Janel's Note: Elder Coffman didn't include any pictures this week so I included some pictures from Google Earth that are in the area where he is serving/living in Calle 51, Caucel, Mexico.
I did include one of the pictures from last week's email of Elder Coffman and Elder Peterson.
 |
| 7-23-2013. My son (companion) Elder Peterson from Florida. Caucel, MX. |
Janel’s
Note: This is the Pioneer Story that
David refers to in his letter below which I included in our family email to
David last week:
David, this is an
example of the importance of our writings for future generations. Our pioneer ancestors, the Chase Family
(Grandma Smith’s side of the family) came across the plains, I knew there had
to be some great pioneer events that happened but I hadn’t been able to find
any of these stories. I often thought,
“I wish/wonder if any of the Chase ancestors had kept a journal of their lives
during this important time in the Church history. Then, this past week I was researching our
Chase Ancestors for Michelle for Trek for an ancestor for her to walk for and I
found a story of one of Issac Chase’s daughters, Harriet Louisa CHASE-only 13
yrs. old when they crossed the plains (Issac was your Great, Great, Great,
Great Grandfather). She told her these experiences she had with
the Prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young as well as traveling across the
plains and the early years in the Salt Lake Valley. Her daughter wrote them down and shared them
on a genealogy website. Here is one of
the pioneer stories she wrote about:
“The change of climate brought on a sickness which was
known as winter fever. Sylvia, a daughter of Isaac, was very sick and father
Chase sent for the Prophet to come and administer to her. There was so much
sickness and the Prophet was so much in demand that he could not come, but
taking a handkerchief out of his jacket he said, "Take this and give it to
her. Tell her to hold it in her hand. It should be the same as an
administration." This was done and the fever left her and she began to
improve form that time. The Prophet announced that at a certain time he would
baptize in the Mississippi River and that that would be the last time he would
officiate at baptisms. Father Chase took his family to be baptized but was a
little late in getting to the place and the Prophet was coming up out of the
water just as they drove up. He said, "Here is Father Chase and his
family. I will baptize them." Which he did. So that makes my mother the
last child publicly baptized by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Mother said after the
Nauvoo Temple was finished Father and Mother worked there almost day and night.”
-
Early History of Harriet Louisa Chase McLaughlin As told to her daughter, May
in her later years.
---------- Forwarded message
----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: 8-4-2013 Hola' Greetings from your family - WE LOVE YOU!!
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>
hola familia! wow well first of all
that is a really cool story of the pioneers. in my patriarchal blessing it says
something really specific about my heritage and as i learn more about
how the world will end and what the millenum will be all about i realize how
important all that is. there is a person here in this ward who has done her genealogy
hasta adan y eva. its pretty cool. i guess when you get down to a king or
something then its all ready done. but i really am glad you sent me that.
and if you want a picture of caucel, you can just google earth it. You could
even google earth ourhouse. its calle 51 numero 688a por
86 y 84. but i{ll takesome pics of our house for yall. well this week was
pretty good. we found some pretty cool people, some of them have been prepared
by angels for us to come. well i guess probably one of the highlights of what
happened thisweek was something that happened yesterday. we were teaching this
lady and she asked us why there was a picture of a samaritan lady
giving water to Jesus on thecoverof the evangelio folleto. we answered
that if we live what Jesus taught o sea what
is found in the pamphlet she will never be thirsty or hungry again. she will
have all she needs. then
she said the whole morning she was searching for an answer
about our message. she read 3 nephi 11 and really liked the part about not
having contention and about the way we baptize and all that but she still
didn{t know what she was missing. even though that chapter says what she needed,
she didn{t recognize it. then she prayed and then read the bible and then read
the restoration pamphlet and all that and still couldn’t find what she was searching
for. then she decided justto open to a random place and she opened the bible to
juan 4. it talks about the story in front of the evangelio folleto that i
mentioned before. but she didn{t think anything of it and kept searching
because the folleto was face down on her
table up to this point. then she decided to
open up the bible again and opened up to another one of the evangelios that
talks about that same story and so she was about ready to give up and she was
going to put her books away and when she picked up the evangelio folleto,she
saw that picture and she knew what she needed. well i guess you can probably
guess what happened next. she accepted a date for a baptism and that is really
something because her mom is super catholic and she was really scared to even
think of changing. but she decided to look and search and pray. or search
ponder and pray as the song says and she was diligent about it. i was so proud
of her and i felt like giving her a hug i was so happy but i couldn’t so we just
shared a really goodscripture and invited her to be baptized.
haha we figured that that would be more vauluable than a hug from me anyways,
even though my hugs would be pretty good haha jk but it was amazing
i hope you can understand what i wrote because itis really a bad keyboard that
we have. but just remember to always be diligent and to never give up.
sometimes God tests our patience or our faith so we never know
what is going to be around the corner. even if it seems like
it is never going to
get better and only get worst, i always remember a truly inspired
quote fromthedark knight. the night is always darkest before
the sun starts to rise. its something like that. you should
watchthemovie to get it. its in the dark knight and harvey dent says it.
itwillbe a good excuse for stephen to finally watch a movie in
englishhahahahaahah jk but i love you guys a lot. oh yeah and something else i
learned is the importance of following the spirit. in that same lesson i was
thinking of sharing one scripture but then another one came into my mind and so
I decided to go with the impressino and i did and she
felt the spirit so strong she literally had to get up and
leave the room for like a
minute to recover haha itwas amazing. so dont trust in
your own wisdom or the wisdom of the world. do was Jesus would do and you
should listen to the song i{m trying to be like Jesus
because it has a reallygood message. I heard it this
morningwhen we werecleaning the house and i remembered you guysand especially
mother because she knows all the primary songs. but listen to it when the motab
sings it. And also you should know that i love you a lot. bye bye
what is that.
and thats funny about the sprinklers. here they dont exist ahah but we
always do yardwork for people and im gladyou
taught be about yard work and also thats goodabout the
buick and funny about stephen. i bet you called him a ninny after that
hahahahahahah adios pops
----------
Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard N. Smith <richardnsmithcpa@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 9:46 PM
Subject: RE:
To: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Cc: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>, Scott Coffman
<scoffman957@gmail.com>
Coffman
Choro,,
Shibarako
desta ne!! It was so good to hear from you Elder Coffman!! I
thought it would be fun to mix some Japanese with your Spanish (Elder Coffman
it has been a long time since we saw you). Thank you for the birthday and
anniversary thoughts.
I send greetings
to you from Grandma too. She is taking a short “vacation” at the Lakeview
Hospital in order to recuperate from a bout with pneumonia, etc. She is
getting the care that is needed. As our meeting with Dr. Youkstetter was
about to conclude this afternoon, Grandma said “I have a joke for
you..” That is a sure sign of the start of progress.
We enjoy
your letters and pictures. Your enthusiasm for the gospel is contagious
and that is a very good attribute. We are proud of you and amazed that
you are able to find time to share your thoughts and experiences in detail with
us.
Love,
Grandma and
Grandpa
From:
David Coffman [mailto:
david.coffman@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 12:54 PM
To: Richard Smith; Richard Smith
Subject:
hola abuelo!
how areyou doing! well i am doing great i guess you and grandma
had another anniversary
and birthday for you! happy bday sorr y for
the bad spelling the keyboard is reallymessed up
haha. buti hope you can understaand it all. how is grand ma doing_
i hope she
is really good. well, thanks forall thegood examles you guys have giving me.
andwhen does cameron leave for his mission. well i love you guys and when
people ask who are some of the people i really look up to, you two are always
at the top of my list. well adios con
mucho amor
love elder
coffman
