KEEPIN ON!

We've been waiting to hear from the doctors regarding Kodi's surgery.  So far no news.  Is no news really good news?  We feel very comfortable with this whole situation.  It's kinda weird but we know it happened for a reason and that the Lord is in control, so we are calm, cool, and collected.  This is a pretty big deal for a 19 year old young man to go through, let alone without his family by his side.  This will be such a growth experience for him.  He is strong and is relying on the Lord to take up the slack.  He is allowed to communicate with us a little more often at the moment.  He writes on his LDS.org study note book.  We can keep up to date with what the doctors are doing and saying.  Here is his latest letter.  Enjoy!

ok so i didnt find out today (wednesday) when my surgery is. but i should find out tomorrow... on friday during my MRI they wanted my shoulder to be in its socket so i said a quick prayer for help and i relaxed in the chamber, and it stayed in!!! after the mri and as i was being pulled out of the chamber it fell out again, the lord helped me and i knew it and after the surgery, i will have some sweet scars and stuff lol. i will also have a nice drain for 3 weeks. (a tube for excess fluids to drain into after the surgery.) but i need to keep working, so after the surgery, i will take what time  I need, and then will get right back to work.  i have only slept maybe  5 hours in the last week, it has been so hard to stay awake but i have been helped.  i did find out what meds i will be on after my surgery, vikodin or however its spelt lol. it was so nice to hear moms voice today!!  i just wish all u were there to talk to you all. the spanish is coming very fast as mom heard today. Teiler buenos suerte in the play! i wish i could watch it but i know u will be good!!! i hear u r getting good at finnish! thats awesome!!! oh dad there lots of finn books here, let me know if u want any and i will send some to you! i miss u all!  the perfect time when i want to write a letter LDS.org works lol. i will try every night to write here, if i dont i am still in the hospital or dont feel well enough... i love u all, unfortunately i left the poem in the res, so i will write it out tomorrow.

unfortunately i have no time to write more my computer is dumb lol. so i will write the poem out on my study notebook k? i love u all

OUCH! NEED SOME PRAYERS

Hola Mamá.
     I regret to inform all of you that I have had an unfortunate thing happen to me on monday evening at about 730 pm.  My shoulder was sore from volleyball so I was massaging it when the shoulder completely slipped out of its socket, and you know how I have been able to do this for a while si?  Eso tiempo (this time) it wouldnt go back in so the MTC took me to the ER, they did X-RAYS and tried to reset the ball back in and it would just keep sliding out. They informed me after examining the x-rays that I have to have it surgically replaced...:'(   .  You know when you stretch an elastic band too many times how it looses elasticity?  Same thing with tendons.  Mine are over stretched and need to be fixed.  I see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow and he is going to explain the surgery,  I will not have to come home but I will have a 3 month painful recovery. and the surgery should be covered by missionary medical but I gave them my insurance stuff and they said it should be fine.  For all who read this, yo pido para sus oraciones (i ask for your prayers) as this is excruciatingly painful.    I am in a sling which keeps it immobilized til the surgery. Sus oraciones ayudarame muy mucho si?  Mamá yo siento mal que usted tiene oír esa. Y estoy muy nervioso para esta cugiría.  (mama, I feel bad that you have to hear this and I am very nervous for this surgery) Pero yo sé que su fe y mi fe en Jesucristo y por Su expiación.   I can be healed. (but i know that your faith and my faith in Jesus Christ and through his atonement, i can be healed.) Le qierro mamá.

   On a happier note, how is everything? I am a little discouraged by the length of the last few letters, I want long ones lol.  I love reading them when I am reading like a story.   Again mom I am sorry you have to read this, I can just imagine you crying right now while reading it and it breaks my heart to even think about it. Thank you so much for the ties!!! and the quote thingy-magiggers they are asombroso!!!  Lets have a challenge mom,,, ready, the one who has the most marked up/cross referenced set of escrituras when I get home wins ok? lol   I got a pic with Dallin and I will send it home sometime when I can actually use my right arm.   Yes I have to write with my left and I am getting pretty good lol.   In the pic of Dallin and I you can tell I have gained a lot of weight cause of my face lol. I cant help it I love the food here!.   Entonces, oh mom, with my recovery and things, I will write in the study notebook on lds.org,  log into my account, under tools, my study notebook and you should see new entries every time I have a computer class ok?  I love you all!

The pain I have is excruciating but nothing as to what the Lord endured for all of us, let us all remember His sacrifice and also be the ones willing to die for what we believe in.   Stand for what you believe in.  Who cares what everybody else thinks right?  My prayers are with all of you and I am thankful for ur support.   I hope the MTC will allow me to call u before the surgery, either way u will get a phone call... Les quierro Mucho!!!

yours always even debilitated.

Elder Maki

HAVING GREAT EXPERIENCES

Well there's something to be said for the power of good friends.  When we lived in Lethbridge Kodi spent a lot of time with Dallin Cooper.  They were 7 or 8 years old and went to cubs together, then scouts and on to Venturers.  Then Coopers moved to Stirling.  Then, a few years later, we moved to Stirling.  Dallin reported to the MTC a day early on Tuesday May 10th. Kodi happened to be ushering for Neil L. Anderson who was the weekly devotional speaker.  I don't know the details yet but these two good friends, members of the same ward here in Stirling, now full time missionaries met up.  Hugs were exchanged and they spent some time together.

I was golfing in Raymond Men's league Thursday and hadn't had a chance to read Kodi's letter yet.  Doug, Dallin's father was also there and mentioned that Dallin had emailed home and told the same story.

Kodi's experiences to date have all been so uplifting for us but we felt that we weren't getting enough info about all the experiences he was having.  So we asked him to write longer letters and tell us more of the things he was experiencing.  Lo and Behold he was obedient.  Here's the letter.

Dear Mom,

  It is hard  to believe that I have been here for a month!!!  It is absolutely mind blowing!!!  Ok, where do i begin?   hmm, well I will start by saying it is amazing here, the language is coming so fast it is crazy!  This past Tuesday we have what is called TRC, it is a teaching resource center where you teach actual investigators, and this lady that Elder Dowdle and I taught, was from Venezuela.   She is a new convert but she had confusion about the Plan of Salvation.  She is barely older than I am, and she is preparing for the temple. When Elder Dowdle and I started teaching she told us she had problems with the Palabara De Sageduria, (Word of Wisdom) so we taught the importance of word of wisdom in our lives and promised her in the name of Jesus Christ that if she obeyed this law of God that she would experience better physical, mental and spiritual health.  Which lead to her asking about the Plan de Salvacion.  She lost her grandpa to cancer no more than 2 weeks ago, and she asked why if we obey the word of wisdom does God still let us get terminal illnesses, and we told her through the spirit that because we obey Gods commandments doesn't mean never getting sick again, but was merely a way of testing our faith in God and trusting in him and continuing in the path of righteousness in the light of Christ.  Which led right into the plan of salvation by us promising her that she will see her beloved grandfather again.   We taught her about life before this and also the life after. BAM!!! her face began to change, tears flowed down her eyes, she was figity, her face began to glow, my chest began to burn. I said words I never before knew.  Elder Dowdle looked at me like I was crazy, but I relied solemente sobre el Espiritu (solely on the spirit) I again promised her that she will again she her grandfather, (btw, she lived with her grandparents since she was little because her father left and her mother didn't want anything to do with her and her siblings. Sick person eh?)  I told her that when dealing with this hardship...(put this in your quote book) ..."When life gets too hard to stand...Kneel."  She literally bawled after that, there was a moment where we paused to receive revelation, and for her to compose herself again.  We then asked her to pray with us, and we knelt and prayed together, and she said the prayer. Our teacher (who is currently evaluating us, sitting outside the door) is crying, and after the visit was over, we went back to the prep room, and we were speechless.  In those 35 mins teaching, I cant explain it, my chest felt like it was on fire.  After that was personal study during which I cried unto my Heavenly Father thanking him for the Spirit felt during that experience...   It is reasons like this that you should go on a mission, the spirit is strong and people are waiting for you to teach them, in this case, it was for reconfirmation that she will see her grandfather again.  Last night at the devotional Niel L. Anderson spoke and  I got to usher him in.  I also met Dallin so I was sooooooo happy.  He gave me the biggest hug and told me the words you gave him lol.   "I LOVE YOU " and   "LAY OFF THAT CAFETERIA FOOD EH ".  It was so nice seeing him here!!!  I have one month left, can you believe it??? 

As soon as you get the family pics back from Shanna, send one to me in a frame please.  Is it bad to think I have almost forgotten what everyone looks like :S?  

Oh and Mom I am terribly sorry for not calling, I would've but being in the MTC they dont want 2600 missionaries calling home entienden? lol I really wanted to talk to you about everything but with the situation i couldn't.  Everybody has been getting sick here, its nasty.  I hope you guys get better.   I love the long letters you send me.  It makes me happy!  Thank you for the ties they are SWEET!!! :)  I hope all of you are doing great and dont miss me too much lol... 

Yo sé que mi Salvador vives, él amas todos nosotros, y él quiere nosotros a regresar y vive con él y Su Padre, nuestro Padre Celestial. Lel quiero mucho!!! Le quiero mi misión, y estoy grande!  Mamá, gracias por tú espiritu, y gracias por tú ejemplo.  Papá, guardar hace qué usted hace! usted Segnifice muchos cosas para mi.  Teiler, Le quiero mucho, Usted servia una misión, una maravilloso trabajo es sobre venir, usted puede ayuda.  En el nombre de Jesucristo Amen.

Yours always and eternally...

Elder Maki

p.s Teiler... Shut Up I'm Better Than You

As parents it's nice to see these Young Men growing into Men.

It's cool that Kodi and Dallin were able to be in the MTC together.  Alex Hogenson will arrive the day after Kodi leaves the MTC.  Numerous others from our ward are starting their mission papers.  Others serving are preparing to come home soon.  We could see as many as 11 missionaries serving from our ward.

THE WEEKLY LETTER

It's nice to know when your missionary is going to be writing to you!  It's sort of like having a little bit of Christmas every week.  Checking that email is really fun.  Especially for Mom.   Hopefully soon we will get some pictures to add to some of these blogs!

Hola mi querido Familia!!! Comó están? three weeks in and the experience keeps getting better and better! My companion is the best!!  The weeks seem to go by as a day, there are now 2300 missionaries here, and we will be getting a new district next Wednesday.  The cookies were good, I lost a belt hole cause of my weight gain, i love it tho, i am filling out alot more. 155 pounds and holding for now.  I need 15+ really nice ties... they want us to be able to wear a different tie for 2 weeks without using one twice.  My ankle is better, I just bruised it pretty bad in volleyball.  I need to know the exact mailing address so i can mail you guys the pics of my first week and such.  The spirit here is sooooooooo strong!!! Mom I sure hope you feel better soon. Haha the day Usama Bin Laden was killed was a awesome day here!  Oh the blessings of being in the MTC and I have only been here for 3 weeks!  My teachers are the best!!  Hermano Krueger is truly a jewel and Hermano Angus is just a big goof!  The Spanish is coming along muy bien and the spirit gets stronger everyday.  It is a culture shock especially 3 weeks in because you are surrounded by the gospel 24/7.  Whats the difference between Prison and the MTC?  You can have visitors in Prison.  It is considered Spirit prison. Oh and Dad, the Dorm I am staying in is the same as yours was, the Joseph Wilford Boothe building, room 319 on the 3rd floor!  A couple of my friends from mission prep live on the same floor too.  It has been really nice here lately, now that the tornadoes are over.  Its been about 60+ for the past 3 or 4 days. every morning however it gets harder and harder to wake up but mostly because I am sick.   Oh and I WANT MORE COOKIES LOL packages are a missionary's dream!.  Oh and tell Everybody about the blog... you should seriously see my scriptures dad, 45 markers!  Anyway I gots to go and do the Lord's work.

I love you so much Mom, Dad Teiler and Tiibo! I miss you all.  Stay strong! 

Yours always

Elder Maki

Now I just need to get out my mission pics and see what my room number was.  Wouldn't that be totally cool if he is in the same room that I was in some 28 years ago.  I hope that they've changed the carpets!

WOW! A HAND WRITTEN LETTER!

So we finally got the letter that our missionary mailed.  That's right, mailed!  Didn't know he knew how to do it that way.  So because his P-day was changed to Thursdays, he couldn't email us on the Monday, but could write a quick note and mail it.  It took a week and a half for it to arrive via snail mail.  It contained a picture of him and Elder Bonfield from Toronto. So here is the letter:

Dear Mom,

Hey Guys! I am very sorry to tell you that my schedule has changed and my P-Day is now Thursdays! So I cannot email till then but I will send this letter to my mama!  Its great here like seriously there is no greater start to a mission and to the rest of a life, than at the MTC!  I will send you some pics in a few days.  There is now a Photo printer here that prints  pics off of the SD card.  I screwed up my ankle. Everything is good and the food is awesome!!!  I seriously have gained 10 lbs in the first week.  You should see my scriptures!  They are all marked up!

Les Quiero mucho!

Yo se que Jose Smith es un profeta de Dias y el evengelio de Jesucristo es verdadero, y Jesucristo vives.  La idioma es vovanes muy rapido.

Les quiero!

Adios por hora!

Kodi went on to request more ties.  The new mission president wanted them to  be able to go two weeks without wearing the same tie.  I guess he wants them to look fresh.  So Tammy went and got him a bunch of ties and some junk food to put into a care package.  Tammy's cousins in Ogden will send the package for us.  Kodi's grandparents are going to Utah on Monday so they will take the package down.