I LOVE the Spirit!!

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

Hello to my FAVORITE Missionary!!!!

Hi Buddy,

Just always thinking about you and praying for you. I have so many people ask how you are doing. Tons from the Band!!!! This week was full of Band. I loved seeing that you heard a band last week and it made you happy. Band makes me happy too. We had Weber Review and We went to Nebo this week. Review was pretty good. Dad worked tirelessly on all the props and semi. I worried about him on Tuesday. He looked like he was going to have a stroke. He was just covered in sweat and face was red. Then had to go up to Weber and do it all, unload and then we had some things to finish up on the front walls. Then load again that night. That night was a way slow load. We were the last ones still in the parking lot at weber. 

They did pretty good. Lots of timing tears though. So they worked really hard the rest of the week. They performed at Payson High School on Saturday. That day was full of tons of work for dad as well. Again, he was sweating up a storm. But Mr. Hendricks and his wife said how appreciative they are for him and all that he and the other band parents are doing. There are alot of parents that have been helping with the Semi. It was pretty funny, John comes over to us and told us that the pit kids were thinking that band parents were getting in the way. but the problem is that the kids weren't focusing and it was taking forever. So the parents stepped in. 

So anyway, Saturday we helped load and unload the Semi, then helped push the pit on. The buses and semi got there really late so there wasn't hardly anytime. John made the decision not to have the pit warm up?????? Holy Cow, I couldn't even believe it. They took forever getting their stuff put together, but then when we pushed over to the practice area, John said they weren't going to warm up. So they sat in the parking lot doing a mental run through for over 25 minutes. HOLY COW!!! They totally could have at least worked on the sound or something in 25 minutes. But oh well. 

We pushed on and the band started. Something had happened to the sound jack and it had wiggled out with the pushing so nothing was happening from pit....... Then Mitch had to book it down from the stands to the field to look and see that it had come unplugged. ugh. He got it going and then it was much better. they sounded and looked pretty good. AF parents said they couldn't believe it was the same band from Tuesday night. 

There were still some timing tears. But I thought they did pretty good. AF's show this year is pretty boring. But of course their musicality is always pretty good. Awards came and Davis got the first 2 captions for Percussion....... (holy Cow) and for Color Guard....(holy Cowy). And then AF took the other 2. then they did the places and they announced Davis as 3rd with 81.1 or something like that, then West Lake 81.4 and then AF 84.5. Everyone was blown away that Davis took second. But then we looked at the scoring and we totally needed more in the musicality. The judges said if they got their timing down they could do amazing. They have the show, now they have to play together. ....

But anyway, loading, went way faster........ the percussion section celebrated the whole time so the parents loaded. ha ha. they did it really fast. 

But anyway, Elaina text me and said that they would meet us at the band room when we came back. It was so awesome to see her and give her a hug. I miss her tons! She brought her roommates and so I gave them hugs too. they are so way awesome! So......crazy but they ended up coming over for a DANCE party at 11pm last night. Dad whipped out the music, laser lights and fog.... We danced and played a game on the pool table until about midnight. Her roommates were Heather and Elise. Way cute girls. they seemed like really great friends. 

Then we went and fed the horses cuz dad had to still do that. So they came with us and then came home and sat and talked for about another hour. It was about 1:45am when we went to bed. But sooooo much fun. 

Oh, it was tender moment last night when we were playing pool and there was this receipt that Elaina picked up off the window seal. She looked at it and it was from Wendy's, it said Alaina on it and she said, Whats this. I had no idea and I saw her name and I said, what's the date on it. We looked and it was 7/18/2016. We both got teary and were really missing you. Sorry, if that story makes you a little sad, but it was a tender mercy to have you there in thought!!!! We loved it. I told her to take it home and keep it. 

She just loves you so much, and her roommates agree with that statement. I'm sure she talks about you all the time. 

Anyway, I just want you to know that you are always on my mind. There are moments when I feel I should stop and pray for you. So I do. I hope my prayers are helping you with any circumstances you find yourself in. Today, I was asked to pray in sacrament meeting and it was really powerful, I prayed for the missionaries and got a bit teary......I'm sure you could imagine, but I couldn't help feeling the spirit testify that he was blessing you and the many others out there serving. I had many people come up to me and tell me it was a powerful prayer. One person came up to me and said they loved my testimony. Ha, I didn't bare my testimony, I prayed, but I guess it's the same thing. Because it's all the SPIRIT!!! It's crazy how the Spirit is so addicting. So I can't take any credit for anything I say, it's just the Spirit baring witness of the truth. 

Next Monday, October 3rd will be our Joint Commission Survey. PRAY for us!!! So I won't really be able to look for your email until later. I know the Lord Loves me and he wants us to be successful. I know without this trial that I have been going through I wouldn't have the testimony I have of the book of Mormon and the POWER we are given with it and with the priesthood. We were also given so much as Aspire in changes that would not have happened had we not been through this hard time. So, I am truly grateful for it. Did I just say that? Yep, I did. 

I love you Buddy!!! I am so grateful for the blessings our family has been given because of your service. THANK YOU!!! 

oh, and I'm so sorry I did not mail your book to you. I had it all packed up and ready to mail and then the spirit stopped me and I had the thought that the guidelines said not to have anything but approved books. So let me know if your mission President approved that book and I will send it. If not, I'll send you the recipe book I put together. ANYTHING ELSE??? Dad is working on a GPS. 

Love You!!!!

Love Always, Mommy

ELDER SNELL: Hi, Mom!!

Yay! I have achieved FAVORITE status!!!

You need to make sure Dad is taking breaks from time to time and not just working himself into the ground. He needs a Preparation Day too sometimes ;) haha I'm glad to hear that everything is going well back home and with the band and what not. That is interesting that Jon didn't want the Pit to warm up. I will have to ask him about that haha. Davis got the Guard and the Percussion caption?!? That's awesome!! It's about time something like that happens hahaha.

I am really jealous of your dance party you got to have! I really miss you guys. Your story about finding my receipt did make me tear up just a bit haha I really miss Elaina, but I am glad she is still happy and doing well! What did you guys even talk about until 1:45am??? Did she tell you that she is the second counselor in the Relief Society? I thought that was pretty awesome :)

Thank you so much for your prayers :) I can feel them helping me and those I am helping! The spirit truly is such and incredible part of what we do and who we are as children of a loving Heavenly Father. I have felt the spirit's work so intensely out here! I love missionary work! It is amazing! I am seeing how the gospel of Jesus Christ can work in people's lives and completely change them for the better. 

I don't think it would be a problem for me to have my Psychology book. I just wouldn't be allowed to study it during personal study in the mornings. I could read it all I want on Preparation Day. However, I would probably just end up needing to send it back before the end of my mission, so that may be a bit of a hassle. There is a bunch of stuff in there I could use, but I think I will be fine without it. 

Thank you for your email, Mom! I love and miss you tons!! You are definitely in my prayers :) 

Love ya!

Elder Snell