Without Hope

My sister, Hope’s name has always been one of the unique things about her. She loves the name because she can always find souvenirs with her name. Her name is also easily translated into different languages in Spanish she is known as Esperanza and Toivo in Finnish. Plus her name is really easy to put into all kind of sentences. “I ‘Hope’ it doesn’t rain today”, “’Hope’fully I get a lucky break”, and “You are our only ‘Hope’”. My sister has heard all of these puns and her reaction is to laugh politely and to then move on with her life. One of the phrases that Hope often hears comes from her husband, who often remarks, “Where would I be without ‘Hope’?” Where would the world be without my sister? I might not be able to answer what might the world be without Hope, but I can definitely think of the things that she has done to help the people around her.

To my parents Hope has always been the child that they haven't had to worry about. My parents whose first daughter had been a terror at night always worried if their second oldest, Hope, would have such trouble sleeping. Early on their fears were assuaged as they would often find that Hope would find her way to the crib and be sleeping long before my parents even thought of putting her down to sleep at night. If Hope hadn't been born then I feel like my parents would have been a little less likely to have more children. Plus my oldest sister would have missed having a younger sister that she could hangout with and treat as a friend.

Hope, my Mom, and Audrey.

When the two of my sisters were both younger the two of them hung out a lot. As the two of them got older, that wasn't always the case. But at a young age Hope and Audrey, my other sister, were always doing something with each other. The two sisters' escapades included choreographing dances together, filming skits, and making tons and tons of cookies. The two of them were inseparable and without Hope who knows what might have happened to Audrey.

Beyond the impact that Hope had on her sister there was also the impact that she had on me and my younger brother. As I stated before Hope might have softened my parents' hearts towards having more children, but beyond that there were other things that my sister did to help me and my brother. Mitchell, my brother, and I were always very close to my sister. When Hope was in high school Mitchell and I were making our way through the awkward years of middle school. During those years Hope was always a friend to the two of us helping us to not feel as weird about the future. She also acted as an inspiration by being a very good cross country and track runner and also a very talented flute player. Watching her made me and my brother want to be better at the things we were doing and gave us hope that things would get better down the road.

Me and Hope.

After Hope graduated from high school she met the most important person in her life. That person's name was Joe. Joe who was attending college ran into my sister at a party and the first thing Joe ever said to Hope was, "I heard your name was Esperanza." From what I've heard my sister wasn't too impressed to be called Esperanza by this boy she had just met. But with time Hope began to really like Joe a lot and the two of them spent tons of time together. Eventually they were married in the Salt Lake Temple.

 After a few years of marriage my sister gave birth to a baby boy. That baby boy is probably the happiest baby that I have ever seen and everybody thinks that he is absolutely adorable. Now at this point I can tell one thing for sure that wouldn't have happened if there was no Hope. That is that this baby boy wouldn't exist. Because Hope is definitely this boy's mother and no one else could be his mother no matter who they were or what skills they had. Without Hope there wouldn't be this kid and there would probably be lots of other things that wouldn't be. So what I can say is that without Hope in the world there wouldn't be as good of a world. Today I want to thank Hope for being my sister and for making the world a better place.

Hope, Joe, and their baby boy.

You Served Where?

Lakeview, Grants Pass, Junction City, Winston, and Newport. Those are all of the towns that I have served in as a missionary here in Oregon. It's funny for me to see the reactions on people's faces when I tell them the areas that I have served in. The comments that I hear a lot are, "Where is that?", "I've never heard of that town", "Wow you served there?" or "Well at least you're in a better place now."

There have been times on my mission where I have agreed with the negative comments that have been made about my areas. Every time that I would get transferred to a new area in Oregon I would hear stories about how terrible the place was. When I went to Lakeview all I heard about the area was how small it was and that it was two hours away from the nearest Walmart. I remember that I was terrified of this small town and scared that I was going to go crazy talking to the same people over and over again. It turns out that in the four and a half months I spent in Lakeview that I always found new people to talk to everyday. I also found the friendliest people on earth and made lots of good friends.

Lakeview

When I left Lakeview to go to Grants Pass, I was nervous and depressed. I had heard stories about how crime rates were high in the town. I heard that I was likely to meet a lot of people, who could use some change in their lives, but wouldn't be willing to make those changes at all. It seemed like I was going to be in for a lot of challenges. I honestly don't think that I have ever been happier in my life than the during the time I spent in Grants Pass. It seemed that everyone I talked to was willing to learn about the Gospel, learning to try something out, and willing to change for the better. I saw lots of people grow closer to the Savior and I felt so good about myself and the work that I was doing for Jesus. 

Grants Pass

After a wonderful seven and a half months in Grants Pass I moved onto Junction City. I found out once again that I was going to another small town in Oregon. Several people told me that there wasn't going to be a single person to talk to and that I would want out of town by the end of six weeks. But once again things turned out to be a lot better than I expected them to be. Even though I could walk from one side of the town to the other in twenty minutes I was able to go out into the countryside and enjoy the beauty of nature, plus on top of that I had an awesome companion and found lots of people to teach. Lots of people who got baptized too. It was a fun couple of transfers.

A Baptism in Junction City.

At the time I transferred from Junction City I learned I was going to yet another small town that was a distance from the closest city. The town I was going to was Winston. When I asked the people in Junction City what they knew about Winston all they could tell me was that it was near Roseburg and that there was an animal safari. The missionaries I talked to said that there wasn't that much potential for the area and that I would want out after six weeks. But with past experience I decided that I would try to make the best of Winston and Winston turned into my favorite area of my whole mission. I met one of my best friends in the whole world in Winston. Enjoyed talking to friendly polite people. And even saw a baptism.

The farmland of Winston

When I left Winston I was sad to go I loved the area and the people so much and I was afraid of my next area. I was headed off to the dreadful coast for a probable couple of months. I didn't want to go to the coast. I wasn't excited for cold winter storms with howling rains. I didn't want to meet lots of tourists, who didn't live anywhere near Newport. And on top of all of that I felt like the ocean was going to be a wall that would stop me from going to the edges of the earth. But once again the area has turned out to be a lot better than I expected it to be. I love seeing the coast everyday, listening to the wind come in off the coast, and I get to meet people from all over the United States. I wouldn't have been able to experience any of these things in any of my other areas.

Newport Coast

Despite all of the negative things that I have heard about my areas I have loved every single one of them. Some of them have been more successful than others, but there was always something to enjoy, something to love. Whatever it was that I loved it showed me that the area wasn't bad like people had told me. The same thing is true about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lots of people can say all kinds of  mean and hurtful things about the Church and about the Gospel. But they are emphasizing the negatives instead of the positive. There are so many positives about the Gospel and all it takes to find out about those positives is to go and to find out about them for ourselves. Because people will say all kinds of things, but until we find out for ourselves we will never know if they're telling the truth. So check out the Church and the Gospel and find out for yourself if it's good or bad.

Links to learn more about the Church and the Gospel

Find a local LDS Chapel

Basic Mormon beliefs

Visit with Mormon Missionaries

Order a free Book of Mormon

Remember the Good

I can remember well my first few days in Junction City, Oregon. My companion and I were both new to the area and knew nothing about Junction City. So on or second day the two of us went to find the our local church building. We had been given some basic instructions on how to get to the church and we followed them the best that we could. As we turned onto the road that we had been told to take we found that it dead ended at an elementary school. Frustrated by this building that sat directly in our path my companion tried to see how we could now get to the church that lay somewhere ahead of us.

As our car moved along the street I turned to my left to see a large brick building that I thought could be an LDS meetinghouse. I exclaimed to my companion that we needed to go see if that was the church. Having already passed the street where the building lay my companion tried to flip a U-turn. While doing so our car hit a curb and our front right tire burst. We now had a flat to fix. But the two of us knew how to change a tires, so all would be back to normal quickly. We pulled out all of our equipment only to find that our jack was all out of shape and could not be used to lift the car.

We were in trouble at that point. Looking through the contacts on our phone my companion and I realized that we didn't know anyone that we could call. We also had no idea where any members from the ward lived. The only option that we had was to knock on doors and see if anyone had a jack that we could borrow. I think it was a surprise to most of the people talked to to have two Mormon missionaries knocking on the door to ask for a jack. I also think it was a little bit of a relief for a lot of these people that we weren't there to talk religion.

After knocking on several doors a man lent us a jack that fit under our car. Sadly the jack hadn't been used in years and was pretty badly rusted. it took thirty minutes of hard cranking before the car was lifted off the ground and we could finally get the bolts off of the tire. In the end it had took two hours to change the tire. At that point my companion and I were finally able to go find the church, but it took a lot more time out of our day than we had planned on.

This was just my second day in Junction City and the next eighteen weeks were filled with weird car breakdowns, a battle with heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and much more. Yet during all that time there were some very bright spots. I met plenty of amazing people who have touched my life. Many of those people have become dear friends to me. So when I look back on at my times in Junction City it's not the difficulties I think about, but the small triumphs, like the baptism of a good friend or the time that I spent with my companion. Those are the things I think of because they are the times that helped me the most.

I know from personal experience that in life there are many negative moments. Times where we question our faith and our resolve to move forward. These times suck, but they're a part of life. Luckily these times end and won't always be a part of our lives. And when we look back on the times we have passed through we will be able to see more good than bad. Always remember that Christ passed through all of our trials and much more. Yet when He had finished the work he was called to do He still loved and He still cared. If He can find the good then surely we can too.

BElieve

THEre is

GOOD

Not Forsaken in Lakeview

On my mission there are a lot of things that I have learned to go without. Two of those things are friends and family. For two years I don't get to see them or really talk to them. Of course there is the weekly email home and the occasional letter. But mostly there is very little contact with the people I knew before my mission. At the beginning of my mission there were times where I felt lonely and sometimes even abandoned.

One of the times when I felt almost completely helpless was a gloomy September day in the town of Lakeview. I had just received my second missionary companion and the two of us were at very low lows. We had spent most of the previous week trying to talk with and visit people. Unfortunately we did not see very much success during that time. I can remember feeling frustrated and upset. Because of how upset I was I missed my home and my friends. I knew that if I could just see some of my friends that everything would be better. But being in Lakeview, Oregon I knew that there was no way I could see my friends.

So my companion and I trudged along through the day just trying to make the best of our situation. That night we went to some ward members' house for dinner. When we showed up my companion and I were greeted by the members who were watching the Women's session of General Conference.The wife apologized for having the TV on, but said that since she couldn't make it into Klamath Falls to watch the session with the stake that the only way she could watch it was on TV. She asked us if it was okay to leave the TV running and my companion and I consented.

So the four of us sat down to dinner while the session of General Conference played. As the session progressed we listened to some very good speakers. Then the choir arose to sing and I paid special attention to the choir as it was announced that the choir was made up of Sister missionaries from the Missionary Training Center. To my great joy I saw one of my best friends in the choir. It had been several months since I had seen her. I was so excited because I had missed her a lot and here I was watching her on TV. All of the depression and sadness I had been feeling that day just melted away. I felt good and at the moment I felt as if I could make it through the rest of my mission.

I soon wrote my friend and told her of this experience. She wrote back and shared with me that she had felt as if getting into the choir had been a small miracle. She had been an alternate in the choir and hadn't expected to be able to go and participate in the session. But at the last minute a seat had opened up and my friend had been allowed to go. I was amazed when she told me this and I began to see how much of a miracle my whole experience was.

I thought to myself how could all of these things have fallen into place so perfectly? What were the chances that a member from Lakeview would not be able to make it to Klamath, especially on the night the missionaries were coming over for dinner? Then what were the chances that out of the thousands of Sister missionaries at the MTC that my friend would make the choir? Then what were the chances that even as an alternate that she would make it? The chance of all these things happening all on the same day in such a short span of time isn't very good. Yet they all happened and that is because they were all orchestrated by a loving Heavenly Father.

From this experience I really came to see that God is mindful of His children. That even with all of His concerns and problems He has He took the time to help out one of His sons who was in Lakeview, Oregon. I now know that God will move Heaven and Earth to make us happy and to show His love to us. So if times are dark remember your Father and keep strong in your faith in Him. He will not forsake you, but will deliver you from your trials.

Me and my companion.

God's Love Conquers all Distance

On my mission I have met a lot of fantastic people. I've met people who own cars worth over a quarter of a million dollars, people who own restaurants, people who live in small trailers, and people who barely make it by. In this huge range of of people I've met I have made many friends, friends that I've come to love dearly. Friends who in the end have changed my life and shaped me into who I am now.

Unfortunately as a missionary my time with all the people I meet isn't very long. Sometimes I may be able to spend as long as six or seven months working in an area or I might spend only six weeks. As a missionary though you come to learn that the time spent with these people is always pretty short and ends pretty unexpectedly. I know from personal experience that it can be hard leaving, but every time I'm moved I promise my new friends that I will be back.

Even though all of these good byes are hard for me to say I know it has to be done. I know that I have work to do in a new area. An area where I will make new friends and come to love even more people. But before I leave I always promise those I've come in contact with that  I will be back to see them again someday. I don't know when this reuniting will happen, but I know that someday at the conclusion of my mission I will come back to Oregon and visit it with all the people that I have come to know so well.

And this promise that I make to those I meet applies to more than just them. It also applies to all of my loved ones who have passed on to the other side. One of the things that being on a mission has helped me to see is that separation is not an end, but merely a short time away from loved ones. Because during my life I have lost family members and friends. In fact out here on my mission I lost my Grandma and that loss hit me pretty hard and I still miss my Grandma.

Yet I know that I will see my Grandma again. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who has created a plan for all of His children. This plan called the Plan of Salvation shows God's love to each and everyone of us.Central to this plan is the family. God has taught us that families are important in this life and that they will continue on in the next life. There is no way to hear that families are forever and not know how valid this is because love does not end and Christ Himself said, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Mark 10:9)

So just like I know that I'll be able to return and visit all the special people I've met in Oregon I also know I will see all of my family members again and all of my loved ones. I know this is true for everyone. I know that if anyone is to take the time and learn more about God's plan for us that they will come know that families our forever, that God loves us, and that He has provided hope for us through His Son Jesus Christ. I know this all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Five Friends

When I was attending my first year at Southern Utah University I had five friends. That is no lie I really only had five friends. I can remember joking with my family that I went off to college and only met five people.

I have just never been a social person so the group of friends that I had at school seemed pretty large to me. It was a miracle that I even met my friends at all. I met three of my friends on my first day of chemistry class. I can remember sitting down in a random spot and having three people come and sit down next to me and like always I didn't even think about talking to them. But luckily the girl who sat next just started talking and from that point I was friends with her and the two other kids that were sitting next to me.

I can remember how the friends that I met in chemistry class helped get me through the school year. Since I wasn't very good at chemistry they helped pull me through and tried to help me understand what was being taught. I still have no idea how to do any of the stuff from that chemistry class, but I did pass because of my friends.

As the school year went along I made two other friends that joined my group of friends and brought the number up to five.Those friends were always there for me no matter whether I was dealing with academic problems, girl problems, or if I just needed someone to hangout with. Those five friends were always there to hangout with me and to talk to me. They helped me to stay on the right path. I can remember one of my friends who every Sunday would text me and make sure that I made it to Church. Though sometimes I went grudgingly  I was thankful for her invitation. My friends just always helped me to remember the small things that I could do to grow closer to my Heavenly Father.

When I left on my mission I figured that there probably wouldn't be that much contact with those friends from school. But I was wrong about that. As I struggled through the first part of my mission my friends made sure to write me and to let me know that they would support me in anyway that was possible. Which I found on numerous occasions that they did even if they didn't realize it.

I would oftentimes find myself praying for something it would seem like there was no answer from God. So I would begin to doubt and to think that there was no God or that if there was He didn't care about me. It was at these times that letters from my friends would show up and those letters would always contain what I was looking for. I would never ask my friends for answers, but they always were inspired on what to write me or when they would write me.

Those five friends are some of the greatest gifts that my Heavenly Father has given me. I'm so thankful for them and the influence that they have been to me. The way that they lived their lives by attending church each week, by reading their scriptures, and by the fact that they never gave up on me no matter how many stupid things that I did.

I hope that we can all be good friends to those around us and help them out in anyway possible. Let us seek to remain worthy of divine guidance that helps us to help others. May we continue to read and study our scriptures and to go about doing good so that we can be one of those five friends to somebody.