*** TORNADO TERRITORY! ***

Chase arrived in the Heatherridge, South area in Aurora Colorado on Wednesday, April 21st 2010! He arrived there just in time for a "ToRnADo!!" He sent an e-mail that said,

"I am in the middle of my first tornado warning! I am so excited, I have always wanted to see one!" GTG Love you, Love Elder Wilson"

Anybody who knows Chase would know that it would be just like him to want to be right where the action was! However, I think that Tornado Chasing is probably against the mission rules...LOL!

LEAVING LITTLETON

Chase has been serving in Littleton for the past 12 Weeks. This was Chase's first area after arriving in Denver on January 27th! He had two companions while in Littleton. The first was his trainer Elder John, and the second was Elder Geigle from Chicago who seemed like the "perfect" companion for Chase. He was from Chicago, loved SoCcEr, was a UtEs fan, and looked just like Chase's friend Stewart Christensen!! The first day that Chase, excuse me, Elder Wilson, arrived in Littleton he was greeted not only by his trainer, Elder John, but by "THOUSANDS" of geese. GEESE, GEESE EvErYwHeRe!!! But alas no gun and no hunting permit. Just a Book of Mormon, A Bike and his testimony!! He taught a man named "DUKE" who was a Vietnam vet. Duke had some really interesting stories to tell because he had been a sniper during the war. Chase said that teaching Duke was a challenge because you would get about 2 minutes of "Gospel Teaching" time to about an hour of Duke stories! He also had the opportunity to teach the "GOODMAN" family while serving in Littleton. They were an older couple who lived outside of the area boundaries by just 4 houses but since they were a referral from the Bishop, Chase and Elder Geigle were allowed to teach them. Chase shoveled snow for them and said they were interested in learning more about the gospel. While in Littleton, Chase enjoyed going to the Denver Temple on the first P-Day of every month, he loved teaching the members and didn't have to cook a single dinner since he was fed so well by the members! He said the "Lessons & Dinners" were two things he really enjoyed in Littleton:) Yesterday, April 21st was "TRANSFER" day once again and Chase got the call that he would be shipping out!!! PACK UP ELDER!!! And, P.S. DON'T FORGET YOUR COAT.....HaHaHa!!!

SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU???

Recently I have been trying to picture in my head, with some assistance from Google Maps, just where in the world Chase actually is? And then the next thing I know, WAHBAM! I get this wonderful picture of him showing me "EXACTLY" where he is! I feel much better now knowing! Thanks Elder Wilson:) The first area he has been assigned to serve in since arriving in Denver is Littleton, CO. He says that it is pretty much like "Grandma Ashment's" neighborhood. LOTS OF HILLS! He is mostly riding his bike. I hope that he remembers that what goes UP must come DOWN, eventually! You can't go uphill both ways, unless your 70+ years old and then it is always "uphill both ways, in a snowstorm". The blessings of YOUTH! He wrote us about his Trainer who he almost called "ELTON" John instead of "ELDER" John....only Chase would make his first companion into a ROCKSTAR!

HELLO!!!

Wednesday the 27th of January was the day that Chase left the MTC and traveled to the Salt Lake City airport to fly to Denver:) He sent us a letter that week and told us that he could call us from the airport and talk to us before his flight left. Needless to say we were all "WAAAAYYY EXCITED"!!! Just another excuse to have a tea party, RIGHT? His flight was scheduled to leave at 8:20 so we figured he would call pretty early. A friend of ours worked for Delta and he offered to go to the airport and take a couple of our cell phones to Chase (one for him to use and the other for the other missionaries flying out at the same time to use so that they would all have a chance to talk to their families) and take a treat to Chase and some pictures of him and he also waited until Chase left and then he brought back the phones, took some pictures of Chase and his companions for us and delivered Chase's SD camera card that was already full. So nice of Him! Thanks MIKE:) Charity and Chambrae and Chad and the kids came out at six and we "WAITED" in anxious anticipation for the phone to ring. TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK. Why does time seem to stand still when you can't wait for something so exciting to happen? He called us around 6:45 a.m. and we talked and talked and talked, until about 7:50!! It was so good just to hear his voice. He was a little bit nervous and still sick but he sounded great!! It was absolutely one of the very best phone calls we have ever received!!

CURBSIDE DROPOFF?

Okay, so that may sound fabulous for dry cleaning, laundry services and really heavy packages! But for MISSIONARIES, Really? The recent swine flu outbreak was the culprit in the instigation of this "new" delivery method for missionaries arriving at the Provo MTC!! Chase was absolutely thrilled when he learned about the "3 minutes or less" curbside delivery!! Me, not so much.....at first! But, when it finally came time to actually to "drop" him at the curb I was a little bit relieved to be honest and could actually see the wisdom in the change. For me the final days and hours leading up to Chase's mission departure date on January 6th, 2010 were a lot like having a very sticky bandaid pulled off "REEEAALLLYY" slow........OUCH:( It has been a very happy, little bit sad, spiritually uplifting, emotionally draining, up and down roller coaster like ride. But with all of that said, I wouldn't want it any other way! I am so happy for Chase and also very proud of him. I know that he will be an amazing MISSIONARY!
"Give 'em a little bit of HEAVEN there in Colorado" Elder Wilson!!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 5TH 2010, PRESIDENT ALLRED SET CHASE APART AS A FULL TIME MISSIONARY FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS!! IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EVENING. WE ARRIVED AT THE STAKE CENTER AT 8:00 AND PRESIDENT ALLRED SPENT SOME TIME VISITING WITH US AND GIVING US "ADVICE" AND ASKING BRUCE AND I TO GIVE CHASE SOME "ADVICE". A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT PRESIDENT ALLRED COUNSELED CHASE TO DO WERE FIRST, TO ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT HE WAS ON THE "LORD'S ERRAND" ! AND SECOND, TO BE "STRICTLY OBEDIENT" TO THE MISSION PRESIDENT AND THE MISSION RULES"!

BRUCE COUNSELED CHASE TO "BE HIMSELF" AND "REMEMBER WHO HE WAS" AND I COUNSELED HIM TO REMEMBER THAT HE WAS "DIVINE BY BIRTH" AND THAT HE HAS A HEAVENLY FATHER WHO KNOWS HIM INDIVIDUALLY AND WHO LOVES HIM!!!

AT THE END OF OUR VISIT IT WAS TIME FOR CHASE TO BE "SET APART". THERE WAS SUCH A TREMENDOUS FEELING OF LOVE AND THE SPIRIT WAS SO STRONG AS HE WAS SET APART AND GIVEN A BLESSING BY PRESIDENT ALLRED. IT WAS A REMARKABLE AND POWERFUL EXPERIENCE. THE POWER OF THE PRIESTHOOD IS SUCH A MARVELOUS GIFT! HOW AMAZING IT WAS TO HAVE BRUCE AND CHAD TAKE PART IN THE CIRCLE AS CHASE WAS BLESSED! AND HOW GRATEFUL WE WERE TO HAVE ADRIAN THERE WITH CHARITY SUPPORTING US AND CHASE! THANKS FAMILY!

WE RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM PRESIDENT ALLRED TO MAKE AN AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS SPECIAL NIGHT. CHAMBRAE RECORDED THE ENTIRE EVENING SO THAT CHASE WILL HAVE A RECORD OF IT ALWAYS. THANKS SISTER:) IT WILL BE A STRENGTH TO HIM NOT ONLY WHILE HE IS SERVING AS A MISSIONARY BUT THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. WHAT A MEMORABLE NIGHT!!

FIREARMS! FOOD! FUN! FAMILY! FAREWELL!

FIREARMS....Check! We have lots and lots of shotguns and Chase bought the shells!! Everybody had a chance to shoot! Well, except Charity because she was still recovering from surgery to her broken arm! She was there to cheer us on though! Chase impressed all of us, old and young alike, with his spectacular accuracy and finesse! Adrian & Chad shoot like the mighty hunters they are! Bruce just loved watching the family have fun shooting together and he was the official Ready, PULL...."Skeet" launcher! Cham and I gave the boys a run for their money and personally, I think we "OUTSHOT" them all; but that's just my own opinion!!

FAMILY.....Check! Only the best family in the whole wide world!! Bruce, Kristy, Chambrae, Charity,CHASE,Chad, Adrian, Daxten, Hadley, Mason and of course Duke and Bo!!! Booh Rah!!

FUN.....Check! Who wouldn't have fun doing this together? We started early in the evening and went through a ton of shells. We laughed when "someone" accidentally loaded a 410 shell into the 12 ga.???? We laughed when we made enough "ruckus" that the sherriff showed up in front of our house....BOY DID WE SHOOT A LOT OF SHELLS!! We laughed as we watched each other succeed and fail! It was a super, great activity made so much more enjoyable because we did it together as a FAMILY!!! It doesn't get any better than that!

FOOD.....Check! Chambrae and Charity took care of everything! Homemade Breaded Chicken Bites with BBQ sauce and honey, Breaded stuffed cheese jalapeno peppers, Shrimp and homemade southern style banana pudding......YUM YUM YUM. The way to a Chase's heart is most definately through his stomache! Good job girls he most certainly LOVES YOU....they even did all of the cooking and clean-up!

Just two good ole' boys and their guns!

FARWELL.....Check! It's not really Farewell its just "Bon Voyage & Good Luck" for now and we'll see you again REALLY soon!!! We just couldn't send you off without one last, big, whooping, hollering, eating, laughing, freezing, fun, country like Family SHINDIGGY!!! SEE YA AGAIN REAL SOON:-D