I'm in Paradise

I'm in paradise. I'm on an island called Oak Harbor that has continuous unobstructed views of the ocean. I am the furthest west I can be in this mission. So... pretty cool. My companion is also a district leader and he goes home after he trains me. I can learn a lot from him.

My schedule has been pretty all over the place because of meetings this first week. For the most part I wake up, work out, study hard, and then get to freaking work. The only time I'm not home sick is when i'm working. So that's all I want to do. It's weird though because even when I'm missing you guys, i still won't consider going home. I actually get more pumped to teach people because I still have something called hope. Something that they don't have and something that I can give to them. I also absolutely love sharing this gospel. How can I keep my mouth shut when I have the answer to everyone's questions that they don't even know they have? I love it.

So the first day I got here they gave me a phone and I got in a car and listened to some hip christian music. It was such a drastic change from the MTC. I never thought I'd miss that place but here I am missing it already. Mostly I just miss the people. I had my first lesson the first night as well. I taught a girl named Brandi and asked her to be baptized and she said yes. So... pretty sick. I've been doing a lot of service and I am giving every single ounce of effort I have.

Oh, and we have a two-story condo all to ourselves. We have the nicest pad. 2011 corolla. Not much to complain about on a superficial level. But anyways, the first night we had a planning session Elder Duncan just made the plans and then wrote the goals after. So according to the MTC and my ignorant experience in missionary work i was like, hey how about we set goals first and then make the plans to reach it. He was like, "ok." So we do that now and we kick more butt.

So one time I was mowing an investigators lawn and it took forever and i thought no one could hear me over the mower so i was just praying to God for a couple hours and it felt awesome. But I was wrong about the first part... the people could hear me. That's OK. They're moving anyways so now they have another weird mormon story to tell their friends.

That's all i can really think of right now. I have so much happen to me every day that I don't know how to include everything/anything. The ward is awesome. Penncove ward. The bishop is Gordon B. Hinckley. Just kidding but he's basically him. The ward mission leader is funny and so nice. We have dinner at members houses every single night. I eat super healthy for the first two meals of the day and then they feed me pizza and roast beef for dinner ha. Oh well.

I love you guys too much. I hope all is well with you. Two years seems mighty long not to see you. I look at your pictures everyday (all four of them) so go ahead and send me more pictures of whatever is going on in your life. I don't want to come home a stranger and you be a stranger to me. Bye.


P.S.
I have been tracting only a little bit. We've had pretty good success with that actually. I love it. i'm going to play at fort casey with the youth in the ward. I drove past deception point and it's so beautiful. So you said the cousins are liking my emails you should tell them to write me. I need some support out here.

Week three at the MTC

Another week, another month, another year. I'm not sure which I just experienced. Time is in a completely different reality than it was before. I don't know how to explain it. I've heard people say the days feel like weeks and the weeks feels like days, that's exactly right.

I have a lot of stories to tell you guys so I'll jump right into it. Mom, Dad and Kenna I saw that you wrote me on dearelder but I haven't gotten them yet so when I do i'll write you back in the mail. I don't have enough time to read them online. Lindsay and Joe I got your dearelder and it made my whole day so I'll try and write you guys back today too.

First of all I'm happy so if you're worried about me... don't be. Second of all: I did 1/4 mile of lunges like Dave challenged me and I couldn't walk for a week so thanks for that, Dave.

My companion was sent home last week. It was pretty hard for the first little bit but I'm getting used to it now. Another guy in my district went home as well so it's been kind of a rough week for my district. We're hanging in there though and are still learning a lot. I have the material down pretty well now. I will always have tons of room for improvement but I feel like I have a handle on most everything now. I'm sure that will change once I'm out in the real world.

My new comp and I are getting along really well. One thing I love about him is that he has an amazing voice but he can't sing any song without hearing it first. He has the tune wrong in his head so when he sings Nearer My God to the to the tune of Praise to the Man, he has no idea. It's one of my favorite things I've experienced here. Also, we started going to the bathroom on the second floor because it's a nicer bathroom (not really but it just feels cooler.) So lucky for me there is a couch area just outside the bathroom with a big TV that has a cycle of photographs of places around the world. Mom, Dad, you will like this part. I sat down to watch it while I waited for my comp to come out of the bathroom and the photos went in this order when I first sad down: Dublin, Ireland. Toronto, Canada. Seattle, Washington. I just sat there and was like, "hmm, that feels a little bit coincidental." The next one was New Zealand so maybe my son will be going there on his mission or something. I don't know.

So i'm going to let you guys in on a little secret here in the MTC. Hidden throughout this place are these little treasure that we like to call "narnia holes." Basically the past Elders got bored and started stashing random stuff in random places for us to find. My district was laughing about it for the whole night. We don't have much entertainment here in the MTC so that was a big deal. We'll stash something somewhere before we go too. You know, leave our mark.

My district is getting along really well. After the TRC (training resource center, i think) we all just sit around outside and talk for about an hour and joke around. That's one of my favorite parts of the day. We all connect and it makes me feel like I belong here. There are a lot of funny Elders in my district so we all have a pretty good time. In the TRC there are volunteers who volunteer to be investigators. My companion and I have had some amazing experiences there and we feel pretty good about it. I'm starting to see that I'm not all that important. Without the Holy Ghost, there would be no conversion. I'm just here to invite and help others receive it. Pretty cool job I have for the next two years.

So I've had a paradigm shift. I used to pray away these feelings of longing for you guys. I am starting to see it as a blessing. I feel so much. I think I can empathize and feel so much for my investigators. I want more than anything for them to know that they can be with those they love forever! If I didn't have that knowledge I could not be out here right now. I am so blessed to have that truth and to have you guys as my family. I'm actually grateful for those feelings now. My testimony has never been stronger, i'm sure that was to be expected. Without Christ I would be lost. I am loving every minute that I get to study his gospel and his life. I am starting to read Jesus the Christ and it's absolutely blowing my mind.

Oh last quick story. You guys think I eat a lot. Let me give you guys a bit of perspective. There's this big football player that I talk to a lot and today for breakfast he had 22 hard boiled eggs and a loaf of bread. I was so stoked about it.

I love you guys so much. I love your letters. They get me through the day. Thank you for your support.

Week two of the MTC

I don't have much time. I had to go to the temple earlier and that's why I cut it short. Dad: thanks so much for that email back already it made me cry too ha. I will serve others. 

I just wanted to share a couple things:

 

First in the temple today I was doing just fine until I went into the celestial room. I picked up the scriptures and read 1 Nephi 21: 16. “Behold, I have graven thee upon the ^apalms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” I started crying and couldn't stop. I have never had a scripture hit me like that before. 

  

So basically I eat the same thing every lunch and dinner. A chicken wrap with spinach and then a bowl of lettuce a bowl of carrots and a bowl of celery. For breakfast I have two bowls of shredded wheat and a bowl of fruit a grape fruit and a banana and an apple. It's sweet. And I work out way hard which feels good sometimes too. I've never been this strictly healthy. I wake up at six but I can't fall asleep at night still. I will have to get used to that.

 

I don't really know what to say to you guys so if you have any questions about any aspect of this place just ask and I'll respond in my email to you next week.

 

Oh another experience I had: I was working out for the first time last friday and got a little short tempered with another Elder who asked me a stupid question. Up until that point I felt fine and as soon as I was angry I felt completely alone and more home sick than ever. It's amazing how much the spirit is holding me up. I couldn't be standing without him. I am so weak without the spirit it is crazy! I need this gospel more than anyone right now and it's cool that I get to show people how much help they can receive through living by our teachings.

 

Ok I am way over my time limit here. I just need to get to work! Sometimes I wish you guys weren't the best family in the whole entire world! Because then maybe I wouldn't miss you so much. Oh and Dad, I shaved last night and I already have to shave again! Word up. I'm already becoming a man like you. I hope you are having a great time in Indonesia . Be safe. I pray for all of your safety and comfort every night. I put your names in the temple (and mine) ha because I want us to feel comforted and know that this is the absolute right thing for me to be doing.  

 

I'll talk to you next week. 

Ok I should really go now,

 

I love you guys so much. God be with you till we email each other again.

 

About the first week in the MTC

Well I'll tell you about my experience here so far:

It's been the best of times. It's been the worst of times. I finally understand what that means. I have felt the spirit here so strongly that I cannot ever deny that the Holy Ghost is real and does testify truth. Jesus Christ is my savior and I am nothing without him. The first day that I came here it didn't even hit me that I wouldn't see you guys for so long. I was just going along, playing the fool, not really knowing what lay ahead of me. Now, I see the journey that I am going to take and it isn't going to be easy. I have so much to learn that it's just ridiculous. I'll get there though.

I was called to be the District Leader. I didn't feel ready for that calling at all but I accepted it and I am doing my best to be there for my boys. I am in a companionship with two other Elders. So it's a threesome type deal. One of the elders is a big, video gaming, guy from Layton . He is so wise and I have learned a lot from him. My other companion is a wrestler from American Fork. He has one of the best hearts I have ever known. He is really struggling here and is very open about it with me and I'm grateful for that. I love them both and the companionship is truly inspired. The whole MTC is full, it's the most full it's ever been I guess. We are in a room with six beds and my companions and I are the only ones in our room. Everyone elses is full. I feel blessed for that. My district has nine Elders.

I am doing really well for the most part. I love learning here and I love my teachers. I get along really well with my district and we all love each other. The hardest times for me are at night when I'm not distracted.

So write me if you want and on Prep-days I will try and respond. I love getting those letters, (just like momma told me I would ha). I have so much to tell you guys but I don't have much time. I'm trying to be exactly obedient in the rules here so that I can receive the blessings I need to continue this amazing work.

Alright I have to go now. I love and miss you guys.