Newsflash: Chad loves his cousins

I've got nothing interesting in my life so here is something from Elder Arnett. If you don't like, don't read it. Remember, this is my blog about me and my family.

sup ma and pa!?
First off, Mom what the heck? Don't listen to Dad write me tonz! I got one small email from you! I need more lovin! I'm here in lonely cold Germany and the one girl I care about most doesn't even write me! Come on! What's that all about!
But I did get your tape and I am extremely appreciative of that. It was good to hear everyone's voices. . That's so sweet that Chris popped the baby thing with me on the line. It made me really happy.
D-backs are still in the lead? I really didn't see that comin.
Once again this week was hard! It seemed like everything was falling through. Every one of our appointments were canceled and we were back to square one so we decided to do alot of member work with less actives and partmembers. It's not my favorite, but it's kinda fun getting to know the people. The part member work is where it's at though, and it seems to be paying off.
The Book of Mormon to the ward idea is so much better than i thought. Yesterday, I had to give out three of my own! I really really think this is going to help the work. Anyway back to the week. We went by on tons of old investigators and old contacts and we still have so much more to do! I'm pretty excited for this next week because we have a lot of appointments made out.
Before i forget, CASEY IS COMMING BACK!! WHAT THE HECK, HE JUST LEFT!!! I can't believe it. These three months have gone pretty fast for me too-- well at least this month. This transfer has flown by. We only have about a week left. If my miission goes like this I'm a bit scared. I know I'll have hard times, but still...its fast. Congrats Casey and family and I'm really glad to hear Cliff is doing good and that Cameron is too. I really have come to realize how much I love and miss my family -- all of them -- all 100 or some odd of em.
I hope everyone reading this is doing good and I hope to hear from you at some point! I miss you all like crazy! and if Austin reads this, the song was a hit. The missionaries in my apartment especially like it.
Anyway. so back to this week. it was rough. Constant rain and a lot of crazy things happened.
All week long. everything fell through, but then Saturday came around. I love Saturdays because it means the next day is Sunday and in this case, Sunday meant we had an appointment with a promising investigator. Then Sunday came and I got a text (ha! take that Dad! I have a cell phone and its glorious!). It was from this investigator and he had to cancel because he was sick. I was mad but kinda glad because investigators never tell you they cant do it, they just don't show up. Anyway Elder Lewis and I decided to go down to Velbert instead. Its in the very south of our area and the mission. Here's the story as I told it to Pres.Thompson..
"But, there are two things that I am really excited for. First, an investigator that we have. We had an appointment made out for yesterday, but it fell through. But the reason I'm still hopeful is because he called us. That means he remembered! And he is still very interested. He had to cancel because he was sick. And I don't think it was a lie, he sounded horrible! Secondly, yesterday we were in the south of our area giving a spiritual thought to a family who just fasted for the missionary work, and to drop by on some former contacts and investigators. But it was getting late so we decided to start to head back. We caught a Bahn and were admiring the country. Then Elder Lewis said to me that we still needed to get our 20. We were at one of our favorite contacting spots so we jumped off the train and went out. The place was dead. There was barely anyone anywhere. So we talked to as many as we could but were still short by about 12. So we decided to head over to the InnenStadt. Now the InnenStadt is usually packed so we have a route we like to take that leads through some of the less populated streets. We find its easier to contact when there aren't so many people around. They usually seem to stop more often. But, when we were about to take the road that we usually do, both Elder Lewis and I had a feeling that we should go up the main road. So, naturally, we did. We weren't walking for more than 2 minutes when this guy who was jogging took out his iPod earphones and said, "Hey, you speak English right?" Elder Lewis and I looked at each other and said "Ya." The guy came over to us and said, "I wanna learn more about you." We were awestruck. This guy has read up on the Church and, in his own words, finds somthing attractive about it. He said he think it's a leap of faith, but that all religion is.
The phrase from Preach My Gospel came to mind, 'The Lord is preparing people to recieve you. He will lead you to them or He will lead them to you.' Oh! The goodness and mercy of the Lord! We meet with him on Thursday."
And that sadly was my week. I know its not that interesting, but its all that happened! I gotta go help Elder lewis get registered for BYU. He's training me for the mission and I'm training him for the real world. It's so funny! He goes home right before Christmas. I can't believe how Christmas doesn't feel that far away. It is three months, but I dunno it's scary how fast this goes! Jameson is 6 months through! and BJ is over a year!
Here are some pictures of the crazy wild here in Deustchland! Some of these are off my comps camera so that's why they're "wanna be" artistic!
I love studying the language and the scriptures! Serious! I'm learning alot about my study habits and how I should do it. I eat periodiocally during my 3 hour study sessions. Im gunna get so fat, but I've actually lost weight since Ive been on the mission. I'm only like 77 kilos now. Elder Lewis and I have started excercising. Itss so funny. He got some workout tapes and he makes me do them with him. There's this ab one that makes me laugh so hard. The guy on the tape is such a flamer! I'm still sore and we did it like 3 days ago. But i draw a line at Palaties. I refuse to do any of that stuff with him! OK well im off. Today is a chill day and very much needed by yours truly. . I love and miss you!
Tschüss!
Elder Chad
p.s. I had to change my handwriting for german! I'm perturbed!

The King of Hearts, Elder Arnett update

I am the undisputed King of Hearts as evidenced by this past weekend's total destruction of Lex, Mal, Cam, Lacy, Austin and P-lope. P-lope actually played better than her mother. At least she chewed up the cards rather than be chewed up by me.

Here is this week's Elder Arnett installment with some photos.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Geez, what happened to make Duffy and Jr to get in a fight? That makes me angry, but good choice... and how the heck did Duffy lose? Tell me he got a few good strikes in.

So, I do keep a daily journal and will do what you told me to, but you have to realize my schedule is never the same so I never know how much I can write. I do the best I can though.

I hope Uncle Cliff is ok. Tell Cam and all the cousins I say hi and love em. Tell them to drop me an email one of these days too. I'm happy for Cameron. That's so great he's doing this for real-- no more faking it-- its awesome.

So this week was difficult. If you want the defintion of ineffective missionary work it's this, ´street contacting in the middle of preparations for the biggest gay and lesbian party that literally brings hell´. Try crying repentance in that situation.

Last monday was Elder Lui´s birthday. He's the Italian elder in my apartment with me. We went bowling and had lots of fun. In the innen stadt (innercity) there are always booths with people trying to save some sort of animal. So there were about 12 missionaries standing around cause we were deciding what kinda lunch we wanted and this kid walks up and starts talking to us about whales. Someone said we were American and he starts talking English with us. He's from Jacksonsville. Fl and has this "gansta" accent. He asked us what we were doing here. One of the Elders mentioned we were missionaries. His attitude totally changed. He got all reserved and started acting like he had somewhere to go. We are used to that -- all Germans do it. He was standing next to me while I was doing a rubics cube, just showing off my madd skillz to the other Elders, and I asked, ´´what, are you scared of us?´´ He looked around and said no. I asked him if he knew what we did. He said not really. He had such a bad attitude. I told him we pretty much did what he did, but instead of saving fish, we were saving souls. I asked him if he wanted to be saved. He said maybe. I laughed and said when it is a yes to seek me out. He told me ok. His name is Thomas. I've seen him alot since in the innenstadt.

My districkt was laughing so hard. They couldnt believe that I did that. Neither could I really. It was P-day, and I had a rubics cube in my hands. I go crazy when I have a rubics cube in my hands.

Tuesday we had district meeting in Mulheim so we had to travel a bit.

After Tuesday, we just did a lot of contacting, but we had to be really careful. The gay Loveparade really hindered the work. I was pretty upset about it. I can't believe so many people showed up. It should have been young single adult heaven, except for two factors, they were all drunk and they don't want god in their lives. It's ridiculous.

On Saturday, the day of the Loveparade, we were locked in the church all day. President Thompson wouldnt let us out. We had to stay in Essen, though, because we had a few appointments. That night we had a ward talent show. It was a blast. The three other elders and myself lipsinked to "The Lion Sings Tonight". It was funny and the ward loved it. My ward here is awesome. There are a few guys who are American and I love talking to them. On Sunday, we went to the Stake President's house.That family is so funny. We had root beer floats! I was so stoked! I haven't had rootbeer in so long. All we have here to drink is tea, carbonated water, and apfelshorle (carbonated apple juice, weird I know, but I love it.) and water outta the faucet. But you have to be careful. My general rule of thumb is if it's brown, don't drink it, if it's green, dont drink it, if it's clear and you drink it, you still might be in trouble later that night -- and here I was thinking Europe was civilized!
We kind of live in the ghetto. I love it though. There are thugs everywhere. They walk around flashing their blades. I walk around flashing my missionary badge. Elder Lewis is scared for me--he thinks I'm gonna get stabbed.

I saw a girl get hit by a bahn (train), it was a suicide attempt. I was very scared. Elder Lewis said that he's seen 4 people die... people jump in front of things all the time. The German people are just so depressed. They need the gospel really bad.

Yesterday in church, there was this young man in the ward who was set apart as a missionary. He has been called to the Frankfurt mission, just south of me. It brought back so many feelings. After all the meetings were over, the ward members came into the chapel and all the kids around my age got up and sang "In the Hollow of Thy Hand" to him. It was very emotional. All four of us missionaries were up there and I think we were all tearing up. The Stake President put the piano bench in the front of the chapel and called him up. His dad and the bishop came up with him. He gave his girlfriend one last hug and walked up. He walked past us elders sitting on the side. He looked at us, he was so scared and excited. I remember that feeling, in fact I still get it.
Then, he was set apart as a missionary. A miracle happened as the blessing was being pronounced. I understood it! It made me think of my setting apart with Bishop Graham and President Greer and you DAD. All of us missionaries were crying, it was a tender moment and one that I will always treasure. It made me realize how much I apprieciate this opportunity. Yes, its a sacrifice... a huge one, but it's such a priviledge.

And, that's my week in review. Here are some pictures just to show how I'm doing and where I'm at.

Much love.

Elder Arnett

What the world needs now is love sweet love...

From Elder Arnett,

hey. sorry guys, but this one is going to be way short. i have so much to do and we have to get out of the innenstadt, inner city, cause the love parade is starting soon and we gotta go! this week has been good, but not so good for the work cause the love parade is here in essen. if you dont know what it is, keep it that way. its discusting.... pretty much a huge gay and lesbo fest. ew. naked people dancing is just not appealing. we stick to the outskirts of our area and pretty soon we wont be able to go outside. luckly it should be done by next week and we can get back to work.

Here are some photos of Elder Arnett in the MTC and in Essen. $5 to whoever can name the Elder with glasses --full name and his parent's name.

The fishing trip is on, it's just when we are going. If anonymous gives his or her name we can decide.

I received an email from cousin Chet Arnett. His son Joe is serving in India Bangladore. He's been out for a year. His experiences are very interesting. Getting people to listen to him is not the problem. Getting them to listen because they are interested in the gospel is a problem. It seems the Indians want to hear any American speak so they can imitate the language. They want to sound like an American as they take your job. You know everything is being outsourced now.

Fishing trip!

I'm planning a fishing trip sometime soon. I hear Dave is interested, but no firm committment yet. I think he needs to check with his social director, Lacy. It's gonna be the first week of September. I'm going to Blythe. Chad is out he is busy. But, if anyone is interested, please post now or forever hold your peace. This will be a real fishing trip. You know, the kind where you catch bass (striped, largemouth, smallmouth and maybe crappie or bluegill). It will be an overnighter. I will leave in the afternoon, fish that evening, then fish in the morning and if things are good fish later that evening. Durning off times, I am willing to show Arnett shrines such as Cibola, 7th street, etc. There will be an obligatory stop at Starbucks for a vanilla creme something or other. I can't remember, but it's cold and good. I could be talked into fishing for catfish if I have to, I guess. It will be Dove season there, so someone could do some hunting between fishing. My dog will go so no other dogs allowed. There will be a campfire, food and fishing lessons taught be me. Wive's are invited if they can stand the heat and the smell of the fish and the men. Staying in a motel in Blythe is always an option for those that can't hack the bugs, snakes, coyotes, or other critters. If several want to go I could arrange for additional floating devices to accomadate. We would have a floatilla. Also, perhaps Aunt Cathy could importune upon her Brother for a place for us to camp in his backyard where there are no critters. Or, maybe it will just be me and my dog. That will be fine, too. I like him and he likes me.

Chad's first email (letter) from Germany

PARENTALS!!! (AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!)IM IN GERMANY!!

Ok first off the y and the z are switched here so when zou see a z think y cause im not gunna take the time to fix it.Oh meine gutte. Germanz is so crayz. but I love it!

Mz first area is a huge citz named Essen. Its so awesome. ITS STORZ TIME!!!Ok, so mz first daz we prettz much spent traveling. it was a 6 hour bahn (train) ride. Boring. But whatever.It was still fun seeing the countrz.
Mz trainer is named Elder Lewis. He rocks. He's waz cool and waz good at missionarz work. I'm gonna learn tonz. So we get into Essen right, and we meet our third comp., Elder Leigh. We're working as a dritte for a week or so until his comp. comes back from Oberhausen. It's a long storz that I don't wanna go into -- an apostate missionarz and new zone leaders and a girl here. Ya it's kinda bad! But whatever.
So, then we went out and did a little contacting that first daz but reallz we just wanted to get to know the city. There are a few areas we need to avoid, but overall it's a waz cool place. Then we had a dinner appointment that night with the Kotzlik's. Sister Kotzlik is the onlz member so it was kinda fun. Her son. Daniel is 17 and waz funnz. I wanna get to know him better. The food was amaying.
The next daz, we had a two hour planning session for the week. Just to set our goals and stuff. That's where I first learned why Elder Leigh is so negative all the time. He sazs the work is dead in Essen, but it's the most sucessful place in the mission.
So we went outside and tried to find some people. It didn't reqallz work. Then we went to stop bz some less actives. That was cool. None were home, but I did mz first contact. I talked to this black guz named Pastor Tony. He's funnz. I went up and started talking to him and he was like, 'zou speak english dont zou?' I laughed and said za. Then we got his info and stuff. He admires the missionaries and wants to talk with us. We'll call him tonight.I'm sorrz, but so much has happened so I'm gonna hit the kez points.The next daz we had an apointmnent with a referral. We met him at the kirche. Sorrz thats church. We sat down and started talking about what he has learned. He's been taught before. Then after about 5 minutes he said before we go anz further," I think zou should know, i want to be baptized". I wanted to hug him
I was so stoked! We meet this guz off the street and he wants to be baptiyed! I'm so excited! So september 8th, mark it down..
Then we went to this park where the stake plazs soccer on saturdazs and we got to talk with him and have him meet some of the members. I love the ward here... some reallz great people live here and thez're waz helpful. But, we found out alot about Lahib Marcus. That's his name. He comes from Iraq. He's been Christian his whole life so he and his familz have been reffugies for their whole life. Thez have been trzing to get into Greece for a long time and kept getting sent back to Iraq. It's crayz some of his stories. He's been living in Deutschland for some time and knows he can't go back. He sazs he will -- two dazs before he wants to die. He wants to see his homeland.
Mz real comp., Elder Lewis has built a real good relationship with him and I've tried. The language is a definate barrier though. But I understand a lot actuallz. I understand more than Elder Leigh who has been here for 7 months. Sometimes I can respond which is cool.Then sundaz rolled around. It was a blast. I bore mz testmonz, I had to, and itss was so funnz. I got up and said hi, and it was mz first week in Germanz and mz Deutsch was bad. Then I started to talk and whenever I'd start to sound out a word the whole congragation would be nodding their heads encouraging me. It was waz funnz..
I reallz like the ward. Thezre sweet, although we have some crayz people too like this guz who has been excommunicated 2 times and just got rebaptiyed. A lot of people are like that here though.
Then I met this girl named Ronja Krane. We were teaching this Young Women's class and she was there. She's not a member but she stazed (foreign exchange student) with a familz in Springville, Utah, that mz cousin James Arnett married into. So, she knows mz name. It was so sweet. I wanted to kneel down and thank God right then. She wanted to know about an English class and stuff so were gonna set up a conversation class. Her English is perfect though. She doesn't even have an accent. I'm just gonna trz to be her friend first and invite here to things. I think shes interested. but she said her parents weren't too excited that she wanted to go to church. We'll see...
Then later that Sundaz we taught Lahib the first lesson. It was waz good cause we had a member familz, the Danalakis there. Thez've gotten to be friends with Lahib. He's reallz exxcited and so are we.

We then went to the Bishop's house to talk about the ward and find out part members and less actives and all that stuff. He told us about this ladz who wants her 9 zear old baptiyed. So we have to teach her. I cant believe it.I cant believe how guided our lives are. It's amaying. This week has been such a miracle. Seriouslz, mz trainer is so cool and good. mz apartment is the nicest in the mission, but it is still prettz getto. I'll send pics next week. Mom, you would never live here. We have a bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom and a studz. I think the apartment is onlz 35 square feet. We will have 4 elders living there bz the end of next week.
The people here aren't that rich... actuallz reallz poor compaired to our standards. But I love emand I love it here.Well we have a teaching appt. here in a little.I'm so stoked to be here now. I know everzone is sazing hang on and it will get better, but I'm having a blast. It's so sweet here, I love it. I wouldn't trade it for the world.I love zou and miss zou. Talking to zou from Paris was so good. I loved it. We'll talk in 4 months though. I can wait, can zou?Love,chadPictures will come soon.. I love zou so much.Oh and i need like 50 to 80 € on mz personal account. I have to get some stuff like a new backpack. Mine wont work cause it rains 24/7 here. I have to get one here. Sorrz. I love zou though! and I have to get some scripture cases so za. chuß.

In Essen, West Germany Province.

Chad arrived in Hamburg and stayed there a day or two. He was transferred to Essen which is just outside Dusseldorf which is not in his mission. Go figure. Dussuldorf is in the Frankfurt Mission. Essen is an industrial city of 600,000 in the most populated area of Germany. His companion is Elder Lewis. He is as far away as you can get from the mission home. The Good news is he probably is in the Dortmund zone which is the zone that the older couple that Devry is now related to resides. Hopefully, we can see some photos on their blog in the future. His P-day is on Mondays. If you email him, you need to do it on Sundays as there is a 9 hour difference. His email address is: chadarnett@myldsmail.net. Here are some pics that the mission president sent today. He is from SLC and was a bigshot with IHC.

Since Chad is headed to the Fatherland...

Chad leaves Tuesday for Hamburg. He flies from SLC to Chicago to Paris to Hamburg. If you want his address to write him, which you all should because he has no brothers or sisters, email Pam. I promised the rest of the words to the song I wrote him. And, thank you Dana (the only one) who wanted to read them all. Here they are:

Sprekenzie deutsch in the mtc
how's it going in there without a tv
I know this song's not Mormon tab
I hope you all will cut me some slack
Mutti and vater are so proud of you
Doing the Lords work is what you should do
We miss you oh so much
But nothings too hard when the Lord is our crutch
Don't think about material things
About bottled beasts and Scary Kids
Or hair that's everywhere
Here comes a chord change right here
I know I don't sing this part well
but that's okay cause you miss us anyway
I know I dont sing this part well
but that's okay cause you can only listen to this on P-day
What do you hear from the Elders from home
Law and Tanner and old Bigelow
Is learning German oh so hard
It will come to you soon son, your not a retard
Preach my gospel that's your Bible now
learn it all -- it will teach you how
to show the people the truth
It even worked for old Sean Bluth
The MTC is like a boot camp
Everythings tough but worth it at last
Not to worry about things back home
Think red and big...I'll have to take out a loan
Don't think of material things
of bottled beasts and Scary Kids
Or hair that's everywhere
Here comes a chord change right here
I know I don't sing this part well
but that's okay cause you miss us anyway
I know I dont sing this part well
but that's okay cause you can only listen to this on P-day.

On another note, I'm giving you a movie review. I know it's not as deep as "Water" which Lance loved so much, but it's on Bourne Ultimatum. Pam, Cameron and I went to see it yesterday. Here's my review......Yeah, baby! Pure unadulterated violence. Yeah baby! My kind of movie. Just a little hint, at the end of the movie pay special attention to who leads Bourne down the hall to his indoctrination into the program. Just an important hint for the next movie.

Okay back to Chad. Here is a copy of an epistle he sent to the Young Women in the Ward. They wrote him as a group acitivity. He writes us maybe 2 lines at most but writes them the following:


THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF ELDER ARNETT THE MISSIONARY TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WARD CALLED PIONEER.
1 Now behold, I Chad, Son of Jeff, have somewhat to say concerning you, the people of the land of my inheritance. Yea, I would that I may speak unto you because of the fullness of my joy.
2 Yea, for now is the time that I prepare to ride upon the wings of that great metal bird to the place that the Lord our God has called me. And I have been instructed in the manner of the way of the Elders before me; therefore, I do know how to pack.
3 Now I Chad, son of Jeff, the husband of Pam, who is great and fair in the eyes of the Lord, do have somewhat more to say concerning the Young Women in the Ward Pioneer. Yea, I do rejoice in your writings, for they did find me. And oh, how great the timing and tender mercies of our Lord! For it is no coincidence that your writings did find me in a state of sadness. Yea, for I was grieved at the hardness of the language of German; yea and for many other reasons was I
grieved.
4 But behold, your letter did find me and did lift me up. Yea and for this cause do I direct a portion of my writings unto you, the Young Women of the Ward Pioneer in the land of my inheritance. My soul does rejoice because of your words.
5 Now my people, I do bid thee adieu for a time. Yea, for this shall be the last of my writings from the "Empty Sea" (MTC) for on the seventh day of the eighth month two thousand and seven years from the coming of our Lord, yea even Jesus Christ, I do embark into destiny. Behold, I do go unto the land that is torn because of the Wars of the World, and do preach of the goodness and mercy of the One and True God of Isreal.
6 For He truly is the Light and the Way.
7 So now I do send these, my writings. I pray they find you in health and safety. Yea, and this is the desire of my heart. Chuss.

For the enrichment of mankind

Things you should tell our children and grandchildren about your ancestors.

Uncle Cliff was the fasted Anglo-Saxon for miles around. He ran track in the 100 and 220 and was on the award winning 4x100 yard relay team. The only white caucasion. He used to run about a 10.3.....one time he ran a 9.9 -- wind aided and didn't count.

Uncle HB used to look like a bobble-head doll when he ran. He was clocked also at a 10.3 but it was in the 60 yard dash. He does still hold the record for most points scored in a city league game...84. He was 17 and playing against 6 graders.

Uncle Larry and I witnessed the "confirmation" the Sunday before all worthy male members receiving the priesthood back in 1978. Ask him about it.

Candy always wanted to be a baton twirling artist. She never was-- see the video on H.B's site.

Howard used to castrate cattle with his pocket knife then come home and cut roses off our front bushes with it and give them to Ethel. He also used to peel potatoes for dinner that night with that same knife. I'm still not sure if he cleaned it first.

Ethel was an incredible gospel doctrine teacher. She would spend hours each day with her bedroom door closed surrounded by books studying. Her preperation was meticulous....first studying everything she could then practicing in front of the mirror. That's right. That's why she was so good. She taught for many years. At her funeral, some people from out of the country found out about her death and traveled to Mesa just to be there because as they put it, "she was the best teacher we ever witnessed and they had to be there to say goodbye." They had been winter visitors in Quartzsite for many years.

We had a little 2nd grader boy stay with us for awhile. He was one of Mom's students. He had witnessed his Dad shoot and kill his Mom. The only person he would let be around him and talk to was Ethel.

Howard had to bail Tommy Lee (the farm foreman) out of jail a couple of times. The worst was when Tommy got mad at one of the farm workers and stabbed him a few times. Dad said he was cut up pretty good.

HB used to drive a red Austin Healy that hardly ever started. Uncle Cliff drove anything he could get his hands on. Larry and I drove the old "Sweat Hog", our family Impala. We also got a Volkswagon Beetle Bug. It was the original Bug with the rubber band sounding engine. We were great at driving stick-shift Frances.

We had a TV room. I don't know how we did. It was one of the bedrooms. But that is where the TV was. We used to all go in there and watch TV....all seven of us. It usually ended up being six quickly as Ethel used to make HB (Harold) go outside due to his constant flatulation. She actually made him go out of the house many times. He was quite proud of it.

Uncle Cliff was the one that taught us how to play the guitar. Ethel made us all take piano lessons for awhile. Larry was good enough to play for priesthood and on his mission. She made HB and me take clarinet. It didn't take. More things you should tell your children will come later.

A comment on comments

Okay, let's tell it like it is. We blog, not for the enrichment of mankind or for personal purification or anything of the sort. We blog to get comments from other bloggers. It's an A.S.S. thing. Okay, maybe Cathy doesn't have A.S.S. and she is doing it for the right reason, but I'm positive everyone else is doing if for the comments. So here is my problem. Some of you new bloggers have put a restriction on who can comment with the google account user thing. I would have commented on alot of things like...nice cakes, sorry about the eye doctor, Josie is cute, Tana is cool, vacation in California looked fun, wished it rained here as much in Flagstaff, etc., but I refuse to type in my user account name each time. There, I've written it. Also, a couple of other things. Channy start posting. Just make stuff up. No one cares, we just want to comment anyway. Jantzen, new post please. Way too long without a post. Heidi, you are really funny. I never really knew that. I thought you were funny, but now I know that. Why are Candy's blogs
"deeper than mine". Sorry, but Chea is better than all of the other photogs listed on everyone elses blogs. Sorry, I know it cruel, but it's true. Look I'm not trying to be elected president here, I'm just trying to get comments. Two blogs I look for everday....Wendy's and Lacy's. I don't know why I just do. Lindsay, I've cut you some slack on blogging regularity, but more post's please. And Megs, our newest blogger, don't be afraid to tell us all your feelings and thoughts about the upcoming nuptials. I went back to Devry's wedding blogs, they were great.
So this is how I start....I type in www.dev and Explorer comes up with Devry's blog address, then I read her's. Then I start the link thing. Sometimes I get to all of them, sometimes I don't. The links are somewhat convoluted in that I have to go to another blog to get to the others. Now I must confess I don't go to blogs of people on your links I don't know or care to know. Is this starting to sound like Andy Rooney? He's got A.S.S. Anyway, after reading them all, or all I can stand at one time, I end up at LD's. Why? Because his is always the newest. Pretty much something new each day. Also, I like the witty bantering back and forth between LD and CS. If two MAC laptops could talk about what was erased before being posted. That's it. Amen....fade to a picture a clock ticking the minutes of 60 minutes.

Candy has her son-in-law test, Pam's Pammandments

So, here's the deal. This is what Chad had to live up to during his formative years, actually during his first year at BYU. Pam actually had them printed up and gave them to him. I thought I'd share them with you. They are hilarious. Put these together with Candy's list and you have perfection.

1. Thou shalt be home by midnite because the Holy Ghost goes to be then. Nothing good happens after midnite.
2. Thou shalt not say pis-, cra-, frick--, freak-- or bosom.
3. Thou shall wear thy seatbelt always.
4. Thou shalt not drive over 65 mph..the Lord can't protect thee if thou art breaking the law.
5. Thou shalt get thy hair.
6. Thou shalt brush thy teeth twice a day every day.
7. Thou shalt not talk on thy cell phone to girls after 1am.
8. Thou shalt be conscious of what you text, say and write because Satan see and hears everything.
9. Thou shalt always say, "Please and Thank you" and be grateful.
10. Thou shalt not tell lies. Thou has to remember too many details and will come back to bite thee in the buttocks
11. Thou shalt not gamble or play cards on tv, online.
12. Thou shalt be judicious on myspace and facebook. Remember everyone can read everything thou dost write.
13. Thou shalt always open doors for girls.
14. Thou shalt remember that the grass is always greener on the other side because it has more manure on it...and it still has to be mowed.
15. Thou shalt have a prayer in thy heart always. Pray morning and night and anytime in between...especially before a test.
16. Thou shalt not have a steady girlfriend...spread the joy.
17. Thou shalt remember that choice, not chance, determines destiny.
18. Thou shalt remember that what thou thinkest thou art and what thou wilt become.
19. Thou shalt be where thou art supposed to be when thou art supposed to be there.
20. Thou shalt not be alone with girls.
21. Thou shalt keep thy dorm room clean.
22. Thou shalt wash thy sheets at least once a month.
23. Thous shalt not walk around in thy underwear.
24. Thous shalt attend all devotionals and firesides and take notes.
25. Thou shalt write in thy journal weekly.
26. Thou shalt write a letter or email to thy parentals once a week so the female parental can save it for thy scrapbook.
27. Thou shalt get 8 hours of sleep every night.
28. Thou shalt not eat junk food too often.
29. Thou shalt exercise daily.
30. Thou shalt read and study thy scriptures daily.
31. Thou shalt never see R-rated movies...ever.
32. Remember who thou art at all time and in all places.
33. Thou shalt remember the Pammandments because I saith and meaneth it and I loveth thee. I want thee to be the best thee can be.

Nobody comments anyway!

Okay, I'm doing another post. I tell Candy to post and she just gets mad at me. I tell Heidi to post and she just laughs. Lacy tells me to post and so does Candy, so I'm posting, but no one comments anyway. And no one comments on my comments to their blogs, so what's the point with blogging. HB uses all my ideas on his Cougar Sportsline, so as Hitch says, "I've got nothing".

I've really got nothing to say. Chad is gone. I've got no one to go fishing with. It's hot, really hot. I hate one of my dogs and no one will take him. Everyone gets mad when I say I'm gonna take him out in the desert and let him play "Survivor". Incidentally, what a great TV show. I know some of it has to be fake, but it still appeals to my manly manifestoness. Speaker on entertainment, I've gone to more movies in the last month than I have in the last 10 years. All because Chad is gone. It's my way of grieving, I guess. Or maybe it's because Cameron likes to go and up until now he didn't have vehicle. So I went with him or with Pam. Here's my review of the following movies: Fantastic Four.....what a waste; Spiderman....good but too many villians; Pirates....enough with the psycho crabs, not enough action, yet Johnny Depp is a great actor...movie still stunk though; Transformers.....yeah baby....the real deal, although I have no idea which machines were good or bad, just great action and it was funny...the lead guy Beef or Broth or Shilo or whatever his name is (it's something like that) was good; Ocean's 13.....okay, allright good becuase I like the idea of ripping off anything in Vegas but the writing sure has gone downhill since the first one. I wanted it to be funny, but it wasn't, yet they ripped off Al Pacino and Andy Garcia again...okay kinda good but not...it was a good diversion. So here's a movie story for you. Pam, Cameron and I went to see Transformers the first day it was out. Not the midnite thing but day. We had to stand in line for 45 minutes behind some ropes to wait for it. I've never done anything like that before except at Disneyline and I hated it. Anyway, we are there for about a minute in line and Pam says she has to go the bathroom. So she goes. About 15 minutes passes and shes not back. I tell Cameron I'm worried and go to find her. I go to the women's bathroom and wait. Ladies are entering and exiting, but no Pam. Finally, I see someone from our ward coming out. I ask if Pam was in there. She says no. So I call Pam on her cell phone. I rings for a long time and finally she answers in a soft, whispering voice, "Whhhhaaaat"? I ask, "Where are you?" She whispers even softer, "I'm in another movie. I didn't want to stand in line that long and there was another movie I wanted to see if I liked".

She told me to call her when the line got to go to our theater. So this is how the movie thing works, I concluded. Cameron and I waited the entire time in this stupid line. So then we finally march, almost run to theater #19 and I call Pam. She said she'd be there when it started and to save her a seat. Now in her defense, she does have torn cartilage on both sides of her right knee, so I understand and we probably could have gotten a doctors note if had to. But, then I see throngs of people (all healthy) who all of sudden show up in our marching line in front of us beating us to the good seats. It seems that nobody actually waits in these lines. They just hide somewhere else and then magically appear at the front of the line to get the good seats. Some of these people had shaved heads and gang tatoos, so I decided not to confront them. Even so, we got the good seats, you know the ones with the railing in front so you can put your feet up. And, of course we still kept an empty seat between us saying they were taken if anybody was to ask. We did it out of spite to show the others that we were "bad".

Chad leaves for Hamburg in a couple of weeks. He says he can't wait. He's tired of the processed MTC food and ready to see some action.

I think I can do this now

Here are some photos of Chad entering the MTC. If you have free time write him. If not, don't worry about it we probably didn't write you on yours either. Although, I am a frequent contibutor to your blogs. It's a shame missionaires can't blog....legally anyway. It would be really interesting I think. Thanks to Devry for the blog she told us about. We check it out even though Chad isn't there yet. He got to meet his new mission president this week before he heads to Hamburg the first of July. Chad will be in the MTC until the first week in August. He's really worried because the German isn't flowing. He will be celebrating his 19th Birthday on June 30th in the MTC. I wrote him a song that I hope doesn't get him in trouble. I hope he can listen to it at least. It goes.....

Sprekenzie Deutsch in the MTC,

how's it going in there without a tv,

I know this song is not mormon tab,

I hope you all can cut me some slack.

Anyway, that's the first verse. If you want to read the rest of it, I might post it later.

Here are some photos.

It's raining pics

And there was more

Even more pics

More pics

And I've got more to come later.

HB may have movies, I have pictures

So with Chad being gone Pam has been doing some summer "spring" cleaning. She found an old evelope with some photos in them. I thought you might be interested in some of them. Some need identification. I am listing the cutline of the photos below. See if you can match them to the photos.

1. Frogjam

2. Ada

3. Missionary farewell

4. Handsome man

5. Beautiful woman

Notes for the taking

It seems that the quickest remedy to missing someone is to go to movies. I've gone to more movies in the last two weeks than I have in the last 5 years. Pam and I went to see Pirates and Spiderman while in Utah and Cameron and I have gone to see Ocean's 13 and Fantastic 4. I wish the writing was better on Ocean's but it's still a good diversion from reality. Both Cameron and I wish he had gone to see Nancy Drew over Fantastic 4. So I've spent about $40 on movies to get over my separation anxiety and I've decided Spiderman and Ocean might have been worth paying $4 to see, but the others were a waste. Other quick notes: Chad is a district leader in the MTC. He has written us twice now and we're getting a mixture of how great it is to how hard it is. I think the word "prison" came up once in his letters along with long hours and hard to learn the language. Anyway, any encouragement you can give him would be appreciated. So that's a hint to send him a letter or two. We are having to re-do his passport because they wrote on it....Chad Arnett Arnett. He's learning to find joy in simple things like sitting in the shade of tree at the temple for 20 minutes waiting to go in. It reminds me of Howard. He used to lie on the floor of our living room in the light of the sun shining through the windows. When it moved, so did he. He used to tell me he knew why pigs enjoyed the sun so much. I told him if he wanted I could throw some mud on the carpet to make it even more enjoyable. It was the highlight of his day to just lay in the sunlight during the winter.

On another note, Cameron is doing well. He's getting more hours at work and he's been getting involved in the singles ward. He got his license back so he's a little more mobile. I let him take my truck once in a while. He doesn't drive it much because it doesn't have air conditioning.

For those of you lack like head banging music, and you know who you are, I have to recommend the new Scary Kids CD that comes out next month. DJ, (most of you in AZ have met him) and his band are on the Warped Tour again along with some other big name tour. You guys probably know what it's called, but I forgot. Anyway, their new CD is actually good. I've always gotten a preview of their last two CDs first and really didn't like any of their stuff, but this on has got good stuff on it. Their last CD sold close to 8o,000. If they can get this one up to 120,000, they get signed by RCA....then who knows. They have their own touring bus this time around.
That was a commercial announcement for those of you who know DJ. He still comes around to shower and eat.

I'm still gonna post some pictures of Chad going into the MTC sometime. It's still hard for me to look at them, but time will cure that.

This is a hard thing thou has asked of us

It was difficult, it still is. This is difficult but as Lacy says you have to write things down to "make it better". First off, the MTC president kept saying in the meeting that this was a spiritual experience. Neither Pam or I felt the spirit. We couldn't through our tears. Also where did they get the idea to start off with singing "Called to Serve". You all have been through it so I won't rehash the proceedings, only to say we actually said goodbye quickly and had to ask other families to move so we could get out. Chad was in his element. He shed some tears saying goodbye, but he had a smile on face and was ready to go. He knew quite a few of his fellow elders going in. He was greeting them...sharing in all the excitement. When it was time to go into the "great hall" to say goodbye, he said "let's ride, Dad". Then when we had to say farewell we all three hugged and he said, "Game on, Dad". I was so proud of him. He was promised in his setting apart that angels will go before him and that Christ will be in front and on his right and left and that he will help many to realized the blessing of the gospel. I'm not tearful for him, but for us. One little incident you might apprecitate happened after we left the MTC. We needed gas so we stopped at a gas/food mart as Pam needed a newspaper also. Pam went in to get the newspaper and after I had gassed up I pulled up to the side of the food mart so Pam wouldn't have to get wet as it was pouring rain. Pam came out and proceded to get into another man's car. Through teary eyes, she thought it was me. In her defense, it was the same color Honda as ours. She got in and then realized it wasn't me. She screamed and then both she and the man laughed. Anyway, more musings on the day in a later post, but here are a few photos that will certainly make me and Pam cry and maybe you to. On second thought, I'll upload them later for some reason they won't load on this computer.

Chad's Farewell address

Sixty-three years ago yesterday, in North Peckingham, England, a young World war II bomber pilot and his B-24 crew prepared for a mission to Brunswick, Germany approximately hundred miles south of Hamburg where I'll be serving my mission..
Knowing the pilot had served as an LDS missionary to Australia, the crew asked him if he would lead them in prayer. His mission had previously been interrupted when he was called back to the US for the war.
The crew gathered together under the wing of the aircraft which had been named "Boomerang" for obvious reasons by the pilot. The prayer went as follows: “…Please help each of us perform our assigned tasks well, that we will work harmoniously together to successfully complete our assigned mission, and please Father­ keep us safe and protected from harm so we may return to our home base safely....” As the pilot uttered the words “return to our home base safely,” something was different. He suddenly knew that they were not coming back! It was hard for him to finish that prayer, but he did know one thing for certain: he would not tell his crew members. He was hoping to find something seriously wrong with the aircraft so that they would have a legitimate reason to abort the mission. But, there was no such luck, everything was working perfectly.
As the plane was over the English channel, he was thinking about the last time he was home. It was then that his thoughts turned toward Jesus Christ and His experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even, HE, the Son of God, was looking, at least temporarily, for an honorable way out of his ordeal as he prayed, “Father let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” A feeling of peace then came over the pilot as they passed across the channel and reached the Netherlands coastline. He knew they were not coming back, but he prayed earnestly for their lives to be saved.
Accounts of the day are varied and details of the air battles are rather foggy. The Luftwaffe caught their bombing group twice without fighter protection and the scenario was set for a massacre as about 40 messerschmidtt fighters began firing cannons and machine guns at the B-24 bombers.
The Boomerang had been hit several times by enemy fire and was crippled. With two bad engines and a damaged vertical fin and rudder the only hope was to try to make it back to England. As planes were exploding in the air all around him the LDS pilot turned for home. He told the crew he was going to stay with the plane and gave them the choice to bail out. All members chose to stay with the plane. When the last engine failed, the plane had to crash land in occupied Holland. Miraculously, only one crew member was killed, although others were injured. Before the plane even hit the ground, German soldiers were there to take them prisoners.
They were forced onto a train where they were transported to their new destination ... a prison camp called Stalag 17. This was the infamous site the so called "Great Escape" where previously about 50 allied prisoners attempted a tunnel escape to be re-captured and executed in front of the other prisoners to deter other escape attempts.
The LDS pilot spent 9 months in this prison, but the allies were closing in, so they were forced to march in bitter cold and in a foot of snow for a one full day and two nights where they then were transported by train to another prison camp. Food was scarce and hunger rampant and the prison guards were often cruel. A short time later they had to march again, this time 100 miles to still another prison camp where conditions were even worse.
Back in the United States in a little town in Southeastern Arizona lived the parents of this LDS pilot. They had two sons fighting in Europe during World War II and one of them was a prisoner of war. Any news about their son was difficult to get so all they could do was pray fervently for his safety.
War is a two sided affair, and not far away in Safford, Arizona was also a prison camp that housed Germans prisoners of war. This prison was a work camp. Each day prisoners were trucked to different farms in the Gila valley to provide work for families in the area. Two prisoners named Ernst and Fritz were transported daily to a small farm in Franklin, Arizona for work.
The family they worked for was the family of the LDS pilot who was imprisoned in Germany. It would have been easy for members of this family to harbor ill feelings toward their German prisoners. It would have been easy to show animosity for the hardships their son had to endure, but each day this family treated these two prisoners with respect and dignity. In fact, the mother of this family insisted that Ernst and Fritz be fed the same as their family.
All they were given each day from the prison was a sandwich of two bread slices and a thin slice of bologna. This was not good enough. This mother made sure they be fed like her family because she prayed each day that someone in Germany would treat her son as well as she treated Ernst and Fritz.
While her son was not treated well, it didn't matter to this mother. She had true Christlike love for all people. She was able to forgive any trespasses and cruelty imposed on her son and hence on her family.
Elder Ukedorf recently gave a talk at conference on forgiveness:
He said: Jesus taught us an eternal truth when He taught us to pray: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. … For, if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not … neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (3 Nephi 13:11, 14-15) Therefore, extending forgiveness is a precondition to receiving forgiveness
Pres Hinckley says of forgiveness: “I think it may be the greatest virtue on earth, and certainly the most needed. There is so much of meanness and abuse, of intolerance and hatred. There is so great a need for repentance and forgiveness. It is the great principle emphasized in all of scripture, both ancient and modern"
The great crowning love of the Savior was expressed when in His dying agony He cried out, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
In our day the Lord has said in revelation: “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64:9-10)
A great example of forgiveness was shared by President Thomas S. Monson. It's a story about a family which came to America from Germany early many years ago. The English language was difficult for them and they had but little by way of means, but each was blessed with the will to work and with a love of God. Their third child was born in America, lived but two months, and then died. The Father was a cabinetmaker and fashioned a beautiful casket for the body of his precious child. The day of the funeral was gloomy, thus reflecting the sadness they felt in their loss. As the family walked to the chapel, with Father carrying the tiny casket, a small number of friends had gathered. However, the chapel door was locked. The busy bishop had forgotten the funeral. Attempts to reach him were futile. Not knowing what to do, the father placed the casket under his arm and, with his family beside him, carried it home, walking in a drenching rain.
If the family were of a lesser character, they could have blamed the bishop and harbored ill feelings. When the bishop discovered the tragedy, he visited the family and apologized. With the hurt still evident in his expression, but with tears in his eyes, the father accepted the apology, and the two embraced in a spirit of understanding. No hidden wedge was left to cause further feelings of anger. Love and acceptance prevailed.
To have forgiveness we must have a change of heart.
When King Benjamin finished his remarkable address in the land of Zarahemla, the people all cried with one voice that they believed his words. They knew of a surety that his promises of redemption were true, because, said they, “the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent … has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, [and note this] that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” (Mosiah 5:2)
When we have undergone this mighty change, which is brought about only through faith in Jesus Christ and through the operation of the Spirit upon us, it is as though we have become a new person. Thus, the change is likened to a new birth. Thousands of you have experienced this change. You have forsaken lives of sin, sometimes deep and offensive sin, and through applying the blood of Christ in your lives, have become clean. You have no more disposition to return to your old ways. You are in reality a new person. This is what is meant by a change of heart.
With this change of heart comes forgiveness from the Father through the Mercy and atonement of our savior Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the mediator between us and the Father. He is the means through which we can communicate. This is why we are taught to pray in his name. Along with being the mediator between us and Heavenly Father, he is also the Fathers advocate. Because of the sacrifice that He made on behalf of human kind, he is able to, as 2 Nephi 8:22 reads, plead the cause of his people. Jesus has felt our temptations. He has felt our pain and suffering. He has felt our sorrow. Because He has been where we’ve been, He pleads our case to God the Eternal Father. Jesus has compassion on our souls and has done the ultimate to help us return to our Father so that we may all dwell as brothers and sisters in paradisiacal glory. It is now up to us to take hold of this chance we’ve been given to return to God our Father. It is up to us to use the tools that Christ has given us.
One of, if not the, greatest tools Christ has given us is the tool of our salvation; the Atonement. The Atonement satisfies the demand for justice. It is the power by which we can live forever. In 1 Nephi 11:6 Jacob tells us that “save Christ should come all men must perish”. We do not know or understand how Jesus did so great an act; all we know is that he did it. He suffered for our sins. He bled from every pore and died on the cross so that we may be made perfect. Without Him, we would be damned.
The Atonement is a wondrous thing. Not only does it apply to our eternal salvation, but because of it we can also be comforted in our most trying times. As I’m sure many of you here know, I played volleyball in high school. Once during a practice I injured my ankle very badly. I was angry, I was hurt, I couldn’t understand why this would happen to me. Then something my dad said came into my mind. He told me that if I didn’t humble myself, the Lord would do it for me. This made me even madder. I believed that my dad cursed me. I thought that it was his entire fault. Well as weeks went on my ankle began to heal and I began playing again. But something wasn’t right. Nothing was meshing. I had lost several inches off my vertical jump, the team had grown together without me because I was not able to play, and nothing was going the way I wanted or needed it to. Because of the lack of balance in my sports life, I started loosing grip on other parts of my life. My academics were slacking. I was fighting with good friends. I was still angry at my father and at the church. I tricked myself into believing that if God loved me and wanted me to be happy, none of this would have happened.
This attitude continued on for several months. Everything continued to spiral downwards. I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t straighten out my life. I became depressed. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t stand to be around people. Finally I had enough. I had to find a way out of my slump. The problem was that I didn’t know where to turn or who to talk to. I wanted to change my life but I was still to proud to talk to my parents. I was still fighting although there was nothing left to fight.
Luckily, Christ was there to catch me and comfort me as He always is. I had a lesson in priest’s quorum one Sunday on the Atonement. I remember thinking to myself, “What’s left to lose? I’ve lost everything that I once held dear.” In that moment I decided to take the car and drive to my personal spot. The place that I felt was mine in the world. Once I arrived there, I knelt down and cried. I told the Lord all that I was feeling. I begged for help. As soon as I did so, I felt as if a thousand pounds was just lifted off of my chest. The thought came to my mind “Chad, you never had to beg. I was always here. I am always here. Let me help.” The spirit bore witness to me that through the power of the Atonement, I didn’t have to bare my burdens alone. I know that I never will.

In John chapter 21 Jesus asks his disciple Peter the following: (read verse 15 through 17)
Now if I have learned anything in seminary it is this. If something is repeated twice in the scriptures, PAY ATTENTION. If it is repeated three times, you better do it.
We all have a great responsibility that has been placed upon our shoulders by the Savior. He said, “If you love me, Feed my sheep”
That includes searching out those that are not with us and extending to them our love and fellowship. They stood with us in our first estate. They stand alone now. They need our help.
I hope to feed the people of Germany like I have been fed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and follow the example of my great grandmother who fed the two German prisoners like they were her own.
Jesus promised in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. This is the message I hope to give to German people.
TESTIMONY.

On Hold For A While!

This is what is comes down to. Chad becomes a missionary and he gets all the blessings...er..fish. We took a trip to our honey hole -- Pretty Water, just south of Palo Verde, CA. It's about where Ira Reid's place used to be before the River was ruined by the BLM. It is actually the old river channel that is now a huge backwater. Anyway, Chad, myself and Duffy, the wonder dog, went over for Memorial Day. There were no other fishermen there. We had it all to ourselves. Everything was ripe for another Jeff Arnett spanking of Chad Arnett....as is should be. But, missionaries have the touch, I guess. I got spanked. I even had to count the small "anchovie" size bass just to say I caught two fish. I will miss our fishing trips together. It is a big sacrifice for me to give up this boy for two years. It was a lot easier for me to go on my mission than to send him. Nevertheless, if Cliff, Larry, HB and Candy can send theirs off, I can too....I guess.

Now Chad will become a fisher of men I suppose, just like A.J., Anthony, Danny, Casey, Dana, Lacy, Jantzen and Meghan. That's quite a group of fisherman (not too mention their spouses who went.) The older Arnett's thank you for your service to the Lord. We know that Howard and Ethel are proud of your sacrifice as are we. Now, Chad becomes the 9th grandchild to go. Here's to good "fishing", son.