As far as our favorite missionary goes, Dallin sounds great. He is still working hard and seems to be making some progress in Kungsbacka. He has a new companion and the ward really seems to be taking a liking to him. We have really been missing him this past week. Dallin was a fantastic basketball player for PVHS and he would have really loved to see them play. Also, as we are moving into the old adobe house that Dallin spent many hours helping restore, his memory has hung heavy with us. I will post pictures of the house once we get everything situated. It is really coming together. What a cute house. It's a lot smaller than we are used to, but it is working so far.
What makes a champion? This is a great question. Champions come in many shapes and sizes and in many different arenas and venues. This week we celebrate the PVHS boys basketball championship! We are sure proud of the team and their coaches, along with their hard work and sacrifices. However, I will always celebrate the hard work and sacrifices missionaries make everyday in the mission field. Those that work hard and give it their all everyday to further the work of the Lord will always be champions in my book. Keep up the great work Big D!!!
Anyhow, here are the letters from the past two Mondays......
Blaine's Letter to Dallin:
Hi Dallin
PV won the region championship. Really exciting. They haven't won it out right since 2002-2003 season, they shared a region championship in 2006-2007 it said in the paper.
They had a neat senior night, each senior had a bobble head picture that the student section held up on a stick. Carter had several of these held up by his fellow classmates in the student section. They cut down the nets after the game and each player cut down a piece of the net for their own momento.
Carter got to play about 7-8 minutes in the game. He plays in the 1 and 2 quarter usually and maybe a little bit in the 3rd has been the normal playing time for him.
This has been difficult for him but I think he is just trying to do his best and of course is really enjoying being on a team like this.
I thought I would show you the state tournament bracket for your enjoyment.
*Ben Lomand
vs
Uintah/Park City
*Richfield
vs
Cedar City
*Pine View
vs
North Sanpete
*Uintah/Park City
vs
Tooele
*Desert Hills
vs
Juab
*Juan Diego
vs
Grantsville
*Bear River
vs
Union/Morgan
*Payson
vs
Dixie
These are the first round playoff game pairing at home sites. Home team with the asterisk. The winners will move on and play as I have listed the bracket. Sorry I couldn't put in the right boxes but they advance as I have arranged them. So if Pine View wins at home against North Sanpete, they will get the winner of the Toole vs Uintah/Park City winner in the first round of the State Tournament held at the E center in Salt Lake City on February 26,27,28.
I took work off so we all are going up on Wednesday evening after work. Pine View has got themselves in a pretty good position as far as in the bracket. The top bracket only has Pine View as one of the top ranked teams per the Desert News poll.
The bottom bracket has Desert Hills, Juan Diego, Bear River, Dixie and Payson were all in the season top 5 rankings at some point in the season. Pine View is ranked #1 in 3a but have only themselves as top ranked in the top bracket. I can't believe how this has come together for themselves to get in the state championship game. We will see how it goes.
Hope you are having a great time over there. Enjoy every minute of it because soon you will be home with us. I am getting excited about moving out of this house and getting up to the old house and see what our future will bring.
Your mom didn't get into BYU which was very disappointing for her but may turn out just fine for all of us involved. Natalie said this outcome would show the Lord's will for our family and so I have to believe we are supposed to stay here for a while anyway and get Ty graduated.
Keep up the good work and get some work done over there. See if you can't come up big for someone or family over there. Why not? Give yourself a chance and work hard. Great Blessings are in store for you if you try.
Remember PVHS is the only way to be. There will be a nice PV Panthera waiting for you when you get home.
Your dad
Blaine Glen Milne
Letter From Dallin:
Hey Dad,
What an exciting time for Carter and the rest of the pine view basketball program. That's amazing how the bracket worked out so great for pvhs the only way to be, being the only ranked team on their side. What an awesome opportunity.
I'm sad for mom but also kind of happy knowing that I will come home to sunny St. George. Does that mean that you will be staying with Half Dental? I'm excited to hear how life in the old adobe is also haha.
Thanks for the encouraging words. The work is tough but I am trying to forget the negative and just get to work. "Why not?" I really like that.
Love you old man
Dallin
My Letter to Dallin this Week:
"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people (in Sweden)that they might have everlasting life." 3 Nephi 5:13
"The things we speak of, the things we preach, the things we think and pray about, are the things that happen among us." President Steven R. Bangerter
Dear Dallin,
Wow, this week has flown by! Unbelievable. We are in the thick of moving. We have to be all moved out by Wednesday night. We will then head up to the state tournament in Salt Lake City. We are so excited! Dad and Carter can't stop talking about it. As you may have read on the blog PVHS beat North Sanpete on Friday night to advance in the state playoffs. It was an exciting game and Carter had nine points. Grandma and Raymond joined us for the game as well as Uncle Kirk and Tyler Johansen. They all asked about you and said to tell you hello. Ty played a basketball game on Saturday and did a great job. He was 3 for 4 from three point land and his team won. He was really having a great time with his friends. Saturday night dad and I did some more work on Uncle Kirk's teeth. He is such a cute guy. We really had a lot of fun. Today was our last Sunday in the Washington Fields 9th Ward. We will really miss these wonderful people, but it helps knowing we are just moving a few miles away - nothing like moving clear across the country.
How was your week this week. I am so sorry about the mix up at the doctor's office again. What a pain! How are things with your new companion? Would you like me to send an antibiotic for your face or some more of the topical stuff I sent last time? I don't think there is anything else the dermatologist can prescribe that is stronger until you get home.
Today we were all really missing you. Dad blessed the food for Sunday dinner and said a really nice prayer, and when he came to thanking Heavenly Father for you and asking Him to bless you he couldn't get the words out - he really became emotional. We are all so grateful for you and your incredible example and the sacrifices you make everyday. Keep up the great work!
We finally received some rain last night and today, and I think it is supposed to rain tomorrow. It is a blessing. We have been in such a drought. It is a little scary. We had an incredibly mild winter which is nice, but it certainly didn't help our water stores. California is in an even worse drought. They have been rationing water for sometime now. I met a young woman today who had just returned from serving a mission in Redlands, California and she said that all of the restaurants are using paper plates, etc.. to cut back on using the dishwasher to much. That is just one example of the measures they are having to take. It is all a little scary.
We have most of our the furniture we will be using moved into the adobe. The rest will be stored in a storage unit close by. We will have movers move the rest of the heavy furniture on Tuesday into the storage unit and deliver the piano to the adobe. Dad, Ty, and I are all sleeping in the guest room in the beds that are still in there because our beds and bedroom furniture have been moved. We just bought a new dining room table and chairs as well because the nice one that we have is too big, so that will go in storage as well. This is really exciting, but I think a lot of people think we are crazy. But what they don't realize is that it is a stepping stone toward our future. No one else can see the big picture for our lives like we can, so I really don't expect others to see the sense in it. Ty and Carter are both getting more and more excited. There is such a sweet and special feeling in the adobe. It is such a darling little house, and I am so grateful that it will be so much easier to keep clean.
Well Dallin, I will try and send you a little update on Carter's games this week after each game just in case you have a second to access your email. I will also post it all on this week's blog so you don't have to wait until next Monday to hear about the results. Say a few extra prayers for Carter and his teammates. He is such a good boy. We all love and miss you very much. Dad sends his love and well wishes for your success this week. Stay safe, warm, and happy. Take care!
Much Love,
Mom
Dallin's Letter Home:
Dear Milne family,
"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people (in Sweden)that they might have everlasting life." 3 Nephi 5:13
"The things we speak of, the things we preach, the things we think and pray about, are the things that happen among us." President Steven R. Bangerter
Dear Dallin,
Wow, this week has flown by! Unbelievable. We are in the thick of moving. We have to be all moved out by Wednesday night. We will then head up to the state tournament in Salt Lake City. We are so excited! Dad and Carter can't stop talking about it. As you may have read on the blog PVHS beat North Sanpete on Friday night to advance in the state playoffs. It was an exciting game and Carter had nine points. Grandma and Raymond joined us for the game as well as Uncle Kirk and Tyler Johansen. They all asked about you and said to tell you hello. Ty played a basketball game on Saturday and did a great job. He was 3 for 4 from three point land and his team won. He was really having a great time with his friends. Saturday night dad and I did some more work on Uncle Kirk's teeth. He is such a cute guy. We really had a lot of fun. Today was our last Sunday in the Washington Fields 9th Ward. We will really miss these wonderful people, but it helps knowing we are just moving a few miles away - nothing like moving clear across the country.
How was your week this week. I am so sorry about the mix up at the doctor's office again. What a pain! How are things with your new companion? Would you like me to send an antibiotic for your face or some more of the topical stuff I sent last time? I don't think there is anything else the dermatologist can prescribe that is stronger until you get home.
Today we were all really missing you. Dad blessed the food for Sunday dinner and said a really nice prayer, and when he came to thanking Heavenly Father for you and asking Him to bless you he couldn't get the words out - he really became emotional. We are all so grateful for you and your incredible example and the sacrifices you make everyday. Keep up the great work!
We finally received some rain last night and today, and I think it is supposed to rain tomorrow. It is a blessing. We have been in such a drought. It is a little scary. We had an incredibly mild winter which is nice, but it certainly didn't help our water stores. California is in an even worse drought. They have been rationing water for sometime now. I met a young woman today who had just returned from serving a mission in Redlands, California and she said that all of the restaurants are using paper plates, etc.. to cut back on using the dishwasher to much. That is just one example of the measures they are having to take. It is all a little scary.
We have most of our the furniture we will be using moved into the adobe. The rest will be stored in a storage unit close by. We will have movers move the rest of the heavy furniture on Tuesday into the storage unit and deliver the piano to the adobe. Dad, Ty, and I are all sleeping in the guest room in the beds that are still in there because our beds and bedroom furniture have been moved. We just bought a new dining room table and chairs as well because the nice one that we have is too big, so that will go in storage as well. This is really exciting, but I think a lot of people think we are crazy. But what they don't realize is that it is a stepping stone toward our future. No one else can see the big picture for our lives like we can, so I really don't expect others to see the sense in it. Ty and Carter are both getting more and more excited. There is such a sweet and special feeling in the adobe. It is such a darling little house, and I am so grateful that it will be so much easier to keep clean.
Well Dallin, I will try and send you a little update on Carter's games this week after each game just in case you have a second to access your email. I will also post it all on this week's blog so you don't have to wait until next Monday to hear about the results. Say a few extra prayers for Carter and his teammates. He is such a good boy. We all love and miss you very much. Dad sends his love and well wishes for your success this week. Stay safe, warm, and happy. Take care!
Much Love,
Mom
Dallin's Letter Home:
Dear Milne family,
Man I love Monday's to death. It sounds like an exciting time for the fam right now. That is awesome about pvhs getting the win and Carter getting some buckets. I am so pumped to hear about the state tournament! PVHS, the only way to be. I'm happy that Ty was hot from down town as well. Tell him to eat eat eat. That's cool about the adobe too, you'll have to send me pictures of the place with all the furniture and stuff in it when you guys are all moved in. That will be very interesting. And yeah I would really appreciate the game updates whenever you can, thanks!
Good that you guys were able to get some rain, I've heard about the droughts over there and read about it a little bit on the trains in the newspaper. Nothing interesting ever happens in Sweden so they just take news from other countries. Hopefully it doesn't get any more serious. Oh and let me know what Dad's plans are with work and stuff, like if he will be staying with half dental or whatever.
Gosh reading all the updates sure does make me miss home haha. But I'll be back before we know it. I am just trying to make the most out of the time that I have left. Like you guys know, I am now with Elder Christensen out of Spanish Fork. Utah kid through and through. He is a hard worker and has some experience being out for 19 months so that is nice, being able to work with someone who has a pretty good grip on the language and stuff like that. He is quite the ambitious missionary, coming in with all kinds of plans to try to get stuff going here, and I am totally on board. We've had a pretty good first week together, found a couple new investigators and had some nice meals with members. Kungsbacka is really starting to grow on me. Sure, its tough here and what not but I absolutely love the people here and the small-town feel. The work is starting to pick up, both companionships here are teaching more people and we are getting some non members in church which has really excited the ward. The only bad thing I can think of this week was the weather. It pretty much rained/snowed all day every day. It got really nice yesterday for about an hour with the sun out so we soaked that up as much as we could haha. I've been hearing from a lot of missionary friends who have recently gone home too, telling me all about how life is on the other side haha. It feels good being an "older missionary" now.
But yeah, just trying to stay humble and faithful. It is such a blessing to be on the Lord's errand. I don't need to worry about anything else (even though it's hard not to sometimes) but the work here in Kungsbacka. Know that I am doing well and love you all so much.
-Dallin
3273 - the new guy
3238 - Olsen saying good bye to our friend the Iranian boxer who owns a candy shop here in town haha
3161 - one of the big euro style buildings in Gothenburg
My New Companion
Olsen saying good bye to our friend the Iranian boxer who owns a candy shop here in town
One of the big euro style buildings in Gothenburg
This Week's Letters:
Hey Big D,
I am having to write from my cell phone because we dont have our internet set up yet at the adobe. We have officially moved in. We still have a lot of things to unpack, but we're getting there. We didn't get back from up north until late last night and we had church at 9:00 am. It is a much smaller ward which is nice, but it is certainly different. Everyone seemed real nice and we actually knew a few people. Lakyn walker bangerter is in the ward and so is Brooke dalley and her husband. They both said to tell you hello!
As you have most likely heard pvhs won the championship for basketball. It was so exciting. I was so happy for the players, coaches, and fans. It was an exciting tournament with many close games. Kody wilstead was named the tournament mvp and chaz was named to the all tournament team.
Not much else going on. I spent the days leading up to the tournament packing and cleaning. We had to rent two storage bins for all the stuff that wouldnt fit. We are going to be in tight quarters for awhile but hopefully we can avoid killing each other. It is a really cute house and tomorrow my new table and chairs will be here. Our other table is too big. So many changes going on right now, but i truly dont know what the outcome will be from all of this. We are trying extra hard to listen to the Spirit for guidance, direction, and assurance.
Crazily we move right into baseball. Games start this Wednesday. Dad is coaching the jv again and Carter is going to be pitching this week. Whats funny is that this winter has been very mild, but we did get some snow and a lot of rain the past five or six days. We sure need the moisture, but it certainly isnt as warm as it has been.
Grandma Susan and Raymond came to the state tournament and uncle david joined us on Saturday. Desera has remarried and she and her new husband along with klowee and Davie will be moving to north Dakota. Crazy how life changes. David spends most of his time up north for work and he is dating someone from up in the south summit area.
I'm sorry the blog hasnt been updated. Ive been without the internet since Wednesday and wont have it for a few more days. I will update the blog and post pictures from the state tourney!
How's the work been this week? How are things with your new companion? I was happy to read that the members are taking good care of you. Do all you can to strengthen them and the blessings will follow. How's your health? I hope you are doing well. I just remembered i need to pick up your prescription. I should be able to get that Tuesday and hopefully you can have it by next week.
Take care of yourself and have a wonderful week. I pray all is well and that you are taking care of yourself.
Love you so much! Eight months to go and counting!
Love
Mom
Dallin's Letter:
Hey fam,
Well it sounds like it was a good week to be a Pine View Panther. Carter sent me a bunch of pictures from the newspaper and the trophy and stuff. Looks like it was a heck of a game too with the close score. So legit! Even better that it was against Dixie. And if I remember right it was Dixie that Pine View beat the last time they won state too right? Anyways, I'm glad that they'll be heading right into baseball. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of the week to hear about scores and stuff. .................................
That's cool that ya'll are all moved into the adobe now. Once you guys get all the furniture and stuff set up you'll have to take pictures of the outside and inside and send them to me. It seems like not too long ago that I was over there digging holes, sanding the walls, and making run after run to the city dump yard in that old ford ranger haha. I'm excited to see the final product. Cool that Lakyn and Brooke are in the new ward too, ha it still blows my mind that a lot of these girls that I went to school with are married. And I understand that there are some important decisions to make coming up with like where we will live and stuff but do you guys have any ideas where it might be? Back in the fields? Green Springs? somewhere different? Keep me in the loop with that kind of stuff.
Anyways, from my side now. We had a pretty solid week actually. Got in contact with some old investigators and were able to teach them and we were able to continue to teach other people that we found the last couple of weeks. And boy I'll tell ya that people here love to use google after meeting with us and then hitting us with a bunch of questions the next time we show. I sure have learned a lot about our church history and I also understand that a lot of that stuff isn't exactly true. But it is all very interesting. But it's good right now, it feels like things are moving forward. It was a good week for me personally as well, been healthy and happy and feeling the Spirit in abundance it seems like. I also performed in the first musical number ever as a missionary haha. We got a call Saturday night asking if we were still good to sing a psalm. We had no idea we were supposed to. Apparently the sister in charge of the music or whatever had "talked" to the new greeny missionary here about it but he didn't understand what she said haha. So we got together with the other guys in the church that night and picked out a song and practiced it a few times. We ended up doing "The Spirit of God", singing one verse in Swedish and another in English. It actually didn't turn out that bad. The members really thought it was cool at least. I guess I've turned out to be one heck of a singer.
It feels good to be heading into March and putting winter behind us. It is still windy and cold and it snowed again yesterday but the sun has been showing its lovely face more and more and you can just feel spring coming around the corner. If there is one thing that Sweden has taught me, its to appreciate the sun and the energy that it gives you haha. Every time we see the sun we get so fired up, it makes a huge difference for me. Oh and we have this thing coming up called a "misison tour" which is basically a conference with a couple zones combined and a member of the seventy comes and speaks to us about missionary work. Should be interesting to see what this guys feels like he needs to say. I can't remember what his name was. I am mostly excited just to see some of my missionary friends from the Malmö zone next door.
8 months!
Lots of Love,
Elder Milne
Love this!!!
Beautiful.....
Aldste Milne... So Handsome!
Academic All-State Team
Big Hug from Principal Meese
Time to Celebrate!
Way to go PVHS and Carter!!!!
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