I know it shouldn't always be about the weather, but for me, it is. It just is. Pre-mission I though maybe I'd come back to Wisconsin post-mission to go to school (ag school). I now know that there is now way I would survive it. Nope. Not going to happen. Ever. (now I'm done-for, I know, I know.)
Conference was great, eh? A lot about families. And Elder Holland gave his usual smack-down. At the MTC one of the Elders thought Elder Holland was the best thing since sliced bread. He said, "Chuck Norris wears an Elder Holland T-shirt." I think he might be right. Good stuff. Good stuff. And the music was awesome!
**Mom, just so you know, I think Sunday Mornings with Music and the Spoken Word may have made me a bit of a freak among my peer group. (I know, just add it to the list...) I think I was the only missionary (excepting the Senior Missionaries) who was legitimately geeked about hearing Lloyd Newell say, "again we greet you from within the shadows of the everlasting hills... " or whatever it is that he says... Yup. A freakster. Thanks, Mom! (That's not my sarcastic voice, it's my sincere voice.)**
Did you hear Elder Perry talk about his stop in Milwaukee Wisconsin (Saturday session)? All the missionaries cheered when he said that. They were quiet, reverent cheers, but cheers nonetheless.
We watched Saturday Conference at the church, bueno. And Sunday (EASTER!!) at the Davis' house, muy bueno. They are great people, those Davises (what's the proper plural form of Davis? Davis, Davises, Davi?, no se.) Between sessions we went for a little stroll to wake up a bit down a path along an empty river bed. There were all sorts of promising signs of Spring to Summer activity. Pussy willows and maples in full bloom, blue-bells in the grass, and frogs singing in the bog... sigh... Spring is really here. I can't adequately express how much relief that gives me!
More Serious:
We don't have any investigators right now... they all dropped, gave up, moved, or have just plain disappeared. Why? Because changing is really hard. I understand why people don't make it. I don't hold it against them. I used to. I used to think, "how can you possibly not want this?? How could you not be willing to do the little work it takes?" I know now. It's not little work. It's life-changing, gut-wrenching work. It's giving up everything you are to become what He would have you be. It's worth it, though. It's worth every sacrifice, every loss, every tear, every everything. It's worth everything. I know that with my whole heart. I have spent some time in the Refiner's Fire. I know that it can be quite hot, and very unpleasant, but I also know that it's absolutely necessary. Why? Because how can I expect to become like the Savior, He who suffered all, if I suffer nothing? How can I expect to gain His capacity to love if I am never stretched beyond my capacity? I cannot. So to get what I want, to become what I need to become, I will have to endure some pain, sorrow, grief, but nothing so much that it can't be swallowed up in the Atonement. I finally get that much. Now let's see how good I am at application, eh?
Love you!
