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.

The Pioneer Challenge

We interrupt the area reports for this message.  Not to worry!  The area reports will continue after a few weeks.
In my last area, we knocked on a man's door who did NOT want to hear from us.
He talked of how Joseph Smith was a fraud, he talked of how he deceived millions of people, including ourselves.  He talked of the pioneers who crossed the plains walking to their death in a hope of reaching a land where they could pray in peace.  These pioneers, he claimed, were blinded and led to their death by a fraudulent book and its' author.
I heard the opinion of this man with sorrow, and disappointment.  However, I found it interesting how with his words, he proved true exactly what he felt was false.
The fact that the pioneers went through what they did is positive proof for me that they knew what they were sacrificing for was right and true.
For those who have a hard time discovering the truthfulness of this church, or at least have a hard time finding respect for those who gave their lives for it, below is a challenge I offer to you.
Put yourself in this situation:
You live a comfortable life.  You have a beautiful home in an area surrounded by friends and family that love you.  You have been blessed with a happy, comfortable life for which you are very grateful for and would be heartbroken if you left it behind.  The ties to your life here in this area are stronger than anything you have ever experienced before.
Until...
One day, a nice young man comes to you and your beautiful family with a book and a message.  This message fills your soul with more joy and more happiness than you had before, even when you thought your happiness could not increase.
However, your family, friends, community, government, nation, see this joy in a different way.
They see your joy as demonic possession.  You try to share it with your loved ones, only to have those whom you love and respect dearly, spit in your face, stab you in the back and make threats on your life.
This becomes much more than just hurtful words with no action.  They start to turn into what only could be thought of in nightmares.  People you had respect and love for now threaten the lives of you and your children.
Your family and all those who have discovered and accepted this new happiness and ideas are forced by the government to move away from your home.  The government, which was originally written for religious acceptance, treats you as hostile, doing the very thing they were designed not to do.
You have little or no frontier experience, which means you will be learning by trial and error.
You must travel across the country in a harsh and unfriendly environment.
You and your family must experience the most extreme conditions of
thirst, hunger, fatigue.  Your food per day will average 10 ounces of flour mixed with water, and will go below this average as you continue, becoming more and more weak.
Not to mention diseases that escalate your conditions, snakes and wolves, uncharted terrain, violent Indians and mobs, several experiences that strike fear into the hearts of you, or your little ones.
Did I mention that you will be doing this on foot?  The only things you can bring are those that you can carry.
All of this will be done in weather that chaps the hide of coyote and rattlesnakes.
Extreme heat, dust, wind.  Freezing cold, blizzards, hail.  The temperature will be well below freezing.  The snow will be more than 18 inches deep multiple times.  The only shelter you will find from this will be in natural mountain coves or under the contraption you built by hand to carry your supplies, or the bodies of those who have passed on.  You will find several rivers, streams, rocks, mountains, blocking your way.  In the middle of the harsh weather and living conditions you are suffering, you must cross these frozen rivers, climb these mountains, etc.  Doing so will most likely cause physical injury, disease and death.  Not only must you get your family and luggage across this river, but you must also help strangers you are traveling with to cross this river.
Not only must you take your family on this journey, but you will help others along the way out of kindness, not strength. Your clothing will have no technology to block out the weather.  It must be cotton or wool.  Your shoes will in no ways be ergonomic.  They will be built by hand.
All of these conditions will take the lives of your loved ones; spouse, children, parents, dearest and closest friends, etc.  The image of your loved ones lying dead by the side of the trail will haunt you for the rest of your life.
You will travel thousands of miles to a land you have heard nothing of, with people you have never met, arriving jobless and homeless at your destination, tearing your family and yourself apart all because of the book you read and the ideas you accepted.
You must do all of this willingly, relying on God to get you there.
Would you do this for something you knew were not true?
There is only one answer to the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ; it happened!
If it did not, those who believe it to be false must explain what caused so many people to pursue this journey, and it is not enough to simply declare so many good Christian people as possessed by demonic evils.
Have some respect for those who did this because they knew it was right.  They were guided by the hand of God on their journey, and they saw the miracles to prove its truth.

AREA 3- Belgrade!

Good ol' Belgrade!  I just came from you, and you will always hold a special place in my heart!
Well, this was my second area on my mission.  When i got the call, I was NOT excited to have to leave Kalispell, at all.  I was afraid of it being a place filled with scary people, unfriendly scenery, and I don't know what else I was afraid of while moving there.
However, when I got there, I was pleasantly surprised!  I had an awesome time at Belgrade!  I loved the mountains around us.  It seems that every morning there was another sunrise that was even more epic than the one I saw the other day!  The Gallatin Valley, where Belgrade and Bozeman reside, is one of the prettiest valleys I have seen in Montana.
I quickly made a lot of friends in Belgrade.  Just like Kalispell, the ward members were amazing.  I look up to the little wards in Belgrade and all of the people there.  I made good friends with our host family, the Bakers!  Joel Baker and I quickly became friends when he showed me his guitar and we had a short jampsession the first night I was there!  I had so much fun living with the good Baker family and will always be grateful to them, just as I was with the Moss family, my host family in Kalispell.
In Belgrade, I learned of perseverance.  When I first cam there, I was having a hard time with my mission.  I was wondering if I would make it.  I set the goal to go to my 6 month mark, take a look and inventory of myself and make a decision from there of either staying or packing up and leaving my nametag behind.  Well, in the 3 months of being in Belgrade, with the help of good friends in the wards, other missionaries including my mission president, and all of the fun I had with my companion, Elder Hokanson, I was surprised to find that 3 months in Belgrade went really fast because of the good times we had.
There were still hard days in Belgrade.  Those will happen no matter where you are!  One of the things that pulled me through those were visits with an elderly member of the Belgrade war, Helen Jensen.  This good lady has been a good friend to missionaries for a long time, and I feel very blessed to have met that good lady!  She made me laugh many times, sometimes when I most needed it.

I LOVE Belgrade!  I will be returning for sure; partly because of the 3 ski resorts that surround the Belgrade/Bozeman area.  But until then, Belgrade and the good people that live there, will always have another special place in my heart!  The one right next to Kalispell.

AREA 2- Kalispell

So, technically, this should be AREA 1, but then I would have to change the MTC to AREA .5 and I don't want to do that. 

This is where my mission began!  My first area, and I can't imagine a better place to start out!\

Kalispell is special to me for many reasons.  I guess this sentimentality caame from the trials I had of adjusting from the life I was living and the life I would be living. 

Some of the hardest of trials and gloomiest of times happened here in Kali.  However, those dark times cannot hide the light!  Just as you can't darken a room with a "flash-dark" instead of a flashlight.  Darkness is simply the absence of light.  And there most certainly is light in beautiful Kalispell.

And this is the place where it all began.  This is the starting line, the beginning of the runway, the first stage of the flight. 

Were there rough times?  Of course.  There are rough times everywhere.  Apparently, they weren't rough enough to make this airplane crash though!

One of the things that really pulled me through, and that I miss about Kalispell, is the friendships I formed there.  The members and nonmembers of the church that I was able to talk with and laugh with will always hold a special place in my heart.  That is one thing that kept me there!

\I have learned from Kalispell that no matter how different we all are from each other, we can still be friends.  I learned to be patient as a missionary.  I learned that miracles happen every day!

I spent Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas up in Kalispell.  Each holiday was spent with a member family to whom I will always be grateful for their hospitality and letting us be a part of their lives for the time we were there.

I had a hard time leaving Kalispell.  That is something about missions that I am not fond of; how we have to say goodbye to so much, so often!  The time I spent in Kalispell, I will not have it again, but I will always remember it and smile!

Kalispell was great!
And they opened a Panda Express while I was there too!  Can't complain about that!

Mission Briefing - AREA 1

This morning, I was thinking about how much I love the area I am serving in.  I thought of transfers (tomorrow) and how much I hope that my companion and I get to stay here.  I thought of how much I have loved every area I have served in, how much I have learned in each area, and the friends I have made.  So I have discovered a grand idea!  I shall do a report of each area that I have served in!
And it begins now!
And here is a picture of a jet.

AREA 1: Missionary Training Center, Provo, UT
This place was only 7 miles away from my house (also known as home-base!).  I could have run to my grandparent's house for lunch and made it back in time.
I have a love-hate relationship with this place. 
I had a hard time staying inside for so long, reading so much, trying to learn as much as I could while there.  It was a hard adjustment for me.  I think of it as the pre-mission briefing on an aircraft carrier.  I was nervous, uncertain and unaware of what would happen.
That is why I have this picture of an F-14 tomcat on an aircraft carrier.  That's something I wanted to do if I grew up.
What I loved about the MTC (aside from free BYU ice cream on Wednesdays) is the spirit that was there.  I learned and grew so much from that not-so-fun experience.  I learned how to fully trust in the Lord; it would have been hard not to!
That was the takeoff point of this mission.
What can be learned is that we as people can do ANYTHING if we trust in God.  We may not think that we can do it ourselves, but if we just move forward with our trust in the Lord, one day we will look back and see how far we have flown!

Fruits of Living the Gospel: Cafe Rio!

Okay, so I wrote a post about the temptations of the devil and Chinese food.  It is now time to write about the opposite end of the spectrum; how the gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed the lives of those who live by it and Cafe Rio! 
Do you have a friend from church or school?  Do you look up to them?  Can you see how happy they are because they are living the gospel of Jesus Christ?  What makes them that happy?  What is church doing for them? 
And is it doing the same for you? 
Christ tells us to "come unto" Him.  In exchange, He will give us relief from the things that drive us crazy down here on earth.  He will "ease our burdens" and help us find happiness and purpose in this life. (see Matthew 11: 28-30)
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet father Lehi tells of a dream he had in which he partook of fruit from the tree of life.  He said that the fruit would make one happy.
"10 And it came to pass that I beheld a ^atree, whose ^bfruit was desirable to make one ^chappy.

 11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the ^afruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted....

 12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great ^ajoy;.."

(1 Nephi 8)

He compares this fruit to living by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, are you partaking of the fruit?  Or are you just standing by the tree?  If you aren't tasting this awesome fruit, what is holding you back?

You can see how this gospel has blessed the lives of those around you.  I know I can.

Jump in line here at the Cafe Rio of the gospel!  Don't fall for the easy or bad way of the Chinese buffet!  Here lies true happiness!  This food will not give you stomach cramps!  You won't regret coming here.

Open your eyes and taste the fruit!  Decide to follow Jesus Christ!  Have faith in Him.  Turn away from the things you are doing that would make Him sad!   Be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!  This is so much better than living without!

Despite how our faces look, we are VERY HAPPY

Forget about the things that hold you down.  They may be appealing now, but they won't last.  They will leave you faster than Chinese food and leave you in pain!  Cafe Rio will stay with you and enrich your life forever.

It may seem silly of me to compare the gospel of Jesus Christ to food, but it makes sense to me.

I invite everybody to come and partake of the fruit of the gospel.  This is His true church!  I know it!  I can see it as I see how others live, as well as in myself.

Come find out!

The Temptations of the Devil: Chinese Food

Strawberry milk is another temptation, also.

I have always liked Chinese food.  That doesn't mean it always likes me.  I find it interesting how I love to eat it, but then it causes my digestive system so much grief.  You would think I would stop eating it after a while.  I have been pretty good about avoiding it, but every once-in-a-while I give into temptation.  When this happens, I often have instant regret.  I sacrifice my stomach's well-being just to please my own cravings.  Why do I do this to myself?  Why do we all do things like this to ourselves?
In the same way that I am tempted by delicious, salt-filled chicken and rice, Satan tempts all of us, all of the time, in different ways.  He will always make it look appealing and desirable.  He tells us that it won't hurt us or anybody else.  News flash; Satan is a LIAR.  He will ALWAYS leave us empty and in pain.  The best way to not feel this way is to have the self-control to say NO.  It will be difficult.  If it weren't difficult, there would be no point in making decisions.  We must have the strength to say no and turn away from the darkness and into the light.  Through our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can have the strength and motivation to make decisions that won't give us spiritual stomach cramps.
I am not saying that Chinese food is of the devil, I am just likening a temptation of mine to temptations we will all have.  When facing a decision, look in the long term.  Getting a tattoo now may not look like it will hurt anybody, but what will that look like when you have to tell your children why they should not get a tattoo?  That is just one example.
Jacob 6: 12 "Oh be wise, what can I say more?"

It's OK to be Goofy

Two or three years ago, I was skiing with my cousins.  Skiing is always a grand-ol' time for us, and a little friendly competition never hurt anybody.  What does hurt is when my ego gets in the way of having fun.  Sometimes, and i have been guilty of this, we are so concentrated on being the FIRST, the BEST, the FARTHEST, that we forget why we are here (-enter your favorite activity here-)-ing.  If you ski, it's OK to not be the best.  Are you having fun?  If you play basketball, it's OK to not be the best player there.  If you ride motocross, it's OK to not win all the time. 

I see a common issue coming here.  A little thing I call pride gets in the way of fun every now and then.  As human beings that aren't perfect, we sometimes let pride take over and we become so focused on satisfying ourselves and our own ego that we will forget why we are even doing our favorite activity other than to beat our neighbor at it.  All through the Book of Mormon, we see how the Nephites go through a cycle of pride over and over again.  So, what is OUR pride cycle?

So, what is a good way to diffuse our pride?  Well, from my approach (that of a skier / motorcycle-rider / whatever) a good way to forget about who's winning is to be goofy.  Laugh!  If you aren't having fun, why are you doing what you're doing?  It is our choice to have fun or not.  Are you smiling?  Are you laughing?  Are you laughing at yourself?  Are you laughing at your own mistakes?  Why not?

NOW THEN, this does NOT mean that you should be ANNOYING!  Help others have a good time too!  Don't make them hate riding up on the chairlift with you! 

-(I apologize to anybody I have annoyed on Sundance Arrowhead chairlift.  If you don't forgive me, get over it)

Another thing, I am not discouraging pushing ourselves and developing our talents.  That is one of the reasons we are down here on earth.  What I will encourage is to have fun and enjoy that process of learning and growing.  Don't get discouraged or angry when a horse bucks you off, get right back on and try again having learned from the previous fall and a sore back.  Click into ski bindings, kick-start that bike, put on a helmet and be ready to laugh and have fun!  It's OK if you make a fool of yourself once in a while.  It helps you learn.

As I write this, my cousins come to mind.  They are a good example of "it's OK to be goofy."  I will not lie, they are VERY silly.  I am also.  We have a lot of fun together.  One of the many things that they have all taught me is what I have written to you today.  I will always be grateful for their good example to me and how they help me learn that pride should never get in the way of your fun.  While being with them, I have learned all of these things and for all the laughs we've had. 

May you have fun in your jaunts through the forest, down the mountain, in the desert or wherever you be.

Don't forget to laugh.

The Gospel From Behind Ski Goggles

I am a skier.  (big surprise, eh?)  That is one of my favorite things to do.  I have had some of the greatest experiences, talked with some of the greatest people-family and friends, made some of the strongest memories and felt the presence of the Holy Ghost while ski boots were hurting my feet.

There is a LOT that I have learned from skiing and more that I can learn.  I feel the urge to share some of those things on this blog-thing today!

The first thing, is that with our Heavenly Father's help and the help of those around us, we can accomplish anything.  I used to NOT like skiing very much.  I didn't have confidence in what skills I had.  I didn't want to push myself.  I was held back by fear.  And guess what... IT WASN'T FUN!  I felt like this until I decided to let myself be pushed.  I decided to not let that fear get in the way of broadening my skills.  I saw how much fun other people were having and realized that I was missing out because I wouldn't let myaself be pushed!  This is applicable to ANYthing in life.  The Lord says in Ether 12:27 that any weaknesses we have, or anything that holds us down, can be overcome as long as we trust in Him.



Wyatt and Drew



The second thing I learned -or applied rather-is that we truly are ALL brothers and sisters.  As the Sundance resort's chair lifts are fairly slow I have had many conversations with people; both people I don't know at all, and people that I am extremely close to.  People confuse me.  They always will.  But from talking and, more importantly, listening to them, what they like, what they are concerned about, what they have learned, I can really see how unique every different person is and that they are all children of our Heavenly Father that loves us.  He tells us that we are His children and He loves us (Romans 8:16-17)!  For some, this is difficult to grasp.  Look at everey person on this world; how unique and special every person is individually, then try to tell me that they did not come from a loving creator.  I believe that we can all grow closer together and learn to love each other as we do things together (like skiing!). 

The third thing that I would like to share that I have learned, is how much Heavenly Father loves all of us.  Sometimes, I have been alone on a chair lift and felt like the world, friends, family, myself, were being torn apart.  At such a moment as this, while sitting in a white-out blizzard, I was able to feel that, though things are CRAZY and may never be the same again, Heavenly Father DOES love us all, and as long as we don't lose trust in Him, everything will turn out for the better (D&C 122:7).  As hard as things get, they will get better.  Heavenly Father wants us to make the most of this mortal experience.  Although it may not be "fun" all the time, he does want us to enjoy it as much as we can. 

-That is why he gave us the mountain.

-That is why the whole earth doesn't look like Oklahoma.

-That is why we have families.

 

And those are some of the reasons I love skiing. 

-Wyatt

Happ 135 Feb 28, 2012. Part 2 With Professor Crazy



I am so smart!



Welcom back to the class taught by the greatest and latest genius mind in our mortal existance; ME!  Are you all ready to learn?!  I trust you all stayed out of trouble this weekend.  Since almost all of you are in class I assume you had a safe time partying.  I know you are all probably wanting to fall asleep.  Know that if you do, you are not missing much, just THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS part 2! 

So, last week, before we were so rudely interupted by that silly class bell, we had covered 2 of the 5 secrets to having a happy life.  Today, we will be talking about the last 3 secrets to a happy life.  Hey put that cell phone down!  Modern media must not distract us from the secrets to being happy!

So what do we have?

1- Gratitude: Yes, very important

2- An adventure- I am so excited for... !

3-

(Pause for dramatic effect)

The ability to LAUGH.  That is right.  How often do we as humans take things too seriously?  How often do we create excess stress?  How often do we take things too far?  The ability to laugh at one's self and to laugh at things that happen, as opposed to getting offended, is something that will bring us an added measure of happiness and appreciation for every day of our lives.  Now then, this does NOT justify any filthy, foul, fiendish pranking or practical joking that others could easily be offended at.  Neither does it justify disrespect to wonderful and brilliant college professors (such as myself).  I do not want to find out that some of you who are listening to or reading this, have decided to use the ability to laugh as a way to insult other people.  That is NOT what it means.  It is the ability to accept one's accidents, find the humor in our lives, and strive to enjoy that humor.  This will yield a higher appreciation and gratitude for every day we wake up alive.

Number 4- Family.  You heard me correct!  What good is our life on earth in which we spend every day being surrounded by fellow beings, if we are not able to enjoy each other's company?  I am sure that many of you can agree with me that some of the happiest times you have had in your life have been in the company of good family or friends.  There is a reason we have families people!  God didn't give us families for the simple task of raising more hooligans for the world population!  Those hooligans will most likely stay out of (serious) trouble when raised in a home where they feel safe, loved, and have been taught to have respect for those who raise them.  Life IS better with families and NO,  I don't want to debate it!

And now the moment you have all been waiting for.

Number 5-

A knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for all of us.  For much of our existance here, life will NOT he huckleberries and ice cream or any other kind of fruit with dairy.  We will all have hard times.  That is part of the deal.  That is what we all signed up for when coming to this earth.  Sometimes, life feels like sheer despair.  We cannot really help this.  We will all feel these kinds of feelings.  And we will all have challenges that are unique to us individually, so we will not be able to fully comprehend what somebody else is feeling.  However, there is somebody who does know how we feel, because He felt that same way at one point in time.  Only by having faith in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and doing all the things that He has asked us to do, can we truly find full and complete happiness.  He is the only reason why our life does not end when we close our eyes.  I make this promise to all of you; if you turn to him, He can rescue you when you find yourself sinking into the raging seas of life's problems. 

Well my dear friends, our time is already up.



Albert Einstein



Hopefully you have learned something from this class here today.  If you haven't, it's your own fault and you should go to sleep earlier tonight! 

Please keep in mind that all of the theories discussed during this class came from my own scrambled head.  They will, hopefully, bring added joy and happiness to your daily lives.  I am still testing them out!

Class is dismissed. 

Go ski down a mountain!