It's a small world

My family. My sweet old family. Sometimes I have the weirdest realizations that we will all see each other again. Then I don't believe those thoughts and time starts look a little longer than it used to. So... I still miss you guys. I still love you more than I thought I was capable of. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for you.

Well I'll hit a couple of highlights that happened this week. I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week and it was probably my best day out here so far. We switched on Wednesday night and I stayed over at their place. We didn't necessarily work any harder than I do now, because we're always working here. It just seemed more satisfying.. We taught this guy named Keith who just got out of jail and was incredibly poetic. I was trying not to smile because he just had the coolest things to say. I related to him pretty well and hopefully was able to share some experiences that could benefit him and his life. He is searching for the truth and I hope he realizes that he can find it in our message. Other than that day, my schedules been the same. We have been meeting with Brother Smith and Brandi a lot. We have found a lot of potential investigators that seem really promising so I'm stoked for all of it to come together.

So I guess I'll jump right in to the soul searching stuff because it's been on my mind a lot. I am starting, but not yet fully grasping, the concept of complete sacrifice. Every once in a while I find myself being selfish, only with little things. I need to give all of myself. I need to completely lose myself so that, paradoxically, I can find myself. I noticed that when I start looking at myself and trying to improve myself, I get depressed and overwhelmed. When I forget myself and focus on helping my investigators or members in the ward, I am happy. They are happy. What more could I do? Being out here on a mission I get to feel everything. The pain, the happiness, the love and the disappointment. I am having the full spectrum of the human experience and I've only just started this little journey. This experience could either make or break me. It's up to me... i'm choosing the former. Turns out the latter has to come before I can get there though. I just remembered a quote from C.S. Lewis... I think.

"The cross comes before the crown."

Chills. That's what it's all about. It's all about the sacrifice of our Savior. It's all about us sacrificing our human nature to follow our true destiny. I sometimes get caught up in the little things. I sometimes forget the big picture of this puzzle i'm piecing together and get caught up somewhere in the chaos. I'm getting better though. It's only an internal battle, on the surface I am always doing what I need to be doing. I just want my motives, perspectives and actions all to be more aligned. I'll get there.

Dad:
There is a stop smoking program that was developed by a David M Bresnahan who was a missionary in Ireland in 83 where he developed the program as an Elder. Do you know him? Was Tipton your president?

(The answer to that question is yes, Dave Bresnahan was his companion and Pres. Tipton was Dale's mission president. It's a small world!)