Another good week!

8.29.11
Fleming Island, FL

Dear Family & Friends~

This past week has been a good week for me and Elder Brimhall, from the baptism of Gisele to watching the Prophet of the Restoration movie with a member family and their friend.

To speak a little about Roy and Gisele, it is amazing to me to see how much each of them have changed in the span of a few short weeks. You can see the happiness emanating from their countenances. They are much closer to each other. They are reading the Book of Mormon each day as a couple and praying morning and evening together. they both have expressed desires to serve a mission together when their daughter graduates high school and moves into college life. I am so impressed with their faith and how much it has changed them. They are literally new people. They are who they were truly meant to be all along. I love them and am grateful to be able to take some small part in being able to get to know and teach them. They said something really nice to me yesterday, they said they wanted to talk to Bishop Budge to see if they could get the ward together to set up a dinner for me near my last day and do a barbecue and some other things. I thought that was neat. Whether or not it happens, the thought alone meant a lot to me. They said they were really going to miss me when I leave and I couldn't help but want to give each of them a big hug and tell them I was never going to go...but I knew that wouldnt' be the case...it's hard to leave the people you have come to know and love so much, but sometimes you need to let go and move one and trust that the Lord will take care of the rest and that one day I'll see them all again, but in a much happier place.

Speaking with President Barry was neat. He and I both spoke about seventeen or so minutes. The youth speaker kept his nice and concise with a solid three minute talk. Actually, I though david did really well. he spoke on preparing for a mission, both the physical preparation as well as the spiritual preparation, and his testimony of missionary work. he was very well prepared to give his talk--which lined up nicely with the general theme. I talked about my own baptism, the importance of faith, the blessings of the gospel (temporal and spiritual), how the gospel was restored, the First Vision, the change that the gospel will make in those who live it, that Christ can make our weaknesses our strengths, and that the best way to share the gospel is by living it, and my testimony. Somehow it managed to come out alright! President Barry also spoke about his own baptism, his gratitude for being a full-time missionary, his gratitude for the youth who passed the sacrament, the importance of baptism and the sacrament, the covenants we make, the vastness of the missionary work of this Church, the necessity of the priesthood keys, the perfect government (not necessarily perfect people) of the Lord's kingdom on earth, the fluidity of transition among church leaders, the importance of following those who hold priesthood keys, and lastly the commandment to spread forth the gospel, which gospel will save the earth from its own self-destruction, and his testimony. It was overall a very good meeting, I thought. We even had someone who had a dream about the Church the night before show up during Sacrament meeting! He isn't in our area, but I'm sure the missionaries who teach him will be able to help him learn the gospel.

We will still be going golfing today, which should be a lot of fun. We'll also be going with one of his friends who was formerly a Stake President. We'll see how it goes tonight!

On Hurricane Irene, I'm not even sure that our area was touched by the storm. We had a little rain, bu no worse than any of the rainstorms in the past, in fact, the weather was less powerful than other storms I've seen. I was hoping to see the entire sky begin to shift around in the familiar circular motion of a hurricane; however, it didn't happen. But I guess that is okay, I'd rather not have all the consequences of a severe storm. I even began to inventory everything I owned! I might still do that anyways just because I think it's a good idea, but it takes forever! We were told to make s 72 Hour Kit as well, so I began making preparations for wilderness survival. I had some rope, a good knife, leather work gloves, water, enough food to survive, and ways to purify water. But I think Man vs. Wild is going to have to wait a little while longer for me :) haha!

I hope each of you has a wonderful week and I look forward to hearing from you nxt week. I love you and I wish all of you well. I have a final little thought on progressio and change before I go:

Jacob 5:52-52;64-66;74

52 Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft them into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree in the stead thereof.
53 And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that, perhaps, I may preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own purpose.
54 And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I planted whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore, that I may preserve them also for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of this tree, and I will graft from them in unto them. Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may preserve the roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall be sufficiently strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard.

65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereorf; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard.
66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard.

74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body; and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning.

When it comes to change, sometimes it requires that you bear with your weakness as you develop your strengths. you do your best with what you can do and over time you will be able to overcome the "bad fruit" with the "good fruit". If you expect to be perfect all at once, you may risk losing all the good "branches" you've grafted in to your life and be left with nothing. However, if you are patient, and allow the graft to be established in the tree and to grow with the tree and its infirmities, over time the good branches and the good roots will overcome the wild, or evil branches, and produce good fruit forever. Or, if you allow your raw and unconditioned talents, or even attributes, to grow despite the opposition of your weakness, eventually your truest self will spring forth into perfection, bearing all the good talents and attributes and every other good thing forever.

I love you!

Love~

Austin