April 21, 2015

***Here are two stories I shared with Sterling - he commented on them so I wanted you to be able to know what he was talking about.

Sneaker Wave:

A few years ago I had an experience with deceptive appearances where the results could have been tragic. My wife’s cousin and family were visiting us from Utah. It was a calm summer day on the Oregon coast, and we were fishing in the ocean. It was pleasant, and we were having a good time catching salmon, when for some reason I turned around to see a huge eight-foot wave bearing down upon us. I only had time to shout a warning before the wave hit us broadside. Somehow the boat stayed upright, but Gary, our cousin, was thrown overboard. We were all wearing life jackets and with some difficulty maneuvered the boat, half filled with water, to where he was floating and pulled him aboard.

We had been hit by what is called a sneaker wave. It doesn’t happen often, and there is no way to predict an occurrence. Later we found that up and down the Oregon-Washington coast, five people had drowned that day in three separate boating accidents. All were caused by the same sneaker wave, which for no apparent reason had welled up off the ocean surface. At the time we went out over the bar, the ocean was flat and calm and gave no sign of any danger. But the ocean turned out to be very deceptive and not at all what it appeared to be.

As we make our way through this life’s journey, we must continually be on guard and watch for those things which are deceptive and not what they appear to be. If we are not careful, the sneaker waves in life can be as deadly as those in the ocean. (R. Conrad Schultz, “Faith obedience,” Ensign may 2002)

President David O. Mckay’s horse “Dandy”

I had great pleasure in training a well-bred colt. He had a good disposition, clean, well-rounded eye, was well proportioned, and all in all, a choice animal. Under the saddle he was as willing, responsive, and cooperative as a horse could be. He and my dog, Scotty, were real companions. I liked the way he would go up to something of which he was afraid. He had confidence that if he would do as I bade him he would not be injured.

But my horse Dandy resented restraint. He was ill-contented when tied and would nibble at the tie rope until he was free. He would not run away; he just wanted to be free. Thinking other horses felt the same, he would proceed to untie their ropes. He hated to be confined in the pasture, and if he could find a place in the fence where there was only smooth wire, he would paw the wire carefully with his feet until he could step over to freedom. More than once my neighbors were kind enough to put him back in the field. He learned even to push open the gate. Though he often did damage that was provoking and sometimes expensive, I admired his ingenuity.

But his curiosity and desire to explore the neighborhood led him and me into trouble. Once on the highway he was hit by an automobile, resulting in a demolished machine, injury to the horse, and slight, though not serious, injury to the driver. Recovering from that, and still impelled by a feeling of wanderlust, he inspected the fence throughout the entire boundary. He even found the gates wired. So for a while we thought we had Dandy secure in the pasture.

One day, however, somebody left the gate unwired. Detecting this, Dandy unlatched it, took another horse with him, and together they visited the neighbor’s field. They went to an old house used for storage. Dandy’s curiosity prompted him to push open the door. There was a sack of grain. What a find! Yes, and what a tragedy! The grain was poisoned bait for rodents! In a few minutes Dandy and the other horse were in spasmodic pain, and shortly both were dead.

How like Dandy are many of you young people! You are not bad; you do not even intend to do wrong; but you are impulsive, full of life, full of curiosity, and long to do something. You, too, are restless under restraint, but if left to wander without direction, you all too frequently find yourselves in the environment of temptation and too often are entangled in the snares of evil.)

Hi Mom,

dang.... those stories are for missionaries.. I have names come to mind that are just like the rebellious horse... but I also know the obedient ones :) I feel like most learn eventually but others dive head first into those oats and have to sort themselves out with what they are given... man im so glad i have learned what i have learned.

but ya!!! its my last transfer!! what the heck!! its way weird but im just going to act like im getting transferred again ha to the best area on earth!! the land of never ending p days haha that's what elder winder called it all the time :) there is a bunch of stuff i need to figure out for home so ill be thinking about that.. my thing is.. with these schools... i haven't had time that i can just sit and think about it.. there is always something going. but can i wait till i go home for it make it or should i just focuse more on it out here?

im down with either... BYU would be a better church experience.. and Utah state would be crazy and loads of fun.. i think BYU would be better for me so im in a good environment. after all the only thing that matters on earth is the gospel. so i should put that first. i gave into the fun side already haha so ill tell smart i need some more time... but i want to have some guidance of where i should go. that's just sort of what i worked out myself.. i don't know anything other than what you have told me. thing is i trust you guys loads...if you said go to BYU i would do it. i got that a bit from dads email. ha i think you guys know my personality really well.. i need structure or i get lazy but i understand that i need to choose because this is the beginning of my flippin life.. man its scary. but when i make a decision ill feel loads of weight come off me. ill make the right one. im just going to try and take Sunday evening and pray about it.. ill have a fast as well.. but based off my own mind i feel like BYU would be better for my future. i wont have loads of money to throw around when i come home anyway so ill have to find some cheaper hobbies :)

man i wish i could talk to you face to face!! ha im going to keep gathering info though. the hard part is all of it is opinionated out here. i get to talk to you may tenth though :) which is like twenty days away haha ah man..

with the guys who are depressed... i have that happen every now and again... the thing that keeps me going is to just talk with people or bear your testimony.. or like i try and have a good conversation with someone.. just something uplifting.. because if that's what you look for you will find it.. i have read the book of Mormon before just at random for some positive energy

.. hmm i would suggest to just find something that is positive that you can rely on to lift you when you are down.. its best to make it the iron rod though.. i have tried it with other thing but you can always count on that

mom i gotta tell you i love you so much!! during the week i just have moments where i testify of the family and the gospel and i feel so much love for you guys. i see the blessings from this gospel everyday :) i love it!

man i love my mission.

so with obedience.. that is such a good topic.. i really love talking about it.. one thing we talked about in family home evening yesterday was sins of disposition, sins of omission and sins of commission..

every bad decisions i have ever made was driven from bad thoughts... each and everyone. disposition is like dwelling on negative or like thinking like man im doing this why don't i have this! omission is not doing something that is good. so like your not breaking one of the ten commandments or anything but you see someone who needs help and you don't. or you feel like you should share the gospel with someone and you don't.. commission is breaking rules knowingly... 

so each one leads to the other. i remember times where i would do a sin of commission but i wouldn't feel the spirit leave... that's because it left at the first one disposition.. everything is a chain ha i have seen that so much on my mission.. 

like if for example lets say i have a tough companion... and i sulk about it all day.. i still do the normal stuff but im not happy to do it.... then i start to get lazy. like man why wont this dude help me GQ or something.... well im not going to..  i don't want to do everything.. and that leads to commission.. like listening to music to help yourself "feel better" haha rubbish. but i have learned that and i know that the only way to feel better is to repent and get back on track.. music or anything else we try and "feel better" with are just an illusion.. that is Satan's way of leading us down to the gulf of misery and endless wooooo haha if we follow the mirage? (spelling) that Satan gives us we will soon find that we have absolutely nothing.. one guy we are teaching has a disease called multiple sclerosis.. so when we are at his house he has everything he wants.. a great dog an Xbox and PlayStation a big tv..he has tried all these different drugs and everything he can do... (i felt like i was in a movie listening to this)... and he thought for about ten seconds and said... this is worthless.... i have everything i want and i have nothing.... there is a gap of want that i have that is never fully satisfied... dean was with us that day and he said.. man i used to do that same thing. i used to always thing ah man that new movie or song is coming out! then i would watch it one or two times and not again... or man i want to go there or get this motorcycle... but i never found anything that could fill that gap... until i humbled myself and asked god what i should do... he went on to testify about the gospel :) man!! cool huh? i am in a movie right now.... i read a scripture in Jacob the other day where he said that his life is passing away like it is a dream.. i feel that so much.. i have experiences where im just like wow... i bet that happened to alma haha its so cool :) i wish i could extend. 

I loved it :) then just like the days of old.. elder Palu and I testified of it and backed it with experiences we had haha I'm so happy to be around him.

so my new companion is elder mogda! he is from szeged, Hungary, he is 26 years old and has been on his mission for 14 months. man i can already tell you guys this transfer is going to be so dang good :) we are going to work our guts out :) he is the new district leader here!! wooooo ha

I had been district leader for 7 transfers. which is about ten and a half months.. i'll admit its way weird.. I came in the flat last night just doing what I have don't for the past year and then I remembered I didn't have to do it anymore!! man I'm going to miss it.. I learned so much being district leader

So a little poem I found this morning

"Champion"

Author Unknown

The average runner runs
until the breath in him is gone,
But the champion has the iron will
that makes him carry on.

For the rest the average runner begs
when limp his muscles grow,
But the champion runs on leaden legs,
his courage makes him go.

The average man's complacent
when he's done his best to score,
But the champion does his best,
and then he does a little more.

I feel like that is where I am at :) ha im so cheesy!! I love feeling like im a warrior! so when I read this I was like man... this is my last bit... I need to do a little more :)

This is my last transfer as a 20 year old missionary.. I'm going to try my best to leave a mark in this country, I'm gonna talk to everyone!!

if there is anything i know.. its that the church is true :) i love it so much. I have had so many experiences that tell me God is real and that Christ walked the earth 2,000 years ago so that I can become what I want to be and what God wants me to be. 

love you guys!!

Elder Wiser :)

man I had some time to email today! flippin heck that feels pretty good. I have time to ramble on and say stuff haha

im going to miss elder winder though.. he is a solid dude.

the new guy is awesome though!!

love you!