Wishing for a beard

Questions:

1. Did you get your package yet? Its just one package. Im worried about it cuz its your new pants.

   Got the pants. THANK YOU SO MUCH...... HA HA HA HA. I needed pants something fierce.

 

2. Do you like the Strawberry Whey Protein?   
     Love it. I'm going to need more...... ha ha ha. But not TOO soon. The Blender bottle is the     greatest thing on earth.

 

3. What general authority did Pres Marler meet up with?

     An area 70 from Bolivia

 

4. Is there a dedication date set for the Temple yet?

    Nay.

 

I love you people. Dad's picture in the field is hilarious. Everyone thinks my father is Porter Rockwell. I kind of do too, sometimes....... I wish I was as manly as that....... big nasty beard and everything. I might go through the Mason Halligan effect and just grow a huge gnarly face fro when I get home. Cherry red..... ha ha ha ha ha.

I am glad you think I am buff. Makes me feel good. Gives me faith and hope to carry on with it..... I am like the living carbon copy of Grandpa Thorpe. It's weird, because Sometimes I look in the mirror, and see just how much my face is not my own. I pretty much stole it from him. Ha ha ha ha. It's so funny. Now we have to figure out what on Earth is Courtney?

I am sorry this letter will be kind of short, and also void of photos....... I sat here for almost 20 minutes thinking that you didn't write me this week.... then I scrolled up and saw that you had..... ha ha ha ha ha. I'm an idiot....... So needless to say, I don't have much time.

I love you all more than words can say. Les amo más que palabras pueden explicar. I also wish that each one of you has a good week. También, espero que cada uno de Ustedes tengan una semana buena. Maybe someday I won't be such a dork. Quizás algún día, yo no seré tan como un pez sin agua. Ha ha ha.

I love you Mom

Bark at the moon, dad.

Don't go to Grantsville, Courtney


Love, Elder Boekweg (I still need the words to big rock candy mountain.)

 

 

Activity Day in Chimbote with Pres. Marler

Contemplating the Day in Chimbote

 

 

 

 

The Boy Boxed Up His Childish Things

by Elder Boekweg

 

The boy boxed up his childish things, and put them all away,

A call to fight a war afar, had called him another way,

He gathered all his war-tool things, and put them in his pack,

With not much more than hope itself, his life hung on his back,

He said goodbye to mother, who knew it would be long,

Before she saw her son again, and each should face this strong,

He jumped aboard a one-way flight, and waved goodbye to all,

Flew through several days and nights, to where he had been called,

His work would catch him off his guard, much harder than he thought,

Yet also much more joyous, though days were long and hot,

He fought with all the strength he knew, though at times it wasn’t much,

Soon he found a strength anew, he needed just a such,

For on his own, and far from home, he found that things were hard,

Souls were lost, and souls were saved, and ever-more to guard,

The boy missed home, although he’d known, the war would be this way,

And he had signed his name say, that in this work, for a time would stay,

And though his day was still far off, he thought of home and friends,

From time to time, a vision came, of when the war would end,

Soon the war was halfway through, and oddly he had found,

That there was where he wished to stay, to try to gain more ground,

The Southern front, a summer come, a winter already gone,

The time had passed, and soon he knew, this war would not take long………..

 

MORE LATER

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHANCE!

Today is Chance's 20th birthday.

So..... I guess I am 20 years old now.... Doesn't feel like it. In fact, I didn't even remember it was my birthday.... I have been worrying about reserving hotels for President's trip with a general authority this weekend. The best part is, even after I found out, I forgot again! Ha ha ha. My comp had to remind me.

Y'all realize that according to the mission system, my group has one year on the 25th of March? It's coming so fast...... and if this next year goes as fast as this one has..... I will be shoveling snow out of the driveway, winter 2015 before I even knew I left home.... It's so bizarre....

Sorry I never take pictures.... ha ha ha ha. I guess if you want to see an airport or a desk or something, I could take a few more.... ha ha ha. I actually went to Chimbote this week for 3 days. We proselyted with Zone Leader's and had a great time. Elder Dennis, (Who ends his mission this change) says he wants to start a band when I get back. He's going to BYU. He is a fantastic drummer. (He's the black-haired white guy in the drum video from Christmas).

I am so glad you're going to Elder Kaden Hansen's homecoming. I am sure his talk will be great. If it's anything like his district trainings were, it can get you through a really lonely time in a tiny town where nobody understands a word you say any given day of the week. I learned so much in Casa Grande.

Shout out to M.J., Reagan and here it comes.............Sister Taylor!! Happy Birthday to all of you.

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday packages and wishes. Its so nice to hear from home. I loved all the letters and pictures.

Questions:
1.  How is summer?
    Really, really, really, really humid. Hot.
2. Did you LOVE your bday presents?
    Yes! The pictures were my very favorite! It's good to see everyone in the ward is doing well. And Keith Handley is bald now!? Nobody told me...... ha ha ha. I love that guy... I'll always be his annoying neighbor kid. ha ha ha ha.
3. What is the number one thing you feel you've learned in the mission office?
    Follow the Spirit. We can do nothing without it. Be proactive. Be interested.
4. What is your favorite thing about the mission office?

     Getting to learn directly from President.

5. How do you like the city?

    To be honest, the city is not really my thing.... I am becoming ever more interested in the idea of moving to Lewisville, Idaho, and living alone among my pigs and fields of potatoes. I even told President Marler that. He laughed and said, "Why on earth would you want to live in Lewisville, Idaho?" (He was born in Idaho Falls, I think). I don't think he feels the same about it as I do... ha ha ha.

I love you mom. Thank you for eveything you do for me.

Good luck back home,

-Elder Boekweg

Pictures are worth 1000 words

Each of these pics are worth 1,000 words. Short letter is justified.

 

I am glad Elder Hansen made it over there. He is awesome. By far the most powerful guy I have met on the mission. He is so cool.

Shirts are cool, right? Inca cola is so gross, but I am sure Roberto will love the shirt.

*Chance sent us some T-shirts home with Elder Hansen who came home 2 weeks ago. We loved them, they say PERU! Roberto gets one that says Inca Cola. It was so fun to meet Elder Hansen who served with Chance in Casa Grande. We learned so much about the mission and saw great pics. Welcome home Elder Kaden Hansen!

 

The dogtags...... I was hoping that picture wouldn't make it onto the blog......HAHA..... Look.... I was having a rough day and week. And the package came........ I had to open it. I am sorry. I wear the dogtags everyday now. I think they're cool. I love grandpa. He is a true man. tough as nails.

*Chances birthday is Feb 15 and he opened his birthday packages early haha

 

COURTNEY  Ha ha ha ha. She's so funny. Stinkin' farm queen.

 

The pictures are of an average shopping trip here in Trujillo.

 

Tio Roberto - disfrute su polo. Pensé que sería un recuerdo bueno de su país. A mi me encanta su país y la cultura de su gente. Un día, voy a encontrar un polo bien chevere de su equipo de fútbol favorito. Pero tiene que avisarme cuál quiere..... puedo mandar otro paquete de cosas a mi casa el 10 de Marzo, entonces si me avisa antes del Marzo, puedo buscar el equipo que desea. Hay mil lugares para comprar aquí. La avenida España tiene más opciones que creo que hay personas en el mundo.... ha ha ha. No tenemos lugares así en los estados, ¿di? (Allí es mi dejo norteño que voy a tener cuando regreso... espero no le fastidia. Ha ha ha.) Por lo menos, es mejor que los casagrandinos.... ellos casí cantan mientras hablan. Bueno, me avise cuál equipo y talla, y en todos modos yo lo busco su polo. ¡Le amo!

 

Sorry I don't have a whole lot of time this week. President got a lenghty letter from me this week....

 

-Elder Boekweg

 

 

Suitcases, Suits, and Bombs,

by Chance Boekweg

 

A room was filled with businessmen, who boasted of their feats,

Who argued like they’d always been, of who they could defeat,

Each one said they rose above, the rest who claimed the same,

They cited stats to push and shove, their way to higher reign,

For only one could ever be, the CEO of the company,

In desperate strikes to beat the rest, they cut each other’s knees,

Looking for what flaws they could, in every other man,

The room was filled with worded bombs, to wreck down other’s lands,

 

The boss who then would choose the heir, to the company´s success,

Then entered to a ghastly sight, the room now filled with mess,

The businessmen had been compared, until they were no more,

For now each felt but one inch tall, and wrecked down to their cores,

They burnt each other to a crisp, a personal flambé,

And now there were no other words, with which with they each could say,

“I am worth the job you have, please give it now to me,

I promise I won’t let you down, by numbers, you can see,”

 

They each appeared to shrink away, as vampires from the sun,

Their sucking of each other’s blood, Left each of them a crumb,

A shadow of their former self, piece that once was whole,

The boss now saw but ashes, of men once made of gold,

And so he hired none of them, for each, you see was beat,

They dropped their bombs, in places wrong, to burn each other’s streets,

With words a man can wreck a man, reduce him down to dirt,

Strip away his happiness, and rob him of his shirt,

 

Be careful when you drop your bombs, ‘cause really you don’t know,

The damage they can do to those, who’s streets you do not know,



Hope and Faith

So lets go over my questions

1.Did you like your calendar for Christmas?

    I did! I loved it.... I can't believe it's already been a whole month since I looked at it...... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. But seriously, that is one of my favorite things that I've received yet.

2.Do you know Ashlyn Hinton? Her family now lives in our ward.

     I do know Ashlyn. Didn't know she was on a mission. When did she leave?

3.Have you received any packages yet?

    All of them! I think......

So.... Sister Crump passed away. I am really really sad to hear that. I love their family so much... I don't want them to have to face something that hard. But I do know this: That God has a plan for every one of His children, which He also knows by name. And when things get hard, we can ask for help. We have a Savior who is more than willing to help us bear our burdens. Just ask for help and he will give it to you. Some people are taken from this life early because they have finished the work they were given to do here. I know that Sister Crump was a wonderful woman who was an example of faith to all around her. I took the sacrament to her house may times, and she never showed anything but hope and faith. No fear. No pain. Only faith. Please help her family. Everybody needs support in times of trial.

I have been thinking a lot about Van Heder this week. I told his story to my companion, and I couldn't help crying when I got to the part about his stake conference talk connected to oxygen. the adversary of this earth has no power over us if we don't give it to him. We can acquire uncrushable faith. Van Heder taught me that men can overcome absolutely any trial or difficulty that comes in this life. He has inspired me to be not only a good man, or a better, but a best man. He was one of the best. He never gave up. I think he was my friend in the pre-earth life..... as weird as that sounds........

I got the Handley's package. Thanks! I am stoked for the 15th...... 20 years old.... wow..... you always hear country songs about turning 20 on the floor of a jail..... how about PERÚ?

Anyway....... I love you all! Sorry my letters are so lame! Ask me questions! Send me pictures! I LOVE to hear from different people. Betty Castagno wrote me once.... it made me super happy to know she was thinking about me.

- Elder Boekweg