February 16, 2015 from Mom

Hi my favorite missionary!!!!! EVER!!!

How was you week?  Are you getting a change this week???  I'm dying to find out! If you leave Limon, I know it will be incredibly hard to say goodbye to many people.  Bittersweet.

We had are really great week.  A few highlights…

1.  Grayson had a fantastic game on Friday.  Scored 18 pts and had tons of playing time.  However, the boy can't hit a free throw!  Bricks.  Dad is frustrated because he is trying to help Gray, but he does not want to listen to him.  So, although he had a tremendous game, he gets pulled out the last minute of the game because the coach doesn't want him to get fouled.  

2.  Erik's graduation was really great!  He was given a special award selected by all the professors in his program that acknowledges him for being the most engaged in the paramedic program, always willing to help others, works so hard, always in class and on time, etc.  It was cool.  As soon as they started explaining the award, I thought, "that sounds like Erik."  And it was:)

3.  Dad took Friday off and we spent the day together at a movie and lunch… celebrating valentines day.  It was a great day!

4. We had the Schofields over for dinner tonight (Sunday) and had our red/pink dinner with them.  They thought it was really fun. We played a game and talked with all of them and it was a fun night.

5.  Abby and Aliza went on splits this week for the second time with the sister missionaries.  So cool and Abby really likes doing it.  She's a missionary in training fo sho.

I'm sending you a picture of the canvas pictures Im going to put up on your wall.  The pics are all ones you took.  One in Jamaica (the one on top), one of a tx sunset, and one of the beach in cozumel.  I think they turned out so great!  What do you think?

I wrote down all of your questions from last week and I'm writing you a letter today with answers.  I love getting your journal and scripture journal pictures!  Are the questions for me coming from your reading, or are people giving you these questions when you teach them?

It sounds like (from your journal pictures) you had a tough week with Elder F.  How are things going?  I can only imagine that being with someone 24/7 would be incredibly difficult.  I don't even think I could do it with Dad!  I hope you are able to talk through your differences calmly and work thru them. When does Elder Turley leave?  I was thinking it is this month.  Am I right? I'm sure you will miss him.

The food pictures at Diana and Danys house look awesome!  It's like the first great meal I've seen.  We were talking about it this weekend and we want to see pictures of what Walmart is like. Will you send us some?

I have a few things I want to talk to you about that have come up from your letters and journal entries.  It's times like this that I wish so much we could just sit on the couch and talk about things, but of course we can't so I'm hoping the tone of my concerns come across as loving as I feel about them.

1. You asked Erik if he had any bad experiences with the spirit.  I'm wondering if you have had a bad experience or if something happened.  Is everything ok?

2. You said that you spent most of the day talking with Taylor on the phone one day (I think it was after Christmas some time). Then sister Konold told me in your letter to Fin you said you broke up with her because she wasn't interested in the gospel but you asked me to give her a jersey and I know she writes you a lot.  So I'm not sure where things are with you guys.But I have concerns.  I have had a really heavy feeling in my heart about your relationship with her for the past month. I feel like the spirit is warning me or wants me to warn you or something.. I'm not sure what.  So I just decided that I'll voice my concerns to you and I'll just hope you understand and it makes sense to you. I guess my biggest concern is that she is not LDS and I don't think has any plans to be so I wonder what could come of this when you get home?  Even if you two write for two years, you will come home and leave for college in 2 weeks. And she will be 25 (or something) and you have 4 years of college ahead of you.  I worry you are wrapping your emotions into something that isn't going to work out, and probably isn't good for you even if it did work out. As you date when you get home, you will be choosing not only your wife, but also your children's mother (they don't get to do that) so it is so important you think about all the things that are important to you in a wife and mother. Secondly, I worry that the more likely option is she will break it off and date someone else and that will break your heart and set you back on your mission.  Third, I worry that she isn't really supportive of you on the goals you are trying to achieve on your mission (not because she isn't a good person but because she doesn't really understand what you are doing).  For example, does she ask you about your baptisms or what you're learning or how you're growing?  Does she discuss spiritual things with you?  If none of these are true, is she actually helping you with your mission or is she a distraction?   I can completely imagine that it is fun to have a girl write you and remind you that you are a guy.  It's flattering.  But I just want you to think about the long term consequences of this.  Guard your heart.  This is a time when you're not supposed to be dating.  I think dating thru letters counts.  And if you break rules for this girl, that is a problem too.  Now it gets in the way of your obedience, your ability to have the spirit with you, the people you teach, and your protection.

I love you so much baby!  Please take this letter as it is intended.  I'm just looking out for your best interests and want to give you some things to think about.  I feel the spirit giving me this feeling of uneasiness and warning but I don't really know what I'm supposed to do with it.  Please don't be mad at me.  I've been praying today that I can say my concerns without it sounding like I'm telling you how to live your life.  I just think your feelings are very raw and maybe intensified being on your mission and away from your home. You probably feel more strongly for her than you would if you were home. I don't want anything to distract you from having the most amazing experiences on your mission and coming home with no regrets as you look back on your service and feeling so close to the Lord.  I want all people that are important in your life, supporting your efforts on your mission and helping you to find those wonderful people that need you to bring the gospel to them.  

I guess that's all for now.  I'm writing you another letter to send off later today.  I have a couple of good talks for your too.  Bro. Hutto gave the greatest talk on the atonement today so I'm gonna try to share my thoughts about it in the letter.  BTW, are you getting any of my DearElder letters?  Ama says she sends you her letters that way too.  I just hope you've been getting them.  How about your package?  Did you get that yet?  I hope you got it in time for Valentines day so you could remember how much we all love you!  

Have a great week!  I'm so incredibly proud of you, my son!  I love you fiercely and you know I would do anything for you. If you are now a senior comp, remember to be the missionary the Lord wants and needs you to be.  No one else will make you do it.  It is up to you and you have your agency.  I'm so excited to see what you can do in your next area.  

Infinity + infinity and even more than that!

love,

mom

February 9, 2015 from Sam

Welp we had a great week this week!  This past six weeks with Elder Funes have been the fastest of my life its ridiculous how fast the weeks go by.  I have a feeling that I could have a change this change and go to a new area.  We'll see.  But either way, Elder Funes and I had a lot of success together and worked super hard.  

I was reading the Liahona (church magazine) and read something i thought was funny about choosing the right friends lol.  This one girl shared, "I was trying to change my friend so much but she wouldn't and ultimately I just stopped being her friend... and my testimony grew SO MUCH!" hahah then it said "From: Margaret Denise K. Bountiful High School".  That friend just read that in the Liahona and everyone knows it's her!  haha! Like, what the deuce Margaret?? lol

Anyways... we baptized Paty and her two daughters this past saturday and it went great.  When they were confirmed yesterday Paty started just bawling and it was very spiritual and cool to see the impact the gospel has had on her life. 

The coolest thing this week really has been Fredick, who was my first baptism back in November.  He is so animated and awesome.  He goes with us every day from 3 to 7 to be with us to teach lessons so he can learn and prepare more for his mission.  We were talking about it and realized that we were gonna be on missions at the same time together and how awesome that is.  At first I didnt really know his whole story and transformation.  But he opened up to us this week and told us how he was in a gang before and everything.  Never killed anyone, but robbed and dealt weed and just a ton of stuff and I had no idea.  He has been sharing the gospel with his family and we started teaching his sisters this week.  The coolest thing was when they asked us, "Can you help us change like we've seen our brother change?"  That was maybe the most satisfying moment of my mission so far.  His sisters are freaking awesome and I have no doubt they'll be following in the footsteps of Fredick soon.  

I was reading an article this week lying in bed talking about the grace of Jesus Christ by Brad Wilcox.  Christ's suffering for our sins was more than just a big favor for us. He gave us an opportunity.  An opportunity to be able to repent and live forever in His presence.  We don't earn our way into heaven, but by living the commandments, we practice living in heaven.  If you bring a person that commits big sins with no desire to repent to church camp, would he feel comfortable?  No. He would be begging to get out of there.  It's the same with Christ in Heaven.  We need to try to be like Him.  Live like He did so that when we get to Heaven it feels like we belong there. We will be able to remember everything we did on the earth on judgement day.  How comfortable will we feel?  Will we feel excited and happy because we repented and always tried to walk the path of Christ?  Or nervous and scared because we never did.  Our job on Earth is to try our best to become like our Savior and Redeemer.  We will never be perfect as He is but thankfully He doesn't require us to be.  He just asks us to try and to do better tomorrow than we did today!  

Have a good week yall!

Elder Gurksnis

February 8, 2015 from Mom

I really missed you today.  Just sitting in church, I missed sitting next to you and scratching your back.  Our family just felt small today and I missed you so much!  I said many prayers in my mind asking Heavenly Father to wrap his arms around you so you could feel my love.  I hope sometime on Sunday, you felt how much your family loves and misses you!

How was your week?  I read about a volcano erupting!  Are you ok?  Did you have any effects from it?  How are you feeling?  Are you healthy?

I hope you are loving what may be you last few weeks in Limon.  What an amazing 5 weeks or so you have had with Elder Funes!  I know you've had an outpouring of the spirit to allow you to be a tool in the Lord's hands.  I know that nothing is by chance and that you were supposed to be with Elder Funes and learn from him.  Even when you are a senior comp, you can look for opportunities to learn things from each companion you have.  I'd love for you to write me this week and tell me some goals that you've set for yourself this year.  Something I recognize in my own life is that you can have a really strong spiritual experience or period of time with the spirit, but you can quickly move away from those things that help you have the spirit so strongly in your life.  At first you can make baby steps away from the things you know you need to do, and pretty soon, you are so much farther away than you ever meant to be.  I think the thing you have learned this change is that you can strive to be obedient in all the rules.  Don't pick and choose which ones you think you should obey or not obey… just try to trust in the Lord and be obedient in all things.  I know it is what brings such great blessings in your life, helps you to be a great missionary and also provides protection.  So, will you write me about some goals that you set for yourself?  If you haven't set any yet, think about it this week.  

Last week you asked me to write a little about how the scripture in Rev. does not mean that no other scripture will be written after the book of Revelation.  

Rev. 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

First of all, remember that the apostles didn't set out to write a "bible."  They were each writing a "journal" of their experiences with Christ.  The writings of the apostles were generally written between 50-95AD.  Since Christ was crucified in about 33AD, there was much time for them to write.  Although these "journals" were written in the 1st century AD, most of them were not found until the 2-3rd century and began to be put together into a Bible.  When John wrote Revelations, he did not know that Matthew and Luke and Peter, etc were all writing their own books.  Therefore, Christians shouldn't use that scripture against Mormons for having additional scriptures, when you could just as easily use the same argument to say that the writings of any of the other apostles would also fall into the same category as "any thing added unto this book."  Secondly, from what I can see in the little research I did, there is a lot of disagreement about when the books of the New Testament were written.  Here is an example of one website:

 James - 50 A.D.

First Thessalonians - 52-53.

Second Thessalonians - 52-53.

Galatians - 55.

First Corinthians - 57.

Second Corinthians - 57.

Romans - 57-58.

Philippians - 62-63.

Colossians - 62-63.

Philemon - 62-63.

Ephesians - 62-63.

Luke - 63.

Acts - 64.

First Timothy - 65.

Titus - 65.

Second Timothy - 66.

Mark - 66.

Matthew - 67.

Hebrews - 67.

First Peter - 67-68.

Second Peter - 68.

Jude - 68.

Apocalypse - 68. (Apocalypse is Revelation)

John - c. 85.

Epistles of John - 90-95.

So in this estimation, Revelations was written in 68 AD where as other books of John were written in 90 AD.  Some estimates suggest that Revelations was actually written last.  But the thing is, no one really knows so that is another argument that nothing else should be added because very possibly other books that are actually contained in the Bible were likely written after Revelations.

Then the Nicene Creed is released in 325 AD and later revised in 381 AD.  Part of the scripture in verse 19 says that no man should take away from the words of that book.  We know that things were taken out of the bible, wording changed, etc.  That is not just  a Mormon accusation, but a known fact.  Maybe people who are worried about our BOM should think about how the "words were changed" and now even more with the NIV bible that TOTALLY changes the words of the bible!  

I found a little history of the bible I'm gonna throw in here too because I think you'll like the info.  The Old Testament (OT) was written in Hebrew and the New Testament (NT) was written in Greek.  So in the beginning, only priests were allowed to read the bible and they had to be fluent in Greek and Hebrew in order to do it.  In 382 AD, the Catholic pope asked a priest to translate the bible into Latin.  This priest could speak Hebrew, Greek and Latin. He did so and called it the Vulgate.  Monks began making copies of the Vulgate by hand (there was no printing press back then).  There were problems with this: translation errors and some deliberate changes.In 1320 AD, John Wycliffe was a scholar and he criticized the Catholic church for not allowing the common man to read the bible.  He could only speak Latin and English so he translated the Latin Vulgate into English.  The church greatly opposed this and burned anyone at the stake who was found in possession of a Wycliffe bible.  In 1492, William Tyndale was born.  He was a scholar and could speak Hebrew, Greek, Latin and English.  He read the Hebrew and Greek originals of the bible and showed how the Vulgate was translated incorrectly.  He went into hiding in Germany and made an English translation of the bible from the original Hebrew and Greek writings.  The printing press was now invented and he made 3000 copies of his English bible.  Tyndale was later captured and burned at the stake.  But he started a movement that brought about Martin Luther who started the protestant reformation… starting other churches away from the Catholic religion.  By the time King James became king of England in 1605, there was a lot of religious confusion.  There were many versions of the bible and not one was accepted by everyone.  So the king formed a committee of 47 scholars who spent 7 years publishing a new English translation.  Most of the bible remained Tyndale's translation.  This new version was called the King James Version (the one we use).  200 years later Joseph Smith would live in a world where there were many interpretations of the bible.  No wonder he was seeking clarity and answers.  I'm so grateful he had the faith to ask questions and seek the truth!

There… hows that for a Mom's lesson 1000 miles away:)  

I know this will have take so much time for you to read so I'll be short with the rest of my letter… We celebrated Erik's graduation from Paramedic school tonight.  He actually graduates on Tuesday.  I'm so happy for him! 

I'm making plans to take dad away for his 50th birthday weekend in 2 weeks.  I got us tickets to see a play called "Once" that is a great musical.  I also booked 2 nights at a golf resort/hotel for us.  It will be a great getaway.  I figured we did the big 80s party for him last year so I'll try something a little different for his bday this year.  How in the crap and Dad and I turning 50 this year/????  Not possible!  

I love you my son!  I will leave you with a quote that I heard this week that I really love.  "Pray like everything depends on the Lord.  Work like everything depends on you." - Brigham Young   It is a great motto for your mission and your life.  

I love you with every ounce of my heart!  You are prayed for many times each day and you are missed more than you could know!  Infinity + Infinity!

xoxoxo

Mom

February 2, 2015 from Sam

Hit 5 months today!  Whatssss gooood back in the united stizates? 

We had another solid week and the baptism went great with Kevin this past Saturday.  It went great!  Me and his aunt Dianna, my mom in the misión, did a song after his baptism a mix of Spanish and English that was super tight of "Oh My Father" (O Mi Padre).  It was a special baptism and almost the whole ward was there for it.

Me and Elder Funes are doing great.   He's a great companion and probably the companion I'll learn the most from in the mission.  Right now the only hard part is I'm just kind of sick of this junior comp thing and taking orders.  Neither he nor Elder Cano really know how to talk in a non douchy way when saying what were doing or explaining why and its a big test of patience but I'm learning!  But that's a small problem compared to what a lot of companionships go through.  And for the most part were solid and having success.  Paty and her two daughters will be baptized this next Saturday which will come up to be 6 pretty amazing converts in one change.  In our mission that's just unheard of unless it's one big family. But I'm just grateful for what we have right now and our obedience that we're striving for and the work ethic that we have together.  Every night I'm absolutely dead exhausted but I can never say "man, we could've done more today". 

My quick spiritual thought for the week.  So missionary work here is obviously completely different than what it is in the states.  The problem here is there are so many inactive members of the church, but at the same time all the active and involved ones are incredible. The amount they sacrifice for the church and how they ALWAYS put Heavenly Father first is inspiring.  So I would just leave you with a thought of, How active are you, truly? Are you truly converted to the gospel?  It's easy to go to church every Sunday.  But I've realized that's not really the meaning of being "active" in the gospel.  I went to church almost every Sunday for 19 years of my life but looking back now, I realize I wasn't "truly active" nearly enough.  Being active to me really means sacrificing and ALWAYS putting Heavenly Father first and always growing and strengthening your testimony in any way possible. Daily.

I hope everyone is doing great!  Have a great week!

Love Elder Gurksnis

February 1, 2015 from Mom

Hello my boy!  

What a great day you must have had on Saturday!  How did the baptism go?  I love the pictures!  It looks like Dany baptized Kevin. That must have been pretty amazing for both of them!  How is the grandma doing?

(by the way, you need to polish your shoes!  It looks like you've walked 1000 miles in them… which you probably have… but just polish them so they look cleaner.  I sent you with a small shoe shine kit.  Hopefully you know where that is:)  And holy crap!  Look at your calves!  Guess that's what happens when you walk so much and play soccer.  

Something really cool -  I started watching this show that Uncle Gregg told me about.  It's called America Unearthed on the History Channel. The guy on the show is a Forensic Geologist and each show is about geological findings (rocks, formations, etc) that prove that the history that we know of the U.S. isn't correct.  So last night's show was about several hebrew writings that were found in the U.S. that date back to before Christ until about 100 A.D.  One of them is a rock found in Ohio in a Native American burial area with hebrew writing on it that says "for the Judeans" which is the lost tribe of Judah (by the way is the lineage of Nephi and his family)… another is a huge mural of hebrew pictures and writings dated before Christ found in New Mexico.  There are a few others too.  Pretty amazing to watch and think… well that pretty much is proof of the book of Mormon.  I'm gonna try to record it and save it for you!

We are having our Superbowl party tonight.  Dad's making 100 wings:)  I'll let Dad report on the game.  I'm just watching the commercials. HAHA!  We are celebrating Erik and Kevin's birthdays too.  Wish you were here :'(  I'm sending you a few pics that we all took for you.

How are things with Elder Funes?  Are you both still on fire?  Thanks so much for sending your journal entries! I love reading about what you're doing and your insights on things.  It seems like there is quite a contrast between Elder Cano and Elder Funes!  I hope you have thought about what kind of missionary you will be after you leave Elder Funes.  Remember how you feel now.  You are obedient and hard working.  I hope that you will now be an obedient missionary no matter who your companion is.  Don't get lax with calling people, getting on FB during the week, waking up late.  You are a consecrated missionary that has left his personal life back at home to serve the Lord. Be the leader and don't pick and choose which rules you will be obedient to.  Just be obedient plain and simple.  Make up your mind now.  Elder Funes has shown you how you can be obedient, very hard working and fun at the same time.  

Think about this and answer this question for me.  What do you want all of your companions and converts to say about you when you go home?  With that in mind, determine how you will achieve that.  What you will do that would make them able to say those things about you.  I know you are a leader sweetie. You have learned this on your mission.  I know that Heavenly Father designed you specifically to be a powerful tool in His kingdom.  I am so proud that you are living up to the man he created you to be!  You are an amazing example to our family, your friends and all that know you!  

How about music… any chance you'll be able to play guitar?  I'd love for you to be able to share the gospel through music.  

I sent a package out on Friday.  I included an MP3 player.  I preloaded most of the music for you so you can send home the sd cards and I'll put new music on those and send them back.  I also loaded several conf. talks under "podcasts" which should be nice to have when you have a little time to listen.  There is some contact solution in there and a few other little things <3.

I love you fiercely!  I'm so very proud of you!  Often I get teary just thinking about what you are doing right now… and how much I miss and love you!  I hope you have an incredible week my wonderful son!  I love you infinity + infinity and even more than that! 

momma

p.s. Fin Konold is not coming back out on his mission.  Nothing you can do about it but I appreciate that you reached out to him.  Something he needs to figure out himself.  Any word about Elder Manning?

ps.s. In the pic with Gray and Erik we are comparing where G's hip comes to on Erik.  Grays hip comes to Erik's nipples.  HAHA!

January 19, 2014 from Sam

Another solid week.  We baptized Molly and Milagros Saturday and it all went great.  They are some super special people who without a doubt will be active for life.  Elder Funes also had permission to go back to his old area afterwards to baptize two people from his old area in zona central.  That area is so cool and its kind of like New York with all the people!  

We have also been working with Kevin who is a 14 year old cousin of Dany.  He has had a strong testimony for years but his mom hasn't ever given permission for him to be baptized and its been a long struggle in that family because she has very deep Catholic roots.  She began by not even talking to the missionaries or acknowledging them, to letting them in their home to be friends with Kevin, to interacting, to finally on Monday night, we had a family home evening with them.  We watched the Joseph Smith Restoration video and shared our testimonies with her.  Everyone was crying just because the spirit was so strong and Kevin is such a special kid.  He expressed his desire to be baptized in front of everyone.  His mom was just different.  She just had a totally different look in her eyes.  She said she was sorry for being so hard on Kevin and she just needed some time.  So this week we have two visits with her and Kevin believes that this Saturday he's gonna make a final effort and we all really have faith that it'll happen. Not only that she will give permission for Kevin but that she will begin to progress in this gospel.  On Monday night before we went over there I honestly had my doubts, but I read Ether 12:12 before we left, "For if there be no faith among the children of men, God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith."  Elder C and I had been struggling to get her to budge at all so I had my doubts, but reading that verse changed my outlook.  Elder Funes and I had faith and it was an incredible experience.  He finally had permission to just go to church this week and I know its only a matter of time before he's baptized!  

If we have faith in Christ, anything is possible.  Since the time of Christ's death, man has put so many restrictions on Him saying that miracles and prophets and visions are a thing of the past.  But I know that with faith, God can do whatever he wants to do.  I know that God loves His children living today just as much as his children before the time of Christ.  I know that He has called a prophet for us today to guide us in a time of much confusion and wickedness because He loves us and wants us to walk with Him.  I know that Joseph Smith, a 14 year old boy, saw God and Jesus Christ and restored His church on the Earth!  All because of faith.  I have faith and know that Christ lives.  Build your faith and let Him be your rock.  

Have a great week!

Elder Gurksnis

January 18, 2015 from Mom

Hello my sweet boy!  Happy P day!  I've thought about you so much this week!  Im excited to hear how things are going with Elder Funes and all about your baptisms on Saturday.  I kept praying throughout the morning on Saturday that the spirit would be strong at the baptism and that all would go well.

How cool that you got to go to the central zone this week!  A good change of scenery, I bet.  How was it different from where you are now?  Were the people different?  

We had a great week.  The kids are getting back to the routine of school.  I've started my routine of walking and working out.  We had 3 couples over for dinner on Friday night.  It is a ward activity, where they ask you to sign up if you're interested in hosting some couples at your house or if you just want to go to someone else's house.  Then on Monday, they call us to tell us who is coming to our house for dinner that Friday.  Everyone brings some part of the dinner and you get to have a nice night with people you might not always hang out with.  It was pretty fun and my food was, of course, delicious! Then on Saturday night Dad and I, Ama and Poppop, the waltons and the Tius all went to see "American Sniper."  Its a new movie that just came out and it is the first one I'm gonna buy to have for your "must see" list when you get home.  It is a true story about the sniper that the military says is the best they've ever had.  You might remember him… Chris Kyle.  There is a book out about his 4 tours of duty in Iraq.  Then after he got home from his last tour of duty, he was helping another veteran who was suffering with injuries.  He took him to a shooting range and the veteran shot and killed Chris Kyle.  It just happened in 2013 so maybe you remember that.  And it was in Texas because of course Chris Kyle is from Texas.  The movie was very hard to watch but truly incredible.  It broke a bunch of box office sale records and the liberals hate it.  Its hard to understand what fault they could find with an american hero like Chris Kyle, but they do…  Anyway.  Its on your must see list for when you get home:)  I'll just keep buying the dvds of the movies we add to that list:)

Abby went to the stake dance on Saturday and she actually had fun.  And… it has started!  She has two boys texting her from the dance.  Cutter Neilsen and Calvin Schofield.  She is on cloud nine and having so much fun.  If they weren't good boys I'd be more worried about it… but I guess it had to happen some time.  Your sister has got game.  And she gets her braces off in 2-3 months so she will only be cuter after that!  She is a sweet, good girl too.  You have been such a great example to her and she loves having a brother that is a missionary.  You would be so proud of her… and I know you are.

Gray had an awesome game on Friday. Scored 10 points with a dunk added in the mix!  He is one of the few that actually passed the new seminary mid term (mandatory that you pass it) the first time around.  He is also following your example and looks up to you so much.  As a mom, I look at my three kids and I feel like my heart could burst because I have so much love for you three.  I'm incredibly blessed by my Heavenly Father.  You three are my life's work and my true treasure.  Thank you for being such an amazing first born in our family.  It is such an important role that you don't ask for but it just falls on you because you set the tone for the other kids.  Your example and your life mean so much in our family.  You have not always been perfect (just like all of us) but you have shown your brother and sister how the atonement blesses our lives and how you can turn things around and do incredible things.  I love you so much my sweet son.  I'm so proud of you.  You are my hero!

Here is a message I got from Diana on last Monday night :I want to congratulate you for having a very special child. On Monday we had a family home evening and it was very special. They are teaching the nephew of my husband and sam gave his testimony and really feel the spirit . We all cried

You are doing such incredible things.  You have given 2 years of your life to the service of your Heavenly Father and Savior.  Can you think of any better way to spend those 2 years of time?  And, I think in the end, after all of the good you have done for others, you will find that the greatest investment has been in yourself and your future.  It will change the path of your life in all the best ways.  Never forget that my boy.  All of your friends that I see on Facebook / Instagram… all of them in college doing sororities and fraternities.  I'm sure it is fun.  But that fun will be here for you when you get home.  And in the meantime, you are doing something so important, so worthy, so valiant.  I'm so very proud and happy for you!  

I'm sending you a talk in your next package by Tad R. Callister called The Consecrated Missionary.  I want to share just a little of it with you.  

"What is a consecrated missionary?  It is a missionary who is willing to lay everything on the altar of sacrifice and to hold nothing back.  It is a willingness to give every ounce of energy, every conscious thought and every drop of passion to this work - to submit our will to God's will whatever it may be.  Every missionary who has been to the temple has covenanted to consecrate his all.  The book of Omni records the depth and breadth of that covenant. : Yea come unto me, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him (Omni 1:26)"

It makes me think of all you're doing.  I know how hard you are working.  I know what you have sacrificed.  I know the Lord knows too.  I have seen him bless you immensely during your time in Guatemala.  Keep working and striving my son.  I love you fiercely!!!!  And miss you like a dirty dog (in the words of G)!  Have an amazing week!!!! xoxoxoxoxox

Infinity + Infinity.

Mom