BackusFamily: 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

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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