A GOOD WEEK!

Hey!

This last week has been pretty good! We pretty much do the same thing every day which gets a little boring but that is alright. We did get about 2 inches of snow Sunday night and we spent a lot of yesterday shoveling off peoples walks! It's amazing how used to the cold weather I have gotten! I am a little afraid to come home to the Tucson heat! 

The biggest thing that happened this week was on Sunday night. Brother Mager, our Branch Mission Leader/President, took us home teaching with him to visit three less active members. It was great to actually teach a couple lessons. The second lady we visited has been less active for the past couple of years for some interesting reasons. After hearing her talk about her situation and what she thinks of the church I said something I really didn't expect to. I just said "I know your situation/trial is specific to you for whatever reason... but I know you can be at church. The Lord knows you can be at church, and I know you know that you need to be going to church." The room kind of got really quite and I could tell Brother Mager felt nervous about how bold I was, Heck I was nervous about how bold I was. She just looked at us and said "what time do I need to be there!" She also told us there was no way she was going in a skirt or a dress and we told her it was fine! It was a great experience to know that the Lord is working through me! I am also glad I was able to put my companion in a situation where he could feel the spirit so strong! 

This P-Day which happens to be today since the library was closed yesterday has been amazing!!!! The Mager's took us up to their cabin which is about 30 minutes from town to go hunting!! Okay...we didn't hunt, we just helped Brother Major locate and gut the deer - It was freaking amazing! There were deer everywhere! He was mainly after an elk but had a deer tag if he saw a big one. Well we found a bedded buck about 250 yards away. He was a nice buck in the high 160's. Long story short he ended up missing and we never saw him again. We split up to walk back to the cabin for lunch to see if we could jump up any bedded elk. Elder Richins and I jumped a great buck that was with 3 does! He was easily 175! We tried to get Brother Mager but he was to far. We met back at the cabin and had some lunch and talked about what we saw. Then we went back out! As we were walking up the road I noticed a buck off the road a little ways ahead of us. I told Brother Mager and he looked the buck over. He asked if I thought he should shoot him. I told him he wasn't as big as the other bucks we saw but he wasn't small either. He decided to shoot him. After missing the first shot he made a great second shot and dropped him! He is a nice deer and it was cool to be there for it. We gutted him out and dragged him back to the cabin. The snow mixed with a downhill angle made it pretty easy which was nice! All in all it was great! I will send some pictures of the area around there cabin and the deer!

So I thought I would give you a little more information on Harlowton. The Branch here had 25 people at church this Sunday and that was normal! Every one here seems to have had an experience with the missionaries or at least knows about the missionaries which makes it kind of hard. Everything shuts down around 6 PM. Apparently the Milwaukee railroad used to run through this area and that is what really started the town I think and then once it shut down, for what ever reason, Harlowton has really suffered! It is a neat little town though!

I am going to make sure to send multiple thank you cards out this week - one will definitely go to Barbara! That is great you got the picture from Brother Sweat! He was super nice and so was the guy that was with him. I forgot his name though. He was a pretty serious hunter that leases land in different states to hunt. He killed a buck in the 190's in Idaho this year that he showed me a picture of. They also knew Sister Baird who I served around for six months in Wyoming. She was in Powell when I was in Cody. It was great to meet someone who knew our Utah family members!

I hope you have a great week! Good luck with your new job Mom! You will do great!

-Elder Richardson

THIS WEEKS CHALLENGE: 

Make sure your prayers this week are sincere! By that I mean have a conversation with the Lord. Make sure to listen and not just talk.

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Hey Dad!!!!

I wrote a pretty long letter to Mom so I am going to make this one short because I am tired of typing -haha! You can read all about the cool stuff I got to do! Anyway I think we might be able to come back up after my ''mish'' and hunt on the Magers land for deer! If you hunted there for three days you would be guaranteed a buck over 150"! The place is crawling with deer and you can hunt in the snow!!! Which now that I have done it, is way better! 

That is a cool trail cam pic of whatever it is! (Scott caught a picture on one of his trail cams of a Coati) As for Javelina advice I would hunt wherever you have seen pigs! I know that isn't great advice but I don't know what else to tell you! I would definitely hunt with a bow! It will be much more fulfilling, and it shouldn't be to hard with how bad their eyesight is!

Glad your feeding the missionaries well and every month!!! I wish I could get a dinner like that! I have had freezer food for lunch and dinner for the last 2 weeks pretty much! I want some real food!!! I have thought about it and the first place I want to go out to eat at when I get home is... Well lets see is you can guess it...I think it would have to be Fat Dogs in the Tucson mall! Is that what you guessed??? I miss those things!!! I have used mom's recipe cards that she sent me and have also tried making chocolate chip pancakes, beanie's and brats, and pigs in a blanket!!!

So for my one year anniversary this Thursday I am going to burn a shirt. I made sure to save one that had a pen leak on it so I wouldn't have to burn a good one! Other than that things should be pretty normal. I'm excited to get your package! Tell mom that my clothes are still in pretty good condition. For Christmas, maybe some new socks and a couple of new shirts, and of course chocolate oranges!

It has cooled off a little around here. It snowed a couple inches Sunday night but warmed up to 60 today! Well I hope you have a great week and I hope it cools off before December so they might rut a little early!! 

I Love you tons!

-Jake

Outside of Harlowton, Montana

 In the mountains

Up in the mountains near the cabin

Road near the Mager's cabin

Also near their cabin

After we helped Brother Mager gut his deer

Our house - we have the whole thing to ourselves and live on a cute street. The church rents the house from the Magers our Branch President/Mission Leader

The view from our backyard

The view of our neighbors yard