Ahhhhhhhhhh, You Bahhhhhhh! I sawwww you off at the MTCawww.
Well Babs, by now you are probably sitting in your new digs in the MTC. Hopefully you got there first and have first dibs on the closet space and bed of your choice. Hopefully you made it out of the big room in good time and with little amounts of tears like I’m sure isn’t going to happen for me. I’m such a Babby Booby sometimes. I thought I’d jot down a few thoughts since I won’t have the time at the MTC to say what’s on my mind. We have had some good talks lately and you already know most of my advice I have to give at least at this early point in your mission. Don’t worry, I will have plenty more to write you about on a regular basis. Actually, let me change that. Don’t think of it as advice at all. That’s not what I plan to send to you. Think of it as recommendations that you can take or leave any bits and pieces that you choose. I always liked to hear from people about mistakes they made, what successes they had, etc. and then glean the parts that I learned from and knew I could implement in my own work, methodology, and life. So that’s how I want you to read my letters. Don’t take everything I write as gospel. Some things that I experienced, you will not experience. Some things you will experience, I could never fathom. Dad hit it right on the head in his note in your open house book that you will experience your own mission for yourself and you don’t need to take advice from anyone. Follow the spirit and enjoy the ride. The journey of a mission is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will put you so far above your peers who don’t go on a mission. The Lord quickens you and gives you gifts and talents and skills that you could get nowhere else that will help you on your mission and well beyond in school and future careers.
Learn from every experience whether positive or negative. Learn from every person you encounter, whether positive or negative. Especially your companions and leaders. Heavenly Father puts your companions and leaders in place for a reason. Find that reason as soon as you can and begin feasting on whatever the benefit may be. You will doubt this right off with some companions because you may not get along with them as well as you do other companions. Elder Solomon, who I didn’t get along with while I was with him was no joy to be with. But we worked our butts off, and I baptized more with him than I did with any other companion and I was only with him for a month or two. It was a great bonding experience and we loved each other AFTER our companionship ended. We hugged every time we saw each other in zone conferences and what not. I still think back fondly on E. Solomon and I see how much I learned about patience, empathy, and charity during that short time I was with him. I learned more from that experience than I did with some of my best friends I served with. But there is something different for you to learn and grow from with each person you work with and encounter. If you have a testimony of that, you will jump right to looking for that gold nugget and benefit from it sooner than later. You will get along with people so much easier (which won’t be hard for you anyway) and you will love everyone you come in contact with and they will love you in return (which won’t be hard for you either). Keep up on your journal as I’ve counseled you so many times now. That book will become more valuable than any book you could ever buy once you fill it with memories, lessons learned, struggles, triumphs, blessings, etc. What a wonderful thing to look back on when you get to my age and realize how much you forgot. When you need to see how thin the veil really is again, when you need a boost spiritually, when you are down and out, whatever the situation may be. Just think how much better even when you get to be Dad’s age. Fill that puppy up. I would find that extremely entertaining to read when you get back if it’s not super private. Mom and Dad would value that experience more than anything too, more than me even. And just think what a treasure it will be to your kids and grand kids. The Nephites fought to the death and risked their lives from the time of Nephi on down to Moroni to protect and preserve their record. So keep copious notes no matter how dull you think your day went. Bust out the Parker pen and drop the details in there. Fill it up. There are plenty more to send out if needed.
While in the MTC, and well after, share your testimony with everyone on a regular basis. The more you share your testimony, you may feel like it will get tired, but it strengthens with every time you share it. You will build your own and you will build others. Never disregard a prompting. Follow the spirit with every prompting you get. Live so that you are worthy of that prompting. You may save someone from going home from their mission like me just for following a silly prompting that you have no idea why you are getting or what you will say or do. The more you do this, the more the spirit comes in full force. Soon you will rely on the Holy Ghost so much that you just open your mouth and let the spirit teach the discussions. I actually felt stupid when I got home because I would get so tongue tied and I felt lost so frequently because I didn’t have that spirit in such abundance anymore it was like my compass was broken. It took a lot of adjustment to get back to the non-missionary life. It will take a lot of adjustment to get into it too, but what a cool tool to have.
You will hear the phrase lose yourself in the work a lot. That may not mean as much to you until later on. You will have homesickness. You will think about Chicks, hunting, shooting, fishing, camping, Xbox, Chicks, hanging with your buddies, Music, your iPod, watching movies, Smallville, Chicks, your little niece and nephew and whatever this 3rd one is growing up while you are gone, etc. But the more you lose and envelope yourself in finding people you can share the truth of the restored gospel with, the more those memories fade and your every thought and prayer becomes how can we progress so and so toward baptism. How can we find more receptive people in this area. How can we get so and so to stop smoking so he can commit to be baptized. Then you truly share the same worries as the Lord and yoke yourself with him in the true work and stop worrying about the trivial things that are so meaningless in this life. Strive for that right off the bat and it will make the bite of homesickness sting that much less and the other things become so much less of a distraction.
Mike, you are a natural born leader. I have seen that, Mom and Dad have seen it, your leaders have seen it. In fact, you have been groomed from early on with the leaders you have had and the friends you have kept and the life you have lived. Heavenly Father has so many great things in store for you and so many great things in store for those you will impact. You have the capacity to touch so many lives like all of the people you will influence to receive His message by the light in your eyes and warm personality. Not to mention the missionaries you will lead and provide an example of hard work and dedication to the work. Slackers come and go and they are not bad people for it. They are still out there putting in some leg work and doing good. But leaders with an unshakable testimony and devotion to the Lord and His work are rare and the most valuable asset the Lord could have on the earth. You carry the same title that the general authorities have. Don’t ever underestimate what you can and will do on your mission. You will achieve greatness on your mission and it will stay with you for the rest of your life if you hold true to the principles you are out there to teach.
I have told you this before, but you have already progressed way beyond where I was at your age spiritually and edumacationally. You have a sense of who you are, where you are going, how you can influence people for the right, and the importance of what you face ahead of you. Yet you hold yourself in a humble regard and that allows you to continue to grow at this exponential rate that you do. Stay humble and achieve the greatness Heavenly Father has in store for you. I am so proud of you and who you have become. We have always had a big age gap, but I’m so grateful that over the last few years we have become so much more than brothers. We have become like best friends and I cherish that relationship. I will miss you like CRAZY. But I have looked forward to this day for years. I have been so excited for you to go on your mission and have these amazing experiences that you can come back and share with all of us. I can’t wait for the war stories when we all sit around and laugh and cry together over the good times and the bad and think about just how great sharing the gospel is. Thank you for your example you give to me and all of our family. Brinlee said just today that she was going to go on a “missin” when she turns 5. So she is already taking about going on a mission when she gets older. She adores you and so do we. Our prayers will be with you always.
I’d use the old Cliché make us proud, but you already have. I love you Mike.
Trav
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