14 September 2025
VOLUME 13 – NUMBER 626
Troy with his new braces
I got my braces on this week, and my teeth are sore. They didn’t hurt for the first couple of hours, but then they started to get so sore that every time my teeth touched, they would hurt very badly. Mom told me to chew gum so that my teeth could settle into place.
We also painted and put baseboards in the cottage so that the workers could install carpet on the floor. I was in the room with Dad and Kai because I needed to hold the door up while Dad spray-painted the doors.
We were putting up the lights and getting ready to paint. After that, we watched Snow White. Then Dad came home, and they painted the room. Mom and I got Costa Vida for the people who were painting.
Installing base boards in The Cottage
The basement renovation continues! This weekend, we worked around the clock to get the old flooring pulled out of The Cottage, we put in new baseboards, and by late Saturday night we got The Cottage and Cottage Cove painted and ready for carpet, just in time for carpet on Monday.
Also, on a sad note, On Wednesday, September 10, just about an hour after I drove past Utah Valley University (UVU) on my way home from teaching my classes at BYU, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while attending an event at UVU. Gloria told me about it when I picked her up from work.
For some reason, this news impacted me more than I expected. I felt shaken for several days, and I’m not sure exactly why. Was it because it was so close to home? I don’t know. Some of my children we very familiar with his YouTube videos, and family members of close friends were at the event when he was shot.
The only silver lining in all of this is that Charlie’s assassination seems to have created a sort of spiritual revival among young people and even older adults around the country. Besides being a conservative political activist, Charlie was also a great advocate for Christian discipleship, and since his death, it almost seems like his spiritual advice has carried more weight than the political.
Dad at “Christian lunch” with friends
This week has been pretty busy for me, especially with work. I worked almost every day this week except for the weekends, but that’s going well on Wednesdays. I had my online class for Pathways for my Institute, and after that, Jack Haymond and I hung out and got some ice cream around 9:00pm.
Later, I had my second gathering for my other class on Thursday night. I really enjoy going to school and attending in person to get the full experience again.
On Saturday, it was a really fun day. We had London’s bridal shower at the house, and I’m so excited for her to get married. I also went on a date with Kade Rosenoff. We went to a concert in Salt Lake and got some Raising Cane’s for dinner before the show.
It took us a long time to find parking. The concert was at The Complex, and the line to get in was really long, but we made it inside after about an hour of waiting. We also bought some shirts with the singer on them. The concert was such a fun time. It was only the second concert I’ve ever been to, and it got really hot because it was inside.
Emmett
I’m still adjusting to my new work and school schedule. I'm loving both, though. My ward had a pool party, and it's been fun getting to know people there. I met up with a few other guys in my ward, and we played some basketball. Institute is every Wednesday evening.
I missed the family temple trip because my stake had a little overnight camp in Heber. That was fun, and I traveled up with my roommate. While I was there, I met more people and had a good time.
Veidi working on stake missionary board
This week, I went over to Natalie’s and Nate’s to babysit Mateo, Sophia, Benson, and their puppies while they worked on flooring at some homes in Lehi. I got there Thursday night and stayed until Saturday. We played with kitchen toys and magnets, and we watched some TV.
When the kids took a nap, I would clean up to make it easier to get to the toys and other things when they woke up. I had a fun time playing with the kids and being with the puppies. When we went outside to check on the animals, Sophia would come with me to make sure they were doing well, while Mateo and Benson watched a show.
On Saturday, we got ready to go to London’s bridal shower. We were running a little late, but when we got there, there were a lot of people. The food was delicious. I also helped Natalie with one of the games, so I didn’t participate because I knew the answers and the order they were in. Overall, it was really fun.
Kai and Owen
Cougar had a little birthday party on Tuesday, so Caleb and I went over to their place to play some games and have some fruit pizza. It had been a while since I’d had fruit pizza, so it felt pretty nostalgic. It was a fun evening overall.
On Thursday, I went on a quick hike for a double date. It was nice, and even though I don’t think there will be another date with this girl, it was still a perfect hike. Those who know me know I’m not the biggest fan of hiking, but this one was steep and quick, which are both things I like. It felt more like a challenge than a long walk.
After the date, I went to the 9/11 stair climb at LaVell Edwards Stadium. They do a tribute to all those who lost their lives on 9/11, so you climb 110 flights of stairs—about one and a half times up and down every stairwell in the stadium. I’ve also started a tradition of reading the book The Only Plane in the Sky each year during the week leading up to and after 9/11. I think it’s a book every American should read.
It is a hard book to listen to because the audiobook includes actual audio from phone calls and air traffic control recordings from that day. But it is truly inspiring to hear how people came together and responded to such a tragedy. It helps me remember the strength and unity that came from such a heartbreaking event.
Monte, Elder Larson, other missionary
Okay, I’m not going to elaborate too much because at this point it’s just getting old. Laura and Jesús did not end up getting married. If Laura doesn’t kick him out this week, there isn’t much more we can do. If she does, she can get baptized this weekend. Fingers crossed, with a lot of prayers. We’re not sure what we’re doing with Jesús yet.
Now for the good stuff! Estefania and Royer are so awesome. They are still on track to get baptized on the 30th, and they’re going to figure out their marriage papers today. They are a couple we 100% want to see get married because they are just perfect for each other. They have been so willing with all of the invitations we’ve given them, including following the Word of Wisdom and getting married. They want to be baptized so badly!
Now, guess what? I have a Mexican mom now. That’s right—Minerva “adopted” Elder Larson and me. It’s actually a really cool story. We went to their house to teach Emily, and we had a really good lesson about the Word of Wisdom.
Monte with missionaries and friends
At the end of the lesson, we asked Emily how she felt about being baptized on the 27th. She said yes! Let’s go! Then Minerva turned to us and said that as priesthood holders, we needed to be a good example for Emily because her dad never was. She said we are her older brothers now, and that we are like her kids too.
Those are the days I live for as a missionary. I can’t wait for Emily to be baptized, and it makes me so happy to see Minerva coming back to church. They are both such amazing people, and now we’re family.
It’s also Mexican Independence Day, so that’s pretty crazy here. I’ll write more about that next week.
Elders Fish and Hill on ferry