Basketball with the Lund Family

Sean and Elder Spendlove playing basketball in the Lund family gym. I guess in Alaska, you have to have a gym at your house. Wouldn't that be fun!... I'm sure Sean loves playing there.

This is part of what Sis. Lund wrote:

" Attached are a few photos of the elders in our gym playing basketball with my family and friend. I think they like coming over here for dinner as they always head out there for a quick game afterwards.

I know they're working hard and had a baptism last week end that we were unable to attend. We took them out to a restaurant last Friday as I didn't have time to make a dinner. They had wanted Italian, so we went to a place called Evalgelos. And low and behold, they both ordered steaks! I guess the idea of spaghetti didn't sound so good after they saw the menu. (-:

The name of our ward is Cottonwood. If you go onto the church website, you could see a photo of the building. It is officially in the Palmer boundary, but it feels more like Wasilla. We are a large ward and have three wards using the building. Elder Stoker is also serving in the Single Adults ward.

We have roadshows tonight, so I may see them and if I do, I'll say 'hi' to them for you.

Hope you're enjoying your fall leaves. We are getting a rare Indian Summer up here and loving every minute of it.

Sis. Lund"

She is the sweetest lady. I so appreciate her taking such good care of the Elders.

Dinner at the Lund's Home

I received a surprise email today from a ward member of the family ward Sean is serving in. It made my day! This is the email and picture she sent:

"We had the elders over for dinner last Sunday and just wanted to send you a quick photo to let you know they're doing well. Even though Elder Stoker has only been serving in our ward for a few months, we're enjoying him very much. Right after dinner and right before this dessert photo, my kids and the elders enjoyed an intense game of dodge ball. I wanted to send you a photo of that, but they called it quits by the time I got out there. So eating cake was the next best thing.

My son served in the Utah Provo Mission a year ago and I was always excited to receive the occasional photo. Hope you enjoy this. I'll send some fun ones later.

Love, Sis. Lund

P.S. My kids think it's quite cool that our elder's names are so similar: Stokes & Stoker. What are the chances!"

Service at the Musk Ox Farm

Sean and Elder Stokes have been providing service at the Musk Ox Farm. He told Robert... "yeah it is pretty fun, but that they are pretty aggressive at times... so we kind of had to brace ourselves during the pictures."

I guess it can be for no apparent reason, just like when the baby musk ox attacked him while he was bottle feeding it. How deceiving...they look so cute and sweet. Just like a family dog.

New Companion - Elder Stokes

Sean's new companion is Elder Andrew Stokes. He is is from Monument, Colorado. Sean believes that they will only be serving together for 1 transfer. Sis. Dance told me he is very tall. Sean will feel like he is living with Jake (although I think Jake is taller):)

Goodbye to Elder Yates and transfer to Palmer

In the midst of Sean receiving a concussion, he also received a new companion and was transferred on August 3. Sean is sad not to be serving with Elder Yates anymore, but President Dance wanted Elder Yates to serve the remainder of his mission in Soldotna, a beautiful little fishing town by Sterling. It's a good thing he loves to fish. Elder Yates goes home the first part of December. Sean and Elder Yates became great friends and I know Sean will miss serving with him. I will also miss having the local contact with his sister.

He is still serving over the same single's ward in Wasilla, but he and his new companion, Elder Stokes, (yes Stokes) have also been given a family ward. They will be living in Palmer, AK, which is only a few miles away from Wasilla. He believes he will only be serving with Elder Stokes and living in Palmer for a short time and then may be moving back to Wasilla.

Sis. Dance told me earlier in the week, that the addition of a family ward will be very good for Sean right now. Although he will be in church most of the day on Sunday, going to both wards. At least he won't be bored. :)

They will be participating in the baptism of a young man named "Adrian" on August 14. Adrian wanted to be baptized in the lake, but Sean thinks it will probably be at the stake center.

Alaskan style concussion

This week didn't start off well with our weekly email. First of all, Sean did not email yesterday (Monday), so around 5:00 on Monday, I checked with Elder Yates' sister, Mikelle, to see if their Mom had heard from Zach. Mikelle let me know that it was transfer day so the boys would be emailing on Tuesday. Wow....it is so nice to have Mikelle and Elder Yates' Mom to connect with.

So after writing Sean a nice email about all of us being at youth conference over the weekend, this was the response I received from Sean: ".....hmm, I take it no one told you about me being in the ER until 3:00 a.m. Thursday/Friday, Elder Yates is being transferred today and I will be moving apartments, so yeah."

How is that for getting a mother's heart rate going fast in less than 3 seconds. Anyway, this is what I learned from Sean and Sister Dance (after speaking with her on Wednesday). I guess Sean received a concussion on Thursday, July 28, while playing soccer with the single's ward around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. Sean was kicked in the back of the head by the soccer ball and collapsed. He was unconscious for 15 seconds or so. After he came to, Elder Yates gave him a blessing and they kept him still until they felt it was safe to move him. They helped him get to their car and Elder Yates drove him to the hospital. On the way, Elder Yates called Sister Dance to inform her what had happened. Zach told her that Sean was shaking and was a bit disoriented. She told him to call back as soon as they got to the hospital and keep her informed, which he did throughout the hospital stay. When they arrived at the hospital in Wasilla, Sean passed out again and began vomiting. They quickly admitted him and he received a head/brain and body cat scan. Sean said it wasn't until 1:00 a.m. or so that he woke to the Dr. telling him what they had done to him, but he doesn't remember exactly what was said. I guess the Dr. told him that he had a major concussion and possible torn ligaments in his neck. He was sent home around 3:00 a.m. in a neck brace.

Sis. Dance told me that she had spoke with Elder Yates each hour and had also talked to Sean for about 15 minutes, which he doesn't remember. When Sean saw her on Wednesday, he told her that he didn't remember even talking to her. The last thing he remembers is playing soccer and then waking up in the hospital, talking to the doctor.

Sis. Dance informed me that Sean was given strict instructions on what to do after being released and that she was calling and checking up on him daily. He was told what to expect with his recovery and if there were any complications he was to immediately return to the hospital. Sis. Dance said they would not do a follow-up cat scan unless there were complications. Although, he does have a follow-up appointment on August 26.

He has had an ongoing headache and is very sensitive to light, which was all expected. He wore the neck brace for 3 or 4 days and then was to be careful not to turn his head quickly and to absolutely not be involved in any physical activity, until she gave him the o.k. She told me that he probably would not be playing any sports at all, other than maybe basketball, the rest of his mission. Sean told us he didn't think he would ever play soccer again and that he didn't even like it that much to begin with.

Sister Dance and I had a good visit. She sincerely apologized for not contacting us. I felt very upset in the beginning, but after speaking with her, I know she loves Sean and has his and our best interest at heart. It just didn't happen, and she was truly sorry. We both had tears and I felt at peace when we hung up. She is his missionary mother for now and I know he will be taken care of.

This experience has truly tested my faith. But I do have faith in this gospel and what Sean is doing. Although I miss him every minute, every day, there is no place else I would want him to be. I am so grateful that he has been given this experience. He is an incredible young man and I love him!

Call from Alaska

Tonight I received a very special call. Lexie and I had just returned from the grocery store and walked in the door to the phone ringing. She answered it and after a few vague "yeses" she said "you probably want to talk to my mom." She handed me the phone and on the other end a male voice asked me if I was Sister Stoker. I told him yes and he proceeded to tell me his name was Brother Ron Osborne from Boise, Idaho and that he was on vacation with his family in Alaska. He told me that he was in Wasilla and had just had a nice visit with my Elder Stoker. He explained that there was a street fair going on and as he and his family were walking down the street they observed two missionaries. He made a point to go over and talk to them. After visiting with Sean and Elder Yates, he asked Sean if he would mind if he (Bro. Osborne) called home to let his family know that he had seen him and to let us know that Sean was doing well. He also called Elder Yates' family. He said Sean quickly agreed and gave him our phone number. (I was glad he remembered it). He said that Sean was a very, very good looking missionary, very kind and respectful. He said he had an incredible spirit about him. He told me that he wasn't just saying that, that he really could feel it. He said that they often talk to the missionaries when they see them and he doesn't always feel such a strong spirit. Bro. Osborne and I visited for about 10 minutes or so and he couldn't say enough wonderful things about Sean. I asked him if Sean seemed shy. His reply was "a little," but that he fully participated in the conversation and became more talkative as they visited. He said that my husband and I should be very proud of the wonderful young man that we had raised. AND WE ARE! I was sad that Robert had missed the call. He and Jake were on a scout hike for 3 days. Anyway, Bro. Osborne from Boise, Idaho made one missionary's mother very happy. I hope he knows how grateful I am to him for taking the time to call.

Transfer to Wasilla

Sean received his first transfer on June 22. He will be serving in Wasilla. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. About a 45 minute drive North of Anchorage. Wasilla is the 4th largest city in Alaska. The city's population was 10,256 in 2008.

He flew out of Cordova at 1:00 p.m. Alaska time. I'm sure he didn't miss the 12 hour ferry ride/drive to Anchorage. He was being picked up by his new companion, Elder Zach Yates in Eagle River, which is the shopping hub between Anchorage, Palmer, and Wasilla. Elder Giles will be getting a new companion and will remain in Cordova until they close it up in 6 weeks, at which time Elder Giles will be going home. Sean said he was able to say his goodbyes to the Cordova people. I know he is going to miss it and them, but is looking forward to a new area.

We received this letter from Sean on June 27th:
Hello everyone, I am not sure when you will get this, but I arrived in Wasilla. It looks a lot like Salt Lake or Provo here with the mountains. After I got picked up from the airport and met Elder Yates we went to Wal-Mart. I felt lost and confused. Things are so much cheaper here than in Cordova. The apartment we live in is pretty nice.... We are going to try and tract Sarah Palin's house sometime this week. That will be interesting.

Today we had district meeting for the first time with actual missionaries being there. It was cool to be around other people and then we went to lunch after it was over. I think I will be here for longer than I was in Cordova, so I guess you can give people the address here, but it would be just as easy to send it to the mission office, because it will only be about a days difference to receive mail.

Well I hope life is going well. I have heard a ton of rumors about Utah going into a different conference. So if that is true I would like to maybe get a story or article about it. Also, I would love to see the new Jazz logos and colors. I will talk to you later. Thanks for everything.

Love, Elder Sean

Well...so noone panics. Jake had already told him that stuff in his weekly email, Sean just hadn't receieved it when he mailed the letter. And, I did send Sean the Utes/Pac 10 update and pictures of the new Jazz logos. So that is all taken care of.

This transfer has a story behind it. Sean actually knew Elder Yates when he was around 5 or 6 years old. Elder Yates lived next door to Sean's Aunt Susie here in St. George until he moved to Logan when he was about 8. They hung out a little when Sean was with his Cousin, Mitch. When Sean received his mission call, I was visiting with my friend, Mikelle, who is also in young women with me and the school counselor at Little Valley, and she told me that her little brother was serving in Alaska, who we found out was the Zach that lived next door to Susie. So we reminded Sean and Zach that they knew each other when they were younger and hoped that they might run into each other sometime. But...what is the chance they would ever end up serving together. Well it happened...how crazy is that. I was so excited. From what Mikelle has told me, his personality is alot like Sean's. Very quiet and reserved. Sean said Elder Yates is a going to be a great companion. Sean has already done service work at a musk ox farm and said that was really cool. (Not exactly sure what kind of service yet...waiting to hear about that still). He seems to be adjusting well.

Left to Right: Sean, Mitch (Sean's cousin) and Zach (Elder Yates) at Mitchell's birthday party in 1996. Obviously as they are standing there, they would have never dreamed they would be serving a mission together 13 years later.

Baptism at Hartney Bay

So, this past week has been pretty good other than it has been raining since last Sunday. Someone said it rained over 2 feet here this past week. There is one of those 3 gallon buckets outside the church and it was completely full. Every time we walked outside we got drenched. I forgot to tell you when I talked to you (Mother's Day) that we have 2 new investigators. One of them is named Cody, he is 18 and just graduated from high school on Saturday. The other one is named Jasmen, she is 16 and is living with some members here, so that's good news. We also had a run in with a wolf the other day...it was pretty sweet. And, no there are no bear safety classes, Mom, you either get killed or not, when you run into a bear, that's it. (I had asked him in an earlier letter if they went to bear education classes...I think they should....hello, they live in Alaska. I guess I will have to stop watching all the Alaska shows on tv).

On Saturday, May 15, 2010, Sean participated, along with Elder Giles, in his first baptism. Harrison (Harry) Cain was baptized by his uncle in the ocean at Hartney Bay. He is a senior at Cordova High School. He has been attending church for over a year, but had been waiting to receive missionary lessons, which Sean and Elder Giles taught. This was the report that Sean gave us:

So on Saturday, we were pretty much doing nothing all day, waiting for the baptism. We were suppose to umpire baseball games, but they got cancelled because the weather was so bad. Harry's Uncle was flying into Cordova from Anchorage and his plane was late and didn't arrive until 4:45. (We had to wait at the church until he arrived to give them their baptism clothes). At 5:00 Elder Giles and I left the church to drive to Hartney Bay (Elder Giles was driving). It was already raining, but began hailing and the wind was blowing at least 60 mph...it was intense. When we arrived at the Bay, the entire branch of about 70 people, including some family from Anchorage, were there for the baptism. Out of nowhere, the weather just stopped....it was pretty cool. We had to make the baptism fast because Harry had to get back for graduation by 6:00. So for 15 minutes or so during the baptism, the rained stopped and the weather calmed down. As everyone was getting into their cars to leave, the rain started pouring again. It was really cool to see a baptism in the ocean. I was able to get some cool pictures of it.

Sean also told us that Harry's immediate family also attended, although they are not members and don't want anything to do with the church. It was Harry's choice to be baptized by his uncle and to be baptized in the ocean. I asked him if he thought they were cold. His response was that their lips were purple when they got out....so I take that as yes.

Sean and Elder Giles also attended Harry and Cody's graduation. It was very small and short...only 20 kids graduating and lasted about an hour.

Mother's Day

I was so excited to receive the long awaited phone call. He had told us he would be calling at 3:30 Utah time. So we went to church...it seemed to last forever. I heard different stories from missionary mom's. Some said their son called 3 times during that day...another told me she had talked to her son for hours. So needless to say I didn't think there was not going to be a time limit on the call.


Before church, I had made sure that the phone had been put on the charger and double checked it when I got home. At 3:25 the phone rang and I ran right to it, or where it should have been, but it wasn't there. Robert was sitting in the recliner and held it up to show me that he had it...laughing. He said "hello" and I hovered over him for the longest 1 minute and then he told Sean he had better give me the phone. It was so good to hear his voice. It sounded the same, but so different. He seemed very happy. We talked about living in the church...he sleeps in the top bunk (Lexie and I really wanted to know), Elder Giles...he is very regimented (that is good) and he told me about the beautiful wildlife and scenery. He didn't think he had gained any weight, but didn't have a scale to weigh himself. I reminded him that he could gain as much as he wanted, but couldn't grow out of his suits. I couldn't afford to buy new ones. They drive a Chevy Malibu....I forgot to ask him what year. Although he had gotten his Alaskan driver's license, Elder Giles is the designated driver for now. We talked about the Thomas Family coming to visit. We talked about Harry and the upcoming baptism.


Sometime during our conversation, Lexie took her turn to talk. There there ended up being a "he said, she said" conversation with Jake mixed in, so he tried to take the phone from Lexie so he could talk and they ended up hanging up on Sean. He called back within a few seconds and Jake had his turn. I reminded him that nothing had changed as far as the brother/sister bickering.


After we had all talked for about 35 - 40 minutes. He informed me that he only had 5 more minutes to talk. I went from being so happy to absolutely devastated. I wish he had told me when he first called....maybe. He talked to Robert for a minute more and then we all told him good-bye. When he calls for Christmas, I will be sure to ask how long he has to talk.

Primary Letters

Our primary children had written Sean letters, along with drawing pictures, which were mailed to him. I was able to have a peak at them before they were mailed and they were absolutely precious.

Sean mailed the following letters to Jamie Bayles, our good friend and the Primary President. She was kind enough to share them with me. Thank you Jamie...any info I can get, helps keep me sane. (Many others have shared too. Thank you, also). The 1st letter is written to the whole primary and the 2nd one was written specifically to his class of 11 and 12 year old boys that he taught in primary.

April 21, 2010
Dear Primary,
Thank you so much for the letters that you sent me. That was very thoughtful of you and I really appreciated it. Some of your pictures made me laugh, so thank you for that. Alright...so the question that most of you asked was “is it cold?” I will tell you that it is a little chilly, but I am on the coast so it’s not as cold as some of the other areas in Alaska. However, it has been raining or snowing every single day, except 2, since I have been here. So you guys better enjoy the sunshine.

I have seen and eaten almost every type of wildlife you can think of that lives in Alaska. The moose meat is definitely the best. I am in a very small town and there aren't too many places that we could live, so we are living at the church. It looks just like the church back home, but just a miniature version. It has been a pretty cool experience so far.

My companion and I are the first missionaries that have been in this town for 3 or 4 years, so it has been a little harder to meet people, but we are doing a ton better now. We currently are teaching two people and just today, received commitment from one of them to be baptized on May 15th. His name is Harrison and he decided he wants to be baptized in the ocean. So we are going to do it in a place called Hartney Bay.

Being a missionary has really opened my eyes to see how blessed we are to know about the gospel. There are kids here that are living with no supervision really and they grow up not having the same privileges that you all have.

Well thanks again for the letters. I hope you all are having a great time in primary. I miss you all and look forward to keeping in touch. Take care and I hope to hear from you soon.

Love, Elder Sean Stoker

April 21, 2010

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for the letters that you guys wrote. That was nice of you. I hope everything is going good in that class of yours. Last Sunday, I was actually teaching a primary class here and the entire time I kept thinking about you guys. But one thing for sure, I realized how much I enjoyed teaching you guys. They never would talk and you guys never stopped talking. So thank you for always talking and at least participating in the boring lessons I taught.

I was glad to hear that Tanner is teaching you guys now. You will learn a lot from him and Brother Holm. You guys are a lucky bunch.

Since I have been in Alaska, I have been in a blizzard, a huge rainstorm, earthquake, and the other day, there was an avalanche not to far from the church. So basically I have seen it all in the 2 weeks that I have been in Alaska. I have also eaten tons of moose, bear, and fish. This one lady fed us some weird type of food that I have no idea what it was, but it was not good at all.

Being a missionary has been hard at times, but good. I know my life will be blessed because of me serving. I hope that you all prepare yourselves to be able to serve a mission. It is a great opportunity and I know you will be blessed.

If you have any questions for me let me know and feel free to write too. I would love to hear from you guys. Well thanks again. I love you guys and I hope you enjoy class. Talk to you soon.

Love, Elder Sean Stoker

Earthquake shakes southern Alaska

Robert found this in the newspaper today.

Earthquake shakes southern Alaska: ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The U.S. Geological Survey says a preliminary magnitude 4.8 earthquake has shaken Anchorage and other communities in southern Alaska, but no damage has been reported.

The earthquake was recorded at 1:48 a.m.local time Saturday. The USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., says it was most strongly felt n the Valdez area.

The quake was centered about 100 miles east-north-east of Anchorage and 25 miles south of Nelchina. It was about 20 miles deep.
-BY ASSOCIATED PRESS"

Valdez is about 45 miles away from Cordova. I assume no news is good news. I will ask him about it tomorrow when we receive our email.

Beautiful Cordova!

Wow...how grateful Sean is to have begun serving his mission in such a beautiful place!

1st Home away from Home

This will be Sean's home while serving in Cordova. It looks pretty cool. A classroom has been made into their bedroom (glad they have a "do not disturb" sign), and the baptismal font is their shower. I think Sean will love having a basketball court right across the hall.

Cordova, Alaska

This is no April fool's joke. Sean received his first assignment today. He will be serving in Cordova, Alaska. Cordova is about 150 miles Southeast from Anchorage. It is a beautiful little fishing town located near the mouth of the Copper River and at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound. The population is approximately 2,500. Although it is only 150 miles away from Anchorage, it took Sean and his new Companion, Elder Jordan Giles, from Pleasant Grove, Utah, about 12 hours to travel there. They drove in a car from Anchorage to Valdez, about 6 hours, and then boarded a Ferry and travelled another 6 hours to Cordova. So between the flights on Wednesday from Salt Lake to Alaska and now this trip to Cordova, I imagine he is very "jet lagged."

These are some of the email conversations we received from Sean on April 5, & 6.

"Hello, well I am in the town of Cordova, Alaska. I had to drive 6 hrs from Anchorage to a town called Valdez. Then we took a ferry 6 more hours to Cordova. They just opened this area to the missionaries so we have to start from scratch and it has been really hard. My companion is named Elder Giles he is from Pleasant Grove. We are living at the LDS Church here. They made us a room but it is the nicest building in the town basically. It is a fishing town and it is a really cool place. I've taken some pictures of it. Well if you have any questions about it here you can ask..I will be able to use the email tomorrow, but I'm not sure for how long. It will be in the morning sometime and I will email you more info about everything. Also I have seen a black bear, 2 moose, tons of sea otters and on the ferry I saw 2 whales, so it has been pretty cool. Well I will hopefully talk to you tomorrow, love you."

"Hi again, Well we live in the church and the shower is in the baptismal font. They put a shower head on the thing. We haven't been proselyting yet because we have to go meet with all the members here to find people and teach.........I'm not sure how long I will be here, I'm guessing until August when Elder Giles goes home.....because they will close it again before winter and I don't think they will keep sending different missionaries to this small of a town. .........It is in the 30's, it's been snowing the entire time I have been here but it hasn't stuck to much until last night. There is about 2 feet on the ground. We watched conference at the church with the branch. No one here really has cable or satellite. There is 1 store here and it costs a ton of money for everything, but oh well. The members have been very nice and make sure that we get fed a ton, so we are never hungry. I haven't got my license yet, but I probably will soon...".

We found out the reason he was able to email us on Tuesday also. It is because the library is closed on Mondays so they have to use the bookstore, which charges money per email or time (I'm not sure). President Dance told them they were allowed to email on Tuesday at the library, just this one time, since it was his first contact with us, but in the future they would have to do it on Monday, which is their "P" day. So I guess he will be paying. But it is worth it, even if we have to send him extra money!

Off to Alaska

This morning at 6:50 a.m., we received our long awaited phone call from Sean. He was at the Salt Lake International Airport. When the phone rang, my heart began to pound and I couldn't answer it fast enough. It was so good to hear his sweet voice say "hi" on the other end. It seemed like we hadn't talked to him forever, way longer than 3 weeks. He sounded very cheerful, healthy, maybe even a little older. Robert put him on speaker phone so everyone could talk. Jake and Lexie made their way out of bed to join the conversation. We had already planned on letting Jake and Lexie stay home from school until after he called. We wouldn't have missed it for anything.

He told us that he had gotten up that morning at 4:00 a.m., got ready and packed, then loaded a bus that took them to the airport. There were 12 of them flying out to Alaska. He was told that this is the only time of year that they send missionaries to Alaska, so that is why there were so many. Although he only knew 4 of them really well, the Elders that were in his District. He was very excited to be leaving for Alaska. He filled me in about the food and being in quarantine. To help me understand what he meant about not liking the food, he said the food was like eating at McDonald's 3 times a day, 7 days a week. It isn't that it tasted horrible (in the beginning), it was just hard on your system, very starchy. But that all was well now.

He said he was learning a lot about the gospel and that he had gone to the Temple twice. He said it was really great.

We were able to talk for an hour. He said he may also be able to call us when he lands in Seattle, depending on how much time they have. Robert was beginning to get a little concerned about the time, but Sean said he was fine. He told us he didn't need to start boarding until 8:00 a.m. So at 7:50, we all said our goodbyes. I was on cloud 9 all day. Just hearing his voice and how happy he sounded, helped me to know he was o.k. He is where he wants to be and needs to be.

His flight schedule was as follows:
Traveling to Anchorage
Wed 31 –Mar– 10
Salt Lake City (SLC) to Seattle (SEA) 689 mi
Depart 8:35 a.m. Arrive 9:46 a.m. - Duration 2 hr 11 mn
Delta Flight 4542 - Operated by: SKYWEST DBA DELTA CONNECTION
Terminal UNIT 2 -
Aircraft: CR9Seattle

(SEA) to Anchorage (ANC) 1,445 mi
Depart 11:00 a.m. Arrive 1:32 p.m. - Duration 3 hr 32 mn
Delta Flight 9006 - Operated by: ALASKA AIRLINES
Terminal SOUTH
Aircraft: BOEING 737-800 (WINGLETS) PASSENGER

After I realized he was not going to call from Seattle, (I knew he probably wouldn't have time) I got on a website called flightstats.com (thank you for the info, Julie Imlay). It was the coolest thing. I entered in the flight number and all of the flight information popped up, along with a little airplane that showed a map between Seattle and Anchorage. We were able to track his flight the entire way. Every few minutes it would refresh and show exactly where he was flying, along with speed, altitude and all the other stuff that didn't make sense to me. I felt like I was right there with him. It was quite a relief to see his plane arrive safely.

Later that afternoon, President Dance called from Anchorage and left us a wonderful message. We felt bad that we had missed it. I was with the young women doing baptism's for the dead and Robert had gone to work. We were able to hear it that evening. He told us that Sean had arrived safely and was doing well, and how excited he was to have Sean. He and another missionary were already out proselyting. And, upon returning, they would have a good dinner, have a testimony meeting, and go to bed early. He knew they needed a good night sleep after their long day of travel. Then Thursday, they would be given their assignments. He told us that we would receive a letter from him (President Dance) early next week with all of the information. I am very excited for Sean. President Dance sounded like such a kind, caring person. I truly believe Sean is in good hands. We will anxiously be awaiting to hear where Sean is sent.

A Miracle has happened!

In the midst of our letters this last week, Jake received an extraordinarily, unexpected letter from his brother. The letter wasn't unexpected, but the content was.

Jake had sent a letter and in part, he told Sean about his basketball plans for next season and that the varsity coach had told him that he had to put some weight on between now and next season. He said, "When you return from your mission I will weigh 200 lbs." Along with some other funny things, he updated him on the status of the Jazz and wished him a safe trip to Alaska.

This is some of what Sean wrote back: "Hey Jake its good to hear from you. That's cool that you are going to be fat when I get back. Are you going to do football as well? You might not think it will, but the more you do, it will prepare you for basketball. That's sweet the Jazz are playing good. I couldn't tell if you said they are .5 games back of 2nd place? But if they are that is sweet. Well I don't have to much time to email today but next week I will be in Alaska so I will tell you all about it....."

I was so surprised....I told Jake that I couldn't remember the last time Sean had ever spoke that kind to him, at least in their later years. Most of you know the love/hate relationship that Sean and Jake have (maybe I can say had). It may not seem like much, but to Robert and I, it was so cool. He was nice, caring, funny and even gave him brotherly advice. It really is a MIRACLE!

Day 15!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

We received a letter from Sean yesterday (Tuesday) with his travel information. He will fly out on March 31. He has a layover in Seattle and then on to Alaska. I think he is very excited to get to Alaska. I am counting down the days and hours until I receive his phone call from the airport. I hope I don't cry through the entire conversation, especially if he only has a few minutes.

I have been trying to get more information out of him about his daily grind, but he hasn't given to many details. Only that the food is horrible and the rooms are very hot, no air conditioning. He said "I have been sick everyday, so if you have any heart you will send me stuff." So we sent him up a big box of food. He also wanted me to send him white short sleeve shirts (washed of course, he can't wear something new without washing it first - he got that from me). We had only bought long sleeve.....why would we buy short sleeve, he's going to Alaska. Although, Robert told us we should when we were doing his shopping. So Robert loved that he could say "I told you so."

He was also a little upset with me because I had sent him a newspaper article on the Jazz's first game after he had left. I thought he would be happy, but this was his response: "Don't send me news articles of the Jazz when they lose, it's mean." I let him know that I had planned on sending all of them to him, not just the games they lose. I am so thankful that he is still being my Sean, when it comes to stuff like that. I wouldn't want it any other way.

So, other than yucky food and hot rooms, he seems to be doing good. Only one more week and he will be on his way to Alaska.

Thank you for your continued love, support and prayers. I know Sean has loved receiving the letters and goodies you have been sending and we appreciate it too. We love you!

First Letter

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Today we received our first letter (e-mail) from Sean. We weren't expecting one, but were very excited....I mean really excited. I had been checking the mail box for 2 days hoping that he had written the night he got there, but no such luck.

This is what he said:
"Hello mom and dad. I recieved your letters today and thought that i would just e-mail you so you could get it today. Things are going pretty good here we are in classes from 7 until 9:30 at night so there isnt to much free time throughout the day. They are making us refer to everyone as Elders and so it is weird seeing people I know and not calling them by the first name. Everything here looks the same and it is very confusing to find the right buildings but I will manage to survive. My departure date for Alaska is the 31st but possibly we could be leaving on the 29th or 30th. The release date is March 14th 2012. I need you to send my temple bag up asap I found out that I will be needing it on Friday. I will talk to you all later tell everyone hi. I will be able to get on e-mails every friday but I can write whenever, Love you.

Love, Elder Stoker"

Anyway, I guess he is doing well and adjusting. I look forward to our next communication.

Here we come....MTC

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Today is a very happy/sad day. We woke up at Grandma Z's house and prepared to take Sean to the MTC. After loading the car and saying our goodbye to Grandma, we headed on our way to Provo. Robert and I already had tears. When we arrived in Provo, we stopped at Chili's to have lunch. After quickly eating, we continued on our way up the hill towards the Provo Temple. When we arrived at the MTC, we were directed by a very nice gentlemen where to drop Sean off. We followed the long line of cars along the curb until we arrived at sign no. 14, where we were met by a missionary host to help us unload.
He opened Sean's door and asked him his name and welcomed him. He was very helpful. After unloading the luggage from the car, we gave many hugs (along with many tears) to Sean, took some pictures and watched him walk away....into the sunset, well towards the MTC, and we drove away. It was very emotional but very special at the same time. This is going to be a very big growing experience for all of us. We couldn't be prouder of him and what he is doing. We are already anticipating our first letter to hear how he is doing!

Libby was very sad at bed time. She curled up on Sean's bed and layed her head on his pillow. We will just have to give her lots of extra love.

Sean's Farewell

Today was Sean's farewell and talk at church. We had so much support from family and friends, it was incredible. Ashley, Brandon, London, Grandma & Grandpa Z. (& Wynn), Uncle Clay, Aunt Susan and Uncle Kurt came from Salt Lake. We missed Grandpa B...we know that he would have been there if possible; along with Grandma and Grandpa Stoker, Uncle Reed, Aunt Susie, Nick, Syd and Mitch. We appreciate Uncle Reed changing his plans to be there and Nick coming from Salt Lake too. It was great seeing all of our friends and Sean's friends, some we hadn't seen in years. Having everyone their to share with us, made it so special. Thank you so much!!!

Sean's talk was incredible. His topic was "serving an honorable mission." I wasn't exactly sure where it came from...he was a different person. He would not let Robert and I see it before church, so we weren't exactly sure what he was going to say. Jake was the youth speaker and he gave a quick talk on "preparing for a mission"...he did great! Lexie had planned on playing her violin for part and singing "Consider the Lilies." But a few days before, she got sick (thanks to Elder Stoker:) with a cold and was unable to sing. It was really sad, as she had been working on singing it for quite a while. It worked out fine though, she still played her violin and it was beautiful.

After the farewell we had an openhouse at our home. Friends and family members dropped by for light refreshments and everyone just mingled and visited. It was very nice and relaxed.

It was a long day, but very special. We appreciate all the love and support that was given. We love you all!

Sean's Mission Call

It's official! Sean Stoker has been called to serve an LDS Mission in the Alaska Anchorage Mission. We are so excited....what a place to serve. He definetely will have to dress warmer...like an eskimo. He will enter the MTC on March 10, 2010. He will continue his journey to Alaska, March 31, 2010. We are very proud of Sean's decision to serve a mission. He is a great example and inspiration to us and many others. We are going to miss him very much, but we know he, along with his family, will be greatly blessed.

We Love You Sean!