Elder Gatten Sept. 24.08

They’ll never take me alive….I am still here I am still kicking! Ha ah. My good old dad! That is what he told me when he wrote me this week after his adventurous trip to Alaska again! Ha ha! Well me too, I am alive and I am kicking. It was great to hear that they had a good time and they made it out of there. The trips always end a little to early it seems, but the memories last for forever!
Don’t forget to send me some pictures of the trip that they took and everything because I know that they are super busy with work and who know what else. I can’t wait to see the pictures. Plus the pictures of my deer mount and the geese.
We have some birthdays too! Lets see ryder, Wyatt, and kate isn’t that right?! Happy birthday you litter buggers! I miss you little guys so much. I see pictures of you guys and your all growing like weeds. It is really sad to see. I know that your parents wish that you would stay babies. You only grow up on time though remember that so make the best of it! Have fun parties and remember I wish I was there to give you b-day spankings! Ha ha. Spike, the uncle that tortures=)
What else is new there as of late? How is everyone doing? How is the weather and everything too it sounds like it has been pretty warm and that its been hard for the hunting. Excuses! Ha. Have the leaves began to fall yet or not? It is nuts that the seasons are changing yet again there. Its fall again just like when I left. Just a few short weeks or so and ill be out a year. Everyone is just super busy though and living life. I hope that everyone knows I love them and that I am thinking about them! Keep up the good work, and ctr!
This last week has been awesome. We had a couple more baptisms! The lord is blessing us in this area now. We are really pleading for his help, his blessings, and miracles and they are coming. Seriously, I have never felt so close to the savior in my life. He is truly leading me by the hand. So this week also we found an amazing family. If there ever existed a gold investigator or family this couple would have to qualify! There names are joão and priscila. They are 27 and 23 and are from rio grande do sul, the state here in brazil farthest south. So it is super could there too, and he is a fan of it. So as you can imagine him and I are great friends. We have only taught them one time, but it feels like I have known them my whole life. We planed a family night for next Monday or so when we are going to do a big barbeque the style from where he is from. My companion is from the same area too so they totally click. Anyways, they are totally cute and fun. They are like Americans. They just are civilized and know what like is really like. After I left there I felt like I had just talked to one of you. I just felt awesome. When we were teaching I totally could just see them in the celestial room together. It was so awesome. The spirit was so strong that I invited them to be baptized too, and they ACCEPTED! I asked them a question what they thought that they needed to do to have an eternal family and she said be baptized. So basically she answered the questions before I actually layed it on them. Also he totally opened up when we were teaching. He has a testimony already. He told us he lost his mother when he had 3 years. So he totally is awesome. They are amazing and I seriously feel like I would do anything for them. I love them to death, and I just would do anything to see a smile on their faces.
I know that the lord is preparing people for us to teach. I know that he works miracles through those who are worthy and willing to make sacrifices. That is why I am challenging you guys like mom did at the beginning of the year to find 2 people that you can share the gospel with. You don’t have to go knocking doors, just look at the people around you. The lord prepares the hearts of the children of men. Don’t be afraid of people, share the gospel, you will reap the benefits in the future. I love you all. Have an awesome week. Pray for this family that they can continue to be strong and be baptized here in 3 weeks. We have a lesson Saturday with them. Talk to you next week. Be safe and keep your head up. The savior is by your side, seek his counsel and love!
Elder gatten

My "hunting trip"

I usually do something to the house when Steve goes hunting, so this year I replaced the insta-hot at the kitchen sink for him as he loves to have hot water for postum, put knobs and pulls on my kitchen cabinets,and had Tyler, my son-in-law put up new fans in the family room. The kids had given me the new ones for christmas 3 years ago and Steve always said"there's nothing wrong with the ones that are up there." Anyway, I decided 20 years was long enough for the old ones. What do you think?




Now I just need to re finish the cabinets!  Always something

Spike wants to see this.

One of his geese
His duck, a turkey, badger, coyote and others hang in his bedroom.

His nephews and neices are afraid to sleep in Uncle Spike's room when they come to visit.

A picture of Steve's first and only duck.  They just don't stand still!!

Spike's goose and duck got finished at the taxidermy so thought you would all be interested...or at least he is...HA!

Steve and Brett are Back from Alaska!!!

They were only 2 days late this time!  Yep the pilot picked them up out of the bush a day late and then they couldn't get a flight out of Anchorage until  2:30AM this morning .  It seems that it is at least  normal to not have everything work out right when he goes to Alaska so I didn't worry. These are pics of me picking them up at the airport.  Notice how skinny they are, Brett's pants are falling off of him.  The other picture is for those of you who do not know what a moose is.  This is a female, and Steve got a male, thus the pic of the horns he got five years ago.  This years are on there way back via cargo.  More pictures to come!

I did some things this week end too.

   Saw Brett's new plot hound pups.

AND Watched Jackson and Kate play soccer. 

Sally and Cade wished they could play.

I got to see Dusty and Angie on their way too and from their week in Montana, where they hunted for elk. And, saw many but did not shoot any.

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Spike the Man Sept. 17, 08

Spike man Sept. 17, 08

How is everyone doing? I did not hear from anyone this week. Well actually cassie sent me a little letter, but mom sent a e mail messed up and that is it. So I, yet again, come to the internet with nothing new to read and with no news about how BYU did against UCLA. Luckily my other friends family told him how it was, and he said they crushed them. They are ranked #11 in the nation. That’s right. Nothing is impossible when the lord is on your side!
So you have not heard anything from dad and the hunting trip huh? Did they ever use the satellite phone to call or no? it would be nice to know if I have a dad anymore. Ha. Hope they come back with some sick stories about Alaska. I have been talking to my hunting bro missionary here and we want to plan a Colorado hunt for mule deer or a Alaska trip. Its not that far away. Ha.
I am doing well. This week has been really great. I feel like I am in a rhythm. Teaching, and helping people. That is what I do. Saving salvations and smiling while I am doing it. Finished the Portuguese book of Mormon again. It is so true. Every time I read it I come a with out a doubt it is the word of god. We have a couple baptisms this week. We are going to baptize Sara. She is like 16. she is the best investigator I have had in the whole mission. She goes to church reads and does everything you could ever ask her. She is super quiet though, but when she speaks she bears her testimony and she is totally elect. What a blessing that I have the opportunity to teach her. Also graciani a 33 year old women. We have been working with her até o pó and finally she is ready to be baptized. It is hard sometimes to help people realize they have received a answer from our heavenly father. So ya that is sweet. One will be Friday and the other sábado. Cool huh!
Besides that there is nothing to report. I have been, or my comp, have been really been persiquted in this area as of late. Like I got hit in the head in the temple by a huge rock a guy throw at me. Made me bleed pretty bad, and thus I lost a shirt. Drops of blood got all over it. But the weird thing is I never even turned to anger. You may think how did spike not go over and thump that punk on the nose…I don’t know. I just walked away. I am a representative of Jesus Christ.
I hope you all have an awesome week. Stay safe, and stand up for what you believe in no matter what others may do to you. I promise that as you first seek the kingdom of god and do things according to his will you will be blessed for eternity. I love you all. Keep your head up.
Elder gatten



This must be his birthday cake I sent him and a car he likes...ha!

canning

Another busy week!

AJ and I went to Seattle to visit Emily Holloway a friend from Coeurd'Alene who had fallen from a window at her apartment 15 feet up to her back. She crushed 2 vertebra and has titanium replacements. She is a miracle as she has no paralysis or wasn't killed. Many prayers have be given in her behalf!

We also ate dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory, one of my favorite restaurants. I bought a whole Gidiva Choc. Cheesecake and have shared it with everyone here at home. It is to die for!



We also brought back 15 boxes of peaches. Lizzy got 10 for her and friends. AJ, Brynne and Mikin made jam and the today we canned 24 quarts of sliced.




Brynne was cleaning house for me last week and
Cade decided to help

A storm brewing in Manaus

But bad weather does not dappen the spirit of baptisms

From Manaus Sept 10.08

Como vocês estão? Tudo tá ótimo pra aí ou não? Eu recebi todos os pacotes de dusty, cassie, e katelyn esta semana. Foi bacana gente! Obrigado! How are you guys doing? I hope that everything is going awesome there! I got the packages that everyone sent me this week. Along with some letters and such. I got tons of things for my birthday so I guess it is almost that time of year huh? Only a month early! Thanks so much though. I really appreciate all that each of you do for me. The littlest things make me feel so much better, and hearing from you all just makes me that much happier! So thanks!
So I have not heard anything about dad or brett. Neither have you guys, so I hope that they are doing alright there. I have been thinking a ton about them. Mom said that they have the satellite phone from Tyler’s dad so I hope that they make contact with you guys sometime. I know that they will get some moose. Freak I am pretty jealous!
I heard that the fun run that brynne and mikin put on went really well. They had about 60 kids there and they all enjoyed it. What impelled you guys to do that? Where did you get such an idea? It was cool because I got the flyer from mikin today and then I heard today too that it went really well. Great job guys! Everything that promotes children to get out there and to be active is really worth while! This time in the world there is so much to take the children away from things that are really worth their time. There are computers, cellular, and so many other electronical equipment that really can hold back physical activeness. My companion and I went to a local school this week and spoke with their director. We had been thinking that many of the children that we teach have many problems at a young age. Not just normal problems, but like this week alone I taught 4 young girls ages 10-13 that were pregnant. There is no excuse for that. Of course one of the first things you are going to think is that they are not being taught in the home and they have bad or no example in the home. Well that is true. But what can we do to help them and to teach them if their parents don’t do their part? So elder prado and I thought that we should just go to the school closest to us and converse with the faculty. We talked with them and they gave us 4 things that the school struggles with. First a lack of motive for the children to study. They have no will to learn and to become someone better. They think that they can live off the street and make their own living with their proper hands and feet and knowledge. Second was violence and gangs. This is wrapped so tightly around the school that it seems at times that the faculty is put at will to the students. Third is drugs. That speaks for itself and is a big problem here with Colombia and other drug rich areas around manaus. And finally, fourth, sexual prostitution and teenage pregnancy. Like I said I taught 2 ten year old girls this week that we pregnant. One of witch was 6 months along. So what can we do to help this. We cannot put any force or obligation on the parents because half of the choldern don’t have them, or their parents don’t care for them. So we have to teach them ourselves, within the school where they are subjected to sit and listen and we have police in the exits. So they agreed with our motion to make a program to impel the children to study, learn, and become someone better in live. To give them motives to study and to reach their personal potential. So we have been spending the last couple days throwing ideas together, and we will start sometime this month.
This week we have been teaching and finding many elects. They have been ready and praying to receive their own personal answers that what we teach them is true. They have been keeping their commitments and really searching for truth. We have one baptism this week and 5 next week. So we are progressing in an area that is really infested with drugs and gangs. It has truly become a test of faith. We taught this girl this wee about the word of wisdom. She drank coffee but promised to give it up. So we went back and she still had coffee in the house. I asked her to get it all for me. She handed it to me and I took directly to the sink and rinsed it down the drain. She began crying and thanked us. She said that she did not have the guts to do it cause she knew her mom would yell at her. She said now she can yell at me! Ha but you know what like it says in the preach my gospel, we are to do anything and everything to help those who are trying to find the truth keep the commandments and help them walk in the ways of the lord.
This week has been a real faith builder. I have been really trying to become a servant of my heavenly father. Subject myself to his will and his ways, even though it might be contrary to the desires of the natural man. I have been thinking and pondering the gospel, and finding myself on my knees often. Humbling myself and searching the companionship of the holy spirit. I have read dc 42 14 a lot. If you don’t have the spirit you cannot teach. And if you don’t teach how will you convert. I have studied about the whisperings of the spirit, the power of the spirit, the light of Christ, and how we can recognize the influence of the third member of the godhead more fully in each of our lives. I have felt the saviors arms wrap around me, I have been filled with a fullness of joy and assurance, I have come to know him and to know that he is there. I can feel his presence and concern on my behalf. He is our father, he loves us dearly. We need to live worthy of the spirit. We cannot have contention or unhealthy thoughts. We must subject ourselves to his will and his ways, and then the spirit will purify us and we will become sanctified members of his kingdom. I know that threw the gospel we can learn more about the characteristics of our father in heaven and his savior Jesus Christ. We can learn about where we come from why we are here and where we are going. The gospel answers the deepest questions of the soul. Search them out. Help others find answers, and search the guidance of the holy spirit and you will be lead in paths of righteousness
I love you all. I am thinking about each of you always. I hope that you know that I am serving with all my might, mind, and strength. I am putting his will before my own, and thus finding my true purpose and mission on this earth. To help other find and follow the straight and narrow. What a noble calling, what a responsibility. The lord qualifies his servants though, and with faith nothing is impossible as long as it is according to the fathers will. The spirit can teach all things, so seek its guidance and follow your feelings. Open your mouth and change someone’s life and thus the many generations that follow them. I have put that more at thought this week. We don’t share the gospel…but why? Cause we don’t want to be thought of weirdly or make a fool of ourselves. But when you see at someone that you could share the gospel with imagine generations of children and grandchildren and the potential they have to become members of the church based on your decision to share with them what you hold precious. Opening your mouth will change GENERATIONS. Every member is a missionary. Walk with a book of Mormon. Keep one in your car. Have pass along cards. Prepare yourselves and the lord will prepare someone for you. Ask the missionaries to come over and teach you. ASK THEM HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM. Offer a ride for their investigators. Do something nice for them. Kill them with kindness. I love you all. I know this gospel is true. I am moved by the spirit and know that without a doubt god lives, Jesus is the Christ the son of the living god, we have a prophet of god o9n the earth threw which we receive revelation for our days. What a blessing. I love you. Keep your head up. Become sanctified and prepare yourself to be a tool in the hands of our father to bring someone into the gospel. What an honor. Open your mouth, share the truth.
Your younger brother, uncle, son, and friend
Elder gatten
Ps…I love the tabernacle choir music!
plus a amazon rain storm starting!

Wedding!

Lynette's wedding

Lynette Page and Chris Holstein got married last Saturday.

Brynne's best friend and our neighbor have been friends since their family moved in on our street about 18 years ago. They used to do the lemonade stands, dress-up, giggle and just grew up together. Brynne and Lynnette were always together and were just best friends.  We used to have her over almost everyday and her cousins and grandparents would have thought Brynne was a part of their family too.  This past week Lynette got married at the resort golf course.  She had met Chris her senior year of high school and they have been together ever since.

Sisters Dani and Shelly, Lynette and Brynne at shower 

Sept. 3, Elder Gatten

What’s going on there in the promised land? I hope that your all doing awesome and that this letter finds you all happy and smiling! After looking at the blogs it looks like everyone is doing awesome there, and the kids are growing up in a hurry. Seriously! The little nieces and nephews that I used to have all turned into to boys and girls. They all look so different its amazing. Especially cade. It looked like they all had fun in the kids triathlon that they had there this last week. The sun was shinning and the little buggers were working their tails off! Training them young there huh. Great job guys! Oh also I saw that tom finished a half triathlon too! That a boy. Keep it up! It looked like you had a fun time and you were alive at the end of it. It seems like everyone in the family is getting hooked up on this kind of sissy runny and swimming junk. Que porkaria é essa?! I cannot believe that tyler poked a freaking elk the first weekend of the season. That is how we do it!!!!!!!!!! How many elk has he killed? I find myself super depressed writing in my journal because I just keep recounting that story of when I lost that big bull last year. I have had 2 haunting dreams about it. And also you want to know how many elk I have killed after all of the sleepless nights I have had hunting? 0 yes 0. what a pitiful number. Here I am this mighty hunter in brasil always talking about elk, and I have not killed one. Sucks. But I am so proud of tyler. Now jon has the help to go and get one for him. I don’t think that he could have a better chance. Just him going to be up there at the pond peak ready to slay some game. Tyler got another though. That’s tight. Well I am also going nuts knowing that dad is going to Alaska today. I tell all the people my comp and everyone and they think that he is insane. They seriously think that he is so rich. Cause its like every weekend he is going somewhere. And he just went to Alaska fishing. They think he is the man! They love too how my family hunts and gets out in the wild. People here don’t know what life is until they stick their hands into a steaming hot dead animal! As you can tell I am pretty trunky for hunting. Its in my blood though, I was raised that way. Ha. Mas meu amigo tyler, parabéns com o successo cara. Eu sabia que tu iria matar um aulci! Tu é o bicho, capaz pra tudo! Agora vai lá e mata pra mim. Compra logo um ingresso meu, se tu quiser. Ta? Até logo bruxu!Oh by the way, elder hugh b. mason from my group that is from Colorado is like my main man. Just like me and brett. Big and buff and stuck on hunting. Anyways his dad has tons of ranches and hunts eld até o pó, he said his dad got a couple tags in mexico and Arizona that are super hard to get. Its like guranteed he will mata a fatty bull!I am sick of hearing from the people about the united states and who will win presidency in their opinion. Everyone here is saying that Obama is going to win. I just tell them it is a bunch of you know what. I cannot believe what the world is coming to. The more political the things are getting the more it just pushes me away from having an opinion and caring about what is going on. I hate it. I hope Christ comes before we elect a……ha.I got the packages that you guys sent me! A couple shirts from sportsmans! Ducks and a big fatty bull elk that got my blood going! Ha ha. Also new shoes that are seriously heaven. I never though that I loved having comfortable shoes so much. I opened up the package and I grabbed the shes and began to kiss them uncontrollably. Shoes! Thanks for everything. Seriously. I loved the clif bars too. I already ate them all! Ha. It was all awesome. My birthday is coming up too, but you don’t have to worry about sending me anything. If you really want to send something send me a written copy of your testimony and a story of how you first came to know that the church was true. That would definitely be enough for me.! Thanks again for the things that I received. I am so blessed.So, this last weekend I had the conference with elder Ellis of the area presidency of brasil. It was a great experience, and I learned a ton to say the least. It is so nuts how you feel so small when you have such a spiritual giant and learned man in your presence. He gave us training and ate dinner with him after. He did not interview us though. Only the zone leaders. His wife is super cool. She spoke some Portuguese also which was super surprising. Elder Ellis was the president of the brasil são Paulo north mission from 01´to 04´. He was the president for the bishop of my ward. Crazy. So they have some experience with missionaries and with the atmosphere here in brasil. So anyways he taught us a ton of stuff. He taught us mainly that we need to work more with the members. He used a little symbol to illustrate this for us. mBm. Members + missionaries, baptize more. And it also reflects missão brasil manaus. He taught the importance that every member has in the missionary work. He related a ton to what elder bednar spoke about in the last general conference. He said the missionaries are full time teachers and the members are the full time finders. Members have to not just pray for the missionaries, but pray for personal missionary experiences. But wait….it does not just finish with that. That is where many people mess up; they pray for experiences and then they do nothing about it. You have to pray for the discernment to know who to talk to and what to say. To have the ability to listen to the whispers of the spirit, and have the courage to follow the answer you receive. He spoke with the spirit, and I could just feel that without a doubt what he was saying was pure revelation. It was an awesome. Meeting. Oh and one crazy fact! He is from BURLEY, IDAHO. Ha ha. Now he lives in Texas though. So you guys want to know about my president but there is not that much to say. He served a mission here in brasil at the same time dad was in south Africa. He is a little older. He does not speak that great of Portuguese but I know that the lord will qualify him for the work. He is a scientist guys and taught at the BYU Hawaii for like 20 years. He lives there right by the school and temple. It was cool cause we can talk about all the areas there in Hawaii and the islands and we both can relate to it. With the sister too. She is awesome. I had the opportunity to sit down with her and talk for a couple hours. We laughed and cried together. She told me how she feels being on the mission and the whole process she went threw with the prophet and such. Its an amazing story. They are awesome. I told her how my family was so excited to hear about how they are and everything and she began to cry and said that that big gatten family sounds like they are one in a million. I thought that was sweet. So the work is going good. We have really spent so much time on our knees lately. We have been ready DC 42 14 a lot and I am continually seeking the spirit in all that I do. I am praying for the ability to recognize its promptings and being able to act in accordance to them. I love the work. I know that it, the work, is not easy, no one said it would be easy. It is teaching me so much though. I know who I want to be. I know that the gospel is true. I know that my father in heaven has a plan for me and that I have the opportunity to have an eternal family in his presence is I live according to his standards. We have to do our part or we have no promise.D C 82 10 around there. I love the gospel. I know that it is true. I want each of you to receive another conformation of its veracity. Read moroni 10 3-5 and humble yourself and ask the father with a sincere heart if really these things are true. I know that threw the power hole ghost you will receive an answer. Galatians 5 22 what greater joy a man can have than to know of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Its real. Now is the time to prepare. Be valiant. I love you all. Keep your head up and make him proud. Bring forth good fruit! I am praying for you.Elder gatten