where its a huge indoor trampoline park, the entire floor and the walls are trampolines #gonnabesick so i will have pictures next week for that.  Mom please send me some church music on cd's. Tell everyone to write me!

Also i got to drive a bulldozer last night! Haha a member owns one and

we were eating at their house and he was just like hey lets go have
some fun so we went and drove the bullbozer he has pictures not me i
left my camera at home  (hum, I need to check the little white missionary handbook about that, Gretchen)

Elder Nicholas Dees at Jump Time in Meridian, ID during P-Day time.  Other missionaries are there as well.  Elder Dees loves anything to do with "jumping". ALWAYS HAS!!!!


************************
Mon
10/10/11

Hi Elder Dees’,

I’ll make a general letter now that you are both out in the field and have two different P-day’s.  Then at the end I will personalize the letter for each of you.  How does that sound?  Sounds like it will save me a lot of time. :) 

Today is a holiday so I am assuming that Elder John Dees will not be on today and that you will both be on tomorrow. 

I pray often and earnestly that you both are fine and well and happy.  I look at the clock throughout the day and wonder if you are out teaching, tracking, studying, eating, driving, biking, cleaning, giving service, etc, etc..  I go to bed late and some of that is so that I know that at least you both should be back in your apts. and getting ready for bed.  Haha, you are both on your missions and I’m still waiting up on y’all.  It’s a good thing y’all aren’t in some really weird time zone!  A mother just always worries.  I do pray to that your investigators are receptive to the gospel message and that you and your companions will allow the spirit to direct the teaching.  You are both very capable to teach your testimony.  Do it effectively so that others may know of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.  I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and will bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man if we will abide by the precepts taught by Christ.  He lives, God lives and the Holy Ghost will testify of that truth.  Isn’t it a great comfort when you feel the Holy Ghost testify of truths?  It is for me.  Live worthy to receive that witness.  We have it to do!   I love you two young men. 

We had Stake Conference yesterday.  I was great and seemed well attended.  Of course the Saturday night session was really good.  An Elder Gay of the Seventies presided.  He spoke very much on missionary work.  He was a mission president in Africa or somewhere (I can’t remember exactly).  He has a PHD from Harvard.  Very bright/intelligent man yet loves the power of the Holy Ghost to teach and train.  He shared many experiences from life as a mission president but at the beginning he shared a fun story.  He said he was attending BYU and his wife, (who was not his wife at the time) was attending BYU-I.  She was in a fast and testimony mtg and the Bishop was conducting.  The bishop’s son was sitting next to her and he had fallen asleep.  The bishop had just borne his testimony and said the remaining time is for the congregation to bear their testimony.  The sister then leaned over to the bishop’s sleeping son and said to him, “Your dad just called on you to give the closing prayer.”  He popped right up and went to the pulpit and offered a closing prayer.!!!!  She didn’t even try to stop him.  Elder Gay says that is why he doesn’t’ fall asleep in mtgs.  HAHA --  SO STAY AWAKE and ALERT :) President Johnson shared a story about how his oldest boy has started seminary and how it is pretty early and tiring!  For the both of them.  LOL   Anyway, he said his boy was saying that he was so tired and that getting up for early morning seminary was like a job and that the church expects a lot from us.  Pres. Johnson listened to him for a while and then it was time for his boy to get out and go into seminary and he told his boy that at least the gospel has a great retirement plan.  Pretty clever.  

We have been plenty busy---but I need to be busier in the right kind of way.  We have cleans throughout this week.  We need them.  Lots of expenses to cover like everyone else. 

I’ve been bad on my snail mail lately and can’t seem to get any pics developed.  I’m quite the slacker lately.  But I’ll put something in the mail tomorrow.  I have spent days trying to scan onto the computer but just don’t know how.  And, my memory (lack of) doesn’t help either. 

I did get Haleigh’s baptismal dress made and shipped.  She should get it tomorrow (Tuesday).  I hope she likes it and hope it fits. 

I’ve not gone to Bristol in a couple of weeks now.  I need to go and see mom.  She ALWAYS ask about you two.  She does remember to do that!. 

The weather has been nice here.  Leaves are starting to fall in the yard.  HUH!  The three trees are full of leaves.  I’ll be raking till next spring! 

Madison is growing.  Doing good in her piano lessons, or at least I know she enjoys them.  It’s nice to hear her practice.  I think she does pretty good.  School keeps her busy.  Always a test, quiz or drama.  Often she comes in from school and takes a nap-then can’t go to bed early enough to get the nights sleep she needs to get up for early morning seminary!  But she does.  We need to get on a better schedule. 


Madison does have a b’day on the 22^nd.  She will be 16!!

I’ve set out a few pumpkin/fall/Halloween stuff.  What is the ruling of missionaries and Halloween? 

I put both of your addresses on the church bulletin board and some envelopes w/address and stamp so maybe that will generate some good mail—although we had Stake Conference yesterday, but next week things will be back to normal.

ELDER NICHOLAS DEES:

HI SON!!!!

How is you new companion?  Where is he from? (we just got that info last night from your Mission President!!!!)   From your email last Wed. it sounds like you all have some progress already in place. Plenty of baptisms already on the horizon.  Brother Roedel used to live in Marsing.  Father used to be a high school vice principal I think he said and maybe his mom was the school nurse.  (I think)  He is excited to hear about your accomplishments.  Said there is a lot of spanish speaking in that area.

I'm trying to clean and box up your room.  So much stuff.  Kinda like the garage but just your room and your stuff, that's the only diff. yet y'all blame all the garage on ME.? :(

Do you need blankets?

I love the pic of you and some of the other missionaries at the MTC!  I need names.  I'll try to attatch the pic and you can email the names to me right now if you know / remember them, so I can mark the pic.

  

I have to run out to cleans but will be checking the comp. and try to catch you on to email w/you.

I'll send your brother's email from yesterday.  I thought with the holiday that he wouldn't get on email till today too but he got on yesterday/his reg. p-day.

We got an email from your mission president last night.  It was just stating you had arrived safe and told us your Trainer was an Elder Kurtz.  Pres. Cannon also sent 2 pics w/ you and them and your trainer.  I was ecstatic to get the pics.  I'll go and develop them.  

I pray you are doing well.  Be a sweet young man!

I love, love, love you.  You have almost been out a whole month!  unbelievable!  

Love, Mom

********************************

email conversation:

Mom:  we're here haven’t read the letter yet just wanted to let you know we are here.

Elder Nicholas Dees:  well whats up?

Mom:  Wow Elder Dees, sounds like you have been busy in the teaching dept. You sound like you are doing well. Do you still need the sweater?  We haven’t had time to find one yet. Can't wait to get some pics. What would you like me to send other than the sweater?

Are you keeping rules?

Where is Elder Kurtz from?

Elder Nicholas Dees:  send me some beef jerky, a lot of gummy worms and orange tic tacs! please

Mom:  ok---i can do that. you are controlling your tongue aren't you? all these wacky sayings-I don't know where they come from. So where is your comp from?  Are there a lot of spanish speaking people there?

Do you all get to go to the temple sometime? Sounds like y'all are being fed. are ya?

Elder Nicholas Dees:  come from songs gotta go he is from alberta canada

Mom:  bye--I love you

Comments of family and friends:

***Thanks Gretchen,  Sounds like Nick is doing well, we miss him too.

Mary