Dear Alec,
Your mother is frantically getting ready for girl's camp. This year all the camps - girl's camp, scouts and high adventure - are the same week. Your mother and I are going up tomorrow to girl's camp and in the evening we will take part in the faith walk. It will be wonderful. We are to play the roles of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother and charge the girls before they leave for their lives on earth. Your mother will talk to them about their gifts after I review the Plan of Salvation. Your mother, of course, will be great. Then I go to Scout Camp for a day and then on the High Adventure for 3 days. I won't sleep in a bed for 4 nights.
Do I recall correctly that this is transfer week? Let us know asap where you have been assigned. Leaving an area in which you have worked so long is hard, but moving and having a fresh start is very motivating as well.
The ward is doing well. During the summer things are a bit quiet (except for the camps) because so many people are going on vacations. It felt last winter like we had a real momentum in the ward, but then conference came, which was great, followed by several other activities and it feels like we have not gotten back into sync yet. Brother McDonald is the new Young Men's President and he is doing a great job. Brother Cowley is tearing up as the Elder's Quorum President and Bro. Zarian as the High Priest Group Leader. And you can't even think of anyone better as the Relief Society President than Sister Rasmussen. All the auxiliaries are doing great as well. My biggest job is to get out of the way because everyone is so dedicated. It makes me feel very regretful about all the years I was a slacker. The Lord forgives, however, and accepts even our smallest efforts.
Rachel went up to camp today as a YCL. The YCL's hiked and will camp out tonight. I'll be driving up tomorrow to set up camp for the rest of the girls which will be a great experience. The camps are potentially a huge force for good in the lives of the youth and we are so blessed in this Stake to have such an active youth program.
All the other kids are doing well. Your mother will be leaving for 10 day starting next week to visit Danna and Jay and to help them move to their new home. He will be starting the residency in Cleveland in anesthesiology which is exactly what he wanted to do, so we are very happy for them. Several weeks after she comes home your mother and I will be visiting Ben, Laurie and Elliott in Minnesota. Elliot is a hoot - last Sunday Ben asked him his name in French and Elliot replied in French with the proper accent. Then he asked him his name in English and Elliot replied with "Elliott" in an American accent. It was very cute. Anyway, he is quite the bilingual little guy.
Karene is very busy with her work. A pharmaceutical product she has been working for the last 2 years was approved by the FDA yesterday so she is going to be very busy, which is great in this economy. And Jon and Nicole are doing great. We are hoping to get down and visit them later this summer.
We love you and your mission. The guys you have been teaching will either come around on their own or not - you have done all you can do. The Lord loves them and He will guide them - but they have to listen.
Have a great week,
Love from Dad, Mom and Rachel
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