Another Package

I ran some errands today to get some things to send to Joseph in a package tomorrow. There will be one more before Christmas at the end of November. I didn't really know what to send him, he hadn't replied in time even though I asked a few times - that one hour online must be crunch time and he doesn't read all our emails or can't remember when he's writing/replying. Maybe he'll see them next week, but by then the package will already be in the air. So I did my best to guess from photos from his last letter - He's been gone for two months! It does kinda feel like the weeks are ticking by now, so that is good I guess. Looks like they've been re-decorating (pic 5)... I went by Deseret Book to look for a few decorating things. These were cute...

Probably a bit too girly. Maybe I'll make something like that for him for the next package. I got a few pictures of temples, Jordan River and Las Vegas for Joseph (they were out of Draper) and a big one of Lima Peru Temple for Elder Aquino, cause his side of the wall looked more sparce. I got them both new tie clips and printed out a few pictures here at home. I sent him something I printed up about how the Nephites lived in Peru, which theory I'm pretty much sold on.

I copied, pasted, and printed up the NephiCode's blog posts titled "Are These Just Coincicendes" Part 1, 2, 3, and 4, cause I think that is really fun Book of Mormon stuff to think about and study. I said it was some "Book of Mormon according to Tiffanie" doctrine, ha.

I also am sending Joseph a book that I've been reading that I think is super cool - A Remnant Shall Return by Michael Rush. The whole book is online here, but for this one I definitely think you need the physical book to write notes and stuff. I've written all over mine. And I drew this picture at the beginning of the book, which talks about Ezra's Eagle from the book of 2 Esdras in the Apocrypha, video here that I've almost finished watching, fun stuff I'm tellin' ya!

What I really liked though was the chapters on 3 Nephi. I wrote this to Joseph on a note with the book and package, telling him that I remember reading 3 Nephi 20:16 as I was flying home on the plane from my mission in Arizona. Just a short morning flight of 90 minutes from Arizona back to Utah, yet it was like walking back through the wardrobe, leaving a life behind and returning to the my previous life in the past. I'm not sure why I remember reading this verse so distinctly, but have thought since that it's because it's something I need to learn and understand.

3 Nephi 20: 16 Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

Since then, anytime the scriptures mention lion or lions, esp young lions, it grabs my attention. So when I saw this book and that it was about the remnant, and that it dove deep into those chapters in 3 Nephi, I knew I'd love it. I hope Joseph is able to get to it during his study time in the next 20+ months.

So, two things - we had a sacrament meeting on July 15th about reading the Book of Mormon, and Brother Schmidt said that he'd read the Book of Mormon every day since he was in seminary, I thought that was amazing. I think I read it pretty well and often, if not on my own we usually do as a family, but I know I and we have missed a day/a few days this past year, and I know I really have since high school seminary! It reminded me of President Eyring talking about Pres Monson's challenge to read the book of Mormon, and Pres Eyring said "I could have thought his words didn't apply to me, as I've read the book of Mormon every day for the past FIFTY YEARS..." And I thought that was amazing too. SO, as for me, since that sacrament meeting two months ago, I can say I've read the book of Mormon every day for the past FIFTY DAYS (Fifty days on Sunday, ha!) I counted it up and 50 DAYS is a good start, if I keep it up day by day, soon it will be 50 years. Yeah! I read a chapter a day, and when I started I got a Book of Mormon reading chart app on my phone to help me check it off every day. In the sacrament meeting another speaker suggested doing something different, like reading it backwards, so I'm doing that too - I started with the book of Moroni, not Nephi, and have been reading each book and then going to the previous book. I just finished Helaman last week and am now starting Alma. I'm doing personal reading of it everyday!! It feels good. SO, going back to the Remnant book - when I got to 3 Nephi, I skipped chapters 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23, cause I wanted to go deeper into those chapters about the remnant and the latter days and the lion - I've wondered since and tried to study it, but feel like I hadn't been able to crack it, until this past month with the help of the Remnant Shall Return book, I feel like I got a glimpse of what it's talking about, and that's why I wanted to send it to Joseph, for him to read during your study if you're able, I think it's so cool and awesome.

So I ordered that book for Joseph, and it should be here tomorrow, but I need to drop off the package at 10:30, and I bet it won't be delivered that early, so I've taken a few pics of the pages I've written on and will transcribe them into the new book if I have to send my book to Joseph. And that might be fun, cause then if he does have time to read and study it, it will be like we're studying it together. :) I also got him and Elder Aquino some sun glasses and chocolate treats, and CTR/HLJ rings that they can give to kids they meet - I was trying to think of what kind of stuff I wished I had as a missionary, and usually it was things I could use to teach or give to others. So I hope that's okay for now, we'll try to pick his brain earlier to make sure he can reply and we can find out what things he'd like for Christmas.