A night at the Great Salt Lake with Hannah.....

A few days ago, Hannah Fine, Brady's girlfriend that has waited loyally for him while on his mission, called Cassidy and offered to take some photos of her and teach her a little about photography while she was in Salt Lake City for a day.  She also invited Christine and I, so we all went to the Great Salt Lake at sunset.  Hannah spent almost 3 hours taking pics of the girls and was such a sweetheart to hang out with, we thoroughly enjoyed our time with her.

While Hannah was taking pics I snapped this photo with the camera on my phone.

Road trip with the Heaps......

President Heap, Sister Heap and their daughter took the AP's (Elders Spencer, Watson, Richards and Backus) to the southern border of Texas and Mexico to the cities of Ft. Stockton, Marfa and Presidio.  

Elder Barnes Homecoming.......

I am starting to feel like a ward hopper as we attended the 4th homecoming of one of Cody's companions.  Today we got to hear Elder Barnes (Cody served with him for 4 months in Roswell, NM) speak about his mission, and what an incredible testimony he gained because of it.  His experience was one that took him through his own personal Gethsemane filled with struggles he could never have anticipated before he left, but because of them he developed his own personal testimony of the Savior and His Atonement.  As we listened to him bear a humble but strong testimony of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost was overwhelmingly present to witness of truth.  These are the kind of experiences that are forever written upon my heart that I will never forget.  My memory is definitely showing signs of age, but every experience I have had in my life where the Spirit has taught me a gospel principle, I remember like it happened yesterday.  Its my prayer that my daughters will also remember the way they felt as they listened to this young man who chose to walk away from what the world had to offer him when he turned 18, and dedicate 2 years of his life to the Lord.  I am constantly amazed at what these young men can become when they place their trust in Him.  

I shake my head every time we meet one of Cody's companions, each and every one of them are pretty incredible.  Cody tells me he is a product of his companions, and his companions tell me the same thing about Cody.  After listening to Cody express his love for his mission presidents and companions, I am pretty confident he no longer wonders why he was called to serve in Lubbock, Texas.

Mixed feelings.........

Today I received a phone call from the Texas Lubbock Mission office secretary who was purchasing tickets for those missionaries going home in the next 4 months.  Wow, as much as we all miss that boy and can't wait for him to be home, I do not want the experiences he is having and the blessings we have been receiving to stop.  Definitely mixed feelings.

My good friend and neighbor actually went on a business trip to Lubbock last week, so I made a poster for Cody and Elder Spencer and asked her if she would hang it on their door.  I knew they would be out of town and there would be no risk of a distraction :).

Hey Momma!!

I am so glad that you all got to go and hear Zack and Spencer speak. Haha they are great. That is so funny that Elder Richards gave you a shout out from the pulpit?! I have been so busy these last few weeks that I haven't even told you all about Omar, oops! We have been teaching him for the past couple months, it has been a sweet, sweet, experience. He was actually baptized this Saturday and confirmed yesterday, it was awesome! The Lord really picked up the slack on our part, we were kind of torn between 50 different things, but Omar was still able to keep all of his commitments and receive answers to his prayers. Pretty sweet!

That was very thoughtful of you and Sister Peterson to make that sign, thanks (: It is now hangin up in our apartment!

Yes we are still going around with President for interviews. This week we were in Midland, Fort Stockton, and Odessa. We also had MLC this Friday. Haha busy busy! Our focus was the why behind commitments we extend to investigators, why is it that Heavenly Father would have us keep them. I was the lucky one to draw the Law of Chastity. It was hard teaching that in front of my peers, haha but it was a great learning experience for me and I really learned about the brevity of the blessings of keeping the commandments.

Things are going great mom. I can't believe how fast the time is going. This has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and I want to savor every second while still preparing for the future. Life is good! I sure love you Mom, have a great week.

Love, Elder Backus

p.s. omar is in the white shirt, eli is the one in the suit that baptized him. (due to the size difference it took eli, who is a recent convert himself, four times to get him under haha!)

Transfers.........

Hey Momma!

You cracked a rib?? Is it feeling any better now? Sorry about that ): I worry about you! Haha that run with all the missionaries was a lot of fun; we looked like dorks. Running has been going well, we were in a great rhythm the past couple weeks, but then I think I was going a little bit too hard too fast and pulled a muscle or something in my left foot, so we had to take this week off. But it is back to 100% and we will be back on it Monday. 

This week was the most stressful of my entire life haha. We had 18 new missionaries come in, 24 go home, and 60+ just being transferred to a new area. I was responsible for all of their travel arrangements to and from the mission home to the airport, vice versa, and then all the other missionaries switching. I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But, we made it through by the skin of our teeth. Sending my companions off and watching them walk through the security line to the other side of the "veil" was very hard for me. I cried haha. I sure am going to miss all of those guys. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to serve with them. I am excited you get to go to their homecomings!!! See if you can make it to Braxton Barnes', his should be the week following Zach and Spencer's (Watson and Richards) (; 

Haha no Mom, I didn't get too big for the belt, that belt actually broke while I was in training. The buckle broke so it was stuck on my body, haha Elder Cutler had to cut it off with a knife! 

We are on interviews now and thus will be on the road for the next two weeks. Haha it never ends Mom. Its all worth it though, the experience is tremendous. 

I love you so much and thank you so much for your support. Stay safe and healthy!

Love, Elder Backus

Some thoughts from Elder Backus to his dad.............

Hey Dad!

What's up?  Can you believe how fast time is flying?  Cassidy is about to finish her Junior year of high school.  Yikes!  Summer is almost upon us.

So Dad, I just wanted to write and congratulate you again on the new call to serve.  As a member of the Bishopric, you will be looked up to and respected even more than you were before.  I have always looked up to the Bishopric a lot.  How are you feeling?  Did you know that was coming?

I think you are going to do a fantastic job.  I know that the Lord has been preparing you for a long time for this.

Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk in General Conference not too long ago about "The Load".  Basically he taught how we and the Lord place weight in our own spiritual truck beds.  Now, there is good weight and bad weight.  Bad weight is the not so important things of the world.  They provide entertainment and take up time, but they do not provide the necessary weight to provide traction.  Good weight is things like a calling to the Bishopric.  They are not easy, they take up a lot of time and a lot of effort.  They sometimes cause us great growing pains.  But that load is heavy enough to give the truck traction to continue down the path of progression.

I am behind you 100% Dad!  This call to serve is now one of the biggest priorities in your life now.  Make the most of it.  Strengthen your testimony and deepen your conversion, learn and re-learn the doctrine.  Follow the brethren.  Give all that you are to the Lord and His people in the River 5th Ward and you will be amazed at who you become.  This is a great opportunity for you to grow Dad!  I love, support, and sustain you.  Let me know what I can do to help.  I love you and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Love,

Elder Backus

Cody has shared that Elder Watson and Richards are 2 of his favorite companions as they have served together with President & Sister Heap.  Today, Cody drove them to the airport and sent them home as they have finished their 2 year service.  I am sure it was an emotional day for them all.....

The Book of Mormon, love for the mission, friends forever, flooding, transfers and the plan of salvation......

Mother Dearest,

Hey there Momma! Wow, another week come and gone, can you believe that?? I am super excited that yall have been hiking a lot, I am in! I have been to Donut Falls before, haha was Dad alright? Holy cow, how about Brother Backus? I am so very proud of him. What a great opportunity for him and all the family to step up and rise to the occasion. (Steve will be receiving a new calling on Sunday)

Alright, I am in Alma 41 right now, I should be finishing in the next couple weeks or so, and then I am going to read it again before October, so I will do the challenge with you (; I love the Book of Mormon as well, so very much. There is only one way in and one way out of this Church, and that is through the Book of Mormon. 

I have thought sometimes about where I would be or what I would be doing if I wasn't on this mission. Those are thoughts that quite honestly make me sick to my stomach. I am so grateful for this experience. I would not change it for the whole world. I love it so much. 

This transfer next week is going to be pretty hard for me, 4 of my best friends will be going home. However it has been a blessing to watch them and learn from them, especially as I have learned from them how to best make the transition and prepare for going home. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to serve with them. Haha Elder Watson and Richards both want the Backus family to be at their homecomings; find out a way to make it work! (; They are two of my favorites.

Don't worry about Elder Murray or me, the bad weather has yet to hit close to any missionaries, thankfully. We are on top of things when they come up to, so everybody will be taken care of.

Things are going great Mom, haha I am busy and stressed, especially with having to coordinate the mission transfers and a general authority coming this weekend, but I am so grateful for the load, I need it. The plan of salvation is real mom! We aren't here to prepare ourselves to just meet God, we are here to be prepared by God to become like him. 

I love you mom! The gospel is true, don't forget it! 

Love, Elder Backus

More pics from the mission blog............

Dancer and Dutch Oven Extraordinaire..........

Christine had a pretty busy couple of weeks.  First, she had her Spring Dance Show with Murray Community Dance that is held in the Murray High School Auditorium.  Christine has been dancing with MCE Dance since she was in the 2nd grade and continues to improve each year.

One week later Christine and her best friend, Crista, entered the Dutch Oven Cook Off at Riverview Junior High.  They opted not to be judged but did it more for the fun of it and to make a little extra cash.  They weren't in it to win it, but they were definitely the busiest booth and made about $400!!  

Pics from transfer week........

A picture is definitely worth a thousand words to me!  Sister Heap posted these pictures of transfer week, and Cody was in quite a few.

First transfer (as an assistant) accomplished.........

Hey Mom!

So transfers went rather smoothly. Haha I am still working on multi-tasking. I like to sit down and work on a project until its done, but that is just not how it works out here. You always get interrupted by something else, so its easy to forget all the other things you started with, so I am still trying to get better at that.

I did get your last e-mail, and that does make me feel better too. I think that is a very smart option, hopefully I will have made up my mind in the next couple weeks. Thank you for doing all that Mom, I sure appreciate it (:

I haven't heard anything about not skyping, but maybe something changed? I don't know, I am sure that we will find out in the next week or so.

Haha so are you still planning on going to Elder Bladen's homecoming? He is great, we had a lot of fun together. He was a great missionary and helped me out with a lot.

I will send those pants this week, I promise. The problem with having P day on Saturday is that the post office closes at 12, so it is hard sometimes to make it over there, but I will send them out Monday or Tuesday, and 34 would be perfect.

Well Mom, I sure love this church we belong to! When you take a step back from the keyhole and look at the whole picture you really can appreciate the promise that "by their fruits ye shall know them". It amazes me what this church accomplishes. It must be true huh?

I love you Mom, things are going well. Thank you for your love and support, I hope you have a fantastic week.

Love,

Elder Backus

(The girls and I did attend the homecoming of Cody's companion Elder Bladen from Logan, Utah.  He served with Cody for 3 months in Roswell, New Mexico.)

Jennica, Alyssa, and Ashley Murray (Elder Murray's family), Elder Matt Bladen, Christine, Cassidy, me, and the mother of Elder Watson who is another AP who Cody served with for 1 transfer.

Pics from the MTC thanks to Hermana Gates...........

I came across some pics from the MTC that were taken by a sister in Cody's district, this was just a few of them (sisters just tend to take more pictures than elders!).  

Belated email and pics from Elder Backus............

Hey Mom!

That is so cool you got to meet all of those people, how are you liking the Deseret Book job? It sure sounds pretty fun. 

(Cody is referring to the meet and greet we had with some of the cast of "Meet the Mormons".)

This is a picture of me with Jermaine Sullivan who at the time "Meet the Mormons" was being made, he was the Bishop of the Atlanta Ward, and is now serving as the stake president of the Atlanta Georgia Stake.  It was fun to compare notes with him about all things Atlanta including the fact that my dad served as the Bishop of the Atlanta ward as well :).  

Thanks to Relative Finder I learned that Gail Halvorsen aka 'The Candy Bomber', is my second cousin.  When I told him how we were related, he told me that was the best news he'd heard in a long time haha!  What an incredible legacy he has.

I got that package yesterday, thank you so much. So...the Meet the Mormons autographed case was pretty cool, but the DVD wasn't inside it haha! Did it maybe fall our somewhere or something? Either way, I still think it is pretty sweet (: That was sure nice of Christine to write me a little not too.

I actually really like the idea of the BYU Salt Lake Center, what can you tell me more? Would I be able to step in to some classes in the middle of October? If I didn't decide to go to BYU would the credits I earned there still transfer to other schools? Tuition cost?

I know I have been slacking super bad on letters and pictures, I am so sorry. I actually just got you something and went to the post office this morning, so hopefully it should come either Monday or Tuesday. I will send a pair of those pants back this Monday too, hopefully (; Thank you for being so understanding.

Transfers are at the end of next week. Transfer week is packed for us as we finish up the travel arrangements for transferring missionaries. We have made all of the changes already and now we will go to the Temple on Tuesday to finalize everything. Haha pretty crazy! 

My favorite thing about President Heap, oh man. Well, first he is very very personable. You can tell how much he really loves the missionaries. I think the thing that really sets him apart though is his knowledge of the scriptures. He has them all memorized, haha like all 4 of the standard works. It is pretty incredible how he can teach with them, it definitely has been an incredible blessing to me. 

I sure do love you mom. Everyday I am reminded like the Stripling Warriors that "We do not doubt it, our mothers knew it". Thanks for knowing it Mom (: I love and miss you. I hope you have a wonderful week.

Love, Elder Backus

, 

Attachments area

Hey Guys!

So, transfers are actually this upcoming week. This last week has been spent preparing for it all, and then the missionaries all start to move on Tuesday. Elder Spencer is my new companion, he is a really good guy. We were in the MTC together, so I already know him pretty well. 

I have learned a lot in the past 6 weeks. We just sent a struggling Elder home this morning. He just didn't ever "get it".  I sure am grateful for this experience! Thanks for always encouraging, not forcing, me to be out here.

I have been thinking about something that both President Heap and Elder Bednar when he was here have taught a lot is the importance of being an agent to act for yourself rather than an object that is acted upon. Now I obviously don't know the slightest thing about being a parent and what that is like to watch a child make their own decisions that may not be right, but I do know that if he or she is going to be a solid member of the Lord's Church for the rest of their lives then they are going to have to learn for themselves, and that may even mean that they learn by "sad experience" as the Lord says to the Prophet Joseph in the Doctrine and Covenants.  Sigh.

Haha I am glad to see that Mom and the girls had fun! Its good to hear that Christine is hanging around the Smith twins, I hope that they are good influences. 

Well, I think I really like the idea of BYU SLC for at least until Fall 2016. I believe that my byuid is codybackus10 and the password is utahutes1 , but I am not entirely sure...I think I will, in the next couple weeks, start to really pray and ask for a confirmation if that is the right thing to do and then we could start registering. 

Dad, I have thought about that possibility of work as well, and I think I would really enjoy that, I think that is a good idea to think more about. And Mom, I would also very much like to get on an internship with Merrill-Lynch if that was possible. 

I know that talk about school, work, etc. can seem distracting, but I think having a plan when you get home is essential to staying active in the church when you get home. President Heap just got home from his Mission President's Seminar in Dallas this last week, and a program was rolled out to them where the missionaries start to make a plan and go through on-line training to prepare them to make the transition of coming home. That program would start when you have 6 months left in the field and you work in conjunction with the Mission President and your Stake President to make a plan and follow-through with it. That program is going to be presented before the First Presidency next week and would probably be implemented right before I go home.  (Very interesting that a program is being implemented to help missionaries have a plan before they return home, I guess that answers why Cody has been asking me about college, work, etc.).

I got Meet the Mormons! Thanks Mom! Things just keep getting faster and faster around here. We have had some pretty intense thunder storms lately and even a few tornadoes swirling around the mission, but luckily none have been close to any missionaries or people in general. 

Working on Tech Campus has definitely taught me a lot of things. 1, (I am editing out #1)  2, The worth of a virtuous woman really is greater than rubies 3, Worldly knowledge without a faith in Christ truly is a curse. That being said, I love working on campus. There are people everywhere and it is kind of fun to just talk to people non-stop for hours. And they usually are pretty interactive too, which makes it even better. We have a few people that we are working with but with our and their schedules it makes it difficult to see them very often, so the sister missionaries in the ward help us teach them too.

Well guys, I sure love you. Thanks for all that you do and all the words of support. I am proud of you two! You are doing an incredible job. I love and miss you both like crazy, I hope you have an incredible week. Love you!

Love, 

Elder Backus

This This is the truck and trailer Elder Backus is driving around the mission....

This

Texas Tech Stadium

Elder Backus and Elder Murray