Erdman Heaven

Life for us here in Oregon has been overwhelmingly busy since our mission, as we found much work needed on our home and yard. Every room has been painted and has new carpet or tile on the floors. This required much sorting and eliminating, and now our attic is even empty. We are including a before and after picture of the back yard and also of the inside the house where we removed the wood stove and wall.Although there will always be things we can do everything is now under control and we are living a "normal" life once again.

Kim has resumed drawing and also has begun to work on his writing projects. He walks every day, and I often go with him part of the way. We do a session or two at the temple each week, I'm continuing indexing--It has been a good rest activity between periods of housework. Of course we have Ward responsibilities, and are enjoying renewing old friendships with people we've missed these last 6 years. I'm looking forward to some sewing and craft projects, and when weather dries out a bit Kim will be very busy in the yard again.

Two grandchildren have come to our family since we left our mission, so we now have 30. Needless to say we are enjoying the one family that lives near us, and I even get to teach two of them piano as well as another adult who wants to learn. I think I may try to get 2 or 3 more students.

It is really nice to be home again, but we miss the mission atmosphere, attending the zone meetings with our energetic elders, and seeing their growth as well as the growth of folks in our little Gulfport Branch. We would love to go on another mission if I can get my back in better shape again. We're still trying to find as good help as I had in Florida.

May the Lord bless you as you continue His work throughout life. "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing one another."--Crescenzo

Love,
Kim & Dorothy Erdman

Another BYU Couple

Hello FTM from the Crafton's

I just got married one month ago December 28th 2010 to Allie Rammell now Crafton from Rexburg Idaho. We are currently attending BYU and she is studying English and I'm studying Exercise Science. We are loving provo although we are more busy than both of us ever have been. Life is good and we couldn't be better. Its good to hear from everybody.

Love,

Jordan and Allie Crafton

Former Missionaries Meet in January 2011

Hello President & Sister Colton,

Today, the Rippons were in Salt Lake City visiting family, so Carters, Sumps and Harts got together with them for lunch at a local restaurant. Of course we enjoyed our visit and reminiscing about the FTM! It was such a great experience for all of us.

Sending our love,

Nancy & Richard Hart

Shauna with Students

Graduation is coming up quickly for me and I'm looking forward to the changes it will bring. I'm at BYU and I finish my undergraduate work in April with a BA in Humanities. I'm also completing a minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It has a been a wonderful choice of study for me and I've had some great opportunities with the things I'm learning. Last April I began working with Provo School District in their Adult Community Education program as an ESL teacher for evening classes. Although it was a little daunting at first, I quickly came to love teaching my classes and most of all, I love getting to know my students. It's funny how after years of never wanting to be a teacher, that is exactly what I'm doing and what's more, I'm loving it! We have a lot of fun in the classes and they definitely keep me laughing. In addition to teaching, I also work on campus as a TA for a Humanities professor. I love this opportunity too as I get to learn more about the world of art, literature, history, and human values. I'm currently the mission prep/PMG teacher in my ward and I think it's one of my favorite callings I've ever had. The next few months will surely bring many new changes as I leave Provo, but I'm looking forward to whatever comes next!

Shauna Stewart

News From Western Wyoming Community College

Dear President and Sister Colton,

It's so wonderful to hear from both of you! I'm so glad things are going well since you've returned home. I was able to return to visit the mission in August this last year and it brought back so many wonderful memories. So an update on me. I'm living in Rock Springs, Wyoming while attending Western Wyoming Community College. I will be finished with my associate of fine arts degree in Musical Theatre this spring. I am looking at which schools to attend next and it looks like the University of Northern Iowa is the leading candidate. Right now I am attending a wonderful college branch which averages anywhere from 60 to 100 people a week. The spirit is always wonderful and everyone is so friendly. Right now I am serving as a Sunday School teacher and a Home Teacher. I love being able to serve in any way possible. I hope you enjoy Stake Conference and I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Elder Oswald

News From the Pearsons

Hello friends!

Well, I’ve been meaning to send the Coltons something for the blog for a few weeks now to update everyone on my life. Since getting home I returned to BYU hoping to study Media Arts. After the application process my first semester back I was admitted into the program emphasizing in Critical Studies and New Media. Pretty much that means that I am studying how the Internet and Social Media affect society and how people represent themselves using these media. I’m a big nerd, but you all know that.

Soon after getting accepted into the program I met the most wonderful women in the world and married her six months later. Jamie is studying Family and Consumer Science at BYU and we are living in Provo. She works at the bakery on BYU campus and loves it there. I am currently working as a film editor a BYU funded program called Hallow Ground, Sacred Journeys working on documentaries about church history sites.

We graduate in about a year and a half and I plan on attending graduate school somewhere… we’re still looking into where that will be. It’s been a great year and we love life.

Proverbs 17:17

David and Jamie Pearson

Thinking of Florida!

You may be aware of the snow storms that have gripped the East Coast in the past weeks. President Colton and I spent two hours last week traveling on what is generally a 10 minute trip. The snow fell and many motorist simply left their stuck vehicles on the roads, snarling traffic to the point that snow plows could not do their job and traffic came to a stand still. We took advantage of the beautiful snow days that followed sledding on our hill side and enjoying lots of hot chocolate.

Returned Senior Couples Gather in the Fall

Do you recognize familiar faces in civilian dress? Mostly no ties and no long, black skirts! We enjoyed a lovely dinner at the home of the Allen's before attending the mission reunion in the fall.

Aaron Izatt on Break From BYU Idaho

Well just to let you know what's going on with me is that I'm now home for the winter in Star Valley Wyoming. We have been having snow days and sunny day that almost felt we were in spring, you didn't have to have a jacket on. Right now I'm trying to find a temporary job for the time I'm home which is until April and luckily I have two possibilities that might take me in. So I'm praying for the best. Three weeks ago I got off school at BYU Idaho and have been taking geology classes. They were quite hard but I made it through and barely passed. I'm not sure if it's something I want to do any more which put me back to square one. Its quite a change to find the right career for me. Any way I think of the mission days constantly and wish they were back but life moves on. Not to mention I need to find that eternal companion. hehe. anyway best of wishes.
Aaron Izatt
aka Elder Izatt.

Jennifer Briscoe Celebrates B-day

As you can see from the picture I turned 25 on June 30th of this year. I received my degree in Elementary Education in December of 2008 from BYU-I and ever since I have been substitute teaching in Rigby's school district where I live in Idaho. I am currently living at home. My parents have plans to move soon so I will be getting an apartment in order to stay here. I have a brother and a married sister who has two children ages 2 and 1 and another baby due in June 2 days before my birthday. I attend a single's ward that encompasses singles from 3 stakes and I am the ward librarian currently.

Audrey Nonoa Graduates - BYU Hawaii

Aloha fellow FTM brothers and sisters!
Just wanted to drop a few lines and let you all know what I am doing with my life!
I recently graduated with a Bachelors in Social Work and am now currently back in New Zealand looking for jobs, with hopes of attending graduate school back in Hawaii later on this year. The last 3 months of my degree I was actually living in LA and working at an inner city High School as a Pupil Services and Attendance Counselor, something very unique and awesome about this school was that 99 % of the school population are Hispanic - so I felt so blessed to be able to serve another mission!! Hahaha....the atmosphere and environment was so much like living in Tampa, with hispanic food, people and music all around me...Something quite funny actually is that when I first started I had to ring a lot of parents to speak with them about their children either being drop outs or not attending school, now I am used to making such phone calls in spanish to investigators asking why they didnt come to church or to an appointment, so when I first started making these calls, I would say "Porque no estas veniendo a la Iglesia" "Why are you not coming to Church" hahaha...it was funny for me anyways because I had to get used to saying escuela (school) instead of iglesia (church) and Senor/Senora instead of Hermano/Hermana!
But I thoroughly loved my time there and just feel so blessed to have served a mission because it has helped me in so many ways, especially with my degree and the opportunities that have opened up for me...
I am now the proud Aunty of two and am awaiting a third one to arrive sometime near the end of this month. Also one of the lovely young men that we taught in Tampa is awaiting his mission call! So the blessing and tender mercies still continue, well after the mission.
I hope you all know that if any of you ever decide to come to New Zealand or are just passing through, please let me know because you will always have a place to stay if needed!
Oh yeah I also got to have breakfast with Elder L.Tom Perry before the BYUH commencement, that was awesome eating eggs, bacon and toast with an Apostle - with him and President Wheelwright who both know President and Sister Colton very well!

Okay, sorry for my short novel.....
May Love, Peace and the Lords greatest blessing be yours as you continue to share your lives with others this year.

Nathan and Maegen Foster Married in May

Just thought i would send an update on whats
going on in my life. My wife Maegen and I got married May 29th in the
Boise temple. We are living in Boise both working and going to
school. We are very busy and to add to our crazy lives at the end of
June their will be a new addition to our family. We do not know if it
is a boy or girl yet. We will be finding out in three week. We are
super excited. Hope all is going well for you guys.

Paxman and Andrea Hatch Get Married

I got home July of 2009 and started going to school. I also served in the singles ward for a year as the first counselor in the elder's quorum. We had an opportunity to reorganize the entire home teaching program, and it was a great experience. I dated for that whole year with no promising out come. However, on March 12, 2010 I took Andrea Thayne to a UVU vs. BYU rugby game. She had a mission call for Brazil. I kept asking her out often. I decided that if we were to marry it would have to be soon. After some temple visits and only 3 weeks of dating I told her that if she doesn't go on her mission I would marry her. She spoke with her dad, prayed and decided that she would not go on her mission. I proposed to her at the Manti Temple, on the hill by the East doors. We were doing baptism's for the dead with the Oak Canyon singles ward. It was a great success story for the singles ward (I thought they deserved a proposal at one of their activities given I had found her at one of the activities.

We were sealed in the Jordan River Temple on August 14, 2010. We turned half my parents basement into an apartment. We live there now. I work for an information security company called Security Metrics. Andrea works for a company called Access Title, as an Escrow assistant. I start school today! I am continuing pursuing my PharmD and MBA. I am also going to try to fit in a bachelors in Computer Science along the way if I can manage.

We just got two callings. We teach the 6 year olds in primaray. We also serve as assistant stake sport coordinators. Life is great. We pray together, live close to family and feel extremely blessed. We are hopefully moving into a house we have been waiting on in Orem that is closer to both our jobs, where we can start a family.

Coltons Return to Virginia

The Coltons return home 1 July, 2010. President Colton with grandbaby Wren



Thirty days after our return from our mission, our daughter Ann was married in the Washington DC temple.

We celebrated a reception at our home in their honor.



Sister Colton visited our son and his family in England.














President and Sister Colton in Rockefeller Center, NYC Dec, 2010