Cars and Snow in Mesa

My Mustang 5.0

Elder Navaro, Me, Elder Woodruff (3-some)
Holding snow in Mesa, someone had a snow machine

Then there are these three kids...

> well hello. how is everyone doing. it sounds like things are going just great from what i have heard mandy is the only one to email me this week but that is ok i guess. That is good, I guess that it is warming up there, it is doing the same here. It is above the 100 mark now so... but sorry i haven't sent any photos home I will try to do that asap. that's fun that mom and dad did a good jobon thier talks, I would have liked to hear, what did they speak on. we are staying busy out here. it has been a really good week. We didnt have too many investigators come to church but we have a few that are solid for baptism. one of them is named is matt, he is awesome, his girlfriend is not a member but they're gettin married the 18 of July, then baptized the week after. but it was cool cuz missionaries have taught him before, and he never really wanted to get baptized. then we found out about him and taught him and asked him to read a pray and all and he came to church and they met with the bishop and Matt said he wanted to be sealed in the temple and that he had prayed and found out that he needed to be baptized, so that's awesome. He is a really cool dude, when he was 12 he had cancer and stuff, he's got diabetes, he's been through a lot but he's super excited to be baptized. Then there are these 3 kids we had a lesson with, their dad is in prison and their mom is just gettin active again, so we're going to baptize the 3 kids. We had a good lesson with them yesterday and they were excited to do their homework. Most of our other investigators aren't really progressing right now, 2 of them have disappeared and the other 2 are really solid, its they just have really busy schedules so its hard to get lessons but its going to be a good transfer. There is a lot of success here in Tempe and we're getting a lot of help from the members coming to our lessons and stuff. I don't think we have had anything crazy happen recently just the same old same old missionary work but its good to hear from you guys love you all
> love elder knaphus

Staying in Tempe!

well hello everybody. i got to stay in Tempe, with my companion, too. so thats awesome. it sounds like everyone is doing good. that is awesome that you guys are having so much rain i wish some of that would come down here. it has been pretty cool the last week though, but i think its starting to warm up now get up over the 100s. that is funny that max got his surgery on his butt and hilarious that tammy wants to put his name in the temple haha! i actually got the package that had the rasta stuff which was awesome, the ties were amazing and the video was great. max looks like a chunk though the poor dog needs to go on a walk, but i miss him. it seems like everyone is doing good except for the softball time thats rough. losing to the old men. man thats not acceptable, even with the grand slam. congratulations Logan. i got a speeding ticket cuz Tempe is gay and they have ridiculous photo cops and the speed limit changes so often so you never know how fast to drive i got caught so i just mailed in my info then they mail me a ticket, so that blows. things have been going pretty good it has been another crazy week man its so hard to stay on top of things and remember everything here, there's just to much going on. but we have been teaching a lot lately we had a good showing at church too that was awesome getting investigators to church is important but now we just got to baptize them. we had 2 on date and they both have fell off. Michael the awesome kid doesn't believe anything any more, doesn't even know if Christ walked the earth, but hopefully he will pray. and the other kid Shawn, we had on date for the 27th, has disappeared, so hopefully we'll be able to track him down and baptize him this transfer. but once again there are still new people that we meet and talk to each day who want to learn and come to church and stuff so it's awesome. not a whole lot new happened i guess we actually moved apartments a little closer to the family ward we cover but the apartment is really small. the other one was better except the dirty bathroom, i think, but no complaints. don't worry i will show you the place on the video, if i can get around to it. its just hard to take the time and remember to take pictures and video. but i will try to do better. but that's fun that mom and dad are speaking in church i would like to be there im sure they will do great. but have a happy fathers day dad and good luck with the temple. thanks for all the support love you all, love elder knaphus

Prayer for An Overheated Car...

well hello how is everyone doing today things are giong great here. it sounds like everyone is doing great in slc. enjoyin some nba finals it crazy the magic are doing so good i hope they win that would be awesome. seems like logan had a good time in Havasu that wold have been neat and thats funny he's into the indian stuff i think its pretty cool maybe i will get a chance to serve on a reservation. thats crazy though that it is raining a lot up there i wish it would rain more down here. but i cant compalin cuz the weather has been really good the last few days its been in the low 90s. that is good that dad finally heard from Oakland and that there is still a chance that he could be working on the Gilbert Temple, that would be cool. i guess its supposed to be a huge temple. but thats not good that dad got weaseled into going to david archuletta man that would have been rough and that also is a bummer that riley has to do summer school thats no fun and being logans little helper that will be interesting. its good to hear the softball team is hanging in there almost beat the best team. seems like ward softball is going good thats always good to hear seems like mom is having a good time on facebook meeting all her friends that must be fun and funny to watch mom facebook. things here have been crazy busy with appointments and meeting and paper work and stuff i don't have time to think about anything else let alone try to write home or anything like that so sorry i tried to write a letter the other day but didnt end up finishing it. We have a lot going on right now Michael is a stud, we had an awesome lesson with him over at the bishops house with like 5 members of the ward and he loved it. He is already gettin his friends to read the Book of Mormon and stuff he's amazing, he loves reading and learning about the gospel and Book or Mormon. then we are baptizing Ramiro the old Mexican dude this Saturday, he is awesome. Quamar the 17 yr old black kid, still wants to get baptized and he comes to church and everything and he's trying to get rid of the girl he lives with, so thats a good sign. There are so many more, there is an endless supply of people to teach and potentials here- its crazy things are really fallin into place. There is this lady who showed up to church a few weeks ago and she wasn't a member she's lookin for a church so we just set up a lesson to teach her and her brother so that seems pretty promising. A neat story that happened last week, that i forgot to tell you about was we were on campus to meet Michael, the sweet investigator, and we ran into the zone leaders and they told us to talk to this dude fixing his car, so we walked over and he was trying to fix his car and his girl friend was with him so we talked to her and she said to talk to him, he doesn't believe in God or go to church so he said he was catholic when he was young and he doesn't understand God and stuff but he said he might believe if his car would stop over heating so I taught him how to pray and he said an awesome prayer and right after his car went to a perfect idle and he was pretty shocked. We got his number and his car didnt overheat the rest of the night. He said he would come to church but he didnt want to believe. He was stubborn and didnt come to church, so we will have to give him a call see if we can meet with him again. but its been neat here in Tempe, transfers are next week, I hope I don't get transferred it would really suck cuz they are moving us out of our appt. to a nicer one and closer to our area. but things are all good here having a lot of fun i am really jealous i would love to go to Slightly Stoopid they're coming to Tempe really soon, too. Maybe some how I will be able to see something, but probably not i miss my music, but what can you do. Thanks for all the support and love enjoy the week. love elder knaphus

Stormin' Mormon

Who is Todd Heap?

ANY DISCUSSION OF Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap has to start with this clean-cut life away from the football field. He's a devout Mormon who doesn't drink or smoke. Even such minor vices such as swearing are off-limits for him.

"I made a decision back when I was in the seventh grade that I wasn't going to," Heap says of swearing. "I kind of just developed the habit not to. I was around all my buddies and friends, playing football, basketball and baseball, and I heard a lot. It was just something that developed from then on."

Baltimore running back Musa Smith says the language in the Ravens' locker room can gel pretty blue at times, but Heap never adds to the profanity. "I've never heard him swear," Smith says. Heap's family values set him apart from a number of players in the NFL. A lifelong churchgoer, Heap had a hard time getting used to playing on Sundays. Even now, he avoids elaborate celebrations after scoring touchdowns. That practice stands in stark contrast to wideouts such as Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, and Joe Horn, whose TD celebrations can border on the ridiculous. "He's really a unique guy," says Phil Savage, the Ravens' director of player personnel and the man who had a hand in drafting Heap out of Arizona State in 2001. "He's the highest-caliber guy that you can find in the NFL."

Todd currently plays tight end for the Baltimore Ravens. He went to Arizona State University. Heap holds the record for most receiving two-point conversions in a single season, with four, during his 2003 season with Baltimore. He is also noted as one of the few tight ends to lead his team in receptions 2 or more times. Considered one of the best tight end's in the NFL.03-04 season.

Lunch with the NFL

Hello how is it all goin? I’m jealous of all the thunder storms you’re having there, We have none of that right now it has been mid 100s pretty hot but the evenings are nice. yesterday we walked around about all day and I got a little sunburnt , so I gotta start wearing sun screen I guess. And “no” you don’t get used to it! It was way awesome to see the Youngs. it was really fun to see matt chase and his awesome mustache I got to see some pretty good pictures of Logan on Matt’s phone, I haven’t been able to check out blogs for a while, maybe you guys will have to send me some pics. We have been having a good time. a lot has happened I hope I can remember most of the things but we had our baptism of Allan and it was pretty funny, he showed up 45 minutes late, he was wearing street clothes and he didn’t bring ,extra underwear but it still went alright and the bishop and Steak Pres and everything were chill about it so it was cool. Monday was cool after we had a zone meeting all 20 missionaries went to In and Out and Todd Heap of the Baltimore Ravens was there and he bought us all lunch, and got pics with us he was way cool. I’m trying to think of what else really happened it has been super busy, we have been teaching a lot, we have quite a few people who want to get baptized but its just been hard to get them progressing and everything. Everyone is so busy here its hard to get schedules to work out. we have a baptism the 13 of June, Ramiro, he is a 74 yr old Mexican dude, he is pretty cool. he first met the missionaries in 1961 and read the Book of Mormon and stuff but never joined, he came up to us on the street and said he wanted to get baptized so he has accepted everything. he has some weird theories and stuff, he is a free mason but there is nothing wrong with that and he will be getting baptized here pretty soon. we have a few others that we are working with but I’m trying to think of some good stories. we talked to some funny homeless men who were calling us all sorts of bad words and names, it was pretty funny. I’m still enjoying that delicious German chocolate. oh today for p day we are probably going to a rock climbing gym, so that will be way fun to be able to get my climb on. it seems like everyone has been having fun climbing. I don’t really know what else to write, but everything is going just great. it was awesome to hear from Rich G Scott, he talked a lot about doing what you feel and listening to what you feel rather than what you hear and stuff. talked about our teaching and stuff and then getting married right when you get home from the mission that should be your number one goal. so I don’t know about that but it was pretty cool to hear from him. in the mission we set a mission record with like 155 baptisms last transfer and everything is still going really good but thanks for all the support and love enjoy the week and have fun. love elder knaphus