Dear Elder

February 9, 2011

I don’t know if January could have passed by any faster! Things have been so crazy, and I cannot believe it is already February. School started again! I’m only taking 2 classes for a total of 5.0 credits. I’m taking the first half of Doctrine and Covenants and Economics 110. Econ is going really well! I have loved the class and the teacher is great.

Things at work are really good. We just hired on a lot of new people in member service. They are all really nice people and have been catching on really fast. One girl, Julina, and I have been getting along really well. She just got back from serving her mission about a month ago. She went Spanish speaking down in Texas. It has been really fun to hang out with her and help train her as well. Things are going really well though, and I'm happy. This job has been such a blessing and I have learned so much. It has really helped shape me as a person and taught me a lot of patience with people.

Ha ha, that is pretty funny that you believed me. I’m so sorry! I thought it was pretty funny. I guess it is possible that I could be engaged by the time you get back, but I kind of doubt it. Right now, the plan is to work and go to school and prepare to serve a mission. For the last few years I have been thinking about it a lot, and if I get the chance to go then I am totally going. I can technically fill out my papers in 1 year. Can you believe that? I am getting so old! I don’t know if it is a for sure thing, but I am hoping that I get the chance to go. I would love to be able to dedicate all day every day to the Lord and teach people the truth! What a wonderful idea!  You are so blessed to be able to serve a mission, live it up. Dedicate every minute of every day to the Lord and you will be so blessed. The church is so true. I can’t even begin to tell you how true it is. Remember that, always, and tell everyone.

That is so cool that you got to visit all of those church sites with your family and youth groups. I can’t imagine being able to go for youth conference. What a blessing to be able to see the history of the Nauvoo temple! The original cornerstone as well as the rebuilt temple, that is so cool! You are totally right, it is such a strong witness that Satan will never win. Its true, he won’t. He can try all he wants, but he will never win.

The sacred grove really was the coolest place! It gives additional meaning to the scripture “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid”. The Lord truly will give us the peace that we need, and it’s a kind of peace that we can’t find anywhere else. I was reading in the October 2010 Ensign about temples and it talked about how the temples do give you a peace that you can’t find anywhere else. It is a peace that is deeper and longer lasting than any other feeling in this world. Every time I think about my experiences back in New York, the spirit just testifies to me again and again that the church is true. I’m glad that you got to see the pictures! I was worried that my letter wouldn’t do it justice.

I’m so glad that being on a mission has strengthened your testimony. I’m glad that you have that desire to shout it from the rooftops and tell everyone that it is true. It is such a wonderful and overwhelming feeling. I have been reading in Alma for the past week or so in my personal scripture study, and I’m pretty sure that Alma 5 and 7 are my absolute favorite chapters in The Book of Mormon. They are so powerful and Alma definitely has a way with words. Although I love both of the chapters, I especially love 5:45-48 and 7:23-24.

How are things in the mission field? Who are you teaching now a days? Tell me about the area and the people? Tell me all about the work! I want to hear! I read about your experience with being able to play the piano. I totally agree with you, that it is such a blessing to be able to play hymns on the piano. It is such a beautiful instrument and I have loved being able to play. I will have to send out some music for you...it just might be in the envelope with this letter. ;) Congratulations on the baptisms in January! That is super exciting! I'm so glad that they were able to pull through and commit to the gospel. The feeling of baptism is pretty indescribable. I remember telling my teacher after I got baptized that even though the water was cold, I still had a warm feeling inside and that I was happy. Such an incredible experience. I'm so glad that you have the opportunity teach and bless the lives of these people. As Elder LaFollette put it “It's neat to meet people, place their hand on the iron rod, and help them change their lives”. I love that he said “place their hand on the iron rod”. It is such a beautiful image of helping our brothers and sisters learn the truth a literally placing their hand on the iron rod that leads to the tree of life. If I could paint, I would totally paint a picture of that.

I loved the story you told in your last letter about the man trying to earn money for his mission and “striking the steel”. Your absolutely right that we need to learn to work smarter and not harder. It does make a difference when you are more efficient instead of just motivated. I was so excited to hear about your tracking story too. I'm glad that you were inspired to talk with that girl and that she was able to feel the witness of the spirit. Keep me updated on her, she sounds like a keeper.

I'm so proud of you. Keep up the good work. You are doing amazing and I can already tell how the Lord is blessing you. Concentrate on the work and the Lord will open up doors of opportunities for you and your companion. I'm praying for you. Trust in the Lord and allow him to lead you. The church is true!

Kaytlyn

The story that Josh wrote about the young man trying to earn money for his mission goes like this:

There was a man who was trying to earn money to go on a mission. He prayed and he prayed to find a job. Finally he was blessed with a job taking out guardrails on the road so that newer and better ones could be constructed. Upon taking the job, he was told he would be paid for the number of guardrails he separated from the cement blocks. His company wanted to recycle the metal and needed to separate it from its concrete pilings. The young man didn't realize how difficult it would be to remove the hardened cement from the metal.

Day after day he hammered and pounded to break free the metal guardrail. Bit by bit small pieces would break free but he knew that he needed to go faster. He prayed fervently to know how to work more effectively. A tiny voice answered him, 'Strike the steel.' He didn't pay attention because he figured God simply wanted him to work harder. He got a solid 9-pound mallet and began to beat the cement with greater fervor, but progress was still frustratingly slow.

He went to Heavenly Father again in prayer and asked the same thing. Again he heard clearly, 'Strike the Steel.' The young man wasn't sure what that meant, so he figured that he still wasn't working hard enough and he bought a bigger mallet and a railroad spike to chisel at the cement with more strength and accuracy. There was a little more progress bit still not enough. Finally, in desperation he knelt and fervently asked Heavenly Father what he should do. Again came the answer, 'Strike the Steel.'

After pondering the statement, the young man began to hit the steel guardrail instead of the cement. He noticed to his complete astonishment that the cement began to break free of the posts. The tough cement encasements cracked, crumbled, and fell away from the steel posts as his now-powerful mallet strokes reverberated through them. The concrete, once formidable, now fell away like dirt. That day he freed more rails of cement than he had the entire summer.

The young man learned that whenever we are doing something and it's not working, we should try a different approach. the answer to his prayer was simple- 'Work smarter, not harder.'