Life in Muleshoe

Sawyer's second area is Muleshoe, Texas. It's on the western side of the state, bordering New Mexico. It's a small, dairy town of only 5000 people. He's been there since the end of October, and he really likes it. He's been having a lot more opportunity to use spanish there. Elder Walker has been his companion there the whole time, but he just found out this week that Elder Walker is being transferred to a different area, but Sawyer is staying. They've had a lot of success in Muleshoe, but it's always frustrating success. They set an area record with 8 baptismal commitments, but the investigators have to go to church for two consecutive weeks before they can get baptized. That's where the hang up is. The people don't want to take the time to drive into town, spend three hours at church, and then drive home. He's trying to stay positive, but sometimes he feels like he isn't being a successful missionary. I just want him to realize that being a successful missionary is about so much more than baptisms!

Elder Walker shot gunning a can of soda….well trying anyways.

Sawyer shot gunning a can of soda. He's a pro :)!

Sawyer thinks Lake Muleshoe is so funny, so he sent us a video of it.

Lake Muleshoe!

The Clovis District after the first transfers.

Elder Cunliffe with Katniss at Subway.

They thought the spanish is this was funny.

Here's an excerpt from his last letter:

Since I haven't had any success in my mission I have just been assuming that the Lord is testing my patience, and it has finally paid off! We were out knocking at the beginning of the transfer and we met a girl who tells us to come back later so we can teach her. So we try a couple of times, but she is never there. We decide to try one last time, and instead her boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend) was there, and he said he would love to learn from us. We had been teaching him for awhile, and then one day his brother was there so we taught them both. Afterwards, his brother asked if we could go over to his house and teach him and his girlfriend because what we were saying just made sense to him. So we go over there a couple times but he is never there, but we did meet his girlfriend. So one day we just get the impression to go by and see if he is home and his car was there! It turns out he was sick so we didn't teach him, but this girl answers the door that I have never seen before. I got hit with a ton of bricks so to speak. This girl was like Laura Larsen! She had such a light about her that she literally glowed! It turns out that it was the girlfriend's sister.We taught her on the doorstep and she loved it and we invited her out to church the very next day and she came!!! My first investigator to come to church! She committed to be baptized this month and I am so excited! So my first baptism is going to be the ex-girlfriend's ex-boyfriend's brother's girlfriend's sister :)! Yay!

So we are now just praying that this one actually works out! I was so glad he didn't get transferred because I want him to have the chance to see this through. He'll be in Muleshoe for at least 6 more weeks, so we're praying good things continue to happen!

Happy New Year!

We always hang out as a family on New Years Eve. We missed Sawyer this year! But we sent him all of our usual stuff, so him and Elder Walker could have their own little party :)!

We love our little proxy Elder Varvel :)! 

New Years package!

Happy New Year from our favorite missionary :)!

 I wrote to Sawyer and told him about the stuff we had been doing over the holidays. I told him that for mutual we went caroling to some people in our ward. I told him we tried to go by and sing to a lot of the older couples. For those of you who know Sawyer, you will remember that he is scared of old people. This is a small part of the letter I received back:

I'm sad that I missed caroling, because I actually love old people now! They are the sweetest people ever! You learn a lot as a missionary huh?

He seriously cracks me up! I'm just glad he's learning stuff! 

Happy New Year Elder Varvel!

A Texas Christmas!

Although we missed Sawyer a ton during the holidays, he had a great Texas Christmas!

This cute little 'Elder Varvel' went everywhere with us and did everything with us over the holidays.

It's tradition that our kids get a new ornament to hang on the tree each year. We sent one to Sawyer, but we needed one for our tree too. He got a Lubbock, Texas mission ornament.

It was hard not having him here on Christmas Eve, and Christmas morning. There are some things we wanted to get him that he can't have in the mission field, so we put them under our tree, and he'll just have them waiting for him when he gets home.

The BEST part of our Christmas was getting to Skype with Elder Varvel! It was so good to see his face and here his voice! We got to meet Elder Walker, and talk with Sawyer for over an hour.  I hardly even said anything, because I was just sitting there taking it all in. He seemed so happy, and is really enjoying his mission. When we got down to our last minute, I could feel the panic and tears start to come.  He reminded me that I only have 4 1/2 months, and we'll get to talk again. 

That was Christmas from our end, so now here's a little bit of what Sawyer experienced during his first Christmas as a missionary, and away from home.

He made a Batman snowflake at an investigator's house.

Elder Walker made them twin missionary gingerbread men! I love the glasses :)!

Elder Walker with his gingerbread man.

They had this cool Joy to the World light display in Muleshoe.

They had a big Christmas party for the missionaries. He said it was awesome because he got to see other missionaries that he hadn't seen in a long time! Some even from the MTC! He saw Elders Martin, Chapman, King, and lots of other friends from Abilene. He also saw Elders Stoneking and Baggaley from the MTC.

Elder Varvel and Elder Stoneking. They were in the MTC together. 

Elder Varvel and Elder Chapman. He was Sawyer's first companion in Abilene. 

Santa!

At the party, they got the Christmas boxes their families had sent. We sent Sawyer the 12 Days of Christmas! It was so fun! There was a tag on the outside telling him what day to open a certain thing, and then a poem explaining what we got him on the inside.

On the first day of Christmas my family gave to me,
a little baby missionary Christmas tree.

On the second day of Christmas my family gave to me,
an ornament to hang on my little baby missionary Christmas tree.

His little tree was so cute! He loved his ornament. It says, "How come both y'all's  first name is ELDER?"

On the third day of Christmas my family gave to me,
a stocking to put next to my little baby missionary Christmas tree.
His stocking was so cute! It even had his name tag in Spanish.

On the forth day of Christmas my family gave to me,
music to enjoy around my little baby missionary Christmas Tree.
We got him the Piano Guys Christmas CD.

On the fifth day of Christmas my family gave to me,
stories to read around my little baby missionary Christmas tree.
His good friend, Tyler Klingler, is serving a mission in Africa right now. His mom was the author of one of the short stories in the book we sent him. He thought that was cool!

On the sixth day of Christmas my family gave to me,
antlers to prance around my little baby missionary Christmas tree. 

On the seventh day of Christmas my family gave to me,
candy to munch around my little baby missionary Christmas tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas my family gave to me,
hot chocolate to sip around my little baby missionary Christmas tree.
This was a fun one. We sent him and his companion fun cups and straws, hot chocolate,  flavored creamers, and marshmallows.

On the ninth day of Christmas my family gave to me,
SNIFFY to give me company around my little baby missionary Christmas tree.
We thought we were hilarious with this one! He thought he was rid of Sniffy forever! I love the expression on his face!  

On the tenth day of Christmas my family gave to me,
presents to put under my little baby missionary Christmas tree. 

On the eleventh day of Christmas because I still believe,
I'll leave cookies and reindeer dust so Santa finds me Christmas Eve.
Not having him here for reindeer dust was one of the hardest parts of the holidays for me. He always made the best faces! I was SO happy when I got these pictures! I knew he wouldn't dissapoint us!  

Love him!

Awe! He really did leave the cookies out for Santa :)!

On the twelfth day of Christmas my family gave to me,
breakfast to eat around my little baby missionary Christmas tree.
We sent him powdered donuts (those are his all time favorite), Hershey's syrup for chocolate milk, and this great straw! 

On Christmas morning they opened their presents. He got a Batman robe and slippers from us (because we're hilarious). He also got the October 2013 General Conference on CD, and the Volume 2 and 3 John Bytheway CD sets. He got a missionary calendar, some books, and a few other things. They spent the day with the Donnell family. They played games and had dinner with them. I'm grateful that so many families welcome the missionaries into their homes and take care of them. I hope I get to meet all these great people someday.

I have no words! 

In his stocking there was a bunch of stick on Batman mustaches!  This picture makes me laugh for several reasons. When we talked to him on Christmas day, his hair was REALLY short like this. He said the day before, he tried to give himself a haircut. He messed up pretty bad and cut some spots really short. I think his companion finished for him. He turned sideways and showed us the short spots. What a nut!

We love you Elder Varvel! We're so glad you had a great Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving Elder Varvel!

We missed Sawyer a lot during Thanksgiving! We wanted him to know we were thinking about him, so we packed up a fun Thanksgiving package to send him. We got him stuff to make a 'turkey' dinner, complete with all the fixings. Sometimes we think we're pretty dang funny :)!

Thanksgiving dinner for Elder Varvel!

Here's his turkey!

We even got him place settings, and a nice centerpiece :)!

The best thing in the package was an awesome turkey hat! 

The zone leaders loved his hat :)!

Now THIS is a handsome little turkey!

Sawyer and Elder Walker had arrangements to have Thanksgiving dinner with the Carrion family. They are a part member family that the missionaries have known and worked with since they got to Muleshoe. They had spent some time with the family the day before Thanksgiving, and then got a call a few hours later and found out that John Carrion (the husband/father) had passed away very unexpectedly. It was so sad for them! They had transfers coming up right after that, and were really worried they would be transferred. Sister Carrion didn't want them to leave. She said she needed them there during this hard time. Luckily, Sawyer and Elder Walker were not transferred, and both remained in Muleshoe. The missionaries volunteer at a senior citizen center each week, and there is a lady there that is in charge of the food. She loves the missionaries, so as soon as she heard what happened, she invited them to Thanksgiving dinner. So they were still able to have a nice day, despite what had happened. After Thanksgiving they attended John's funeral services, and tried to help the Carrion family out with things they needed. Sawyer has never really experienced anything like that, and just by reading his letters, I can tell it was a learning experience for him, and really made him appreciate the Plan of Salvation, and his knowledge that families can be together forever.