Christmas Miracles

12.27.10
Palatka, FL

Dear Family and Friends~

Today my time is very short and so I have somewhat of a message written for you...But first, Skype was the best part of my Christmas day. It certainly was overwhelming seeing everyone and I think I felt a little dizzy at times. But, the greatest gift of Christmas was "seeing" my family and speaking with them. If I weren't to have received anything for Christmas, I would be 100 percent satisfied being able to talk with and see my family. Everything else was bonus! I was amazed to see how much everyone had grown. Surprisingly a lot of change can happen in little over a year! But I loved seeing everyone and seeing especially how old everyone seems to be getting. We have a beautiful family, that is for sure. I think a big reason for it is because we love each other so much. Pure love is a beautiful thing.

We had a great time with [the Tilton family]. Despite being away from home, they made our Christmas very close to home. Later that night, I did end up making German pancakes and I also made them some mapeline syrup (they had never tried it before). We made the pancakes in a glass pan and so it didn't rise quite as high as they sometimes get, but they turned out perfectly. Everyone who had some loved it. So I was happy! Funny though, I really didn't do a whole lot of work. I mostly read to them the ingredients and they prepared it. Teamwork is good. :) Sandy, Olivia, and Stephanie basically did all the work for me. Elder Lucas stayed in the kitchen with me and watched everything as it was prepared. I think he wanted to help, but there wasn't anything for him to do, unfortunately. I let them borrow the cookbook you made me and they are going to take some time to write down all their favorite recipes and then give it back to me when they are done. I had a lot of fun being able to make them something good. I think later on in the week, seeing as how I bought all the ingredients, I will make them a skor bar cake. Fun stuff! Later that night, after the German pancakes, we played Uno, but the catch was, there was only one winner and everyone else who lost got to enjoy some delicious "Every-Flavor Jelly Bellies'! That was great! The worst I got was the moldy cheese jelly bean, and it was so gross! I'll have to tell you more about it another time, but let's just say we had a lot of fun!

Christmas Eve was spent at the Strickland's home. We had a great time being able to share a meal with them and then to hear all of their Christmas traditions and stories. I was the only one to wear my Christmas pajamas over there, but the other Elders wore shorts and sweats. I felt to keep the tradition alive... and I shared with them our family tradition of the Christmas Eve pajamas and the letters to Santa Claus and they seemed to think that was pretty fun. They were very kind to us to have us over, but they went even further and made sure to get each of us a couple presents and a week's worth of food and snacks. I couldn't believe it when I saw it, but I was so grateful for their thoughtfulness. They, every week without fail, invite us over for dinner, and are always doing everything they can to be there for us and to serve us. They have a neat family and I enjoy being around them. Perhaps I'll have to make them a skor bar cake as well. :)

At [another member's] family home we spent the time eating and hanging out. They don't have much, but what they do have, they offer freely. They have been members of the Church for little over a year and they truly seem to enjoy being members. they both admit to having a lot to learn, but they don't let it stop them in their pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, [the mom] found out earlier this month that she may only have a few years to live [because of a complication from a previous surgery]. She is doing all she can to maintain a positive attitude and we make sure to stop by as frequently as possible to help keep the spirits up within their home. Despite their difficult circumstances and trying times they have received the blessing of many miracles this December. Elder Lucas and I, at the beginning of the month, gave [the mom] a blessing and promised her that she would be provided for in all things this Christmas. I don't know how it all worked out, but Heavenly Father confirmed the blessing several times over as miracle after miracle flooded that family. Their lights were about to be shut off because the bills weren't paid and as they were walking back from the tax place a lady stopped by and picked them up and gave them a ride back to their home. As they rode together the woman found out that she and [the mom] shared similar health problems, and as a result decided that she would support their family this Christmas. She dropped them off at home, then went to the electric company and paid off their bill. On top of that she went out and bought gifts for all of their family. At one point they were about to be evicted (the father is on disability and relies heavily on that payment as well as social security for funding...he does lawn care service for a living, but it doesn't provide much) because they couldn't afford the bill and the Church stepped in and footed the bill for them. [The mom] couldn't afford her expensive medication and so the doctor taking care of her made it possible for her to get it for free. On Christmas day a man and his wife showed up at their door and said to them that after much praying, they decided this Christmas that they were going to give someone a Merry Christmas by going out and buying them many gifts they wouldn't otherwise have. They prayed about which family they should go to, flipped open the address book, and it so happened that the Lord wanted them to go to the this home. They drove past the first time and saw the Christmas lights in their window and figured they must have picked the wrong family. So they returned home and prayed again, and sure enough, they landed on this family's residence again. After searching their family out a bit, they discovered what each of them would need for Christmas and went out and got it for them. Mind you, this family lives all the way across the river, so they absolutely did not know each other beforehand. I was amazed to be able to witness so many miracles in their family, and to be honest, that was also one of my favorite Christmas presents: being able to be a small part of the many miracles they had!

I am out of time, and I guess I will just have to share my journal thoughts next week. Thank you Mom and Dad. I love you both and am grateful for all that you do for me. Please tell Aaron, Billy, and Kendall that I love them too. Then tell the rest of the family that I love them. Also, tell Gramps that I'm going to take his funny business seriously. :) He'll get it.

I love you and I'll talk to you next week!

Love~

Austin

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Palatka, FL

Dear Home~

Sometimes I have to wonder at the addressing of the family I make at the beginning of all my emails: "Dear Family", "Dear Home", "Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family and Friends"--whatever, I guess I feel it necessary to make sure everyone knows that I'm thinking about them, otherwise I feel like I'm leaving my loved ones out.

Not a lot has changed since last week, except for the necessary abolishing of milk from my diet. I am sad to lose milk, especially since I've always loved cereal, glasses of milk with just about anything, and so on down the line... I also wonder what that might mean about things that are dairy products, like ice cream? It is somewhat disheartening to think about because I love ice cream. But hey, every once in a while will never hurt, and even at that, it is a good thing to maintain a healthy diet. I thought about it earlier: I wonder if those with allergies are more prone to sickness than those without? It made sense to me. I think if I remove the allergens (or in my mind impurities) from my body through maintaining a healthy/allergy free diet, my immune system will be strengthened and I will get sick less often and possibly have more energy than ever before. To me, it seems like a significant alternative. If all I have to give up are the things that harm me so that I can be free from bad health, then I am happy to be healthy--the other things I can leave alone, I am sure if you really wanted to think about what I just said, you could take it to a deeper and more spiritual level, but I will leave that to you to find out. :)

To be brief, on Christmas Eve we will be over at the Strickland's celebrating the night before [Christmas] with their family. Christmas day we will be at the Tilton's--mind you, once again, there are many Tilton's in our ward... this is the family with five children. They've asked us to come over nice and early so we could have breakfast with them and also open presents! Fun!! So yes, the members are more than taking care of us, they are making Christmas as close to home as they possibly can...and they do a great job!

The mission Christmas conference was a lot of fun. We all enjoyed it. It did last literally the entire day, but it was well worth the time. I also appreciated the surprise letter. Thank you and I love you too. :) I have the Christmas packages and they are awaiting Christmas day to be opened. I gave Elder Lucas his present and he seemed excited for more gifts! He says to tell you thanks. :)

School...I'm not sure what I think yet. Ugh... why is this such a difficult choice, I don't know, but it is. I know what I want to do, and that is to not start the second I get home, but whether or not that is the best thing, I still haven't decided. I guess we'll have to discuss it more Saturday! :)

I think the only black mold I have seen so far is the black mold in the shower and on the shower curtain. I will be removing the mold TODAY! And the shower curtain. Gross... mess has finally found its way into disgusting and frustrating profile in my mental storage department of useful and useless information. Of course, I haven't perfected the system yet, so there are still many useless things that need removing, but I'm sure I'll figure out the correct algorithm and have them discarded as soon as possible. :) And the cockroaches here, for the most part, seem to be fairly small. The biggest I've seen has been about the size of an almond. Either way, it is still gross, disgusting, and frustrating.

Anyhow, my time is past being out. I love each of you and can't wait to call home on Saturday! :)

Merry Christmas!

Love Always~

Austin

Things are looking up in Palatka

Dear Family & Friends~

First things first...President Barry is cutting down on our time for emails, so my emails are going to be shorter from here on out. Secondly, our phone calls home--no longer than 40 minutes is what we've been told.

When it comes to emails, we have been asked only to write to our immediate family and no one else. For me, that is a tough one because I do get a lot of emails and I enjoy being able to write back so long as time allows, but now things are different. When it comes to letters, however, I am sure that I can write home to just about anybody, but not email.

Elder Murray is now a Zone Leader and Elder Preator is now a District Leader (now serving where Elder Murray left).

Last Tuesday I had the opportunity of interviewing someone for baptism. Her name is Elizabeth. She was baptized on Friday last week and confirmed on Sunday. The interview itself went well, but who am I kidding, interviewing someone for baptism is definitely a different experience. This week I will be doing another interview!

Elder Lucas and I have helped one of our investigators to set a baptismal date, so on the 26th of this month Kerry will be getting baptized. He even went so far as to call his friend (who recently went and took out his endowments: recent convert of a few years) and asked him to baptize him. It is great to be able to teach him and to help him progress in the gospel... He is probably in his late 50's or early to mid 60's. He had a stroke several years back, so he has difficulty walking and functioning normally, however he is very resilient and is unwilling to quit on himself. It is exciting to teach him and I can't wait for his baptism. It will be a great day for him!

...tell everyone that I love them and that I hope they are doing well. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and can't wait to call home in the coming week and a half. The work is speeding up in Palatka and we are finding more work to do than before. We are building up the trust of the ward surely but slowly. Great news however, our bishop wants us over to have dinner with him and his family next Monday. We have also had a few of the members come to us wanting for us to come to their homes to work with their less-active or part-member families. So we must be doing some things right!

Take care everyone.

I love you all.

Love~

Austin

ps. I am also allergic to wheat

pps. I do believe that we have black mold. Funny thing is, every single apartment I have been in we have spent time remodeling and cleaning the entire mess that other missionaries leave it in. Ugh...the apartments can be so disgusting sometimes that I'm afraid to walk on the carpet. This apartment is infested with cockroaches as well (but I'm not allergic to them thank goodness!). This must be paybacks for all the messes I have made growing up. Now I understand the frustration of MESS and failure to clean up after oneself!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Allergies, Ingrown Toenails, and Warts...Oh My!!!

Palatka, FL

Dear Family and Friends~

Well, I guess it has been a fun past few weeks! Who knows, I probably am allergic to Palatka. The doctor prescribed me Singulair to help me deal with Palatka and its air pollution/pollen/whatever else it is problem. Surprisingly, I am allergic to both cats and dogs. I am allergic to milk, peanuts, all sorts of different grasses, a couple different types of mold, and even egg whites! None of the allergies are nearly life threatening, however, all of them are somewhat of a nuisance; more especially the grasses. It explains a lot, though. I remember doing conditioning for football and baseball out in the fields, and I swear, I would run out of breath faster than anyone else! And I knew I was in the best shape!! That always drove me insane, so I would run harder so I could push through it, but of course, that didn't ever help--well, I got in better shape...but I still couldn't breathe! I thought maybe it was asthma, but I never wanted to believe that, mostly because I never wheezed. Unfortunately, out here, on occasion I will hear myself wheeze, but I'm quite sure it has nothing to do with asthma, rather it is probably allergies. Go figure. The doctor gave me a prescription for Albuterol, but I don't really want to fill it because I really don't think I have asthma--Sister Barry said I should anyways...but I don't know...

Ingrown toenails...I can't say they have been too enjoyable, but I will say that I am fairly certain I have had these ingrown toenails since before my mission. I know that I've dealt with them as I played football, but I never did anything about them....but when all was said and done, the operation itself was relatively painless and the shots taken to the left big toe weren't nearly as painful as I thought they would be. One of the doctors (i.e. one of the students watching) commented that I was taking the shots very well, better than he had seen in any other "victims"... I have a couple others that I may have to get removed. Yes, you heard right, a couple. Luckily, there was only a wart on my left foot...and it was attacked with some type of acid and all I have to do is watch over it with wart (chap)stick and it should go away. The piece of glass [in my foot] was easily removed. It was so small I was amazed that it was causing that much discomfort...

Before I continue, I keep forgetting, but will you please tell the Rowberry's thank you for the Christmas package. Also, the Relief Society sent me a package as well, so will you please announce to them my gratitude for their thoughtful gift and tell them I am grateful to have heard from them. And finally, tell the youth and the youth leaders of the ward thank you for sending me letters and treats.

On another note, I am grateful you were able to talk with Sister Barry. I love both President and Sister Barry. Both of them are so loving and thoughtful and they are a great example to me as to what person I would like to become. They see us for who we are and what we can become and they don't judge us if we're not there yet, rather encourage and inspire through loving words and a loving example. They both said in a recent mission-wide conference they consider each of us their children and I told them in a letter to President Barry that I was honored to be considered such. Over the past few weeks I've been able to talk with Sister Barry quite a few times, mostly because of my sickness and injuries, and she has been so helpful. She always wants to know what more she can do to help and never fails to follow through. President Barry is the same way. They weren't sent here to judge us, but they were sent here to love us and to love the people and to help all of us become better. I trust them both and I love them both so much. It will be sad to leave when it is time to come home because I will have enjoyed being able to serve with them a little over the last half of my mission, but I won't ever forget them. Hopefully I'll always be able to keep in contact with them.

Transfers are in, Elder Lucas and I are staying together and so are most of the elders in the district. Elder Preator is leaving and is becoming a District Leader and Elder Johnson is going somewhere else as well. But that is all. Elder Murray is leaving Mandarin and might be moved from District Leader to Zone Leader, so that would be really neat! Other than that, our zone and district is pretty much the same.

Missionary work is progressing in a better direction than before. Elder Lucas and I are finally to the point where the ward semi-trusts us. Of course there are a few who always support the missionaries...however, there is still quite a bit of mending to be done. We're working on it though, and in the end, it is all going to work out. I love serving the people here and although I'm still working on getting to know each of them, I feel like I'm developing good relationships with many of them. Hopefully before I leave the area things will be worked out. At this moment we have a few people we are somewhat teaching--more or less we're taking it nice and easy with them. We are spending a lot of time getting to know them and showing them we care so we can earn their trust and teach them at their own pace. It is a little difficult because often it is nice to have instant results, but that...we are not getting, and sometimes I get frustrated. I think my frustrations lie more in this department, however: who is going to be disappointed with me because I don't have many people to teach and those I am teaching are moving slowly? Fear and doubt--great friends. Right?! The fear of disappointing others always seems to find its way creeping up underneath my skin. I continually have to remind myself to "blast down" the negative, like Uncle Mike told me. This scripture has frequented my mind so often lately that I am surprised that I still fall in the trap as many times as I do:

"Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against Him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve Him, is inspired of God." -Moroni 7:12-13

So it comes down to figure out which voice it is that is talking to me, and then to act on the one that is inviting me to do good, and the one that tells me loving things, rather than the negative and accusing voice that loves to jump in and wreak havoc inside my mind. I guess the solution is this: work hard, be happy, love everyone, and all things will work out in due time. :)

Before I go, I want each of you to know that I love you and that I am grateful to be a part of our family. I hope all of you have a wonderful week. Tell Dad to enjoy his business vacation to China for me. :)

Love~

Austin

Experience

Palatka, FL

Dear Family~

Thanksgiving went very well. We spent our time with the Tilton and Filipi families on Thanksgiving day. The Tilton family makes up a large portion of both the wards here in Palatka...they are a wonderful family. We were able to spend lots of time getting to know them and their family last week, which was much fun. They live on some farmland off of Cracker Swamp Road (where the street name came from I'll never know!) in East Palatka. The house is under some construction and remodeling, but it was perfectly well enough to hold twenty or more relatives + missionaries. Mind you, only part of the Tilton family showed up, and so there are much more of them here in Palatka. Their family has lived here in this part of Florida for several generations--even before the Revolutionary War, I believe. They are great people and we had a good time hanging out with them. They fed us tons of food and had me give a spiritual thought in front of the whole family before the feast. It went pretty well, but I hadn't had anything to eat the entire day so I was up on the top steps speaking down, completely flushed and shaking, doing all I could to share some thoughts about gratitude and to bear my testimony of thankfulness. I made it out alive, but I wanted to fall over when I was done. Luckily, I was able to get my fill of food and it all worked out. I thought it was neat that Brother Tilton asked me to share a thought and even though I was hungry I was happy to share some things I've learned.

The Filipi family is quite a bit smaller. The dad is from Albania, the mom and her mother are from Chile, and their daughter was born in the states. They are great people and we love going over there to visit with them. They are always very friendly and welcoming. Each time we have gone over there they have made sure to feed us and to take care of us in any way that they can.

Elder McFarland and I went on a trade-off this past week as well and it was great being able to be his companion for a day once again. We were able to accomplish many things and to get ourselves more positively aligned with the way missionary work is supposed to be done: through service and love. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another," and that is our motto. He was able to go and visit some people in the area which he hadn't seen for a long time (he served here before he was my companion), and was excited to be "home", in the smallest degree of the word. It was good to spend the night being able to talk with him about all the things on my mind, especially since we already had somewhat of a background together, and it was also cool to see how both of us have grown since last January. Weird stuff, let me tell you! He'll be going home in May and he has the strongest feeling that the area he is in will be his last area--Julington Creek. It is a very rich area and the people are way different than the country folk out here in Palatka and up in Georgia. He has been a great help to me as I have served as a District Leader this last transfer and has done a good job of taking some of the burden off of my shoulders so that I can get a better understanding of what it is I am supposed to be doing.

As a District Leader, I love being able to work with other missionaries and to serve with them. As I felt before I left on my mission, that the purpose of my being sent on a mission was in a great deal to serve the missionaries I served with--namely my companions--however, now I have almost ten companions! I am grateful to be able to see how each of them serve the Lord because their example helps me to be a better missionary. As I serve them, they are really serving me. So it is great to be a leader! It is hard and it is trying, but I love to serve others and to work with others, so either way, I win. My communication skills are growing rapidly and I am becoming more effective at helping others to understand truth as it is written and spoken by the mouths of the prophets. Effective communication, from my perspective, is all about being able to relate with others--and being able to relate with others is all about sharing common experiences. No wonder Grandpa MacKay always brags about all of the experience that he has over us. ;) I can just visualize the chart that he draws with the line extending from life at birth all the way to death...myself closer to the beginning, his closer to the ending...and then the famous question and answer: what do you think is the difference between us? You got it, EXPERIENCE! And though you may be better lookin' than me, I'll always have more experience than you will!! :) He's right though, experience is important--especially the more and more I think about it. But you can ask Gramps, he can explain it better than I can [cause he's got more experience].

Do I think Elder Lucas and I will stay together another transfer...hmmm...I really do not know. It seems very likely, but then again, he has been here for quite a bit of time. If I were to place my best guess, however, I would say that he will stay. In fact, I think most everyone in our district will stay, aside from Elder Preator and Elder Johnson. They've been in their areas the longest so it is most likely that they will leave and another will replace them. Elder Lucas, because he hasn't been on his mission quite as long, and also the fact that President Barry is planning on keeping missionaries in their areas longer, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if he stayed. I would be more shocked if he left than if he stayed.

About positive attitudes--I put it down as my goal to go each day and to wake up each morning, no matter how tired I am, with a positive attitude. So far, it has made a major difference in everything I do. I have more energy, I am happier, and the negative things that happen don't matter as much to me--everything is a blessing. After all, did we not come to earth to gain experience? So all experiences, good or bad, are blessings. :) I have stopped praying for knowledge, rather I have started praying for experiences so that I can understand the knowledge, so that I can bless others with my relating experiences. So far, I think it is working. People tend to understand what I am saying more clearly than ever before, but I'm still working on it--teaching doctrine for application is a little more difficult than stating truth. Either way, all is well.

Tell Aunt Val, Brittney, Macey, Noel, and Emma Happy Birthday for me! Tell Uncle Mike and Aunt Jenni congratulations preparing to have my next girl cousin! Tell Aunt Rachel thanks for her email and for the neat poems (which I am going to print out so I can study them a little further)! Tell Uncle Glen and Aunt Trisha thank you for the weekly email (which video I thought was hysterical haha)! Just tell everyone I love them and miss them and hope they had a great Thanksgiving. :)

Anyhow, I think I am all out of things to say at this moment. So, I want each of you to know that I love you and look forward to hearing from you soon. Christmas is right around the corner, so it won't be long until we get to speak (audibly to each other) again! Take care everyone!

Love~

Austin

Don't Worry...Be Happy

Palatka, FL

Dear Family at Home~

I am glad to hear everything is going well back home. I've discovered some interesting things about myself as I have scanned over some of my emails at about this same time last year...I was a lot more positive and motivating in the words I wrote. Time to change :) Time to be more positive and grateful for all that I have. I am in awe that it is so easy to slip into sadness and misery, and the adversary is so brilliant at helping us to quietly fall into his deep despair. Reviewing the past few weeks, perhaps months, I can see where he has tried to take advantage of me and twist my thoughts and perceptions and lead them down a path that only leads to unhappiness. Life is so much greater when we are upbeat!! Ugh... Seriously. There is absolutely no point in allowing myself to be sad, unless of course I want to allow myself to slide down a slippery slope to nowhere land. Maybe the darkest abyss sounds like a fun plan, but I don't know how I feel about it. I think I'd rather be on top of the mountain rather than at the bottom, or inside, or even below the mountain. Wow!! It is funny, we get to choose whether or not we are going to be happy! Isn't that so peculiar? WE GET TO DECIDE!!! Why not then choose to be happy? Who is stopping us? Probably ourselves. Actually, it is ourselves. How odd it is then, that we choose to allow ourselves to be unhappy.

Missionary work in the Palatka area is moving rather slowly, however, I think that I am going to put Elder Lucas and I to a much more rigorous and exciting finding program. I'm sure there are plenty of people here who would love to listen to us and to hear our message--we just need to go and find them. For a time I found myself beginning to think and to care about what others perceived of me, and because of unhappiness I didn't want to risk speaking with them. But now, I don't care. It really doesn't matter how I feel, what matters is that I'm out working hard each and every day despite each and every pain or problem I have! Injuries, sicknesses, annoyances, etc... they come and go--but if my attitude is always positive and my heart is always strong and willing to press forward, those minor things won't matter so much anymore. To "act" is much better than to be "acted upon". And to "act" out of love brings the greatest rewards. So don't be surprised when over the next few weeks you start hearing that the work in Palatka is no longer slow, but speeding up and moving and progressing forward! It is all in the attitude. :)

I did receive the clothes that you sent me and the package you sent me the other day. The clothes all fit perfectly! ...I also have some more good news, recently I have been receiving several new suits from missionaries who have gone home or otherwise aren't going to wear these certain suits any longer. I guess some of them came from the DI, but they are still very nice quality. I know that a couple of them definitely were not from the DI, however. Most of them are brown, but they vary in pattern and tone. One of them is blue, which is a nice change. The cool thing about all of these different suits is that they all fit me, just about perfectly, some even better than the ones that were tailored to fit me!

When it comes to Christmas presents, the biggest thing I am worried about--which has been impressed upon me by other missionaries who are on the downhill side of their missions--is the need to prepare and send out college applications. I really don't know where I want to go or what I want to do! Some options that I am willing to accept as of this moment--BYU, UVU, BYU-I (because of Elder McFarland, Elder Murray, and Elder Pelo haha), Utah State (because of Robbie)--I don't know how I feel about the U of U. I honestly don't know. I would like to stay close because I don't feel the need to leave the state to go to college. Wherever you and Dad feel you should have me apply, I am willing to apply. When it comes to making a final decision, then I will decide. I just need help because I have no idea what to do about it all. And the final Christmas thing I need--Christmas Eve pajamas. :) If I can think of anything else, I'll let you know as soon as I figure it all our.

As far as missionaries and their hair cuts, President Barry wants us to get a haircut once a month and it has to be long enough that we can hold a part in our hair. I guess just barely long enough is good enough. :) I did get my hair cut a little shorter this time, but I don't know that it has anything to do with the mission rules changing. A member asked me, after asking the other Elders, if I wanted a haircut, and I said yes. So I went and got it cut and told her to cut it the way she thought it would look best and so she did! It was very nice of her to do that because I didn't dare let the other missionaries do it! Nor did I dare do it myself, haha!

Oh, I did wear the purple sweats along with the McDonald's shirt the second I realized what they were. I remembered also the picture of Aaron wearing those sweats too! Tell Aaron thanks for the pictures and Billy and Kendall thanks for their letters. I will write back before the end of next week. I love each of you and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, even if it is at some restaurant that I've never heard of!

Love~

Austin

Teamwork

November 15, 2010
Palatka, FL

Dear Family~

I think that things are on the turn-around. Each of the letters/emails that were sent to me have helped me to see things from a clear perspective and to judge things correctly, and in the proper light. Out of all the things that were written, I'm going to list the things that I absolutely needed to hear:

-None of us are perfect, nor will we be as long as we live [on this earth].

-God loves each of us individually and knows us perfectly.

-The most important thing for us to do while we live on this earth is not so much to become masters of the spoken/written word, but to build and maintain a positive and loving relationship with ourselves and others.

-There is a difference between policy and doctrine: doctrine is eternal, policies are subject to change.

-Sometimes we simply need to CHILLLL!!!

-"It was a tragic irony that he made himself sick worrying about his health."

-When we love others and spend our time serving them, our own worries melt away.

-The Adversary is good at twisting our thoughts and disrupting our communication with the Spirit and that makes it hard for us to see things in the right perspective.

-Heavenly Father will always give us help if we just ask for it.

There was so much more that mattered to me as I read, but those were some of the main points that I felt tied all the letters/emails together. I am grateful to have each of you as a part of my family, because through all of your experience, I am able to make sense of myself. I always say this to everyone that asks me about my family--I tell them that they're the best! I say they're the smartest! The most loving! The most caring! The most helpful! And the most wise! Heavenly Father planned perfectly when He put us all together, because we make a very strong team. Considering all the wisdom that was sent to me, I thought of a scripture in Doctrine & Covenants Section 88 verse 122:

"Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege."

Each of us have something unique to share and the Spirit is able to work through each of us in a way that would most benefit the other. Yesterday, Elder Lucas and I spoke in sacrament meeting. It went very well, I thought. I didn't write anything down, except maybe a few ideas that popped into my mind as I listened and learned from others the things I felt that maybe they needed to hear. What it came down to, all the thoughts not only from the membership, but from all the letters/emails over the past week, including the 3-day leadership training, was the importance of teamwork. It finally dawned on me how God has set up and organized the earth: He created it so that all things could benefit from each other if they would so choose to work together. Granted, there are things to act and things to be acted upon, so it only applies to those that are able to act for themselves; but all things were created to work together for the benefit and good of all. All things, whether inanimate, organic, living, and even dead, are used and reused to build off of each other and sustain life and growth on earth. When the Lord teaches us about consecration and discipleship, he uses the world around us to show the true meaning of teamwork and that true teamwork can only exist through selfless love, or charity. Families are meant to be forever together, but that can only happen if they are willing to work together--because those who work together and build each other up, love each other. No wonder the first and greatest commandment is to love God, because when we choose to love God, we choose to love all His creations, and we choose to work with them because of that love. God is trying to get us to learn how to love!

Anyhow, those are my thoughts--which were inspired by the thoughts of others (just so I can further emphasize the importance of teamwork; but it is true, I wouldn't have thought them had in not been for each of you and all the people I'm working with out here).

Our district is doing well. I've had the opportunity to go on a few trade-offs with the Elders within our district and have been able to get to know them a little better. I'm learning a lot about the importance of listening and allowing others to speak and share their thoughts. Maybe I ask one question and then be quiet for a time...everyone needs time to pour out their heart to another, sometimes it's the only way to get relief from our burdens. Yesterday I had to resolve a small conflict within our apartment. Afterward, I sat each Elder down and interviewed them one at a time so I could learn what was bothering them. I think, for the most part, the problem has been worked out. I had a positive discussion with each of them and they both ended on a good note. I was proud of myself for working things out with the Elders. I don't think I have ever had to sit down and handle a situation like that before, nor have I ever handled a situation like that the way I did. I felt a little bit like a parent, or a coach, or even maybe a teacher...Let me just say this, although I kept a very collected attitude throughout the ordeal, that was stressful to deal with! But things are better now, so we're all good! :)

Another Elder I worked with on one of our trade-offs, we sat down and had a really long discussion together. We talked about how everything we are doing now is centered on helping the things we do now to become a lifestyle we can maintain throughout the rest of our lives. The Elder had many frustrations and disappointments he shared with me and I sat quietly and listened to him. As I listened to him talk I thought about all the things I had been learning and shared with him some of the thoughts I had. The Atonement, in all its power and splendor, was motivated by one thing, and one thing only, and that is the great love our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ have for us, and all Their creations. The purpose of missionary work is not to get other people to do the things we want them to do, but it is to show them that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and we do that as we serve them. Service, when motivated by faith in Jesus Christ, is an act of love and is also an evidence of the love of God. The pure love of God is charity and it is this charity that softens and changes hearts. The Holy Ghost can work through the heart of an individual whose heart has been changed by love. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ and we do that through our love of God and our love for all our spirit brothers and sisters. When he and I spoke about these things the Spirit entered greatly into the room and we were both comforted and edified.

Who knows where things will take us next, or even what lies ahead...all I know is that all will be well. I love each of you and wish you all a wonderful week. I look forward to hearing from "ya'll" next week. :)

Love~

Austin

Hoping For A Better World...

Palatka, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family, & Friends~

Halloween went well, but I'm glad it's all over now. We didn't do anything special for the holiday, nor did President Barry allow us to spend our time watching movies. But, despite the lack of Halloween activities we did get to teach a less-active member from the ward who seems to be having all the doors that were once locked begin to open up once more--he is starting to change his life a little at at time, and Heavenly Father is responding to his every effort to do good! He met a girl, a few years younger than himself, who wants to help him change his life for the better and is willing to stick with him and work with him as he strives to become better. She isn't a member of the Church, however, she is a faithful young Baptist woman who is also doing all she can to live a good Christian life. The person we are teaching would love to see her become a member of the Church and would love to teach her the gospel, but as we spoke with him last night he wasn't exactly overly confident that he would be able to convince her to listen. So we gave him a priesthood blessing and we prayed on behalf of his new friend and he seemed much more prepared to speak with her about the Church. We spoke of the temple with him and he said it made him feel like he wanted to jump out of his skin for joy! It has been wonderful to see him change day by day as we have continued to visit with him and to see the Spirit work in his life. The light is growing within his soul and he is beginning to hope for a better world....

...I want to be who I am meant to be and I know that I cannot do that without your help and more especially without the Lord's help. Our motto in the Jacksonville Florida Mission is a scripture found in the Book of Third Nephi, chapter five, verse thirteen:

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people, that they might have everlasting life."

Love~

Austin

Austin's Bill of Health

Palatka, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family & Friends~

Well, I guess I have a lot to report on this week. First off, I will be staying in Palatka with Elder Lucas. Secondly, I will now be serving as a District Leader in the Palatka District. I am in charge of four companionships, five including mine. We may not have the largest district in the mission, but it is certainly a larger district compared to many. Elder Zabriskie, who was with Elder Clements, who were our roommates, is leaving to another area to be a Zone Leader. He was our District Leader prior to today. Elder Greco is Elder Clements' new companion. He has been out for four and a half months, but is also twenty-six years old. He seems like a really neat person. It turns out that he actually went to Brookwood Elementary! What are the chances?! Anyhow, I think we will all get along really well inside our apartment and even district. Elder Greg Fuller made it to Florida, however, he will not be serving nearby--at least I don't think. I only had time to give him a quick wave, but he looked happy and excited to be here. I am sure he will do well (in case you can't remember, we went to Butler Middle School together!).

Transfers are different because President Barry wants the new Elders and Sisters to be able to go out and have a day of experience before transfers come around. So instead of having P-day be Monday, he moved it to Tuesday. That way, on Monday we can work and on Tuesday, our P-day, we can have transfer meeting and also give the new missionaries a chance to go shopping for groceries and other necessities. It is all about using our time efficiently. President Barry wants us to be the best and the most wise we can possibly be and he is holding us accountable to everything. I'm glad he is doing it though, because I think I am going to grow much more this coming year than I did in the past year because of his consistence and persistence with us. Main thing, despite President's reminders, he leaves it entirely up to us to decide if we will obey or not, and he works with us according to our various levels of commitment. He is certainly doing a good job of helping me to set goals and accomplish goals and to stay on top of the little things. I'm glad to have him as my mission president.

Next on the list comes a discussion on my wonderful bill of health. But let me first start with a story. Elder Zabriskie, in his wisdom and genius, remembered a trick he learned from one of his friends in school. This clever stunt; however, requires at least two Hot Tamales. Anyhow, apparently Elder Zabriskie found out that if you chew on a couple of Hot Tamale candies the burn that it causes inside your mouth will temporarily disable a gag-reflex, which would therefore make it possible to stick your fingers halfway down your throat without making you puke! Wonderful!! Of course, after showing us this little trick, Elder Zabriskie readily encouraged each of us to try! So, I tried... it worked! It was an odd experience that I don't think I'll try again soon, but it did work. Afterward, I had to take a look in the mirror just to see if anything might have happened to my throat, just in case. You never know... So I looked, and to my happy surprise, I saw two yellow globules growing on one of my lymph nodes. I'm pretty sure I haven't ever had that happen before, but I was a little uneasy about it, so I called Sister Barry to let her know I wasn't quite better yet. She sent me to the doctor's again and he decided that it was probably tonsillitis (maybe strep...) and so he set me up with a prescription of Penicillin and a daily salt-wash/mouth-wash gargle program. Exciting news...I know. As far as the blood work goes, it should be figured out by next week when I have to go in for my follow-up appointment. They are testing for allergies, anti-bodies, and other various things to see if it is allergies or bacteria that is causing my ongoing symptoms. He also gave me an inhaler because I told him at times that I felt as though I were wheezing and he said it could possibly be signs of asthma. I doubt I have asthma, but he said to try it just to see if it helps. I did it once, but it didn't make much of a difference as far as my breathing went. I'm sure it will get figured out soon enough. But back to the story, who knows if I didn't try that "experiment" with the Hot Tamales if I ever would have found out about my throat? It might have been when it was too late!! Thank goodness for that adventure. :)

Mom, I don't know what it is, but it seems like I'll never get to the end of it. From mono, to sprained ankles, to a broken back, nerve damage, shoulder damage, back to bronchitis, sinusitis, and now now tonsillitis, along with ingrown toenails that are still attempting to mess with me...who knows what's next? Whatever, I'll just continue to laugh. That is about all I can do. I can either laugh or I can cry, right?! I only wonder just how much every person goes through in a lifetime, I'm not sure I really want to know. Pain is inevitable, but to be happy is always a choice. We may never control all that befalls us in this life, but we can always control the way we view our circumstances. It is good to know that we always have a choice.

When it comes to thoughts I've been having lately, most of them center around what our mission has been focusing on this month, what they would like us to focus on for the rest of our missions, and life. Namely, the Doctrine of Christ. Simply put, these are all the teachings of the Savior. These are the eternal truths that help us to know God, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. These doctrines help us to know our Heavenly Father's purpose, which is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). The more I have paid attention to these basic doctrines as I have read the scriptures, the more I have realized that these truths are scattered throughout all of the scriptures and more especially the Book of Mormon. A good example of the principle would be these scriptures:

"13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you--that I came into the world to do the will of my Father because my Father sent me.
14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil--
15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works." (3 Nephi 27 13-15)

"19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.
21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.
22 Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of god. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved." (3 Nephi 9:19-22)

The main reason I share this is because I know that as we search these basic truths out in the scriptures, our lives will become filled with peace, our studies of the scriptures will become more meaningful, and we will be blessed with spiritual blessings and gifts from our Heavenly Father. That promise was given to us by a member of the Missionary Department and he told us the truth. Something to think about. :)

I got the package today, but I haven't been able to really look inside it yet, but I can definitely smell all the treats. I will share them with everyone else, and especially the children in the ward. I'm sure they will love all the candy. Thanks Mom :)

I hope that everyone is continuing to do well and that the school year sails a smooth course for each of you! I hope you have a Happy Halloween and that you are able to enjoy a chili dinner without me. That is, provided you have a chili dinner, haha. I love you and I'll talk to you next week.

Love~

Austin

Writing...

Palatka, FL

Dear Family~

I am glad that things are going well back home and that you were able to meet Albert's older brother. From what I hear, he sounds like a really cool guy.... [tell him] the young men are doing awesome [in Lake Butler] for the most part, there are a few who could use a little motivation and inspiring, but it would seem that all of them, young men and young women, however, are getting the spark of missionary work lit up inside them, so you can tell him if he writes the ward letters of his success stories, that would surely motivate them! Also, I tried sending the boxing match over the Internet, but it didn't exactly work. Maybe I'll fiddle around with it some more another time so I can get it to you...and him.

As far as missionary work goes here in Palatka, we are still struggling to find people to teach, but our Bishopric seems like they are very willing to help us with the work. Throughout the week we visited many less-active, part-member, and inactive families. we had a small amount of success and there were certainly times when we knew that we were guided by the Spirit to visit various families. Hopefully as we begin to work with the Bishopric we'll be able to have more success and even find more families who are prepared and ready to be taught the gospel. Tracting doesn't seem to be doing the trick, but we'll keep on trying anyhow. You never know just when someone in your path happens to be that individual who is prepared.

I have to say, I didn't expect to see that Billy and Kendall had grown that much in the span of one year! Holy Cow!! They probably don't realize it, but I definitely do, especially after being gone this long. They look so much older!! Tell them I said they can't keep doing that, because if they do I might not be able to recognize them when I get home! They look great though :)

On another note, I didn't expect to get an email from Grandma Mary telling me that Brittney just had her first child! What?! That was out of nowhere (mom here: we did tell him she was expecting months ago, but it must not have registered!)! It was neat to see her picture. Hopefully Brittney is doing well, it seems like it's been forever since I've heard from her. Send her congratulations from me if you can, please. :)

This email seems to be going back and forth from topic to topic, but one thing that I wanted to write about this week is something that seems to be a recurring theme in my life. It has to do with writing. I have discovered that when it comes to speaking out loud, often times it is very hard for me to express how I feel, but whenever I write, I always seem to know what to say. At times, it would feel that the closest I am to the Spirit is when I write, rather than when I speak. Whether this is true or not, I'd imagine only the Lord knows. Perhaps that is how it is for all of us. I know that when we write, at least for myself, it requires a greater amount of focus to get on paper what you are unable to express vocally. It requires fine-tuning of the mind to the heart, and aligning it with the voice of the Spirit, and as it happens words simply seem to flow. One thing I have noticed is that as I try to apply that same focus to my studies or even as I go about my day I am able to a much greater degree to hear, or rather feel, what it is the Spirit is guiding me to do. But it truly requires a sincere and concentrated mental effort to be able to be aligned with the Holy Ghost. Our minds tend to wander a million different directions seemingly every moment and so it takes a massive effort to gain control of our minds. It is almost a constant battle to see who is going to win, our sporadic thoughts or the Spirit. Writing is a good way to train ourselves to listen and to recognize the voice of the Spirit! I think I never would have guessed it, but through all the times I have studied and written letters it is clearly apparent that the Holy Ghost guides our thoughts as we place them on paper. Of course, we can only have that guidance if we humbly ask for it in prayer and live our lives the way we are supposed to, but when we do, He freely guides us in the right direction. Revelation has a smooth, free-flowing motion about it. When it comes, it ties all loose ends back together. Things make sense as the Spirit speaks to us. Even today, Uncle Mike sent me an email of something that I absolutely needed to hear and I sent him back a reference of a scripture it reminded me of, and then he sent me back an email telling me how he studied that very scripture this morning! Heavenly Father knows us personally, and works through each of us to bless the lives of all His children. I am amazed at how He works all things for our benefit, despite our lack of knowledge and understanding about the things which He has in store for us.

I don't know, perhaps that was slightly redundant, but those are the thoughts which came to my mind as I was writing. :)

Out of everything I could share right now, I feel impressed only to do one thing. And that is to share what I know. I know that Heavenly Father loves us and that He is watching over each and every one of us. He knows our thoughts, our hearts, our greatest joys and our saddest moments. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to come to this earth and live a perfect life and to atone for our sins and sufferings so that one day, we too could return to live with our Father once again. I know that life sometimes can be more difficult than we are capable of dealing with and that through Jesus Christ's Atonement, our heavy burdens can be lifted and we can find peace. God gave us this gospel, and these truths, so that our families can be blessed, and even eternally united. He wants all of His children to return and be with Him again. I know as we trust Him, and follow the example of His Son, that one day we will return to our Heavenly Father and that He will receive us with great joy. Like Nephi, we can say, "...I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." (1 Nephi 11:17). We may not have a perfect understanding of what lies ahead of us, and it may even be scary, but the one and only thing that matters is that God loves us and He will do all withing His power to bless us as we strive day by day to prepare ourselves to live with Him again.

I love each of you and hope you have a wonderful week...that this week will be a more peaceful and hopeful week than all the other tired and difficult ones. :)

Love~

Austin

p.s. please tell Aunt Rachel and Uncle Brendon for the cheesecake! It was awesome!

p.p.s. next week p-day is on Tuesday due to the coming transfers.

Missionary Work

Palatka, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family & Friends~

Thanks for the uplifting email, Mom. :)

I am quite positive that I've been needing some of that lately. Sometimes I think that life can be really difficult. I don't always know why that is the case, but that is just the way it seems to have been for me the past little while. However, moving past the difficult times, I think things might be on the upswing here in Palatka, Florida. I'm not sure what to expect in the coming weeks as far as missionary work goes, but finally [this week] we were able to meet with our Ward Mission Leader and Bishop for the first time. It really helps when you have their support as a missionary, because without it, you might as well not even start. Or rather, start with a focus on finding new people. The goal immediately has to be changed to earning the trust of the Membership. Visiting members, getting to know their names, serving the members, and most importantly, ALWAYS being a good example are key to building trust in the ward. At this time, that apparently needs to be our focus. However, and very thankfully, our Bishop seems very willing to help us and to let us help him.

My sickness seems to be on the downswing, finally. I went back to the doctor's last week and they put me on a different antibiotic. It seems to be working. I think it is called Amox-Clav Potassium Tablets, but anyway, the pills are huge. They also had me take Mucinex -D. Hopefully within the next few days, or week, it will all clear up!

I am glad to hear Uncle Mike got called as a Bishop. I think he will be great! I enjoyed being able to go on hikes with him last summer and it was always good for me to be able to talk with him. He always knew what to say to help me the most. I know he will be able to do the same for the people he now has the opportunity to serve. Tell him and Aunt Jenni, and my favorite little cousins Evan and Nora, that I love them and that I know they'll be wonderful.

I think I know one reason [Mike's stake president] spoke to Aaron--nearly one of the first things President Monson said during General Conference was that every young man should prepare themselves to serve a mission and then to be faithful to go and serve when they are the right age. I was surprised that was one of the first things he said, but as I have thought about it, I understand why (obviously not as well as he does, though). All I have to do is take a look in the mirror and see how I have grown and changed over the past year to know that a mission can work miracles in someone's life. Of course, if you are serving for the wrong motivation or reasons, it may not be as great an experience, if not damaging. I do know that I would never take back the decision I have made to serve a mission if all the money in the world were offered to me. The testimony I have earned through being on a mission is worth more than this world has to offer. I know I have a lot of room to grow, but I am forever grateful that I can serve and that the Lord has allowed me to help in His great work. Truly, missionary work is one of the greatest blessings I have ever been given.

Elder Lucas is doing well. It is kind of surprising that we are almost more than halfway with our first transfer together. I don't know where the time has gone. He has grown a lot these past few weeks and is doing a good job with his efforts.

I only have ten minutes left, so I better hurry and finish. I am glad you were able to talk with Coach Crawford. Those were some very kind things of him to say. Perhaps maybe when I come home I will help coach, you never know. I hope the team continues to do well and I am glad to know that Billy is going to get the opportunities he needs to be able to succeed. I know Billy will be great and I can't wait to be able to watch him play on my team. Tell Aaron, Billy, and Kendall I love them and hope they have a good week. I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad. Until next week, I wish the best for each of you. I pray always that Heavenly Father will watch over and protect you, my family.

Love~

Austin

Everything I Learned From General Conference...

Palatka, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family & Friends~

Things are going pretty well here in Palatka. My sickness seems to be floating right along, but I'm sure I'll eventually get over it. I got the package with the Azithromycin and the other goodies (that I shared with everyone). Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you want to look at it--I went to the urgent care to get my sickness checked out (since it has been a good 3 weeks now of being sick) and it turned out that I had a sinus infection as well as bronchitis at the same time. She prescribed Azithromycin to me as well. So I have two packs of them. I'm on the second to last day with the one and probably won't take the other--unless perhaps I need to? I don't think that would be the greatest of ideas though. If it doesn't get any better within the next couple of days, then I'll probably go back and get it checked. I am going to make tapioca pudding within the next couple days, so hopefully I can do it right! Thanks Mom :)

I got Grandma and Grandpa's package and thought it was great. I shared the pumpkin bread with all the other Elders and they thought it was the best thing ever... I loved the ties and I wore each of them over the course of the weekend...

...by the way, I just received a super heavy wool cold weather dress jacket. It was supposed to be for another set of Elders, who then gave it to Elder Lucas because it was too big for them and it turned out to be too small for him, but ended up fitting me well. Of course I'll need to wear my suit underneath to make it fit right, but it is a neat jacket. I'll probably go and dry clean it soon. Awesome!

Tell Aunt Rachel and Uncle Brendon thanks for the email last week, I forgot to mention. Also, Uncle Mike and Aunt Jenni sent me a cool package containing quotes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell. I've already skimmed over much of it, and I really like the things he says. As far as getting a southern drawl goes...well, you can be the judge when we talk at Christmas. But I can say that I have had people comment on the speed at which I talk, which is S L O W...whatever, I guess I am understood well then, I match the speed of the South.

Tell Aaron good job for me! That is so awesome he struck out the All-American. I wish I could have watched!! But, soon enough I'll be able to. College man...wow! Just keep working hard--perhaps set some goals as well, they always seem to help!

I'm glad that Billy had fun dancing the night away. I never could, nor would--even still, and perhaps more so now. But hey, as long as he enjoyed himself! He's more brave than me. I will say this, however, as I have been out I have learned to love to listen to and play around on the piano. I have learned a few songs and I am determined to learn many. When I get home I want to get lessons. Hopefully Aaron is still keeping up on his talent, because then we could play together. Of course, I still need to catch up with him, but I'll get there. So, Billy, you and your craziness beats mine, but I am doing something musical--just not with my body. You can Kendall can do all the dancing you want. :)

Lexee sent me a package a few weeks ago, and I feel bad for not sending her a thank you yet. Could you tell her thanks for the things she sent and that I will write her soon? I hope she is doing well.

My favorite conference talks included Elder Holland's on the Saturday morning session. He spoke on his gratitude for all the things we do and it was neat to hear it from an Apostle. It was an expression of God's love for all His children.

One question I really wanted answered as I went to conference was how to know that the decisions I make are the right decisions and that God approves of them. I'm sure no one wants to make the wrong decision either. So my question was how can I know the difference between the good, the better, and the best of choices; how can I discern the difference between those choices which are a mere distraction from doing what is most important and what really is the most important. Decision making can be difficult, especially when faced with seemingly many ideal choices. It's like taking a test when all the answers are right, just some are more right than others...I hate those kinds of tests by the way! The answer, we know, is in relying on the Spirit. But we need to be able to know the difference between the Spirit and the near identical fake. Elder Ballard spoke on this in the second to last talk this conference--and Elder Oaks also gave some essential pointers.

Some key things I pulled from all the talks to answer my question, or at least in part (I'm still learning here...) were these:

1. God gives us good feelings in our minds and hearts to help us know we are receiving guidance from Him.

2. Emptiness, confusion, and doubt are evidence of a bad choice.

3. A prophet of God tells us what we need to hear and learn, not what we necessarily want to know and learn.

4. It is always better to keep God's commandments and do His will rather than trust in ourselves or others--so, in essence, ask God in prayer for guidance first.

5. If we want to know whether a decision is good or bad, we should spend some time and think about it first, and we should think about it as long as we absolutely need to.

6. Scripture study leads to answers and a majority of revelation comes when we spend time pondering, or thinking, about what we have just studied.

7. Setting goals helps us to put to action the direction we feel we should take.

8. God will witness to us the goodness of our choices after the trial of our faith.

9. As with points 1 & 2, our feelings really and truly help us to make good choices.

Those were some of the things I felt like I learned, but in all reality, I still feel like I need to do a lot more thinking about this one. I do know, however, that scripture study, as one of the Apostles said, helps us to learn to recognize the voice of the Lord. And so, as I study the scriptures and write my thoughts, I am learning, slowly but surely what it means to listen to and hear the voice of the Lord. Concentration and desire to know and willingness to act are key.

Anyhow, I'm about done right now. My body is ready to collapse. So until next week, I hope each of you have a wonderful week and I love you all!

Love~

Austin

Tattooed On My Heart

Palatka, FL

Dear Home~

I've got a whole bunch to write, but not a lot of energy to write it. I've been sick for a while now and I'm not sure what I have. I read a brief outline of some of the sicknesses I possibly could have in our Missionary Medical Book and the one that seemed the most accurate was Bronchitis--however, I did notice that the past couple of days my throat is starting to get sore, but it could just be all the coughing. Whether or not that is what I have, I'm about ready to be done with it! :)

Mom, I'm glad you had a good time with the Missionary Mom's thing. I'm also happy that you were able to meet Elder Chadburn, who is no longer an Elder. His first name is Brennan. He is a wonderful individual and someone that I truly admire. He was a very good example to me of what it meant to be a loving and hard-working missionary. He is thoughtful and wise, and whatever it is that he decides to do with his life, I know he will be able to make a difference in the lives of all the people he comes in contact [with].

I thought it was funny Elder McFarland was talking about having all of us go to school at BYU Idaho. He was talking to me about it at Zone Conference the other week. I didn't give a positive or negative response, I just said it sounded like it would be a lot of fun. Elder Murray will be going to BYU Idaho as well...so you never know. I'm thankful I have made good friends out here on my mission and hopefully I'll be able to keep them throughout the rest of my life.

Palatka is going well. I'm meeting new people and doing my best to get to know them and inspire them to have a happier and more peaceful life. I guess that is because that is the one thing that motivates me to live the Gospel. It is funny how when you actually take the time to get to know someone, you learn to love them. It is easy to see past someone's faults if you can know who they are. One scripture I always think of, and have shared quite often lately for various reasons, is the one found in the book of Second Nephi:

For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for He doeth that which is good among all the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and He inviteth them all to come unto Him and partake of His goodness; and He denieth none that come unto Him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. (2 Nephi 26:33)

The Lord loves each of us and He doesn't care what we look like, what we've done wrong, what we continue to do wrong, where we came from, what our skin color is, or anything else for that matter. He loves us because we are God's children and He wants us to be happy. And when I am able to view each person I meet in the same light that God views them, then I am able to forgive them of their faults and shortcomings, realizing I have my own--and I can move on and be a loving and kind friend. We're all people and we're all different, but what unites us is that fact we are all part of Heavenly Father's family. And family is the most important. God loves us all the same and because He does, we can love everyone the same also. Equality gives us hope and helps us to realize our identity as a son or a daughter of God. When we know that God is our Heavenly Father and that He loves us perfectly, then we can move past our weaknesses and trust in Him to help make us strong.

Schwans...they actually showed up at our apartment door and asked for a Mr. and Mrs. Robbs, and said that they were potential customers--and when I told him who I was, he asked me if I wanted to order anything and I told him to come back on his next delivery which is in two weeks. He left me with a magazine, but to be honest, I really didn't know what to think when he showed up at the door, and the magazine only served to further boggle my mind. So if you want to order something for me, I'd be more than happy to accept, but I don't have the slightest idea of what to get. I do know, however, that the ice cream looks really good :)

...I know that a tattoo isn't exactly what the Lord would have liked Aaron to put on his body, but I think the more important thing is that he is beginning to see the importance of family. Whatever it takes to make that realization in each of our lives, then that is what it takes. Either way, I am glad that he loves me enough to permanently tattoo me to his body. He is tattooed in my heart:

Ye are our epistle written in our heart, known and read of all men: forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
(2 Corinthians 3:2-3)

I thought that was kind of a neat scripture. Elder Nelson read that to us in May when he came and spoke to our mission.

This week we set two baptism dates. Darrien and his mother, Sharon. They are scheduled for the 17th of this coming month, and hopefully, if we can help them to switch their schedules around, they'll be able to come to church so that they can be baptized. Both are willing and ready to live some of the more difficult commandments, now if we can help them keep the Sabbath Day holy, all will work out. One of our other investigators, from Lake Butler, will be getting baptized on the 9th of October and we'll get to go and be a part of it! Marla is her name. We've got some exciting things coming up, so hopefully it all works out!

I'm glad to hear Haley is still striving to learn more about the Gospel. When it comes to sharing scriptures as missionaries, we are asked to share those things that have served to change our own lives. That way we'll be able to bear a more powerful testimony of the truth. One thing that has helped me to change and become better is this scripture:

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. (Ether 12:4,6)

I know that when we believe in God, we obtain a hope. Our hope gives us the strength to have faith that God is really there to help us and bless our lives. As our hope increases and our faith grows, we are able to overcome the trial of our faith and receive a witness of the truth from God, by the power of the Holy Ghost. The Lord loves us and He will bless us and show us the way as we strive to continually follow Him.

I love each of you, and I have so much more to say, but I am out of time. I'll talk to you next week and can't wait to hear from you then.

Love~

Austin

Palatka, Florida...Here I Come!

Palatka, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family & Friends~

I'm grateful to hear that our family is doing well and that things continue to go well. I, myself, have been down on energy lately. I think I am getting sick. I have a cough and a very sore and achy body. Who knows where all this coming from, but I guess I can just deal with it and hope that later I'll be fine. Surprising as it is, despite the weakness of my body, my minds feels very agile and awake. My brain always seems to be focused, or thinking of something ALL OF THE TIME, especially when I am trying to go to bed. And as tired as I am when I wake up in the morning, my mind is already full speed ahead. Who knows exactly what that is, but I guess it is a good thing that my brain is functioning. (:

At this time, I have been transferred to the Palatka 2nd Ward--where Elder Murray, Elder McFarland, Elder Pelo, and Elder Wily have all served. What are the chances? It will definitely be a new experience, but the ward seems pretty good. I still haven't met everyone or got to know everyone's names, but I tried as hard as I could to meet as many people as I could at church on Sunday. For whatever reason or another, I seem to be able to remember things a lot better than I ever have before, so when people tell me their names, it is as if I knew it all along (for the most part). I'm not entirely sure what lies ahead, but I am positive that if Elder Lucas (my new companion, who has been out for 1 transfer now) and I work hard, then whatever needs to happen will happen. Thankfully, I have a companion who will listen to me. Elder Lucas and I will work well together. And as he becomes more confident, he is going to be a great missionary. We have commissioned ourselves to do all we can to keep every mission rule and to be exactly obedient, while still having fun. The work will progress so much quicker if we do!

When it comes to Haley's situation, where she may not be quite ready for missionaries to teach her, http://www.mormon.org/ is an excellent resource. The website teaches all of the basic beliefs in a simple and easy way to understand. There are videos of those who have come to gain a testimony of the Restored Gospel and many other neat resources. If you wanted you could go through it with her--or perhaps go over it yourself and then give her the basic idea of what it is. If she wishes, there are missionaries she can shat with online. These missionaries are at the MTC and are fairly new, but if she is sincere with her questions, and is patient, she can find the answers she is looking for. I think one of the most important things for her to understand, if she doesn't already, is that she is a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father. And that she can go to Him in prayer anytime she wishes, and He will answer her. If she can understand that God knows her better than anyone in this world, it will be easy for her to rely on Him for strength.

"Believe in God; believe that He is, and that He created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that He has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." (Mosiah 4:9)

Right at this moment in time, I am nearly out of time...Also, next week seeing as I'm out of time, I want to tell you about the youth vs. missionary boxing match that I have recorded on my camera...oh my goodness...let's just say I didn't plan on any such event, but it happened anyway. (: (this was the night before I left Lake Butler!)

Tell everyone I love them and hope they have a wonderful week! I have got to go!!

Love~

Austin

Leaving Lake Butler

Lake Butler, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family & Friends~

This past week has been an interesting one. It's also been a long one. And it has also been a sad one. To sum it all up, I am leaving Lake Butler. I'm being transferred to some other area, with some other people, and new experiences and opportunities to learn and grow. I wasn't the most excited person in the world when I got the call informing me that I was going somewhere else, but like everything else, sometimes it's simply time to move on. I will say; however, that I did feel like the Elder who left our area back home (mom's explanation: we just had an elder we have come to love get transferred to another area and he was very sad to leave...and we were sad to see him go!)...But I am so grateful for the people I have met here in this small community, they truly have helped me to change my life for the better. Despite the fact that we didn't have many baptisms, I think that the greatest time I had in this area was the many opportunities I had to serve the members of the ward. I got to know and love the parents and their children, and was able to get to know nearly every individual in the ward. The people here have been a second home and a second family to me. Hopefully one day we'll be able to come back together so I can show you all the wonderful friends I have made. I would have to say that out of all my experiences I have had on my mission, Lake Butler has been the best. I have learned more about myself here than any other place I have been.

The number one lesson I have learned up to this point on my mission is that it is okay to be yourself and not to be afraid to spend time to get to know and love other people. It would seem all my life I have had problems with being able to express myself to others, or to know how to talk to others without some sort of anxiety or another. Of course I still love my friends and was able to meet many new people before my mission, but this is different. The anxiety of getting to know someone feels like it has been lifted. I don't feel as though I have a metal box over my body locking me in place, drowning out my movements and speech and hiding me from the world as I once felt; I feel free. I feel free to be me. I know I have many lessons to learn, but this feels to me the one lesson that opens the door to all the others. I noticed as I was writing that I used the word "feel" quite often, and I "felt" to make a point on it: when I use the word "feel" my mind immediately gathers its attention to the heart and the feelings of the heart. As I have been out on my mission I have come to realize that the heart is the most important tool for guidance and progression we have while in this life. If our hearts are bleak, black, and devoid of hope and happiness, then unfortunately our futures will bear the same tone, and so will the eternities. As it turns out, like you told me, Mom, as you referenced the scripture to me, "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25), that our purpose in life is to find joy and to learn to love one another, and most importantly to love God. I have learned that selfless service gives us the greatest joys in life and in turn enables our hearts to be filled with peace, love, and happiness, which also helps us to progress toward the great joys of eternal life and perfection. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (3 Nephi 13:21). If your treasure is joy and love then that is where your heart will be and all your actions will reflect the desires of your heart bringing the same love and joy you have obtained to others. And so, to tie it all together, my heart feels happy and it feels like it has love that seems to grow each day, and because of it, I feel okay; I feel at peace; I feel like I am becoming me. Finally recognizing that I am an individual in a world with so many copycats, I am grateful to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has made me free and separated me from the sameness of the world. I know that I am a son of God. I know that I am loved by God and that He is my Father in Heaven. I don't have to be like everyone else, I can be me, because I have a Father in Heaven who loves me for who I am and not because I am like someone else. If there was any lesson that I needed learned while being out here on my mission, I think that was the first and most important one.

I am grateful to hear that everyone is doing well and that Aaron, Billy, and Kendall are also "finding" themselves in the world and are beginning to experience joy and love in their own lives. I miss each of them, but I know they are going to be okay and that I will too....

Tell the rest of the family that I love them and that I am thankful for all their birthday letters and presents...

I also wanted to say that I was excited to hear of everyone who was leaving on their missions! That is crazy to hear! I wish them all the best and hope they have great missions.

I love each of you and hope you have a wonderful week this week and that all goes well. I'll let you know where I get transferred to on Monday. And one other thing, we have Elder Pearson of the Seventy coming to speak to us on Thursday, so that should be really neat. I'll let you know how that goes on Monday :)

Love~

Austin

Thanks For The Birthday Wishes!

Lake Butler, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family & Friends~

Thank you everyone for all the birthday cards and gifts! So far I have had a very pleasant birthday experience. Mostly, as I reflect on my birthday, my thoughts have been turned to our family. I am grateful for the family that we have and that we are so close. There is nothing more important to me than our family and I am grateful that I have come to understand that truth. I have been sitting around imagining everyone right here with me and although no one is physically in my presence, I can still feel your love and warmth right beside me and deep in my heart. Thanks for the happy birthday :)

As far as exciting things go, President and Sister Barry called me this morning and sang a happy birthday duet to me and that was pretty neat. They have beautiful voices! And before them, the Mission office called and the Senior Couples working in the office all got together and sang me happy birthday as well! I was grateful for their phone call and enjoyed their birthday present to me. Later in the day, a couple of the young men have some type of plot or another to come and destroy the apartment as their version of a birthday present--I wouldn't have know about it, but Elder Brown spilled the beans. So we'll see whether or not it actually happens. We still have the dinner set up tonight with the Bell family and I will be sure to tell them thank you, Mom!

Tell Grandma Mary and Grandpa Harold and TJ thanks for the birthday card as well as the gift card. And tell Grandma and Grandpa MacKay thanks for the birthday cards as well as the gift card (true story about running for your life, some of these Floridian dogs are crazy!!), plus the birthday email from the infamous Blackberry. Tell Aunt Michelle and Uncle Dave, as well as Isaac, Emma, Noel, Eliza, and Anna thanks for their bday email. Tell Aunt Jenni and Uncle Mike, Nora and Evan, and ? (wow!!), thanks for the bday email and the package they sent :) Tell everyone else that I love them and wish them a wonderful week this week!

I did get the package you sent, thanks Mom. The cookies turned out to be fine! I'm wearing one of the Cottonwood t-shirts right now, I thought they turned out pretty cool. I laughed at the Hey Arnold! shirt and wore it around all last night. The sunglasses fit well and they definitely help out as I am driving, so thank you! I read the entire Lectures on Faith book in a couple of hours and I thought it was very interesting. Some of the things the Prophet Joseph Smith talks about are slightly confusing, and so I think that I'll go through and read it again. I did notice, however, that at the end of some of the chapters, it said to memorize several of the verses within the chapters--maybe that can be my next challenge, I really appreciated the letters as well. Thank you :)

Our investigators are doing well for the most part. We are having some struggles with a few of them, since they haven't been keeping appointments quite as well as they have in the past...I'm not entirely sure as to why, but hopefully things will work out and we'll be better able to help them be prepared for baptism. If all goes well, on the 19th of September, we should have 3 baptisms. If we can keep visiting with them and if they will follow through with their commitments to change, then everything will work out for that day when it comes. Apparently President Barry is having us take a new approach to teaching lessons and within the next week or two we will begin to be trained on this new teaching plan. What it all comes down to is this (from what I gather): our goal is no longer to teach lessons, but our goal is to teach people. I know that Grandpa MacKay sent me a letter a while back about how people get in the habit of talking at you rather than with you, that is what President Barry is trying to get rid of. We need to learn to read people, to understand them and their needs, and teach them what they need to hear rather than what they are "supposed" to hear--the Spirit is to be the guide and we the humble followers. I'm excited for the changes because I think that they will really help. I truly believe we'll have much more success this way than any other, so as soon as I can learn how to talk with people and teach them according to their needs better than I already do, I think that things could get really exciting here in Florida. Nevertheless, the Spirit is still the key. Personal preparation is the answer to getting the Spirit and personal preparation is a big focus of President Barry. I am positive that as I put forth a more diligent effort to prepare myself to teach, that we will begin to see many miracles as we go out and work each day.

I was able to deliver at least two of your recipes, Mom. The members I gave them to were really excited about the recipes and they said that they want to make them and give us some. I haven't been able to go to the library yet, but as soon as I do I'll pass along the recipes to the individual who works there. I'm sure they will all want to email you at one point or another, and so when they ask, I'll give them your email :)

I went up and bore my testimony yesterday during Fast and Testimony meeting and everyone thought that I was getting transferred after the meeting was over. I told them not that I know of, but in another week or so I should find out. The last day of the transfer is supposed to be the 16th of September, so possibly by Saturday I'll find out. You'll certainly know by next Monday if that is the case.

Anyways, I'm going to go and run around the rest of the day--we'll see whether or not we'll do anything out of the ordinary or not :) I'm sure Elder Brown would love to if I agreed to let him. I love each of you and hope you have a wonderful week. Thanks for making this a special birthday :)

Love~

Austin

The Adventures of Elder Robbs in Lake Butler

Lake Butler, FL

Dear Mom, Dad, Aaron, Billy, Kendall, Family & Friends~

After my long weekly introduction...I'm glad to hear the first couple days of school went well and that everyone is having fun. I am also glad to hear that Aaron is enjoying practice, Billy is having fun at Cottonwood, and that Kendall is making new friends. I'm sorry to learn that Isaac lost his hearing and that his knee is hurt, but at that, I am also very grateful that he can still listen with one ear, and can still walk, and can still control the muscles in his face, as well as the rest of his body. I know he will be able to come out on top and that soon enough he will be able to overcome all of his injuries. I'm grateful that he is alive.

The mission roles onward and my number of interesting experiences increases. This week I have so wonderfully subjected myself to the joys of singing in public. Ena, our investigator who is set for baptism, was having difficulty praying in front of us at the end of our lessons--and so, under the direction of our Area Seventy, Elder Anderson I believe, told us to sing to help them have the courage to pray. I don't know that I would ever do such a thing, but I did. And in fact, I was the one who made us do it. I don't know why, but suddenly, I wasn't afraid of what anyone thought and decided to give it a try. We sang the opening verse of "I Am A Child Of God". Needless to say, Ena concluded the lesson with her first public prayer. I thought it was a neat little experience. As for the next miraculous event in the adventures of Elder Robbs in Lake Butler, we were asked to sing in front of the Priesthood & Relief Society during the 5th Sunday lesson (which our Ward Mission Leader had us help teach) with the help of the Young Men and their leaders. We sang "Called to Serve". It went well; however, I still don't know that I love the idea of public singing...but I guess I am capable of dealing with it.

Mom, I have some favors to ask of you. I have been making sure to let everyone in the ward that we have dinner with know of your excellent cooking skills and of the many delicious desserts and treats that you can make (mom here: I have NOT paid him to say this AND I thought missionaries were always supposed to tell the truth! hahaha!)! Not only that, but many of the people who aren't already members have shown interest in your recipes. Number one, the Relief Society President, Jenny, would love to have the recipe you used to make Oreo Cake Balls. She has, apparently recently, discovered how amazing cake balls are and as I saw her making them, I asked if that is what they were and she said yes. So I told her that you also have made them before and that you had made Oreo Cake Balls. She thought that sounded really good and told me to get the recipe! Secondly, we were at Sister Shannon's sister's home, Erin, and she had made some really good cookies which slightly reminded me of the Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies you make and I couldn't help but share how good those cookies also are. She said she would like the recipe and so I told her I would ask you :) Also, one of the people who works at the library, her name is Stephanie, would like to exchange recipes with you! She tried the Skor Bar Cake and really liked it. I told her they were your recipes and so she said she would love to send you some recipes from the South. I wonder if you realize how famous you are becoming out here in my mission, Mom ? :) Anyways, I'll probably give each of them your email within the next week or two and then you can talk with them!

Both the Shannon's and the Dicks' as well as their other relatives that live within the [Lake Butler] boundaries are also very much like our family. I think it is neat to be able to meet people so far away that resemble my family. On my birthday next Monday, one of the ward members signed up for us to have dinner with them and I think they are going to fix me a birthday cake. I thought that was really nice of them. Their names are the ...Bell's and they have two young children, both boys 3 and 2 years old. They are a really nice family as well and they too remind me of home. Lake Butler is filled with good people and I am grateful to be able to work with them. I know one day we'll have to come back as a family and visit everyone I have come to know and love.

As far as alligator stories go, I don't have any yet. I have spotted an alligator in the distance, but that is as exciting a story I can share. If I so happen to stumble over the top of one as I am out tracting in the swampy backwoods, I'll let you know. :)

One thing I thought that was neat that you said in the email was that Kendall is learning how with a change of attitude she can totally change the perception of others about herself and gain more confidence in herself. It reminded me of what Elder Nelson told us when he came and spoke to us in May. He talked about how when he was in the airport getting ready to fly out to Florida he thought he would try a fun little experiment. Every person he saw and made eye contact with, he would smile at. He shared with us how peculiar it was that each person he smiled at, also smiled back. It sounds funny, but it's true. When you smile, people tend to smile back. :)

I love each of you and hope you have a wonderful week this week. I look forward to hearing from you next week! Talk to you soon.

Love~

Austin

Lake Butler, FL

Dear Family & Friends~

I can't believe school has already started again. Wow. Billy, a sophomore?! Kendall, a ninth grader?! Aaron, HOW ARE YOU IN COLLEGE ALREADY?!! How strange...I would agree it is also weird that I have almost been gone for a year now and even more odd that I will be 20 two Mondays from today.

...It is kind of neat to think of the unexpected things that happen on your mission. You truly never know what is going to happen. Experience has shown me, especially these past few months, that in life it is necessary to expect the unexpected. One of the very first things that was said to me when I showed up in Lake Butler was that as I allow the Spirit to be my guide, I am setting myself up to be on one wild roller coaster ride. You could be out doing the most random of things, and all of a sudden a window of opportunity will open up that you never knew existed, and all because you were listening to the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost. Not only does the Spirit lead us to where we need to be before we even realize where we are going, but He always helps us to be provided for as we travel on our journey. Whether these provisions may actually be physical, or mental, or even spiritual. He is always giving and sharing, especially when we accept the gifts he so lovingly attempts to give us. This scripture has centered itself in my mind these past couple days:

"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."
1 Nephi 4:6

Yesterday, just before sacrament meeting I received a phone call from one of the counselors in the Elder's Quorum Presidency and he asked me to give the lesson in class since he was going to be absent. I accepted the assignment, but unfortunately, and fortunately, we had many people come to church with us, and so I didn't get a chance to read the lesson at all. In fact, the very first time I even looked at the lesson was right as I was supposed to give the lesson. It was on Developing Talents, found in the Gospel Principles book. Honestly, as unprepared as I was, I felt 100% confident that the lesson would work out. I think by the time the lesson was finished, it ended up being one of the best I had ever been asked to teach. The Spirit led every word. I was amazed at how well it went. One of the people in the class said maybe I should be teaching every week! I thought that was pretty cool! Nevertheless, I knew it wasn't anything that I did that made the lesson so great, rather it was the fact that the Spirit was guiding our meeting. However, I will say this, I don't know that I had ever been so confident in teaching a lesson in all my life, especially in one I had not studied for. It reminds me of what Grandpa MacKay told me once, seeing as how he gets asked to teach lessons at random quite often, and always manages to pull it off--he told me that every day you prepare for giving a lesson, whether or not you are planning on teaching, and that when the time comes for you to stand in the spotlight, the words just come. Grandpa also says it is always fun to see what words are going to come out of his mouth as he goes, and I think I finally understand what he means.

We went to the temple on Saturday and were able to do a session and not just baptisms and confirmations. I was grateful to be able to go and even more grateful for the Spirit that has been with me ever since. I have come to realize that if I want to make it in this world, I am going to need to spend time at the temple throughout the rest of my life. We never did go to the bookstore, however, but the temple itself was good enough.

Elder Brown and I are working well together and I'm sure over time we'll be able to work better together...he is an awesome companion. He is fun to work with and we make sure to have a good time as we go. I'm grateful to serve with him and I'm sure we'll be good friends even after the mission.

Lake Butler is definitely a small area, however, it is large enough that I still need to wear my regular attire each day and growing a beard is most likely out of the question. The closest missionaries live about twenty minutes away, in Starke.

President Barry is quite a bit different than President Newman, but he still manages to keep in contact with us although not in person quite as often. We write him each week and he writes us back a short message each week. As far as missionary work goes, when it comes to the new rules and whatever else, President Barry expects us to be reading from our "white handbook" of missionary guidelines each day. We are to hold ourselves accountable for living up to missionary standards. Preach My Gospel is what we are to study from every morning. As we do these two things, and more especially apply what we learn, we will successfully be able to be our own "mission president's" of the area. It all goes back to that scripture I quoted earlier, our goal is to become missionaries (as well as individuals) that are led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which we should do. We take action and the Spirit points the way. We go forward and the Spirit takes care of the rest. It is a lot of fun the more you allow yourself to be led by the Spirit--if everyone only understood this, all people would do it. I still have much to learn, but I think I am finally getting a taste of what it is actually like to be a missionary who is led by the Spirit.

I love each of you and hope you have a great week and a great new school year! Good luck with work, Dad! I'll talk to you next week and until then, I'll look forward to hearing from you :)

Love~

Austin