Thank you, Mom!

Elder Anofils' bike accident was a great learning experience for both of us. I just can't wait for you to meet Elder Anofils! I hope he and I will hang out after the mission. The ice cream was fine! Thank you for doing that Mom! You're the best. He looked at me when we got the ice cream and said, "Your culture is so weird! Who send ice cream in the mail! That's just unheard of! Have you heard of this?" Thank you for doing that mom, and getting those two other things. Very simple and I know they will mean a lot to him. He's the best, I consider him my brother. He also told me he has adopted me into the "brotherhood". I hope we will be together for another transfer so you guys will be able to meet him via Skype.

Mom, I am doing great! This week has been another amazing opportunity to grow and learn. The challenging times aren't my most favorite or easy to understand, but this work is so rewarding. I still have a lot to learn and grow and to gain. Thank you Mom! I can't thank you enough for all that you do! Thank you for being my best friend. I can't wait to give you a hug and a huge immature slobbery kiss. 
  
Stetson's fellow elder. (Killed in an accident in Mexico, Tampico Mission). I did not hear about this. Wow. How tragic is that. Incredible. That must be extremely difficult. I will be careful Mom! I always wear a helmet and make sure we are on the right side of the road. I am so blessed to have the family’s prayers of comfort and protection. 

The girls didn't need Disneyland! Our family is too spoiled.
Lily did write me a letter but half of it was filled with smiley faces :) so I didn't hear much about her talk! How did she do? I am sure she executed it perfectly.

I love you Mom! There is never a day I don't think about you!
The ever elusive,
The incomprehensible,
Elder J. L. Tait

Leaving the hospital with Elder Anofils!

Elder Anofils!

Halloween!

District

Elders

Eating Together

Borderland State Park

P-Day 

Ames Manson, Easton MA

Elder Tait!

Bikes, 911 Calls, and Blessings

Elder Anofils and I have a limited amount of miles that we can drive - 1350 each month. To save miles we bike. We both enjoy it and it helps us work hard. We have seen countless miracles that come from being obedient. On Saturday Elder Anofils and I got out of a dinner appointment at 6:45 PM. It was 95% dark, so we needed to bike home to get the car to drive to our next appointment at 7:30 (actually with a Haitian family that we picked up from biking a month ago). It was a 10-minute bike ride from the dinner appointment to our house. On our way home we had to bike on a road that is undergoing construction. The road was lit fairly well. Elder Anofils went to get onto the sidewalk, but he didn’t see that there was a gap/trench between the road and the sidewalk. The gap caught his thin front tire, and Elder Anofils went flying off to his right and into the sidewalk. He went headfirst. His helmet took 90% of the impact, but his nose, mouth, face and teeth took the other 10%. His helmet completely saved his life. He hit face first into the cement then did a somersault, looking like a rag-doll, while his bike front flipped over him. I was behind him and saw the whole thing go down. I yelled his name and threw down my bike. Elder Anofils got to his knees. He had blood all over his face and his front right tooth was dangling by a thread. He said, sounding like he had a mouthful of marshmallows, "Call...". I grabbed the phone from his pocket and called 911. Elder Anofils was walking around in circles. He was in a daze. A woman, named Donna, pulled to the side of the road and asked how she could help. I threw her the phone and told her to stay on the line with 911. Then I threw my bag down, grabbed the consecrated oil, and gave Elder Anofils a priesthood blessing. Mom, I know the priesthood power is real. I had goose bumps knowing that I was God’s instrument as I gave that blessing. Another woman stopped by from the Dunkin' Donuts. Everyone was quiet as the blessing took place. He didn't panic at all. I didn't either, surprisingly enough. As I finished the blessing the ambulance came and the EMTs got to work. Cop cars and a fire truck followed. Elder Anofils’ tie was drenched with blood. It looked like it had been dipped in red kool aid. His side bag was covered with blood. They cut his shirt and put a neck brace on him, then put him on a stretcher and into the ambulance. They kept on asking me what his first and last names were. Anofils is easy to spell and to say, but his first name is Esperandieu. Try pronouncing that! I butchered it. The EMTs and police looked at me as if I was the one who needed medical attention. I had to grab his white handbook that had his name printed on it. They asked Elder Anofils on a scale of 1 to 10 how much he hurt. He said, "10. I hit my head on cement. It hurt." It made me think of Brian Regan. I rode shotgun in the ambulance. We went to the Providence, Rhode Island Hospital where he was checked into the ER. Everyone was tongue tied in attempting to say his name. They asked him the “scale of 1-10” question again. He said 10. After they left, I asked him if he was really a 10. He said, with his mouthful of blood, "I don't know. If I say anything less, they not gonna help me. Does this make sense?" There was no damage to his cranium, (that we know of) his nose had some road rash, and he lost a chunk of his upper lip. His right front tooth was destroyed. They called the Dentist on call. (Who knew they have dentists on call?). She came in and put a temporary brace on it. He’d fractured the root/bone to his tooth. They are going to give him what's called a "flapper". It's like a retainer with a fake tooth. It was insane. I learned so much being there to help Elder Anofils. He is such a great example to me of pure humility and one who is willing to sacrifice anything in the service of the Lord. We had to miss church yesterday, and we got probably 25+ phone calls from worried members. Everyone loves Elder Anofils! He is the Foxboro Ward hero! I am so grateful to have him as my companion! Remember how I told you he loves Brigham Young? He didn't want to take any "modern medicine" because Brigham Young didn't. But, we eventually talked him into it!  We’ll be taking tomorrow off and then we’ll get back to work. 

Elder Tait

General Conference Was Most Divine

General Conference was most divine. It is true. You just feel the truth of the Church knowing that millions of people are watching our Apostles and Prophet address us. The work here is going great. Mom, I love being a missionary. I love sharing the gospel. I love overcoming the fear of sharing the Gospel and being bold in sharing the truth. There will never be a day when I will not think of my mission. I need to give 100% and continue to use the atonement to make me a better man, and do the will of the Lord. Elder Anofils is great! I am actually getting the Haitian language down. It's pretty easy. He is hilarious! He loves Brigham Young. He loves his confidence and boldness. When I, or someone else, does something good he says, "Brigham Young would be proud of you." Or the other way round, "Brigham Young would expect more from you, my son". We get along great. We bike all the time. Together we have busted 3 bikes. I will send you pictures. 

General conference was a phenomenal experience, and I was able to learn more about something I had been thinking about. It is a fundamental principle of life that when we have a plan, we understand and expect what is to come. Contrary to that, when we don't have a plan, we are not able to have a vision of what is to come.  

Our Heavenly Father's plan for his children is complex if we attempt to comprehend it with our secular knowledge. Instead, if we are able to identify the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we will have the capacity to develop the faith to know that Heavenly Father has an individual plan for each of us to accomplish. This mortal experience is significantly miniscule. It is crucial for us to realize the sorrows that are occurring or will occur are only to be felt for a limited time, and only if we understand the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Sorrow is what allows us to understand the sacrifice our Savior made for us. Trials are impossible to avoid, but we can all choose what we will do with our trials. If we decide they will dictate how we live, and what we think, we will inevitably enter the dark trenches of despair and self-pity. Never, will any good come from allowing our trials to control us, but good can come if we allow them to build us and those around us.

When we successfully get through trials by using the Atonement, and helping those around us, we will understand more the beautiful simplicity of where we came from, and what we are here to do, and what we can expect after our mortal lives here on earth.

Remember what was said in Alma 7:11-12

" 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."
I know Jesus Christ suffered pain so he could feel mercy and understand our pain. Please, let’s never forget this. If we understand the love and mercy our Savior has for us, we will be able to have a better perspective of his plan.

With Love, 

Elder Tait.