Be Still...

.DEAR ELDER.

my friends and i were talking today about missions, and how weak this generation is when it comes to serving.

first of all, either you serve or you don't. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. i understand that it might be a hard thing...but if it were easy, what would be the point? there is nothing better than witnessing a young 19 year old boy leave his family, to serve the lord for 24 months of his life selflessly, and watching him return two years later, a 21 year old man. i'm so thankful for all of the young men of the church who are willing to serve. it not only blesses the people they serve, but it blesses their families, future spouse and family, and themselves. it helps you grow. it makes you become who you would want to be. it humbles yourself. it makes you realize what you have, and you are able to become so much more grateful. sure i haven't served, so i guess you could justify what i'm saying with something like, "you've never served, you don't know" BUT, i am able to say that i have witnessed the miracles a missionary is able to bring into a home.

.2/23/10.

a little over two years ago, i was able to witness the conversion of my dad. after years and years and YEARS of praying and fasting for my dad. it finally paid off. growing up, i thought it was normal having a non-member dad. my mom married my dad at the young age of 18 (yikes) in hopes that the missionary lessons my dad had been taking would eventually lead to my dad's conversion..when my dad gave up and ended up going back to his old ways, my mom lost it. she didn't know what to do. she wanted the best for her and her family and my dad hadn't gone through with his word to finish the discussions..what my mom hadn't realized, was that my dad needed certain humbling experiences and things to happen on his own time, and when it 'felt right' to come to the knowledge of it being true.20 years, 2 months, and 28 days after my parents were married the first time civilly, and this is a day my family and i will never forget.

'all we could do was cry'

it was on a sunday, i wish i could remember the exact date..probably around a month before his baptism, i woke up to my dad dressed for church..shocked, i asked him why the heck he was in church clothes...he gathered us all into the kitchen and sat us down. he began to tell us that during the night he had knelt down and prayed and prayed to find guidance in his life, to know what to do in order to feel peace, to feel loved, and to know what was best for his family. a little background on this, i had never had a conversation with my dad in my entire life. sure he was a fun loving guy that everyone loved! he was like a kid. he took us EVERYWHERE.he'd take us swimming, to get ice cream, to the movies, on vacations, to the toy store, everything he could to try to fill the void that was there without the common beliefs i along with my siblings shared with my mom. but eventually that ran out..he NEEDED to know what to do. so he asked. he began to finish telling us that he got his answer. that he felt the love of God for each and every one of us in our family, and that the most important thing to him was each and every one of us. it went from my sister, to me, to my brother mikey, down to the youngest dallin. an overwhelming sense of love filled my dads heart for each of us, and he knew what he had to do in order to be with each of us forever. 'all we could do was cry'. in the 16 years i had known my dad, i had never seen him cry. my dad was humbled. and i am so grateful for that.

.missionaries.

the missionaries were called the next day, and my dad was baptized a month later on February 23, 2010. we were sealed as a family two years later on April 22, 2012.