Elections in Honduras

Hola, my son!  Can't believe I will not get a letter from you today because you are under house arrest!  Hope you are enjoying a little time off.  We have been doing some research on the election process in Honduras.  We read that there are EIGHT political parties!  We have looked at pictures of campaign flyers and posters of candidates EVERYWHERE! It looks like the cities are covered, with a high potential of violence in the cities to go along with it.  

Is it that intense where you live?  We are praying for the people of Honduras, that they will make the best decisions for their country.  But mostly we are praying for the missionaries, that they will be safe and protected.  

Things here are not quite that exciting...but we are still staying busy and having fun.  Sunday was your sister's 21st birthday!  she is legally an adult!! She and George came over for birthday dinner, cake and ice cream.  She was happy and had a fun time.  Can't believe I have been a mommy for 21 years!  

This is an exciting week...the first high school basketball game is Tuesday!  They will play at home against Mountain View.  Let the season begin!  

Last night we watched the RSL game, they won the western conference final against Portland.  They will play next Saturday for the MLS Cup against Kansas City.  Everyone has soccer fever!  

Wednesday morning we will head to St. George for Thanksgiving...Grandma and Grandpa Kindred have reserved a couple of condos with their time share and have invited everyone to come for turkey dinner.  I will be thinking of you a lot during the holiday weekend!  Just before dinner when we all share what we are most thankful for my answer will be, "for an missionary son in Honduras who is worthy and willing to serve the Lord."  I am so proud of you!  

Hope you have a great week!  So sad I won't get an email from you today. :( Write as soon as you can!!  

Love, Mom

Twenty One Years

Today I have been a mommy for TWENTY ONE YEARS!!!  Happy birthday to my beautiful baby girl.  So proud of the young woman she has become, and so happy for the wonderful relationship we share.  She is one of the greatest blessings of my life!  So thankful to be her mom.

Cheer Showcase

Stefanie did great at her cheer showcase Saturday night.  Her tumbling and stunting has greatly improved this year at Utah Peak Academy.  Her cheer squad has several local competitions coming up in the next few weeks, and one in Anaheim in the spring.  Fun to see her skills improve.  

Mentally Strong

I recently came across a magazine article and loved it, I thought it made a lot of sense. It was all about being mentally strong.  It said that mentally strong people manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. They are the people I respect and admire the most.  And the most mentally strong person I know is my husband.  He embodies each of these qualities and habits, what a great example he is to me. 

Here are the qualities of a mentally strong individual... 

They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves 
Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair.

They Welcome and Adapt to Change 
Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt.  

They Don't Waste Energy on Things They Can't Control 
You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over small, insignificant annoyances. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude.

They Don't Worry About Pleasing Everyone
Mentally strong people recognize that they don't need to please everyone all the time.  They're not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary.  They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn't make them happy.  

They Take Risks 
They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.  

They Don't Dwell on the Past
Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.  

They Learn From Their Mistakes 
Mentally strong people accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.  

They Appreciate Other People's Success 
Mentally strong people do not resent others' success in life, they appreciate and celebrate it. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success.  

They Don't Give Up
Mentally strong people don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right, or make a better plan.

They Don't Give Away Their Power
Mentally strong people don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They understand that they are in control of their own emotions and they have a choice in how they react and respond.  

They Enjoy Their Own Company
Mentally strong people are not dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time.  They enjoy spending time with others, but aren't afraid to be alone with their thoughts.  Instead, they are content and confident all on their own.  

They Don't Feel the World Owes Them Anything 
Mentally strong people don’t feel entitled to things in life. They do not allow the mentality that others should take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits.  

They Don't Expect Immediate Results
Whether they are working on improving their health or starting a new business, mentally strong people don't expect immediate results.  Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time. 

Our News this Week for Our Missionary

I enjoy posting the letters to my missionary each week, what a great record of all my family's happenings!  Here is our latest news…

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Hola my son!  Wow, P-day again and time for another letter from my favorite missionary!  Do these weeks fly by as quickly for you as they do for me? I live for Mondays, the best day of the week because I get to hear from my boy!

It has been another packed week for us.  Dad's X-country banquet was Tuesday, it was really nice.  He had a huge team this year, 86 athletes, 28 of them seniors.  He and Rushforth both spoke and shared their favorite highlights of the season.  He brought home a stack of cards and letters from his runners, all thanking him for being a great coach.  Dad sure loves his X-country team!  Basketball tryouts at LHS begin this afternoon, so exciting!

Last night was my primary "Priesthood Preview" for all the 11-year-old boys in our ward.  It was great, I gave a talk on the importance of the priesthood.  Of course I mentioned YOU and said how proud I am that I have a missionary son who honors the priesthood and is worthy to serve the Lord.  As I looked around at all their faces I could hardly believe these little boys that I have known since they were babies will soon be deacons!  They are good boys from awesome families.

Dad wanted me to tell you that RSL won their first round playoff series against Los Angeles Galaxy.  They were behind one point after the game in LA, but won at home in overtime Thursday night 2-0 to move to the finals.  Last night RSL played at home against Portland, the #1 ranked team in the league and won 4-2.  They will play in Portland later this week.

Quick note from Stefanie:  hey braden! sorry i don't write you very much, i just don't think that i have anything cool to say, or anything that you would be interested in; but i think that taelor has written to you more times than i have and thats really lame so i will try to write you more (: haha i hope that you are doing well in tegucigalpa, in geography we are learning about central america, so i've learned about and seen lots of pictures of honduras, so i guess now i know everything about it. (;  hmm. ha cheer is good, we are working hard, we have a parents performance next saturday, and i'm not sure how its going to go, hopefully good, and our first competition is in december, i have my standing back tuck on the ground now (most days) you wish you could do that (; we are going to compete in california in march so i'm excited to go there. first term of school just ended and i got a 3.6 or something, and hey i was pretty proud of myself. (: ha so anyways just wanted to tell you i love you, and miss you a lot!! you are such a great example, i can't wait til i'm on my mission, and i will get a letter from you every so often. (; byeee

There was a huge typhoon in the Philippines this week causing much damage, death and destruction, it has been a major news story all week.  Not sure how much access you have to world news, so you may or may not have heard about it.  We talked to Bishop Hancock on Friday, he said it is the same place where Annika will be serving her mission in a few weeks.  Also, I have been thinking about your friend Amanda, and hoping she and all our Philippine missionaries are OK.  I am so grateful for the knowledge that Heavenly Father protects his servants.  We pray every day for your health and safety.

Love, Mom and all

November Letter to My Missionary

Hola, happy P-day!  So glad you had a good experience at Zone Conference.  I did a little research on Elder Ochoa, he is really an amazing man.  I read that he had been a mission president in Honduras a few years back, so cool!  And I enjoyed his talk at last conference.  Glad you got to meet him and listen to him speak, sounds like a great experience.  

Well, here are the highlights from the week...  

*We had fun carving jack-o-lanterns with Bryan and Katie and family on Monday night for FHE.  You were missed!  We remembered how you carved four different faces last year, so any way you turned your pumpkin you got a different expression.  Haha.  This year Stefanie carved one for you that said, "I (heart) my missionary."  So cute, it was my favorite.  And we discovered that George is a surprisingly talented pumpkin carver--his was great!
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*Halloween was fun!  I loved being at school all day and seeing all the cute costumes, and singing spooky songs with my music classes.  Rachel and George came over that evening for Burger Beef Stew and rolls, then it was time for trick-or-treaters!  It was a warm evening so Dad and I sat out on the front porch to hand out candy to my primary kids.  Love them!  Stefanie went trick-or-treating with a group of friends and came home with a boat load of candy that she doesn't want to eat.  Dad was pretty excited about that.  

*Saturday was J**** B********'s baptism.  What a sweet kid!  I was asked by the stake primary president to play the piano at the baptism which I was happy to do, since I was planning to be there anyway.  Speaking of…have you had any opportunity to play the piano in Honduras?  The one and only hymn you know…Sweet Hour of Prayer!  We miss hearing you play the piano!  Especially Don't Stop Believing, Hallelujah, Piano Man, Charlie Brown, The Entertainer…and all the other masterpieces in your repertoire!  One more thing we all miss about you.  

*Primary was good this week, I taught the Sharing Time lesson on the subject of gratitude.  I passed around a picture of you in the jungle, described your living conditions, and quoted a line from your first letter sent from Honduras…"Appreciate what you have because there are a lot of people with a lot less than you!"  It was perfect for my lesson, thank you for that!  My primary kids loved it.

*Daylight Savings Time started on Sunday night.  Ugh, not a fan, especially this year because we will now be an hour behind Honduras time for the next several months!  But it was nice to get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning.

That is all our news!  We hope you've had a good week, can't wait to get another letter from you today. We love you!  

Love, Mom, Dad, and Stef