Dear Elder

March 30, 2011

I wish I had some incredible and valid excuse of why I am such a terrible letter writer and sender, but alas I have no good reason. Just the every day distractions of people, work, and school. Thank you so much for the letters that you have sent me. They mean a lot to me and I love hearing from you!

Can you believe that you have been out for almost a year now? So crazy! Things pass by so fast. Pretty soon you will be done and coming back to BYU. That is so exciting!

I loved your letter about your birthday and your Grandpa's journal! It was amazing and I loved hearing about your every day experiences. I'm glad you got a chance to play the piano and basketball. It sounds like you had a lot of fun! I'm sure that you have heard loads about BYU basketball and the Jimmer craze, but I have to say he is amazing! BYU played incredible this year and it was a blast to watch them.

That is such an incredible story about the car and hitting the cement barrier! What a miracle and such a huge blessing! It does make me really excited for missionary work! I'm so glad that you guys were able to experience and learn from that experience.

Kub Scout Kub Kar Rally, is quite the mouthful. That is so great that there were so many non-members there. What a perfect missionary tool to spread the good word. That is really cool that you got to lead everyone in the Canadian national anthem! Sounds like pretty soon they are going to convert you to Canadianism and then we will never get you back! Just make sure that you really come home after you two year. Deal?

That story about the little 4 year old and the picture of Joseph Smith is so hilarious. I totally would have been cracking up after hearing that. I can definitely see the resemblance though. You guys are both amazing men with incredibly strong testimonies. :)

So since the other letter that I wrote you...and never sent, not a ton has happened. Life has just been busy with school and work and everything in between. School is still going good. My economics class seems to have more and more reading as the weeks go on. But the semester is almost over, which I'm really excited about.

Everything else here is good. Lots going on with family. My sister in-law Sylvia is pregnant right now. We just recently found out that she is having twin girls! We are all so excited. It is the first set of grandkid twins that we have had. My other sister in-law Missy is pregnant as well, with one. We should find out soon if she is having a boy or a girl. My Dad is still in law school, and is loving it. I think that he and my family is finally getting used to the whole school thing again. My parents have both learned a ton from this experience, and I can see how it has brought them closer together. Its been such a cool thing to watch. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways to bring his children closer together.

Life is a very interesting thing. Its hard to figure out what you are supposed to do. I'm trying to figure out what to do about school and work and everything else and its so hard to know just what I'm supposed to do. I'm debating of whether I should go part time at UCCU or get another job so that I can go to school full time. Because I feel like I need to get it done so that I can move on my life, but at the same time I really want to work so that I can save for my “mission/marriage-whichever-comes-first” fund. Its hard to know, and I've been praying that I will know if I'm on the right path, but sometimes it is so hard to tell. I worry that maybe I missed a sign, that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to do, or that I'm not where he needs me to be. How do you know?

Can I tell you something? The Lord has a big plan for me. I'm not sure exactly what it is yet, but its big. He has given me hints and told me things in priesthood blessings and feelings, but I worry so much that I'm not ready for it, or that I've waisted so much time. The last few months have been really interesting, and I feel like I've had a lot of insights of what I'm supposed to do eventually, it is just a matter of getting to that point.

Back in December, I was reading a book for my World Civilizations class the experiences of people in abusive terrible communist countries. I had a moment where I was so overwhelmed by the spirit and compassion for the people who were so hurt by what their own neighbors had done to them and to their families and friends. I felt so frustrated and I wanted so bad to do something, anything to make it stop and to help those people and others in similar situations. I knew that, that concept was part of what I was supposed to do. I want and need to help people. Especially those who are in those bad situations.

The next time was just a few weeks ago in my Doctrine and Covenants class. We were talking about temples and the benefit that they are to the people of Zion and the world. In Doctrine and Covenants 29:9-10 it talks about how the Temples prepare us against desolation. It was incredible, my mind was so filled and I just started writing. I think that my dream job would be to work for the church and help them have better relationships with difference countries and governments so that we can build temples. And we need to build more of them, faster, and for less cost, even if they are smaller so that more saints can have the blessings of the temples in their lives. They are a gathering place for the saints, and the more readily available the better off we will be. But then I started thinking about how the saints can help build the temples or what I could do to help prepare the saints for the temple. (Finances, worthiness, repentance, tithing, the youth of the church need to be strengthened) Which leads back to the thought of how the temples prepare us against desolation. Which makes me think, hey, if the saints are going to gather to the temples, then the temples need to be prepared for them. So what if we have a place near the temples for the saints to gather, whether it be a chapel or the visitors center where there are supplies in case there is a natural disaster or anything like that. Then instead of having to ship everything out from Salt Lake there are supplies available all around the world. And then, I also thought about how wouldn't it be awesome if we could set up a program to have strong faithful members of the church who are willing to live in other areas of the world to help build up the church. Whether it be a temporary mission or if they are willing to move their permanently to plant strong roots and build a strong foundations for the new converts. Anyway, I know that is a lot of information, but I feel so strongly about it, and I pray every day about if this is really what I'm supposed to do and how I'm supposed to accomplish it. Any thoughts or feelings? I would really appreciate any feedback.

The last two lines of your week 42 letter, were probably my favorite. “Serving a mission is such an adventure and although it is sometimes difficult, I love being out here! It's the best thing I could have ever done!” I am seriously so proud of you and the person you have become. I know that I said that like four times in my other letters, but I really am so so proud of you. Serving a mission is a very hard thing to do, but the blessing that you have, are, and will receive are going to far outweigh any of the trials. Never lose the drive and the passion that you have for the gospel. Its a wonderful thing to know that the church is true. Never forget it, and allow that knowledge to shape your life every day. Its the best! I can't even begin to tell you how true and wonderful the gospel is. I love it!

Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you or send you. I really want to contribute the you mission and help you enjoy every minute of it. Any food that you have been craving or do you need new shirts, ties, shoes, socks, coats? More hot chocolate and apple cider? What about candy? Just let me know and I will put something together for you. The last package really wasn't very expensive, so don't even worry about the cost. Besides, I would rather put money towards a package for you than to a lot of other things.

Keep up the good work. I am praying for you. Have a wonderful day/week/month. The church is true!

Kaytlyn M

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 of the new girls 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.

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 my experience there 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, the people, and the work? I want to hear! I read about your experience with being able to play the piano while you have been serving. 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 and perform. 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. What 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”. You are absolutely right that we need to learn to work smarter and not just 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 that the Lord is blessing you for your hard work and dedication. 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