The Friend of Reason

Written by Sister Chalet Severson                   Nov. 25, 2010

When we were asked to tell our companions about a person who has shaped our life, I didn’t even need to think.  I knew exactly who that person was for me.   Her name is Candy Rendon.

She’s about ten years older than I am and has been an older-sister figure in my life since I was about 12.  We first met at church.  She was the camp director in my ward.  I had just moved into the ward and was a little on the quiet side.  Well…on the outside. Inside I was wild and rambunctious.  When I first met Candy, there was something different about her.  Not your normal leader.  She was way young, but was very grown up at the same time.  I don’t know what or why it was, but I instantly had a bond with her and knew we would be good friends.

Once camp came we went on a hike.  At the tail end of all the hikers was me, my friend Sam and Candy.  Candy, being the one trying to hurry us up, kept teasing us on how we were so slow and that we were young.  We should be faster than her.  Well, that’s all it took to bring the prankster out in me.  Once we sat down for a rest, I slipped a rock into her backpack.  This continued for about 10 more times as we continued our hike.  Once we were getting closer to the top, she was getting further and further behind.  The teasing now was aimed towards her and how she was so slow.  Once at the top, we all sat to eat our lunch.  She opened her back pack and found the rocks!  It then turned into dodge the rocks!  I was running, she was throwing.  We have been inseparable ever since.

Every big decision in my life, she was who I turned to.  She has been the voice in my head, the friend of reason.  I have always had her back and she’s had mine.  She continued on to become Young Women’s President and an even bigger influence in my Gospel life.  She was the person I wanted to be like as a young girl and now as I’m grown, I still look to her for guidance and a sister to spend time with.  I’ve lived with her right before my mission and was able to spend lots of time with her and her kids.  She’s an example to me.  She’s the definition of love and friendship.  She’s not just my best friend.  She’s my family, my sister.

Chalet Severson is third from left on front row.
Back row includes Elder Sorenson, Elder Stachowski, Elder Voss, and Elder Amussen
Front row, Sister Mimaki, Sister Shibata, and on right, Sister Harada

Tokyo is Coming to Nagoya, II

Following the Tsunami and with the nuclear disaster, the decision was made to evacuate missionairies from Tokyo until it was determined to be safe to be in the that area.  We were blessed to have 55 wonderful missionaries sent to us, but it was for all too short a time.  We loved them while we had them!  A few of them are in the April 2011 New Missionaries blog.  Here are the others.

Elder Shogo Kyotani

Elder Kyotani, from Kwachinagano, Osaka, Japan, likes to race bikes and cars, and he
also likes basketball and wheelchair basketball.  He wants to own a bike shop
some day and be a businessman.

Elder John Lewis

Elder Lewis, from Peach Tree City, Georgia, loves sports, martial arts, reading,
and music.  He looks forward to finishing college, getting married, having kids and having fun.

Elder Nalan Ludwig

Elder Ludwig is from Elk Grove, California and  he likes wrestling
and music.  He thinks he may become a firefighter and wants to do lots of traveling.

Sister Jurika Maesawa

From Kumamoto, Japan, Sister Maesawa loves
sports, especially badmitton.   With that beautiful smile, she
probably smiles and wins the game.

Sister Akie Neki

Sister Neki is from Koayam, Japan.  She loves to eat!  She also loves sports,
namely tennis and table tennis, and she enjoys listening to music.  She
dreams of owning her own shop or cafe.    

Elder Bryant Nelson

Elder Nelson comes from bountiful, Utah and likes history, driving cars,
and having fun while being obedient.  One of his goals is to drive across America.

Elder James Oxnard

Elder Oxnard has already made friends at the eki!  He is from Yorba Linda, California.
He loves volleyball, reading, long walks on the beach.
He plans to graduate from UC Berkeley in Political Economics.

Elder Michael Remington

Elder Remington, from Ontario, California, plans to major
in statistics and start his own company.  

Elder Gabriel Ribeiro

Elder Ribeiro, from Gama, Brazil, likes to swim and listen to music,
read and eat.  In addition to having 10 children, he plans to learn
two more languages and be a successful businessman.

Elder Jace Ruppe

Elder Ruppe  is from Vernal, Utah and enjoys programming,
snowboarding and climbing.  He plans to return to college and make some
apps that he has thought up, and get a job as a programmer.

Sister Hatsue Shibata

From Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, Sister Shibata loves reading, listening to music,
learning English, taking walks and watching movies.
 She hopes to study abroad and learn psychology to help children.

Elder Koichi Shitami

Elder Shitami comes from Hokkaido, Japan.  His interests are cars, soccer, reading,
music and movies.  He hopes to get a job at Nitori or work at a car repair shop.

Elder Naoharu Takae

From Kagoshima, Japan, Elder Takae loves to draw illustrations, read, and
learn English.  He wants to  go to BYU, and hopefully get a job
in Kagoshima doing illustrations.

Elder Diasuke Tauchi

Elder Tauchi is from Yonego, Tottori, Japan.  He loves to watch soccer
games and  listen to music.  After his mission, he is looking forward to marriage.

Elder Benjamin Taylor

Elder Taylor, from Salt Lake City, Utah, loves violin and piano and  is a runner.
His future dreams include having a family, being a politician,
and sharing the Gospel throughout his life with music.

Sister Yumiko Utsumi

Sister Utsumi is from Hyogo, Japan.  She like drawing, singing, and learning
English.  She wants to study psychology and become a therapist. 

Elder Benjamin Willard

Elder Willard is from Roosevelt, Utah.  He loves soccer, sports, reading, math,
Spanish and the Gospel.  His goal is to become a seminary teacher.  

Elder Thomas Wyman

Elder Wyman comes from East Lyme, Connecticut.

Juggling, unicycling, surfing, snowboarding, skiing, ping pong 

and bagpiping are his interests.  His goal is bicycle across America the long way.