Hey Family is me the Michiganary

Hey there everyone. This is a cool idea Richard. i have never heard of a blog before. Anyway, it is cool then I can read all about the family. Its good to hear that your tumor is getting smaller Mom. I have been praying for you. I bet its nice to be about over with the radiation pills for the week also. Things are going good here in lansing. It snowed a little bit last night. Around Thanksgiving time it snowed a lot for the first time. There was about 10 inches and we went and played in the turkey bowl. It was way fun but a little slippery and cold. We had a blast though. Office life is a lot different then being in the field. Its fun being with Pres. Gardner so much though. On Monday night I had to be at the Stake Center in Grand Rapids and there I was picked up by Elder Petterborg and headed down to lansing. It was quite a night. There were about 6 elders who spent the night there with us waiting for the following day to go to their new areas. THen on tuesday Elder Petterborg and I drove around all day from 7:00am to about 4:00pm picking up and dropping of elders. It was fun though. I also get to carry a cell phone around and call anyone I want in the mission. Elder Hurdsman is training this transfur. He's the one I trained in Traverse City for 4 and 1/2 months. On Wednesday we dropped off the Elders at the airport who had finished their mission. That was weird but actually really funny. We all were there and one of them decided that he was going to Get one last picture at the airport and so that took a bit as well as everyone just hanging around a little bit. THey eventually left and we left. Pres. Gardner called us up on the way home and told us to turn around because they missed their flight home and they were going to have to wait for another flight that was going to be coming in about 5 hours. So they came back to the mission home for a while. We dropped them off again and then the same day picked up the new missionaries. It was so funny. They were so freeked out about being on a mission. It made me remember how scared I was too. We came back to the mission home and had oriantation, dinner and a testimony meeting. The Following day we introduced the greenies to the trainers and had a long meeting teaching them about the daily ruitine on the mission. I got a picture of Elder Hurdsman, his boy and Me. So now I have posterity in the mission. The day ended by us dropping the missionaries off in midland and then coming back to the office and doing some office work. Hey Dave, Our Apartment here in lansing has a surfboard in it that some elders had found. It made me laugh. Its probably a 6/5 shortboard. I have to take some pics of me on it in the snow or something. Anywho, Things are going good. I get along with Elder Petterborg really good. He is from Arizona, Mesa area. The town is right outside Mesa but at the moment I cant think of what it is called. On monday we have a meeting with all the zone leaders. Its called Zone Leadership Council. So that is what we are planning mostly for at the moment. It's going to be fun. We get to play a game of basketball to start it off. By the way dad. Last monday while playing basketball in Grand Rapids I dunked it two handed. I guess all this walking has payed off. Just Kidding. We are studying about the book of mormon in the Preach My Gospel Book that the church recently put out to missionaries. Its so good. Way better then the missionary guide. Well thanks for putting this blogger thing together. And good job thinking of it Pamela. Your the Brains of this family. :-) I love everyone and thanks for the packages and all the goodies. I definately wont go hungry. President takes care of us pretty good. Keep being strong mom. I know you can do it. There is a scripture that I like I thought I'd share with you. Its Hebrews 12:1-2, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin whice doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of god." The reason I thought of that one is because I like the analogy of the race. In life we are in a race to make it to the finish line. We like runners will always get a little tired but if we start out at a steady pace we can make it to the end and eventually win the race though it still takes a lot of effort on our part. Remember to live life one day at a time mom and enjoy this Christmas season. Of anything I know that Christmas will cheer you up when ever your down. I look forward to talking with everyone in 9 days. Love ya. Elder Brubaker 12/11/04 By the way, Pres. Gardner just called me and said he was mad at dad and mom because they have stopped calling him. He said he got to know you too quite well. But he said he looks forward to meeting mom because she is a hero. Thanks for everything and also the package mom. Bye.