AREA 6- 2nd Tour of Roundup

Jan 15, 2013:  Shipped out to Roundup for another tour of duty!
I was very shocked to hear that the Lord had more work for me in Roundup.
Transfers always blow, but I was excited to learn I would be going back to the crazy town in the middle of alkali creeks and rocky clay hills; where rain and fire cause problems, where the ground is hard as rock when dry and sticky as gumbo when wet, and where I've grown more than in any other place on earth. 

It was awesome to find out that Roundup was still there! I felt like it was gonna disappear or something when i left for Malta.
    I'll make this a quick post.
Back in Roundup
Calving season for the ranchers.  Pulling calves is pretty... interesting.
Carhartt coats are priceless in this cold weather. 
Never thought the months of March and April could be that cold.
I don't really know why these people are so nice to me, but I pray that  I did what the lord wanted me to do so this branch could be blessed.
    Branding season; March-May 2013.  I've learned a lot about how these cows run since last year at this same time when I was first exposed to them.  Grown a lot.  Gotten stronger.  Got rid of fears.  This work is awesome!
    St. Patrick's Day 2013; my companion and I were able to help our good friends in the Catholic Church serve the community St Patrick's Day meal!  I thank the Lord that I was able to gain these relationships in this town!  it's because of Him that we were able to gain them.
    Spring came along, and with it came new challenges and opportunities for missionary work.  The challenges are just as hard as they used to be, always are, but we find strength to overcome them.
    I learned that I will never stop growing and never stop learning.  Some people learned that I am not perfect (surprise!).  We as people can only do so much before we're maxed out.
    A family that had been learning about the church for the past few years decided it was time to get baptized!  What a miracle and privilage it was to see them make steps that will bring their family closer together.  i am so blessed to have been there when they were prepared to come unto the Lord.
    April 2013; I'm a district leader now.  What's that?
    I learned that we as people will rarely know what miracles we will be part of, or what prayers we will answer for other people, by simply doing something good.  My prayers were answered by lots of folks that simply followed heir gut feeling (which was probably the spirit) that told them to do something good.
    I also learned that saying goodbye doesn't get easier no matter how many times you do it.
Here we go again.

Is lLife Driving You Crazy?

This is a question that many of us ask.
When will help come?
When will this pass?
Why is this so hard?
Life will kick you in the rear.  When this happens, sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy.

Sometimes it makes me feel like the conductor of the train heading to insanity.

Know that we are not the only ones that have asked this question.
I am sure Nephi asked that question when his brothers murmured and conspired against him, as we read in the Book of Mormon.
I know that Joseph Smith asked this question while in liberty Jail, as he asks in Doctrine and Covenants section 121 "Oh God, where art thou?"
I am sure that the pioneers that crossed the planes suffering pain and death asked this question.
I know that many people in our world today ask this question at times, especially when life rears it's ugly head.
I would not be surprised if our Savior, Jesus Christ asked this question while performing the Atonement.

And yet, we are taught that all of the Hell we experience in this life, is for our benifit.
In the Book of Mormon, the people of Alma were enslaved and placed under heavy burdens.  They cried for help, and the Lord responded saying
"And I will also ease the burdens which are placed upon your shoulders that even you cannot feel them upon your backs." (Mosiah 24: 14)
The Lord promises help and strength, not immediate deliverance.
The people were delivered after they learned and showed "Faith" and "Patience".

Easier said then done.
All you can do is trust in the Lord.  Turn to him for help.
And one day, you'll look back and see how far the Lord actually helped you come, and you didn't even notice him there!
That's how the Lord will work at times.  There are times when we don't know how much he carried us through until we look back at the memories of our challenge and then we realize He was right there.

So don't worry, you are not alone.  And you are not going crazy.  You are just learning how to have patience and faith, whether you know it or not.
And I'm not going crazy.  I've already been there!

"Oh Lord, where were you hiding?"
He wasn't hiding.  You were riding on His shoulders.

AREA 5- Malta

Malta:  Where many are cold, but few are frozen.

     When I first went to Malta, I didn't like it, at all.  I considered it "Cold Exile." I was less than excited when my companion and I were driving along the high-line of Montana from Great Falls to Havre to malta.  Not to mention we had to spend an extra day in Havre because we didn't have the car keys.
I made a joke that the Lord had an extra can of "ugly" He needed to use when He was creating the high-line.  And though the environment was hostile, when I got to Malta I was glad to see that people DID live there.  But I was even more glad to discover how great those people are.
     Malta is a bitter-sweet area for me.  While I was there, the Adversary was hitting, hard.  So much happened there that gave hard memories to me.
But because of that, I was taught some things by the Lord.
     No matter how rough our circumstances are, the Lord blesses us with relief.  In my case, He blessed me to get to know some great people, one family in particular,  who helped me keep smiling. 
In the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 24: 14, the Lord lets us know a very important lesson.
"And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."
      Notice how it does not mention anywhere in there that the Lord will take our burdens away.  Instead, he gives us strength to overcome.
That strength can come from a variety of different sources; in my case that source is people.
In Malta, I was blessed with amazing people that were right next to me during all of those unpleasant times the adversary hit.  One occasion in particular, right when I needed help and was praying to the Lord for some, the phone rang and one of the members of the branch was right around the corner heading my way.
      I have always had a concept of God visiting His people in their trials, but there are times when all of us forget.  And the Lord was patient with me and decided to remind me.  I remember on especially cold day walking through Malta and thinking of the challenges that I had seen there.  I remember my mind being so caught up in all the stress which had been and still does affect my sleep on occasion.  At this time, I couldn't stop a few tears from coming to my eye.
And then the tears froze in the sub-zero weather and my eyes were glued closed.  Oh crap!
My companion was walking right behind me but I didn't let him see me do that.
After I peeled my eyes open again and tried to slow my brain down (didn't work) our telephone just happened to ring and our branch mission-leader brightened the day right up.
     That was my sign that no matter where you are, the Lord will always answer prayers.  Even in the middle of nowhere, Malta.  I am grateful that the Lord sent me there!  I am so grateful for the Malta lesson, for the experiences I had there (even some that were not pleasant, but I learned a lot from them) and for the amazing people that I met in Malta.
My time up there was pretty short, but maybe the Lord will send me back for a 2nd tour of duty.  Stranger things have happened!

AREA 4- ROUNDUP (my home)

I remember that cold spring day in Belgrade when I received the call that I was leaving and going to Roundup.  I was questioning "what did I do wrong to deserve this?!"
And now, 9 months later, I wonder "what did I do right to get sent to Roundup?"
A whole lot can happen between the months of March and December.  I could write a whole book about Roundup from all that happened.  And even though so much happened, I feel like those months went by a little too quick.
In Roundup, I have worked cattle, chopped wood, built rabbit cages, helped evacuate people from several forest fires, fixed fences, had some of the most challenging and sad times, and the most rewarding and happy times, and been blessed to get to know some of the most amazing and dear people to me in my whole life.  I feel so blessed that I was able to serve in Roundup and for that long period of time.  I am even more grateful that the good people here welcomed me with open arms.
When people asked me where home was and who was my family, the first thing that came to mind was Roundup and the good families that have been so good to me.
So, let some of the story-telling begin!

Ranch Life
After leaving Belgrade, I was feeling pretty down for that first few days.  That quickly disappeared when my companion Elder Owens and I had the opportunity and privilege to brand cattle.   I loved this opportunity!  I've already written a blog about branding, so I will keep this pretty simple.  At first, I didn't know what to do or think.  It was pretty new to me (I didn't know people still used spurs to ride horses). We went out to the Branch President's ranch and were able to work side by side with members of the branch, and with some of the local ranchers.  Many of the people I worked with became very good friends by the time I left Roundup.  I bet I was pretty funny-looking as I did that for the first time.
I loved working on the ranch!  We would spend our P-Days out there and I never had a bad time.  Half of the reason I loved going out there was being able to be around some really awesome people!   Working on ranches in Roundup has made me seriously consider becoming a full-time ranch hand as a profession.
I have had some of the most spiritual experiences and conversations on the ranch and was able to see many blessings come to the work in the Roundup area from the time we spent working on the ranch.  I am so grateful for this opportunity (and for the patience that the ranchers had with me when I made a stupid mistake).  Gotta learn some way!

The Fires
I have written an entire blog on this experience also.  I will not say a whole lot about it here, other than this.  During the fires, my companion Elder Hunter and I saw the hand of God manifesting itself among His children in Montana almost daily.  We saw miracles happen during this fire.  We saw people lose everything.  We worked hard for the community.  From that, we saw blessings come to the Lord's work in Roundup.  People saw us and were not as closed off to us.  Doors opened.  People became friendly to us.  Everybody in the town knew who we were.  Half of them loved us, the other half hated us (probably scared of my white hair) but at least they all knew us!
There is nowhere I would have rather been serving during the fire than in Roundup, and nobody I would rather have for a companion at that time than Elder Hunter.  I am grateful that I was able to be here for this experience.  During these fires, both Elder Hunter and I were able to feel the spirit working in us as we helped as many people as we could.  It was very interesting to watch the Holy Spirit guide us when we had no idea what we were going to do.  I am so grateful that the Lord let me be in Roundup during this time.  I have made so many great friends in Roundup because of the fire.  I am also grateful that the Lord made sure we were safe during that rodeo!

Roundup Branch Wood-Cutting Project
Back in Utah, my ward does a wood-cutting project every year to make sure families in the area are ready for a hard-hitting winter.  I was so excited to hear that my beloved Roundup Branch does the same thing!  We started in the morning and weren't done until the sun was going down.  I have cut wood with many different groups of people throughout my life, but none have impressed me more than what I saw with this branch.  Even though the wood was heavy and wet, I saw sisters in the branch and kids working right along side the brothers.  For part of the day, I was loading stumps on a log-splitter that Sister Robison was running.  I would load the wood, she would split it with the splitter then I would hand it to Sierra who would throw it in a trailer.  Well, this didn't go on too long until I looked up and had a whole row of kids standing next to Sierra that wanted to help!  That really impressed me!  So I handed wood to all of them and they carried it and loaded it without complaint.  It isn't everyday that you see kids who are willing to work like that.  They didn't quit there either.  None of those kids quit until the tractors stopped bringing trees and the log-splitters were shut off.   As we were delivering the wood, just as we got to our drop-off, a tire blew on the trailer.  We were blessed that it didn't blow any earlier.  I am so grateful I was able to be in Roundup for this experience.

The Mission
When I was in Belgrade, I was still having a hard time trying to figure out if being a missionary is something I should be doing.  I came close to quitting and going home, because I wasn't 100% sure that the Lord wanted me on a mission in Montana.  After my time in Roundup, I discovered that I was, for certain, where the Lord wanted me to be.  I was in Roundup when I decided that I would stay on my mission and would serve as honorably as I could.  I have the experiences, the prayers and the people in Roundup to thank for that.  I will be eternally grateful to the Lord for sending me to this area.  It has changed my life!  I shiver with fear to think that I almost went home before I got sent to Roundup.

The People
Though I had fun on the ranches working cattle, saw amazing things happen during the fire, learned to love the rugged beauty of the landscape, etc. the highlight of the Roundup area was the people.
We met some crazy ones.  That was fun!
Along with them, we met some of the greatest people and the most awesome children of God to walk on the planet.  The good made-up for the bad in full.
I have made so many good friends during the past 9 months in Roundup then I could ever imagine.
Saying good-bye to them was one of the hardest things I have ever done.
They impacted me with their hard-working, fun-loving spirits.  They made me smile when I really didn't want to.  They opened their doors to me when I felt lonely and let me be a part of their lives with open arms.  With some of them, I was able to see amazing changes come to their lives because of the gospel.  I was able to see some of them come to Christ as they followed his gospel and decided to be baptized.  I saw their lives change as they received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
My last Sunday in Roundup, the branch president's daughter was baptized.  That Sunday was the happiest, and hardest days I have ever been to church.  I got to see all those awesome people who I consider friends, see one of them get baptized, and then had to deal with the sadness of knowing I was leaving them all behind for a while.
There are many members of the branch that I couldn't help but smile around, no matter how low I was.

There are families in the branch that have impacted me so hard that I pray will always be a part of my life!  They have been so kind to me during my stay and I hope that I have done something, anything, right to deserve that.
Saying good-bye on that cold winter Sunday night to those families was the hardest thing I've done.  I cried to the point that I was dehydrated the next morning and for a few days after that!  At that point, I was almost angry at the Lord for sending me away.  I wondered why I was being separated from those I love.  That was my attitude for a while until I received an answer.
     The purpose is for me to learn; to learn how much I love these people, to learn what amazing examples they have been to me, to learn that I would do or give anything to be able to see them again.

The area of Roundup taught me this;
Do your best and work hard.  Not for your own gratification or glory, but because the good people around me deserve all and more than I can give.  I would never want to disappoint them.

Roundup has changed my life!
I gave it my all for the people here, and hope that some good has come of it.
I pray that I have been a blessing to the people here, not a burden.
I am very grateful for this computer because none of you can see me crying right now!

I think I promised over 100 people that I would be coming back to Roundup.  Rest assured that you will see me again, because if you don't, I'll be in a heap of trouble.

I also came across this in Roundup;
"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." -John Wayne

January 15, 2013; I'm back for another round!!!

Lessons from Branding Cattle

One thing I've been lucky to have the chance to do while serving in Montana is branding cattle.  I remember first watching a calve being branded and thinking "what in the world is going on?!"  My first branding was with the branch president up here in Roundup, MT.  When it was time for me to wrestle the calve, I was probably a pretty comical sight for many of the people there, even little kids, who had been branding before.  My missionary companion at the time, Elder Owens, had already worked cattle and knew what he was doing.  He tried to reassure me that it would be no big deal and I would do fine.  I am glad that he couldn't see my feet shaking in my boots with fear!  We later talked to some members of the branch who would be branding that day with us.  They said they would bring a helmet for me to use.  "Wait, what?" I learned they were joking with me, but it may "come in handy." "Peachy."

My nerves were running for quite a while.  I questioned how this experience was gong to go down.  I was praying hard that I would be able to work hard, and not get run over by a horse or chased off by the calves.  Plus, I would be wearing a helmet.  What could go wrong?

      Well, now several hundred head of cattle later, i am very happy to say that I now know how to throw a calve (kind of) and I didn't get run over by a horse! 

This experience has brought a few gospel-related lessons to mind.  One is that of faith.  We are told in Ether 12:6 that we must, on occasion, take a blind step of faith and trust in the Lord.  James 2: 17 says "even so, faith without works is dead."  I could have prayed all day for the Lord to bless me to be a good worker, but unless I get out and give it my best shot after having said that prayer, I would get nowhere.

      Another lesson I learned is that of progression.  No matter what we do, our first shot at anything, whether it be school or branding cattle will not always be perfect.  That is why we learn.  Even the most perfect person to walk on earth, Jesus Christ learned while in this life.  Hebrews 5, 8-9 reads "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him."  Christ learned from His challenges, and so can we.  Every calve I try to wrestle, will help me to do it better the next time.

       Another lesson I learned is patience.  I was frustrated a few times that I hadn't done as good of a job that I wanted to with one calve.  I had to learn to be patient with myself when I didn't measure up to my own standards. 

     All in all, I am so very grateful that I was blessed with this opportunity to learn.  I love working cattle, now!  I am also very grateful for the people that showed me how to brand and were patient with me as I learned.  i am also grateful that the helmet was not needed! 

     This is one of the experiences I have been blessed to have while serving the Lord!  I hope I get to have more experiences like it!

The Refiner's Fire

Dahl fire
Location: Bull Mountains South of Roundup
Cause: Lightning
Acreage burned: +22,045 acres
Residences destroyed: +72
Casualties: 0

The past few weeks, my companion and I have been very busy as the Dahl fire threatened the residents of Roundup.  So many things have happened and so many people have been involved in efforts of relief for those affected by this fire.  This is my account.  Many people of the community are involved in this account, but all names will remain anonimous.

Tuesday, June 26.
Slow morning.  My companion and I were not having very good luck finding anybody home.  The appointments fell through and nobody was behind the doors we knocked on.  We sweated out in the Roundup sun until 3 in the afternoon when we ate lunch / dinner. 

Tuesday, driving twoards the fire: 15 miles away

It is usually mellow in the little cafe we went to.  Not today; the owner / cook had a phone on each ear and we found out that he was looking for a horse trailer to evacuate some animals.  He told us there was a fire growing like crazy, south of Roundup.  After we ate, we looked outside and sure enough, I was the biggest pillar of smoke covering the sun.  "Oh boy, " was my fist response.
About an hour later, the phone rang.  One of our frineds who we have been teaching called and in tears said "it's gone.  It's all gone.  Why would God let this happen?"
A question that a lot of people had.
We were calling everybody and anybody to find out more information.  We were supposed to help a family in the branch move, but learned that they were evacuating too.  We tried calling everybody, but nobody would answer the phone; Mission President, his Assistants, our Zone Leaders, were all busy.  After looking at my companion and sharing a look of "what do we do now?" we got tired of waiting.

LDS Church serving as a donation center

He went and put his work clothes on.  I put gatorades and a first-aid kit in my backpack, we said a prayer and got in the truck.  We headed out twoards the fire.  From 5 until 10 at night, we charged up and down the roads close to the burn, offering help to anybody that needed it.  After we had checked on members of the branch and helped as many people as we could find, we heard that another area had been put on stand-by evacuation order.  We headed up to that area and halped a member in the branch bring his horses down off the mountain.  We then helped his neighors do the same. 
After all that excitment, we went to the church building to see if any branch members had lost their homes.  There were no members there whoi had been displaced by the fire.  A member in the branch presidency spent the night at the church.

That was the first day.  For the next few weeks, my companion and I have been everywhere.  We have cooked meals at the Catholic church for fire victims and the National Guard, we have worked at our church which is serving as a donation center, we have worked with the fire and sheriff's departments and have helped anybody that needs it. 
During this entire event, I have been able to meet so many people and make so many new friends.  I have been able to work beside members of all faiths and shared beliefs while talking with them.  The entire community of Roundup has joined together during this disaster as opposed to pulling apart.  It is sad that a disaster has to be the cause of bringing people together, but at least it is doing that. 

Us and Pat Perrella at the St. Benedicts Catholic Church

I have been blessed to make many new friends while working and dispel rumors such as "Mormons have horns." I have met many firefighters, red-cross workers, Law Enforcement personnel, dozens of volunteers that worked for more than 50 hours a week, stayed awake for more than 36 hours without sleep; the heroic acts of the Roundup people and volunteers from outside continues on farther than I have room to write.
I have seen miracles and God's hand in protecting and preserving. 
I have seen amazing, even heroic, efforts by people everywhere.  Whether they were working in the kitchen at the Catholic church, overseeing donations at the LDS church, working on the fire department or for the sheriff, or the National Guard protecting homes.  It is especially amazing to see how generous the people of Roundup, Billings, and all over Montana have been as there are more donations than the LDS church has the capacity to store. 
I was touched by how generous people were.  People from Lewistown, Laurel, Billings and even fire victims were donating what they had to those who were affected.  One person spent $2,000 on clothing, shoes, toiletries, etc.  That was only one example among many.  
I saw God's hand everywhere I turned.
And everywhere I turned, I could imagine Jesus Christ himself working beside people, as they move donations, cook meals, deliver supplies or just give a hug.

And today, almost four weeks later, though the fire has been contained the acts of compassion haven't stopped.  God's hand is still visible.

"Why would God let this happen?"
It is easy for any of us to ask this question, most especially when one's home has been burnt to the foundation. 
I pose to you a similar question;
"How is coal refined into diamonds?"
In the Old Testament, Job understands how this works.  He was a man that demonstrated how pain brings growth, how stones in the river are tossed and turned until they become smooth.
This is the same concept of how pruning branches off of a tree brings about more productive growth.
Just as the Lord tells Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 122, adversity will give us experience and be for our good.  Not for our pleasure.  
We can rebuild homes, but we cannot replace lives. 
It sure hasn't been fun, but this experience is more valuable than we often care to see.
It may not be our homes burning down, it may be our hope or faith. 
Just like the pioneers, we must keep going, relying on God to help us.
I am sure that our Savior Jesus Christ did not enjoy the pains He went through, but He kept on going. 
And look at the good that came from it.
Whether it be a forest fire or a hurtful situation, keep going.  It will be for the better.

You'll make it.  He knows you can.
To all who were affected, sorry for your losses, thank you for your heroics, and may God bless you as you rely on Him during your life.  Though it may be rough right now, you will come forth as gold.

Sacrifice and Blessings

With Memorial Day, I was thinking a lot about the sacrifices that so many people make everyday to ensure the safety of the land I live in and the freedom i enjoy.  My cousin recently joined the ranks of those who sacrifice so much for what i am able to enjoy.  While he is in the Marine Corp, he will learn many things and gain a lot of good experiences, while giving up other things such as time with family and friends.  It reminds me of missionary life; how we sacrifice what may be comfortable and dear to us to come out and do some good.  It is interesting that these sacrifices bring about great blessings.
That is the way God works.
He asks to do some things, like pay tithing, go to church on Sunday for 3 hours, give up some habits that he knows will hurt us, etc. but always compromises us with many more blessings.
One of these sacrifices He asks of us is fasting. 
There have been many cases lately where my testimony of fasting has been built.
For example, lately there was a young man who wanted to receive the Priesthood.  He was ready and worthy to receive it, but some of his family were holding him back.  My companion and I fasted with him for a day to open the hearts of those holding him back from receiving the Priesthood.  About three weeks later, this young man was given permission to receive the Priesthood!  It was great to see that young man's face after he heard this good news!  He was glowing with excitement.
That is just one example of how fasting has helped build my faith.
We are told that obedience to God's commandments will always bring blessings.  He cannot bless us unless we are obedient (see Doctrine and Covenants 130: 20-21). 
It is the same way as with our country's freedom.  We will not have it if we do not work for it.
That is what our country was born on.  Had the early Americans not fought for freedom from England's oppression, we would not be the people we are today.  We may not even have the religion we have today.  it was necessary that the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullest happen on free soil.
I am so grateful for the sacrifices that have been made by the American soldier.  I am so grateful to those early Americans who had the courage to fight for what they knew was right. 
I hold a lot of respect to my cousins and family who fight for the freedom I enjoy and i know that God will bless them and watch over them. 
I am very grateful also to the early saints who went through the hardship to bring Jesus Christ's true church back to the earth.
I know that sacrifices bring blessings.  They may not be fun, but they are worth it.


Try it out!  Don't take my word for it.