8/03/08

Hey Elder,

I was talking to Shawn Challis in our Fantasy football league, and my longest roommate on my mission and this was our conversation on messenger:

Challis: Did I tell you that I met a missionary from his mission. My brother in-laws had a brother-in-law that just came home last month. He came here to ATL for his nephews baptism before going home.

Travis: so I guess we'll set a date and try for a live draft when we think most everyone can come. If you out of towners can't make it, then we'll get you all on a conference call where you can have your own lappers set up there and follow along. it seemed to work pretty well with Kyle

- oh really? did you ask if they knew E. Alexander?

Challis: he said he knew your bro. it was kind of a cool connection, but then i told him i only knew him through fantasy football.

Travis: what was his name?

Challis: Elder Stream, not sure of his first name but i think it is Steve.

from Huntington UT.

Travis: I'll have to tell Mike about that

So do you know Steve Stream?

Small world!

What do you know? It’s your last letter from me as a missionary. That seems really weird, eh? The two years has gone really fast for me. What about for you? Probably too fast for you. I would ask you what some of the highlights were and what you learned most or gained most from your mission, but I’d like to hear it all in person later on this week. But keep that in the back of your mind and get ready to give us a full report. I think that Friday will be awesome gathering as a family and bonding with a spiritual theme and feeling all day. Not that we are heathens, but we don’t have the level of spirituality that you have had for the last two years and it will greatly edify us all and I really look forward to it.

That really is something you will have to keep in mind as you return… As much as I’d like you to look forward to everything, and you should, but it will be in most cases… disappointing. It’s awesome to see your family and friends again, but it’s a different world. A different setting. You have the mantle and stewardship removed from you, you no longer have a companion that increases that level of spirituality, and it can be a lonely and disappointing feeling for a while. I remember feeling the lack of urgency. I always felt it for the two years and all the sudden there was no need for urgency and it was weird. One of the main things I remember too was how slow everyone walked and did things. That might be a NYC thing because life is in fast forward there in the hustle and bustle of the big city, but I was frustrated by how slow everyone got dressed, walked, drove, did things in general. Not sure how you will feel about that. But the bright side to all of this, is you have so much to share as you get back that will not only edify all of us as your family, but you have your report to the Stake which will invigorate them to hear your testimony and accounts of your mission. You have your home coming which will edify the ward members, extended family, and friends who attend that. You will have a powerful testimony to share with everyone around you which was built up and put in your for a reason. One of two reasons you are given a testimony, to build your own faith and to share with others to help build theirs as well. So your challenges will be to 1^st, not let the disappointment get to you. It is a natural progression to go from mission – being on the Lord’s errand – serving your fellow man in a way that only those two years provides; to coming home and having a lack of direction, urgency, and structure. I think that there are so many opportunities waiting for you when you get home though, that you won’t have time to get lazy or idle. There are plenty of things people are waiting to put you to work on when you get home which will occupy your time, so being idle won’t be a real problem for you. But that is one of the dangers of some returned missionaries is that they come home and just want to chill forever and not get into school, work, or callings and they stagnate quickly and the adversary gets a hold of them quickly in those lonely, idle moments. So keep yourself busy. Your mission president will have some great advice to give you on that and may have already given it to you in your final interview. I can’t wait to hear your recap of that as you mentioned in your last letter that you would share that in person.

I don’t want to bum you out or make re-entry sound really crappy, it’s not. But the more prepared you are for a little bit of disappointment, the better off you will be. If you go to a lame movie already knowing that it’s pretty lame, you won’t be disappointed. But if you go to a summer blockbuster that all the critics raved about and it turns out lame, you are very disappointed. So I’m just trying to give you a heads up on certain feelings that you may experience. Every missionary is different during re-entry though. Some handle it well and some don’t. My friend Matt Ashton I don’t think did very well with his re-entry. I think I was midland. I had a hard time adjusting for about the first week maybe two. But Mike Sims put me right to work at the Church Office Building and it was good to have a job to focus on getting to every morning and start saving for school. It turned out to not be quite enough to occupy my time since I was used to working from sun up to sun down and beyond, so I took that second job and earned twice as much money until school started and then I quit the lower paying job to attend school. So I was busy with work, school, social aspects as much as possible with friends, chicks, etc. I got involved with the Institute at the college as the Sports and activities chairperson on the institute council and that opened up a whole new avenue for socializing and chicks. That’s how I met the girl I was dating before Suzanne (which happened to be her neighbor across the street ironically enough, ha ha. But then after that ended, I hooked up with Suzanne because I had to have a date and I had no prospects. But as council members we had to attend every dance, activity, etc. so with no prospects and a dance in two days, I had to go to the black book and called up Suzanne who I thought wanted nothing to do with me. I think you know that whole story of how our relationship started, ended, then when the courting began afterward. So that’s your second challenge: to keep yourself as busy as possible, don’t get idle and lazy, and keep yourself as social as possible with as many people as possible.

Your 3^rd challenge and then I’ll shut up with the challenges, is to keep up with your study of doctrines and scriptures and keep after your level of spirituality as much as you possibly can. You will think that will be an easy thing out there. I swore to myself right before I came home that I would never have a problem with that, but it’s never as easy as you think it will be as you are out there in the field. They don’t call it enduring to the end for nothing. Just put this challenge in the back of your mind, let it stick in your craw, and hopefully you disagree with me and think you won’t have any problem with this. Because it will last and stay with you the more you disagree. I want this to be the main challenge you work on, because the more you can stick with this challenge, the easier the other challenges will come. It’s the adversary that wants you to think it’s a cake walk to keep up the levels of righteousness, testimony, spirituality, activity, etc. as you have now. The more someone thinks I am just fine, I won’t ever have a lack in any of these areas; the more they are being led carefully, slowly, and surely down to hell. It’s that level of pride that someone takes when they are still on a spiritual high that can say “my testimony can never be shaken, I’m still in a close relationship with my savior, so I guess I can go ahead and work this Sunday since the boss really needs me. Being away from church one time isn’t going to effect my spirituality. And you now what? It’s not… too much. But the adversary is good. That is just one little link in his many chains. You won’t even feel the weight of it as you carry it for a little while. But that rationalization becomes one more and soon the two are linked together. You still don’t feel the weight of it as you carry them both, but he’s careful, he’s strategic, he’s patient, and he’s smart. Don’t ever underestimate that power, and I know you don’t. these are just reminders to sit in the back of your mind. I know so many good missionaries that fell away that it makes me sick to think about it. I know that this won’t happen to you, because I won’t ever let that happen, your FAMILY won’t ever let that happen, and you won’t ever let that happen, but as a precaution, I’m putting it in the back of your mind because that is a prideful statement in and of itself and I DON’T underestimate the adversary, EVER. So the working on Sunday thing is just one example. That in and of itself won’t hurt you a ton, but just be careful of every little thing. That was just one I pulled from a hat as a little point to put out there. That’s all.

You know, this stuff is heavy and I don’t want to go there. Let’s make the rest of this letter light and bright. I hope you get into a bunch of good books when you get back. I have a full library that you can borrow from, so come check something out anytime. Dad has a full library of good books and so does Grandpa. So use those resources and read as many good books as you can. Keep yourself active and physically fit too. Do as I say and not as I do on this one,MmmmmmKay? I can’t wait to play some tennis with you. I haven’t played a single match since you left. That was the last I played tennis was with you. My racquets have been in my truck this whole time too. That’s probably not that good for them. I should have probably taken them out after you left. I guess I just held out hope that I would use them sometime and I’d have them ready. I can’t wait to get ready for the Turkey bowl and have you “whip me into shape” as you put it. That will be a blast as always. I can’t wait to kick off the fantasy football season soon after you are back. We are just waiting as a league to set a draft date a week or two after you get home to go to John’s work and draft live as a league. This is an awesome event. You will like the draft live as opposed to the computer doing it. It’s so much more fun and interactive. I just secured your spot yesterday. You already have players and a full team, but they are yours to do what you want with them. You can drop them all and start from scratch if you want and the way I run this draft, it won’t hurt you at all. You will see how it works. I can’t wait to play a little halo with you again. You will still beat me. I haven’t hardly played in nearly two years. I played some with Austin for a while after you left and at that point I would have whooped up on you. But have since gone rusty on that again and we are even if not you still having the edge. So I won’t talk any smack about that. Actually, I just can’t wait to hang out with you in general. I could list all of the activities I look forward to, but it would take another 10 pages. Fishing, Hunting, shooting, you name it. I just look forward to our talks, time to hang out, bonding in general. Awesome!!

We are all getting together as a family today for Gramps Birthday which was yesterday and going to eat at Mimi’s Café. That will be fun. That will be the last family get together we have without you. That’s a cool thought.

Even though this is the last letter, it wouldn’t be complete without a quote or two of the week, don’t you think?

Genesis 31:3 - And the Lord said unto Jacob (Elder Alexander), ^aReturn unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and ^bI will be with thee. Don’t worry Mike. Even though it may not feel as if you are as close as you are now with the Lord, once you are home, He never forgets you. He never forgets the service you rendered so diligently for Him and those you served. Strive to keep him close at all times.

“May we be faithful in all of our labors, having the motto indelibly stamped upon our hearts, ‘The kingdom of God or nothing.” -Lorenzo Snow

Keep this motto stamped in your heart. It’s not just missionaries who can keep this motto in their hearts. Whatever your labors are, whatever your calling, whatever your situation in life, if you have this motto, your priorities will always be kept straight.

Good luck in your last week. Say your goodbyes and enjoy that. Give your parting testimony to everyone and enjoy that. Give your companion and your former companions a hug and especially your Mission President and thank them for the growth and wisdom that they helped you gain. But most important, get on your knees everyday from now on and thank your heavenly father for the blessings you have received daily for the last two years. Thank them for the opportunity you had to serve the Lord in this capacity. Then get off your knees and go out there and work your can off the rest of the week. I’m not going to end this letter any different from any other just because it’s your last week. All the more reason to work your keester off and show the Lord your gratitude. As you realized early in your mission, you can never pay Him back for the blessings. You will just have more heaped on you for your hard work, but you can show your gratitude by putting in your best 110% effort. So hit it hard and leave it all in the field. Focus on that which is most important and then you will have plenty of time to focus on us starting on Friday.

I will see you in less than a week when I’ll slap a big hug on you.

Love you. See you soon.

Trav