Well here it is. After the countless days you spend thinking that it will never end, it's here. It hasn't hit me yet. I should probably apologize for that because I have a sneaking suspicion that it will not hit me until I am delivering a homecoming talk. I apologize for the simple reason that you will all have to see me realize that. Nothing has meant more to me in my lifetime than the time that I have spent serving the Lord. Coming to the end I now can firmly testify with fire in my soul that my time could not have been better spent. I feel like this email needs to have a couple of purposes; to tie up loose ends, to be bold in testimony, and to "leave it all on the court".
Speaking of the past week and it's events seems somewhat unnecessary at the present time because I will be able to relate them in such a better mode of communication shortly.
Of far greater importance is what I wish to communicate; what I have learned while here. In every email since arriving in this now-sacred state of Iowa I have included a section entitled, "Things I Have Learned". I now include once again, "The Things I Have Learned", on a much grander scale.
First; I have learned and come to the understanding that Jesus is the Christ. I now know more than I have ever before, or could have ever known without this experience of a mission, that He lives. I know his gospel. I know of his selfless character. I have learned that nothing is superior to his atoning power. He is the great Jehovah of the Old Testament and the God of Israel. He is the God of Jacob, Abraham, and Moses. I know that He walked upon this earth not as a fictional character but that He really was here. I know that after his ascension to the our Father he came to the American continent and taught the gospel he taught in what we know as Palestine. I know that He lives today. I know his atonement is the only thing that can bring us closer to our Father in Heaven.
Second; I have learned that Joseph Smith is indeed the prophet of the restoration. I have felt the spirit confirm that to me over the numerous times I have shared his story with others. I know and testify that he was called of God as he said he was. This last week I sat in the temple which he saw in vision, even that of Nauvoo. I sat in the temple Joseph dreamed of, worked on, and was persecuted for. There is presence of the spirit in that great building greater than I have felt elsewhere. As I read the 124th section of the Doctrine and Covenants revealing that the temple should be built I knew and felt it was divine. The prophet Joseph's message was divine. He was divinely led to deliver it. I testify that he was a prophet of God.
Third; I have learned of the gospel. I have learned of it's simplicity. I have learned of it's divine origin. I know it to be true. I have learned that by following it's sacred pattern we can partake of the atonement so freely offered by The Master. The simple, yet precious steps, of faith, repentance, baptism, reception of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end constitute the doctrine of Christ. It is the way to salvation.
Fourth; I have come to learn more of the scriptures. I know that they are a blessing. I know that they are from our Heavenly Father and an expression of his unconditional love. They speak to the very soul of man and answer the questions we all have. They support each other. They are true.
Fifth; I have learned of the Priesthood and the calling of it's officers. How grateful I am for a mission president who magnifies his calling. He, and his wife supporting him, have been called by god through the powers of the Priesthood to lead and guide the missionaries in this section of The Lord's vineyard. I love them. I sustain them. I know that God calls all of us to be where we must to fulfill His grand plan.
Sixth; I have learned to love the people of Iowa. I have come to love this beautiful part of the world. That love is a gift from God that I have learned to accept. I have forever been touched and changed deeply by this sacred place and these heavenly people.
Seventh; I have learned to love every companion. I have learned to love unconditionally. I have learned to not judge others and poison the well of their character before I see them as Christ does. I appreciate what I have learned from them as well. There is a brotherhood in companionships that cannot be created or found in any other place. Bound by the Lord, serving Him, we can only be successful together. I have loved every companion with which I have served.
Eighth; I have learned to pray. I have learned how essential it is to our progress as well as our success. I have learned how to have a two way communication with God our Heavenly Father. I have learned through that medium of prayer more of his love and compassion for us. I have learned that the time we spend on our knees in communion with him is never wasted. I have learned that prayer motivates people to change things.
Ninth; I have learned to serve and to love doing so. I have learned that by serving others we love them more deeply. We see them more as God himself sees them. I have learned that time spent serving others is not simply "spent" at all but rather invested and the returns are great.
Tenth; I have learned that Faith endures. I have learned that the power of faith is remarkable. I know that it is only our faith that will see us through the challenges and trials that will surely come to us. Faith is power. Faith in Jesus Christ can change things for our good. Faith can move mountains, both physical and metaphorical. I have learned that faith must always be maintained through righteous decisions. Our faith is only strong if we act in righteous congruency to our beliefs.
These are ten of the the major things that I have learned on my mission that I know will bless my life forever. There is a countless list of others but these are of most importance. My life has been and will forever be changed by my mission. I have tried very hard to make the following statement a motto for my mission:
"I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made--I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, worldly-talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, hired away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, give up till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes my banner will be clear! I must go 'til he comes. Give 'til I drop. Preach 'til all know. And work 'til he stops me and when he returns for his own he will have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear."
I have much work left to do but I know, because of my mission, I am on the right track.
I love you all so much! I can't thank you all enough for your endless support. I pray for you. Soon enough I will be with you again.
"And I make an end of my writing upon these plates, which writing has been small; and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu." (Jacob 7:27)
Hugs and Kisses,
For the last time,
Elder Excell
Showing posts with label Des Moines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Des Moines. Show all posts
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
"If I walk, would you run"
Man oh man. Where to even begin. Well....as it has been made clearly apparent by my companions today, I now have as many days as I have fingers until I no longer get to be here anymore. It hits more and more every day. I'm starting to teach with more emotion knowing that it will be my last. I'm starting to testify to strangers as I have never done before. I am promising blessings to those same people as if there were no tomorrow, quite simply because there's not too many remaining. It's all starting to come to a close.
This upcoming week will fly by. Today as an entire zone we will be going to the Iowa State Fair and filling our bellies with deep fried butter, twinkies, and oreos. There will probably be a turkey leg in there as well. Tomorrow I leave bright and early for the Nauvoo temple with the rest of my departing group. I also will probably be there on Wednesday because our zone most likely won the friendly competition. Thursday is District meeting. Friday is service and weekly planning. Saturday is transfer calls shortly followed by my last sacrament meeting as a missionary on Sunday. After that there is not much left to do other than to pack and say my goodbyes. It will fly faster than any other previous week.
This last week was a great one tho. Last week in church as an entire stake we fasted for moisture and rain. Well guess what happens when a bunch of Mormons pray for rain...they get it in large quantities. I haven't seen a drop all summer until this week and it is like the heavens unloaded all that they had previously held back. We had so much rain this week in comparison to the past. On one of those days, I was not so happy about it tho. While dodging a fallen tree I wrecked on the bike. Not too bad so I get back up a little frustrated and embarrassed so being a man I took off and sped away as fast as possible. About 10 minutes later because of the aggression I wrecked again. This one was worse tho. I tore up my shirt pretty good and muddied my slacks. My elbow is also now scabbed over with a good size pavement burn. I also, in an attempt to save the bike, laced it on top of me and instead of using it to catch me as I hit the barrier used my own feet. I hurt my bad ankle pretty good. Nothing serious but it hurt. I made it 103 weeks without a bike wreck as a missionary....It just had to happen! I learned to not get angry tho! =)
I've become a huge fan of Menchie's Frozen Yogurt. It's the best. We went twice this last week because we met some people there. The first time we met a lady named Sharon who we met at the human services building while doing service. She's cool. We had a really good lesson with her. We also met Vanessa, who is the BYU girls basketball player from a couple of weeks ago. Both really cool and we got fro-yo. Fine with me. =)
We had two more invitations to baptism this week. One with a part member family. The wife is not a member. She's actually a former collegiate athlete as well. She's just starting the Podiatry program here at DMU so we'll work with her. She accepted. We also invited Gary's fiance to be baptized when she felt that it was true and she accepted as well. As of right now, they don't have dates set in stone but we're working towards that. Today we'll be going to the fair with Alex, the girl who will be baptized on the 15th of September. She dogged us the other night tho so that was ridiculous. We had dinner planned with her and as we pulled in she pulled out. Oh well. We'll see what's up with her today. We still had dinner with her mom and had a great lesson there as well. It's so amazing how the gospel can help every situation.
We made a woman cry because we tried to invite her to read and pray. She is a the girlfriend of a member and after Elder Pope invited her to pray she just started to cry and ran into the bathroom never to be seen again. Ooops. It was pretty awkward. We eventually decided it would probably be best if we just left. I'm not sure if we'll ever see her again.
We had lunch on Saturday with Ken. He's a sweet guy. He's lonely and uses the word "flea-market" far more then necessary but aside from that he's cool. He has so much random stuff in his house from the flea-market. I'm not sure if any of you have seen the show, "Hoarders", but most of it takes place in Iowa I'm pretty sure. Ken's not close enough to be a contestant for the show but he could be on American pickers. He's just got so much random collectible stuff like cars, and carvings, and kaleidoscopes. It was fun to eat with him and have him show us around his place. It amazed me tho that with every item in his house he knew where it was and how much he originally bought it from the flea market from. Pretty amazing.
I had the opportunity to sing and talk in church this week. My comps teased me and called it the "Excell Show." It went very well. I sang a Sally DeFord version of "Be Still My Soul" and I talked about honoring the priesthood which I carry. Both went really well and I received many compliments. It really hit me tho....that was my last time bearing public testimony as a missionary. Wow. I'm going to miss this for the rest of my life.
Things I learned this week:
-Don't ride a bike aggressively in the rain
-Fasting and Prayer can bring rain in large quantities.
-There is no way to look good in a helmet.
You know I've written nearly 100 letters home now. I'm not running out of things to talk about tho. How could you with such an amazing plan as this gospel. I mean if we can have 364 semi-annual general conferences and still get something out of it...that right there should be indicatory of it's truthfulness. I am so thankful for the gospel. I am thankful for the church that allows me to access the gospel. I am thankful for my family and the support they are. I am thankful for the companions I have had that have taught me so much. I'm thankful for the life lessons I have learned on my mission . I am thankful that Heavenly Father gives multiple second chances. I am thankful that the Lord has watched over my family and friends in my absence from them. I am thankful for the miracles I have witnessed. I am thankful for the testimony I have gained. I am thankful for the people that I have met that will affect my for the rest of my life and into the eternities. I am thankful for the 2 countries that I have come to love deeper than before. I am thankful for prayer. I am thankful for scriptures. I am thankful for pioneers that have motivated me to be where I am. I am thankful that I can now see my potential and I am thankful for the desire I have to work towards it. I am thankful that I was able to be away from the world and see where personal caution tapes need to be placed. I am thankful for my Savior. I am thankful for his eternal and infinite Sacrifice.
Really that atonement is all that matters. I cannot answer the question "How does it work?". It is simply miraculous in every sense of the word. It is really THE miracle of our existence. But if you take away that first word in that question, it becomes "Does it work?". I am thankful that I can testify with so many others in the affirmative! It does work! It is all that really matters!
Until next time...when this all comes to a close; The last installment of my mission blog. I love you! I hope you can feel that from here. I have a pretty decent idea of all the people that read these. I pray for you. I love you sincerely. I am pulling for you and I hope you can feel that.
I love you all very much!
Hugs and Kisses ya'll,
I love you,
Elder Excell
This upcoming week will fly by. Today as an entire zone we will be going to the Iowa State Fair and filling our bellies with deep fried butter, twinkies, and oreos. There will probably be a turkey leg in there as well. Tomorrow I leave bright and early for the Nauvoo temple with the rest of my departing group. I also will probably be there on Wednesday because our zone most likely won the friendly competition. Thursday is District meeting. Friday is service and weekly planning. Saturday is transfer calls shortly followed by my last sacrament meeting as a missionary on Sunday. After that there is not much left to do other than to pack and say my goodbyes. It will fly faster than any other previous week.
This last week was a great one tho. Last week in church as an entire stake we fasted for moisture and rain. Well guess what happens when a bunch of Mormons pray for rain...they get it in large quantities. I haven't seen a drop all summer until this week and it is like the heavens unloaded all that they had previously held back. We had so much rain this week in comparison to the past. On one of those days, I was not so happy about it tho. While dodging a fallen tree I wrecked on the bike. Not too bad so I get back up a little frustrated and embarrassed so being a man I took off and sped away as fast as possible. About 10 minutes later because of the aggression I wrecked again. This one was worse tho. I tore up my shirt pretty good and muddied my slacks. My elbow is also now scabbed over with a good size pavement burn. I also, in an attempt to save the bike, laced it on top of me and instead of using it to catch me as I hit the barrier used my own feet. I hurt my bad ankle pretty good. Nothing serious but it hurt. I made it 103 weeks without a bike wreck as a missionary....It just had to happen! I learned to not get angry tho! =)
I've become a huge fan of Menchie's Frozen Yogurt. It's the best. We went twice this last week because we met some people there. The first time we met a lady named Sharon who we met at the human services building while doing service. She's cool. We had a really good lesson with her. We also met Vanessa, who is the BYU girls basketball player from a couple of weeks ago. Both really cool and we got fro-yo. Fine with me. =)
We had two more invitations to baptism this week. One with a part member family. The wife is not a member. She's actually a former collegiate athlete as well. She's just starting the Podiatry program here at DMU so we'll work with her. She accepted. We also invited Gary's fiance to be baptized when she felt that it was true and she accepted as well. As of right now, they don't have dates set in stone but we're working towards that. Today we'll be going to the fair with Alex, the girl who will be baptized on the 15th of September. She dogged us the other night tho so that was ridiculous. We had dinner planned with her and as we pulled in she pulled out. Oh well. We'll see what's up with her today. We still had dinner with her mom and had a great lesson there as well. It's so amazing how the gospel can help every situation.
We made a woman cry because we tried to invite her to read and pray. She is a the girlfriend of a member and after Elder Pope invited her to pray she just started to cry and ran into the bathroom never to be seen again. Ooops. It was pretty awkward. We eventually decided it would probably be best if we just left. I'm not sure if we'll ever see her again.
We had lunch on Saturday with Ken. He's a sweet guy. He's lonely and uses the word "flea-market" far more then necessary but aside from that he's cool. He has so much random stuff in his house from the flea-market. I'm not sure if any of you have seen the show, "Hoarders", but most of it takes place in Iowa I'm pretty sure. Ken's not close enough to be a contestant for the show but he could be on American pickers. He's just got so much random collectible stuff like cars, and carvings, and kaleidoscopes. It was fun to eat with him and have him show us around his place. It amazed me tho that with every item in his house he knew where it was and how much he originally bought it from the flea market from. Pretty amazing.
I had the opportunity to sing and talk in church this week. My comps teased me and called it the "Excell Show." It went very well. I sang a Sally DeFord version of "Be Still My Soul" and I talked about honoring the priesthood which I carry. Both went really well and I received many compliments. It really hit me tho....that was my last time bearing public testimony as a missionary. Wow. I'm going to miss this for the rest of my life.
Things I learned this week:
-Don't ride a bike aggressively in the rain
-Fasting and Prayer can bring rain in large quantities.
-There is no way to look good in a helmet.
You know I've written nearly 100 letters home now. I'm not running out of things to talk about tho. How could you with such an amazing plan as this gospel. I mean if we can have 364 semi-annual general conferences and still get something out of it...that right there should be indicatory of it's truthfulness. I am so thankful for the gospel. I am thankful for the church that allows me to access the gospel. I am thankful for my family and the support they are. I am thankful for the companions I have had that have taught me so much. I'm thankful for the life lessons I have learned on my mission . I am thankful that Heavenly Father gives multiple second chances. I am thankful that the Lord has watched over my family and friends in my absence from them. I am thankful for the miracles I have witnessed. I am thankful for the testimony I have gained. I am thankful for the people that I have met that will affect my for the rest of my life and into the eternities. I am thankful for the 2 countries that I have come to love deeper than before. I am thankful for prayer. I am thankful for scriptures. I am thankful for pioneers that have motivated me to be where I am. I am thankful that I can now see my potential and I am thankful for the desire I have to work towards it. I am thankful that I was able to be away from the world and see where personal caution tapes need to be placed. I am thankful for my Savior. I am thankful for his eternal and infinite Sacrifice.
Really that atonement is all that matters. I cannot answer the question "How does it work?". It is simply miraculous in every sense of the word. It is really THE miracle of our existence. But if you take away that first word in that question, it becomes "Does it work?". I am thankful that I can testify with so many others in the affirmative! It does work! It is all that really matters!
Until next time...when this all comes to a close; The last installment of my mission blog. I love you! I hope you can feel that from here. I have a pretty decent idea of all the people that read these. I pray for you. I love you sincerely. I am pulling for you and I hope you can feel that.
I love you all very much!
Hugs and Kisses ya'll,
I love you,
Elder Excell
Monday, August 6, 2012
Pictures!!
-B-Day Cupcake cake!!! SO GOOD!
-Elder Larson when I tickle his feet! He's so ticklish!
-In cube form...
-In exploded form...
-My best friend, Peaches.
-Elder Pope with the cake we made him!
"...And maybe I'm not ready, but I'll try.."
This week has been such a great week! I feel bad that I use all of these explosive adjectives to describe my week! I think I ran out of them about 67 weeks ago but it really was just a great week! I had a lot of fun. We did a lot of work. I learned a lot. I became one year older and wiser too! It's been a fantastic week, now I just hope I can remember some highlights to explain.
As I mentioned I am, according to the papers, one year older. I had such a great Birthday this year as I do every year. It started out with a surprise and a clever one at that! My companions, whom I love, told me they wanted some donuts after our companionship study, so I obliged. We walked into the local Hy-Vee bakery and as I was perusing the donut selection Elder Larson snuck off to the counter and somehow acquired a cupcake cake with my name on it wishing me happy birthday! To all of you who were involved I thank you! It brightened my day! And to whoever chose to include the skittles and peachie-o's knows me extremely well. The rest of the day was pretty normal in terms of the work but I couldn't imagine anywhere else that I would rather be then doing the work of the Lord. What a present that he has given me all year long!
I had a trip back to Brazil this week...not physically of course but emotionally for sure. We had eaten once at the Hancock's home and Brother Hancock served in Brazil so we did the Mormon thing and spoke Portuguese with each other and talked about Brazil as if it were home. Well they invited us back for dinner the next week and we had rice and beans and mousse de maracuja, or passionfruit mousse. Oh man I was in heaven. We even had Goibada...which is like guava fruit leather...with fresh mozzarella cheese. It was the best meal I have had in a long time. I miss Brazil so much and am still very envious of my sister! She leaves next week for my favorite country other than my own! One of the other meals we had was with the Davis family and we had cheese bread there as is customary to Brazil as well. I found out that Brother Davis served in Belo Horizonte. Needless to say, I miss Brazil a lot this week!
Not that the week was so good because of the meals, but we have some dang good meals around here. On Saturday night we went to Jethro's with some members and Elder Larson got dared into attempting the infamous Adam Emmeneker challenge. It was pretty funny to watch and he did pretty well although I still have yet to watch a successful attempt at the challenge. They made a pretty big deal of it tho because it was at night so they paraded the sandwich all through the tables while people took pictures of the monstrosity. They announced his name and everyone in the place cheered him on. If nothing else the frequenters of Jethro's BBQ now know that us Mormon missionaries like to have fun too. Great publicity. On Sunday we made dinner with a guy named Jacob. We bought a pork roast and some potatoes and carrots and the whole deal. He's a member that just moved here to start med school and lives by himself so it was a good bachelor night. He's a body builder and huge! He's just a teddy bear tho. He and I will be friends for years to come I'm sure.
We rode bikes all week long which is great for my diet. I have officially reached my goal and weigh 170 pounds dripping wet. Now when I get home I can hit the gym and look like a modern day Nephi. I'm pretty excited to have more than 2 10 pound dumbbells to work with. =) The downside to the bikes is that it has been 100 degrees and over every day this week. I think I'm intaking probably close to 150-200 ounces of water on the daily. But don't worry, I'm not dehydrated. Don't you worry Mom!
This week it poured like crazy on Saturday. We've been praying for rain and well...it came in abundence. We were sitting inside studying and I remembered the quote in my head, "Life isn't about avoiding the storms, but learning to dance in the rain." So we did. We all three got up from the table and changed our clothes and went and played in the rain like a bunch of toddlers. It was so much fun! I will not soon forget that! I'll try to send the video. =)
Just a thought in passing....I miss the Olympics. We went to buffalo wild wings for lunch on Thursday and saw the many screens of sports and I really miss the patriotic unity that is built from those games.
I solved an intense Rubik's cube this week. It is a traditional 3x3 but the squares are not squares. They are actually different rectangular shapes. It of course starts as all cubes do...in a cube. But with a couple of twists it looks like the new york city skyline. I figured it out tho. Interestingly enough the same algorithms used to solve a normal cube work for the rectangular dimensions as well. I love Rubik. He was a good man I think. He's taught me a lot. Like, "You have to mess some things up in other to make others right."
We watched my best friend, Peaches, the snake eat this week! That was crazy! We fed her some drumsticks and she downed them whole. We are looking to trap a squirrel or bunny to assist in the food chain process and feed to her now!
On Saturday, a huge highlight of the week happened. We were riding our bikes past the stake center and saw some cars. I recognized many from Waukee Ward and so we stopped in. It completely passed my mind that Lisa, the oldest daughter of Ben and Tina Meier was getting baptized. I saw the whole family and many tears and smiles were present. I love that family so much! Their entire family of 6 kids and 2 parents have now all been baptized. I am so luck to be a witness to that change in their life! I love them! I get to see them again on the 26th of August at my homecoming. =) They will be out in Utah visiting Grandma and they are going to make the trip up to see the meeting. They are so cool!
In our own area we are doing work. Every time that we set a baptismal date we are supposed to call President and tell him about our success. The first time we called him he informed us that we were the first tri-panionship to set a date. Well we now have 4 baptismal dates in the area. Alex, who is 17 is awesome. She wasn't feeling well when we met with her so I had the privilege of giving her a blessing. It was very spiritual. I love blessings. Gary is older man set to be baptized on the 15th of September, the same day as Alex. And then Questin and Sherry, mother-son combo, are set for the 8th of that same month. It's so awesome to watch people progress. I will not be here to watch their baptism but I do not need to be. They are great people and I'm glad I was able to be a part of the whole process.
Things I learned this week:
-With great power, comes great responsibility.
-Detach.
It is upon this detaching principle that I would like to close today's epistle. It's something that I've been learning for quite some time. It's really i guess how to enjoy every moment to the fullest. Regret is most often formed when we do not enjoy perfectly where we are now. If we cannot learn to enjoy the present the past always looks way to enticing and the future looks so much dimmer. It is in relishing the moment where the secret lies. In our lifetimes we will feel happy, hopeful, capable, adequate, comfortable, eager, stable, inspired, and loved. We will also at times feel concerned, tired, jittery, uncomfortable, indifferent, sad, nervous, and lonely. I have learned that there is fulfillment in feeling all of these emotions to their deepest depth. When we are happy we should enjoy and saturate ourselves as deeply as possible in that emotion because if we do not then we cannot move past it. When we are sad we must do the same, feel sad to the very doldrums of sadness. The reason I feel this is so key to personal success is because when these emotions come and go we need to recognize them. Feel them as deeply as imaginable and then hang them back up on the coat rack of emotions and move forward. It is ok to feel sad sometimes but do not cling on to it and miss out on the other emotions being offered you. We can't dwell on emotions or cling to them . I fear that I have done this too much in my life. I have clung to an emotion probably out of fear for the unknown emotion next to come. But I can now testify that life is so much better when we can learn what emotions we are feeling, feel them deeply, and then hang them out and leave them behind until we are to feel something else. It's such a better way to live.
I have loved every moment of my mission. It is no secret now that my time is drawing short. I can see and now feel the end in sight. In a time where I have never felt more bipolar in my life, this practice has helped me. My buddy, Elder McGuire emailed me today and said this, "all i can say is just ride every last feeling to its full extent!!! When the crazy sad feeling that missionary life is coming to an end, let it engulf you so you can realize just how great its all been... when the relentless feeling of how amazing its going to be to be home and to be with family and friends again... let it engulf you so you can fully realize the amazing blessing its been to sacrifice all of that to serve the Lord.... but more than anything...... LET THAT LOVE FOR THE GOSPEL AND THE WORK OF HELPING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTER DOMINATE EVERY SECOND OF YOUR DAY!!!!!!!" That is my goal, that is my desire for the future 17 days. I will not regret a moment of them. I love you all so much! I cannot wait to see you all again very soon. Keep chugging my friends, I'm here if you need a push or tow, but just keep keeping on.
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
As I mentioned I am, according to the papers, one year older. I had such a great Birthday this year as I do every year. It started out with a surprise and a clever one at that! My companions, whom I love, told me they wanted some donuts after our companionship study, so I obliged. We walked into the local Hy-Vee bakery and as I was perusing the donut selection Elder Larson snuck off to the counter and somehow acquired a cupcake cake with my name on it wishing me happy birthday! To all of you who were involved I thank you! It brightened my day! And to whoever chose to include the skittles and peachie-o's knows me extremely well. The rest of the day was pretty normal in terms of the work but I couldn't imagine anywhere else that I would rather be then doing the work of the Lord. What a present that he has given me all year long!
I had a trip back to Brazil this week...not physically of course but emotionally for sure. We had eaten once at the Hancock's home and Brother Hancock served in Brazil so we did the Mormon thing and spoke Portuguese with each other and talked about Brazil as if it were home. Well they invited us back for dinner the next week and we had rice and beans and mousse de maracuja, or passionfruit mousse. Oh man I was in heaven. We even had Goibada...which is like guava fruit leather...with fresh mozzarella cheese. It was the best meal I have had in a long time. I miss Brazil so much and am still very envious of my sister! She leaves next week for my favorite country other than my own! One of the other meals we had was with the Davis family and we had cheese bread there as is customary to Brazil as well. I found out that Brother Davis served in Belo Horizonte. Needless to say, I miss Brazil a lot this week!
Not that the week was so good because of the meals, but we have some dang good meals around here. On Saturday night we went to Jethro's with some members and Elder Larson got dared into attempting the infamous Adam Emmeneker challenge. It was pretty funny to watch and he did pretty well although I still have yet to watch a successful attempt at the challenge. They made a pretty big deal of it tho because it was at night so they paraded the sandwich all through the tables while people took pictures of the monstrosity. They announced his name and everyone in the place cheered him on. If nothing else the frequenters of Jethro's BBQ now know that us Mormon missionaries like to have fun too. Great publicity. On Sunday we made dinner with a guy named Jacob. We bought a pork roast and some potatoes and carrots and the whole deal. He's a member that just moved here to start med school and lives by himself so it was a good bachelor night. He's a body builder and huge! He's just a teddy bear tho. He and I will be friends for years to come I'm sure.
We rode bikes all week long which is great for my diet. I have officially reached my goal and weigh 170 pounds dripping wet. Now when I get home I can hit the gym and look like a modern day Nephi. I'm pretty excited to have more than 2 10 pound dumbbells to work with. =) The downside to the bikes is that it has been 100 degrees and over every day this week. I think I'm intaking probably close to 150-200 ounces of water on the daily. But don't worry, I'm not dehydrated. Don't you worry Mom!
This week it poured like crazy on Saturday. We've been praying for rain and well...it came in abundence. We were sitting inside studying and I remembered the quote in my head, "Life isn't about avoiding the storms, but learning to dance in the rain." So we did. We all three got up from the table and changed our clothes and went and played in the rain like a bunch of toddlers. It was so much fun! I will not soon forget that! I'll try to send the video. =)
Just a thought in passing....I miss the Olympics. We went to buffalo wild wings for lunch on Thursday and saw the many screens of sports and I really miss the patriotic unity that is built from those games.
I solved an intense Rubik's cube this week. It is a traditional 3x3 but the squares are not squares. They are actually different rectangular shapes. It of course starts as all cubes do...in a cube. But with a couple of twists it looks like the new york city skyline. I figured it out tho. Interestingly enough the same algorithms used to solve a normal cube work for the rectangular dimensions as well. I love Rubik. He was a good man I think. He's taught me a lot. Like, "You have to mess some things up in other to make others right."
We watched my best friend, Peaches, the snake eat this week! That was crazy! We fed her some drumsticks and she downed them whole. We are looking to trap a squirrel or bunny to assist in the food chain process and feed to her now!
On Saturday, a huge highlight of the week happened. We were riding our bikes past the stake center and saw some cars. I recognized many from Waukee Ward and so we stopped in. It completely passed my mind that Lisa, the oldest daughter of Ben and Tina Meier was getting baptized. I saw the whole family and many tears and smiles were present. I love that family so much! Their entire family of 6 kids and 2 parents have now all been baptized. I am so luck to be a witness to that change in their life! I love them! I get to see them again on the 26th of August at my homecoming. =) They will be out in Utah visiting Grandma and they are going to make the trip up to see the meeting. They are so cool!
In our own area we are doing work. Every time that we set a baptismal date we are supposed to call President and tell him about our success. The first time we called him he informed us that we were the first tri-panionship to set a date. Well we now have 4 baptismal dates in the area. Alex, who is 17 is awesome. She wasn't feeling well when we met with her so I had the privilege of giving her a blessing. It was very spiritual. I love blessings. Gary is older man set to be baptized on the 15th of September, the same day as Alex. And then Questin and Sherry, mother-son combo, are set for the 8th of that same month. It's so awesome to watch people progress. I will not be here to watch their baptism but I do not need to be. They are great people and I'm glad I was able to be a part of the whole process.
Things I learned this week:
-With great power, comes great responsibility.
-Detach.
It is upon this detaching principle that I would like to close today's epistle. It's something that I've been learning for quite some time. It's really i guess how to enjoy every moment to the fullest. Regret is most often formed when we do not enjoy perfectly where we are now. If we cannot learn to enjoy the present the past always looks way to enticing and the future looks so much dimmer. It is in relishing the moment where the secret lies. In our lifetimes we will feel happy, hopeful, capable, adequate, comfortable, eager, stable, inspired, and loved. We will also at times feel concerned, tired, jittery, uncomfortable, indifferent, sad, nervous, and lonely. I have learned that there is fulfillment in feeling all of these emotions to their deepest depth. When we are happy we should enjoy and saturate ourselves as deeply as possible in that emotion because if we do not then we cannot move past it. When we are sad we must do the same, feel sad to the very doldrums of sadness. The reason I feel this is so key to personal success is because when these emotions come and go we need to recognize them. Feel them as deeply as imaginable and then hang them back up on the coat rack of emotions and move forward. It is ok to feel sad sometimes but do not cling on to it and miss out on the other emotions being offered you. We can't dwell on emotions or cling to them . I fear that I have done this too much in my life. I have clung to an emotion probably out of fear for the unknown emotion next to come. But I can now testify that life is so much better when we can learn what emotions we are feeling, feel them deeply, and then hang them out and leave them behind until we are to feel something else. It's such a better way to live.
I have loved every moment of my mission. It is no secret now that my time is drawing short. I can see and now feel the end in sight. In a time where I have never felt more bipolar in my life, this practice has helped me. My buddy, Elder McGuire emailed me today and said this, "all i can say is just ride every last feeling to its full extent!!! When the crazy sad feeling that missionary life is coming to an end, let it engulf you so you can realize just how great its all been... when the relentless feeling of how amazing its going to be to be home and to be with family and friends again... let it engulf you so you can fully realize the amazing blessing its been to sacrifice all of that to serve the Lord.... but more than anything...... LET THAT LOVE FOR THE GOSPEL AND THE WORK OF HELPING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTER DOMINATE EVERY SECOND OF YOUR DAY!!!!!!!" That is my goal, that is my desire for the future 17 days. I will not regret a moment of them. I love you all so much! I cannot wait to see you all again very soon. Keep chugging my friends, I'm here if you need a push or tow, but just keep keeping on.
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
Monday, July 30, 2012
Clothespins
I'm almost at a loss for how to start this email. I'm not sure where to even begin. I have a couple of things jotted down in my planner to write about today but all of those seem somewhat superfluous at this time. I will try to include this week some lessons that I have learned not only this week but throughout my mission.
I have pondered much this week about clothespins. That seems somewhat silly from first glance but let me explain. I am finding very deep and abiding truths in very simple things as of late. This week it just so happened to be a clothespin I found hanging on our wall. During my personal study I saw it in the corner of my eye and focused on it. I thought to myself, "How does this relate to the gospel of Jesus Christ?" Now let me mention I am referring to a more modern clothes pin and not those of an older style. They have two wooden pieces and a metal pin and coil that holds them together. I thought about some of the people that I have met on my mission. I thought about the almost overwhelming amount of divorce and broken homes that I have seen and in that moment it hit me. Clothes pins demonstrate such an eternal principle. I looked at those relationships and the one things that was missing in all of them was the Savior. Many people of the world today do not understand that our relationships must be founded up Christ, the rock of our salvation. Each piece of wood would be rendered useless alone and even when combined with one another the still cannot complete much of a task. It is only when the two are perfectly yolked with one another and something greater than them both assists to making the function together. I have learned on my mission that that very principle, simple it may be, should be practiced among all couples and in all relationships. A relationship can accomplish nothing unless somehow each piece is fastened to the other by the Lord. I love learning small lessons like that.
This entire week I have pondered a lot about what I have learned on my mission and how much it will change my life forever. Eventually, someday soon unfortunately, my mission will have ended but in writing the next paragraph I hope I may always look back and see what I gained from my mission. Hopefully you can take something away from what I have learned.
Life becomes more meaningful through experience. Sincere emotions are conveyed by being shown rather than told. We all need to find the rhythm beating inside of us and dance regardless of who is watching. We should be the definition of what we do rather than have what we do define us. We must rise above societal expectations and be extra-ordinary. It is possible to understand yourself better than anyone or anything else shy of Deity. The world will not stop to pick you up when you are down. It is impossible to quit anything that you truly love. Death or ending should not be treated any differently than beginnings. Never put off for tomorrow what you could have done today. Compliment others early because eventually it will be too late. We need to make something of our life, not have our life make something of us. Never break your promises. When reality is accepted, success can and will follow. Remember and accept the past and build off the strong points of it's foundation. Everything that we become is culminated from the decisions that we make. Always forgive others and seek the forgiveness of others. It's never to late to get involved and try to make a difference. It is ok to grieve but only in moderation. We must then choose to pick ourselves up out of sorrow's rut. A smile is the single most beautiful physical trait of anyone. Always accept and offer friendship and kindness. Planning is a form of preparation and never should be underestimated. What we learn in life we must share, for the only way to learn all that we need to is to learn from others. We must always look at the bigger picture because it will help us prioritize the things that matter most. "Normal" is not always synonymous with good. Self reflection allows self progression. There is nothing more pitiable than someone choosing to live unhappily. We create our own happiness and find it in small and simple things. True love always wins. Whatever you subconsciously and consciously love the most will always win in the end. Don't give up your precious time on earth to saturate yourself in the drama of others, especially those of a fictitious nature and those whom you will never know personally. Devote yourself to something that gives you purpose and meaning. The world does not need you. It moves on with or without you. Listening sincerely is a pure demonstration of true love. If you really want it, you'll make it happen. Little things make the biggest difference. It's not about us, it's about us helping others. Be optimistic even when it seems utterly senseless. Focus solely on what you can control and do not stress about the rest. Compassion is gained from experience. No one person, with the exception of Deity, is greater than anyone else. We must learn to give and receive love freely. Crying is ok...in moderation. We must acknowledge opposition, the good and the bad, but do not dwell on the negative longer than is needed. Trust is a two way relationship always growing or diminishing congruently with our actions. We all need a hero. Second chances should be given freely and taken when offered. Friendship needs no words to be existent. It is possible to make the best of every situation. Love is a necessity to survival. Life begins when the reality of death and endings are accepted. We must prioritize the things of most importance and leave no room for distractions. The world with all it's materialistic fashions will never permanently satisfy. Laughter is a good indicator of overall success. Nothing in life will ever support you more than your own family. And lastly, we must learn some, live some, and love some every day.
These lessons are priceless to me. If it were possible to sell them I could not because they mean everything to me. I have needed very much in my life to go through what I have to be where I am now so that I may learn these lessons everyday. I am so thankful for the time the Lord has allowed me to serve Him and am sure that I have benefited far more than He. I find it interesting that none of these lessons had to be learned in the context of the gospel but they are all there. I suppose it is because the Lord is not just the Lord of the gospel, but the Lord of the whole world. These lessons can be learned, I am sure, outside of the gospel he taught on Earth. But, I would wager that they could never be learned as easily or quickly through any other medium than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I know that that gospel is true. I am so thankful for the rich blessings offered to me by being a partaker of it. I hope that I may continue to share the hopeful message regardless of the time remaining where I am privileged to wear the tag. I testify that the gospel of Christ is a cure-all for every problem. The answers are there if we will but only ask, seek , and knock. It is my testimony that when we do so He will always be there waiting for us because He loves us. He desires our happiness and success.
Very honestly and sincerely, I love all who read this.
Your friend,
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
I have pondered much this week about clothespins. That seems somewhat silly from first glance but let me explain. I am finding very deep and abiding truths in very simple things as of late. This week it just so happened to be a clothespin I found hanging on our wall. During my personal study I saw it in the corner of my eye and focused on it. I thought to myself, "How does this relate to the gospel of Jesus Christ?" Now let me mention I am referring to a more modern clothes pin and not those of an older style. They have two wooden pieces and a metal pin and coil that holds them together. I thought about some of the people that I have met on my mission. I thought about the almost overwhelming amount of divorce and broken homes that I have seen and in that moment it hit me. Clothes pins demonstrate such an eternal principle. I looked at those relationships and the one things that was missing in all of them was the Savior. Many people of the world today do not understand that our relationships must be founded up Christ, the rock of our salvation. Each piece of wood would be rendered useless alone and even when combined with one another the still cannot complete much of a task. It is only when the two are perfectly yolked with one another and something greater than them both assists to making the function together. I have learned on my mission that that very principle, simple it may be, should be practiced among all couples and in all relationships. A relationship can accomplish nothing unless somehow each piece is fastened to the other by the Lord. I love learning small lessons like that.
This entire week I have pondered a lot about what I have learned on my mission and how much it will change my life forever. Eventually, someday soon unfortunately, my mission will have ended but in writing the next paragraph I hope I may always look back and see what I gained from my mission. Hopefully you can take something away from what I have learned.
Life becomes more meaningful through experience. Sincere emotions are conveyed by being shown rather than told. We all need to find the rhythm beating inside of us and dance regardless of who is watching. We should be the definition of what we do rather than have what we do define us. We must rise above societal expectations and be extra-ordinary. It is possible to understand yourself better than anyone or anything else shy of Deity. The world will not stop to pick you up when you are down. It is impossible to quit anything that you truly love. Death or ending should not be treated any differently than beginnings. Never put off for tomorrow what you could have done today. Compliment others early because eventually it will be too late. We need to make something of our life, not have our life make something of us. Never break your promises. When reality is accepted, success can and will follow. Remember and accept the past and build off the strong points of it's foundation. Everything that we become is culminated from the decisions that we make. Always forgive others and seek the forgiveness of others. It's never to late to get involved and try to make a difference. It is ok to grieve but only in moderation. We must then choose to pick ourselves up out of sorrow's rut. A smile is the single most beautiful physical trait of anyone. Always accept and offer friendship and kindness. Planning is a form of preparation and never should be underestimated. What we learn in life we must share, for the only way to learn all that we need to is to learn from others. We must always look at the bigger picture because it will help us prioritize the things that matter most. "Normal" is not always synonymous with good. Self reflection allows self progression. There is nothing more pitiable than someone choosing to live unhappily. We create our own happiness and find it in small and simple things. True love always wins. Whatever you subconsciously and consciously love the most will always win in the end. Don't give up your precious time on earth to saturate yourself in the drama of others, especially those of a fictitious nature and those whom you will never know personally. Devote yourself to something that gives you purpose and meaning. The world does not need you. It moves on with or without you. Listening sincerely is a pure demonstration of true love. If you really want it, you'll make it happen. Little things make the biggest difference. It's not about us, it's about us helping others. Be optimistic even when it seems utterly senseless. Focus solely on what you can control and do not stress about the rest. Compassion is gained from experience. No one person, with the exception of Deity, is greater than anyone else. We must learn to give and receive love freely. Crying is ok...in moderation. We must acknowledge opposition, the good and the bad, but do not dwell on the negative longer than is needed. Trust is a two way relationship always growing or diminishing congruently with our actions. We all need a hero. Second chances should be given freely and taken when offered. Friendship needs no words to be existent. It is possible to make the best of every situation. Love is a necessity to survival. Life begins when the reality of death and endings are accepted. We must prioritize the things of most importance and leave no room for distractions. The world with all it's materialistic fashions will never permanently satisfy. Laughter is a good indicator of overall success. Nothing in life will ever support you more than your own family. And lastly, we must learn some, live some, and love some every day.
These lessons are priceless to me. If it were possible to sell them I could not because they mean everything to me. I have needed very much in my life to go through what I have to be where I am now so that I may learn these lessons everyday. I am so thankful for the time the Lord has allowed me to serve Him and am sure that I have benefited far more than He. I find it interesting that none of these lessons had to be learned in the context of the gospel but they are all there. I suppose it is because the Lord is not just the Lord of the gospel, but the Lord of the whole world. These lessons can be learned, I am sure, outside of the gospel he taught on Earth. But, I would wager that they could never be learned as easily or quickly through any other medium than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I know that that gospel is true. I am so thankful for the rich blessings offered to me by being a partaker of it. I hope that I may continue to share the hopeful message regardless of the time remaining where I am privileged to wear the tag. I testify that the gospel of Christ is a cure-all for every problem. The answers are there if we will but only ask, seek , and knock. It is my testimony that when we do so He will always be there waiting for us because He loves us. He desires our happiness and success.
Very honestly and sincerely, I love all who read this.
Your friend,
Hugs and Kisses,
Elder Excell
Monday, July 23, 2012
The One That Got Away
What a week! One week ago I sat in the Waverly Public Library thinking that I would be finishing my mission there but alas, nothing gold can stay. I have been transferred back to the Des Moines area in the 2nd ward and am now serving with Elder Larson and Elder Pope in a threesome. It's a little different but I like it.
I need to take a minute tho for an ode to Waverly. I love that town so much. There are so many people in Bremer County, of which Waverly is county seat, that I will miss and love forever. I had the opportunity and privilege to get to know so many great individuals and families. I made a lot of plans before leaving the area in hopes to see those people again. I hope they work out in due time. I promise I'll keep my end of the deal. I've wanted very much in all my areas to establish lasting relationships and Waverly was no exception. So to a few standout families if you ever read this, I want you to know how much I appreciate you and what you taught me. The Garner's: You probably didn't think you made that much of an impact on me but I hope I can have a family just like yours someday. The Larson's: You taught me to love what I do, and never quit singing. I think down the road, that will be a huge blessing to me. The Austin family: I don't even know where to start. All I can say is you will be a major part of my life forever. I just know it. There are so many others that could easily make that list but those three particularly have touched my life for good. I can't wait to see you all again either in Idaho soon or when I come back to visit someday.
That being said, let me tell you about where I am. I am right next to another favorite part of the world of mine; Waukee, Iowa. In fact I have emailed from the West Des Moines Public Library a handful of times already and am excited to be back. I love this area. I am excited to be with Elder Larson who has been out for 20 months. We've always wanted to serve together and thought the chance had passed but it would appear that that ship got held up in the harbor and never sailed. He's from Riverton, UT and a stud. I am also serving with Elder Pope from Arlington, VA. He's awesome. He's been out about 4 months now and has a lot of fire. He's a convert of about 18 months at this point and doing really good work.
I love the people that I've already met around her. I even convinced my companions that we needed to go running this morning so we ran the daily 5k and it was great. I beat my record time and ran it in 21 minutes this week.
With the sudden transfer this week has been a bit of a blur to be honest. But these are the things that I remember, not necessarily in order of occurrence.
I held a snake this week. It's name is Peaches and no, it did not end up on our kill list. It's actually a Python that a guy in Des Moines owns. I got some great pictures and am excited to pass those on. The guy's name is Jake and I love him. He and I get along really well. He's going through a pretty tough time in his life right now trying to make some decisions and good ones at that. He's come a long way already to be where he is now. He's huge by the way. Probably the most ripped man I have ever seen in person. He played football for the University of Utah a couple years ago. Great guy. Anyway, yesterday we had a really good discussion with him. I learned in that discussion that in life as much as we wish we could control everything, and at some times even restrict the agency of others to have our own way, we cannot. We should only worry about what we can control. For in reality, nothing else matters to us besides what we want control. Over the course of my mission I have learned and developed a blueprint for the life I want to have. I have some direction to take when arriving home. I know what kind of job I would like, how many kids I want to have, and what kind of wife I would like to marry. Those are all, for the most part, things I can control. I guess Joseph Smith said it best, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." I guess the bottom line is if you have in mind what you want, and you have confirmed by the spirit that it is good, then go for it and while doing so only focus on what you can control. Maybe to be a little less scriptural, I believe it was Michelangelo who said, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Go for your blueprint and do it. Don't let anything hold you back from what you want. If you have a plan, stick to it and go for what you want. It was pretty neat to meet Jake because coincidentally at the same time we were having frozen yogurt with a former girl's basketball player. I was sitting next to two collegiate athletes. Pretty awesome. I felt humbled in their presence.
We also met with a man named L.E. again in Waverly. As we chatted with him on his porch our conversation could not keep centered on the gospel. It was pretty apparent that he didn't want to talk about it because we would drift back into politics and what not. I almost felt as if when we were there that we were wasting our time. Well as we got up to leave L.E. said, "Boys, thanks for coming to see me. (Commence tear rolling down cheek.) You have no idea how much it means to me and helps me." I know I came on a mission to reap the seeds that others have sowed but with a comment like that I am perfectly content to plant some seeds like L.E.
Last night we had a great lesson with a girl named Alicia. She is awesome. I obviously haven't known her for too long but I can tell she has come a long way to be where she is now. To catch you all up like I had to be caught up, she's an investigator who at one point was having difficulties understanding the spirit and how it communicates with us. Last week she went to Nauvoo with her Boyfriend's family, who are members, and while looking at the original copy of the Book of Mormon in the visitor's center she said it hit her like a ton of bricks. She knew what the spirit was and has not had difficulty recognizing is since. She has a little ways to go yet, but she will be baptized soon. I just know it. She has such a desire.
In Waverly, our car was violently shaking we would get on the highway and go faster than 60 mph. So we called the vehicle coordinator and got permission to take it in and have it checked. What was quite possibly the funniest moments of Auto mechanics I have witnessed. We get out of the car and the man says, "What can we do ya fer?" My response, "Well, I'm no car expert so I couldn't ell ya but as we drive over 60 it starts to rattle real bad on us." His reply, "Oh i know just what you need." He then proceeds to walk to the back of the shop while another man lifts up the car on the jack. The original guy comes back with a sledgehammer and honestly I was a bit nervous at this point. Anyway, he spins the tire at hits it real hard about three times and a mound of dirt two feet in diameter and a foot high comes out from the tire well. He proceeds to do the same thing on the driver's side rear tire. Same result. They drop the car down, put the hammer away, and tell us thanks for stopping in and to not worry about paying. Within a matter two minutes we were in, out, and on the go with about two square feet of dirt less as luggage. It worked. I don't think I'll ever forget his face when he said, "I know just what ya need." Really funny.
As many of you know I haven't partaken of carbonation for a 11 months almost now. It's been great! I highly recommend it. But this week Elder Brown and I found a new beverage of choice. Rockstar Relax. It's a zero calorie, zero carbonation, zero carbohydrate, chamomile drink that tastes like Brazilian passion fruit and relaxes you so much. I felt like I did walking out a Brazilian lunch where they served Passion fruit Flan and just wanting to sleep. I would warn you to not drink it if you do not have plans to sleep within the coming hours.
Things I learned this week-
-The only constants in life are change and true emotions.
- Mother nature is really sick with a fever right now and we're on bikes next week!
The world we live in is a funny thing. It's real confusing at times. As I have been trying to get to know the people here in the area I've once again figured this out. There is so much out there for temporary happiness. The hard part is that at first glance it appears so lasting. We live in a world with rules and restrictions that are not followed. It's almost as if the world is saying, "Practice safe speeding". Safe speeding? Forget speeding, just do it safely? What have we come to? We live in world that tends to simplify the problems and complicate the solutions. I guess to be more scriptural Nephi says, "And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God." This is so false. To be honest our world is pretty skewed. It's pretty messed up. Until we accept responsibility for it and understand the problems as they really are we will get no where. And the solutions are really not that hard. I wish the world could see it as my 12 year old buddy said it a couple weeks ago. "It's all real simple, you just have to live the gospel." I am amazed continually, on a daily basis even, at how amazing and curing this gospel plan really is. It can solve everything. I have yet to encounter a situation or problem, even if complicated, that could have been either avoided or solved by the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is truly a perfect plan with zero holes. A perfect plan can only created by a perfect master. We need to quit looking at man's solutions to these worldly problems and look to the Lord and his solution for us all. I testify that it is the gospel of Christ. As Nephi, my boy, says, " this is the way; and there is none other way". I love the knowledge of the gospel. It truly gives me hope in all situations, even the unexpected ones.
I love you all almost as much as I love it. Until next week my friends. I love you.
Hugs and Kisses,
ElderExcell
I need to take a minute tho for an ode to Waverly. I love that town so much. There are so many people in Bremer County, of which Waverly is county seat, that I will miss and love forever. I had the opportunity and privilege to get to know so many great individuals and families. I made a lot of plans before leaving the area in hopes to see those people again. I hope they work out in due time. I promise I'll keep my end of the deal. I've wanted very much in all my areas to establish lasting relationships and Waverly was no exception. So to a few standout families if you ever read this, I want you to know how much I appreciate you and what you taught me. The Garner's: You probably didn't think you made that much of an impact on me but I hope I can have a family just like yours someday. The Larson's: You taught me to love what I do, and never quit singing. I think down the road, that will be a huge blessing to me. The Austin family: I don't even know where to start. All I can say is you will be a major part of my life forever. I just know it. There are so many others that could easily make that list but those three particularly have touched my life for good. I can't wait to see you all again either in Idaho soon or when I come back to visit someday.
That being said, let me tell you about where I am. I am right next to another favorite part of the world of mine; Waukee, Iowa. In fact I have emailed from the West Des Moines Public Library a handful of times already and am excited to be back. I love this area. I am excited to be with Elder Larson who has been out for 20 months. We've always wanted to serve together and thought the chance had passed but it would appear that that ship got held up in the harbor and never sailed. He's from Riverton, UT and a stud. I am also serving with Elder Pope from Arlington, VA. He's awesome. He's been out about 4 months now and has a lot of fire. He's a convert of about 18 months at this point and doing really good work.
I love the people that I've already met around her. I even convinced my companions that we needed to go running this morning so we ran the daily 5k and it was great. I beat my record time and ran it in 21 minutes this week.
With the sudden transfer this week has been a bit of a blur to be honest. But these are the things that I remember, not necessarily in order of occurrence.
I held a snake this week. It's name is Peaches and no, it did not end up on our kill list. It's actually a Python that a guy in Des Moines owns. I got some great pictures and am excited to pass those on. The guy's name is Jake and I love him. He and I get along really well. He's going through a pretty tough time in his life right now trying to make some decisions and good ones at that. He's come a long way already to be where he is now. He's huge by the way. Probably the most ripped man I have ever seen in person. He played football for the University of Utah a couple years ago. Great guy. Anyway, yesterday we had a really good discussion with him. I learned in that discussion that in life as much as we wish we could control everything, and at some times even restrict the agency of others to have our own way, we cannot. We should only worry about what we can control. For in reality, nothing else matters to us besides what we want control. Over the course of my mission I have learned and developed a blueprint for the life I want to have. I have some direction to take when arriving home. I know what kind of job I would like, how many kids I want to have, and what kind of wife I would like to marry. Those are all, for the most part, things I can control. I guess Joseph Smith said it best, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." I guess the bottom line is if you have in mind what you want, and you have confirmed by the spirit that it is good, then go for it and while doing so only focus on what you can control. Maybe to be a little less scriptural, I believe it was Michelangelo who said, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Go for your blueprint and do it. Don't let anything hold you back from what you want. If you have a plan, stick to it and go for what you want. It was pretty neat to meet Jake because coincidentally at the same time we were having frozen yogurt with a former girl's basketball player. I was sitting next to two collegiate athletes. Pretty awesome. I felt humbled in their presence.
We also met with a man named L.E. again in Waverly. As we chatted with him on his porch our conversation could not keep centered on the gospel. It was pretty apparent that he didn't want to talk about it because we would drift back into politics and what not. I almost felt as if when we were there that we were wasting our time. Well as we got up to leave L.E. said, "Boys, thanks for coming to see me. (Commence tear rolling down cheek.) You have no idea how much it means to me and helps me." I know I came on a mission to reap the seeds that others have sowed but with a comment like that I am perfectly content to plant some seeds like L.E.
Last night we had a great lesson with a girl named Alicia. She is awesome. I obviously haven't known her for too long but I can tell she has come a long way to be where she is now. To catch you all up like I had to be caught up, she's an investigator who at one point was having difficulties understanding the spirit and how it communicates with us. Last week she went to Nauvoo with her Boyfriend's family, who are members, and while looking at the original copy of the Book of Mormon in the visitor's center she said it hit her like a ton of bricks. She knew what the spirit was and has not had difficulty recognizing is since. She has a little ways to go yet, but she will be baptized soon. I just know it. She has such a desire.
In Waverly, our car was violently shaking we would get on the highway and go faster than 60 mph. So we called the vehicle coordinator and got permission to take it in and have it checked. What was quite possibly the funniest moments of Auto mechanics I have witnessed. We get out of the car and the man says, "What can we do ya fer?" My response, "Well, I'm no car expert so I couldn't ell ya but as we drive over 60 it starts to rattle real bad on us." His reply, "Oh i know just what you need." He then proceeds to walk to the back of the shop while another man lifts up the car on the jack. The original guy comes back with a sledgehammer and honestly I was a bit nervous at this point. Anyway, he spins the tire at hits it real hard about three times and a mound of dirt two feet in diameter and a foot high comes out from the tire well. He proceeds to do the same thing on the driver's side rear tire. Same result. They drop the car down, put the hammer away, and tell us thanks for stopping in and to not worry about paying. Within a matter two minutes we were in, out, and on the go with about two square feet of dirt less as luggage. It worked. I don't think I'll ever forget his face when he said, "I know just what ya need." Really funny.
As many of you know I haven't partaken of carbonation for a 11 months almost now. It's been great! I highly recommend it. But this week Elder Brown and I found a new beverage of choice. Rockstar Relax. It's a zero calorie, zero carbonation, zero carbohydrate, chamomile drink that tastes like Brazilian passion fruit and relaxes you so much. I felt like I did walking out a Brazilian lunch where they served Passion fruit Flan and just wanting to sleep. I would warn you to not drink it if you do not have plans to sleep within the coming hours.
Things I learned this week-
-The only constants in life are change and true emotions.
- Mother nature is really sick with a fever right now and we're on bikes next week!
The world we live in is a funny thing. It's real confusing at times. As I have been trying to get to know the people here in the area I've once again figured this out. There is so much out there for temporary happiness. The hard part is that at first glance it appears so lasting. We live in a world with rules and restrictions that are not followed. It's almost as if the world is saying, "Practice safe speeding". Safe speeding? Forget speeding, just do it safely? What have we come to? We live in world that tends to simplify the problems and complicate the solutions. I guess to be more scriptural Nephi says, "And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God." This is so false. To be honest our world is pretty skewed. It's pretty messed up. Until we accept responsibility for it and understand the problems as they really are we will get no where. And the solutions are really not that hard. I wish the world could see it as my 12 year old buddy said it a couple weeks ago. "It's all real simple, you just have to live the gospel." I am amazed continually, on a daily basis even, at how amazing and curing this gospel plan really is. It can solve everything. I have yet to encounter a situation or problem, even if complicated, that could have been either avoided or solved by the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is truly a perfect plan with zero holes. A perfect plan can only created by a perfect master. We need to quit looking at man's solutions to these worldly problems and look to the Lord and his solution for us all. I testify that it is the gospel of Christ. As Nephi, my boy, says, " this is the way; and there is none other way". I love the knowledge of the gospel. It truly gives me hope in all situations, even the unexpected ones.
I love you all almost as much as I love it. Until next week my friends. I love you.
Hugs and Kisses,
ElderExcell
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