Dear Family,
So how is my favorite fam? So I'm going to be calling between 10 and 11 tomorrow. (Christmas Day) I may look a bit skinnier. Call Liza and let her know and get her on the skype so I can see her . Good. I'm baptizing tomorrow, so it will be good.You know I'm super excited. Sadly, I have lost my camera... crap, I know right. I'm on the case tho. I hopefully should find it. It's only been gone for a week, and I have a lead, but I might not have it tomorrow or ever. I have to go see you tomorrow.
Love,
Elder Pinegar
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| Christmas Day Skype with the Elder Pinegar and Bekah, Liza, Spencer |
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| On the big screen bearing testimony to us on Christmas Day 2012 |
We were able to talk to Elder Nick Pinegar on Christmas Day. What a great day! Nick showed off his trimmer physique and committed all of us to read our scriptures every day. We also included his good friend, Liza Doughty to skype with us from CA that day also. So we did our first 3-way skype.
Elder Pinegar is enjoying the Spokane Washington Mission in Wenatchee at this time. He is on a bike Tues-Fri (burr)--then he shares a car with 4 other missionaries on Sat-Mon. He's been really busy with missionary work and trying hard to be obedient. He spent Christmas Day at a member's home in Wenatchee with several other missionaries. He introduced us to his companion, Elder Igleski and to Elder Berg's companion also. He apologized for not writing more letters to us or Liza. He said he is constantly on the go. The highlight of the day for Nick was the baptism he would be performing later that day. What a great Christmas for Elder Pinegar, one he will always remember.
ELDER PINEGAR'S TESTIMONY
I know that my Savior lives, and I know that he died for each and every one of us. I know that everything changes. I know that the only thing we can count on is that things will change. I know that the atonement is change and everything testifies of it because everything does change. I know that God loves us and that he sent His son and he died for us and suffered for us so that we can change. I bear testimony of change and how we can each do it everyday. I know that as we take advantage of the atonement of Jesus Christ we'll become better people. I know that this church is true. I know that what I'm doing is right. I know that we need to spend time in order for God to reach out for you. Jesus Christ is always waiting for you. He's waiting for YOU. He's not going to come to you unless you come to him. God's always going to be in one place.You're the thing that moves. You can either decide to do things that bring you to him or things that bring you away from him. If you choose to decide to come closer to him, you'll be happier. I know that's true.
I promise you that as each one of you decides to come closer to Jesus Christ by reading your scriptures every day, having true sincere prayers about things you actually care about, you will be able to receive answers to your prayers. That you will see His hand in your life. I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I love Him so much, for everything that he's done for me and for everything that he has done for the people that I love. Don't deny yourselves the opportunity to become more like Him. If you think it's too hard to say read your scriptures every day or if you think it's too hard to say your prayers at night, think how much harder your Savior pushed himself up that hill carrying the cross that he was going to be nailed to later. He didn't want to pay for your sins--and how much it hurt him to bleed from every single pore. I know that our Savior loved us enough to do it.
Let us love each other, let us love ourselves and let us love our Savior enough to take advantage of that gift, otherwise you waste it. Don't waste what Jesus Christ did for you. Don't you dare! I love you guys so much. I love my Mom and Dad for everything they did for me and how hard it was for them. You guys did the right thing but I didn't like it. I still have mixed feelings, about it I guess, but it was necessary and that's why I am who I am today. And that's why I give this talk, so we can grow. That's part of the plan. We came and we had a plan. We elected our Savior, we came to this earth to have trials. Let us endure our trials and endure them well. Let us die and be judged and decide to live with our family because this is the time right now in which you decide who you're going to live with forever. Do you want to live with Spencer forever? Do you want to live with Bekah forever? Do you want to live with me, do you want to live with the Buchans forever?
Don't forget, if you're feeling alone, count to five, pick yourselves up, be men. Don't forget the Lord thy God. I love you so much. It makes me so sad that think that sometimes we don't do as much as we should, and then when we don't do as much as we should, Jesus Christ has suffered because of it. Please don't hurt my Savior. I love him. And that's my testimony about my Savior Jesus Christ and of all he's done for me and all he's done for you guys. So my entreatment for you guys, will you guys please please please please read your scriptures every day because I know when you guys pray, he answers through the scriptures.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.