Hey Everyone!
I just want to start off by saying that my mind is still blown from Saturday morning in General Conference. Elders serving missions at 18 and Sisters at 19. Craaaaaazy! Since then I have gone over everything in my mind about this from people that I know that could leave on missions now if they wanted to, and what would it be like if I had left when I was 18. McKay and I would both already be home from our missions. Though........ I wouldn't have learned the things I did and met people I've met in that extra year I had. I wouldn't trade that year for anything. Sure, I was ready when I was 18, maybe even more so then when I was 19. I was so excited. In that year though, I finished seminary and graduated with a 4 year certificate, took two institute classes, went to another year of EFY, met many new friends, got more work experience, applied to and got accepted by BYU, registered for classes, and then dropped everything a week before school started (wonder how many people knew that..). I got to meet my nephews William and Jaxon and my niece Chloe (where I also got to stand in the circle on her baby blessing). So much happens in a year. So much happens in two years, and even in just a week or two. Would I have left when I was 18 if I could have? Yes. Am I glad I didn't? Yes. Would I trade my two years in the MJM for anywhere else? Heck no. The MJM is the best mission in the world for me. I love the South and the people here.
Here is a little recap on these past two weeks:
I went to Johnny Moore's viewing and funeral on the 26th and 27th. We stayed overnight with the Zone Leaders in West Monroe. Bishop Coenen actually asked me to give the opening prayer at the graveside service. Johnny is a good man with a heart of gold. He did more for the missionaries in the last few years then probably several of the other ward members combined. It was good to go. I know that our lives aren't just here, but that we lived before and lived after. The body in the casket wasn't Johnny. It was an empty glove with no life. The Johnny I know lives on and is full of life and love, probably pulling pranks and making jokes all the time still.
For lunch after the funeral, we went to the Creamery. Mmmmmm... they have yummy food and I missed it. Johnny used to take us there. Good times.
We've been able to teach Brooke and Blaine twice now. The Restoration and the Plan Of Salvation. They want their dad, Shawn, to baptize them. He's in Houston working pipeline until the first part of December. I hope I am still here to see it happen. :)
We also taught Danielle about the Restoration and set her with a date for Oct. 27th. We met her street contacting. Other then that, we have knocked a lot of doors and got several appointments, all of which have fallen through.
We rode out with Brother Dye to go see Brother Griffin (a less active who used to be the branch president when Crossett had it's own branch, years ago...he just moved back to the area), who happens to live in Fountain Hill, AR. The edge of our area. Well, he wasn't home, so we went across the river to go see Sister Ball, who used to go to the branch, but now goes to Monticello branch which is only a half hour instead of Bastop which is over an hour away. Anyway, she was less then a mile away so we went and visited with her and a friend that was visiting her from Idaho. Well, when we went to leave, Brother Dye had two flat tires on his van. Both tires on the left were flat. So he called AAA to come and tow it back into town to fix it and called his son-in-law who came and got us and gave us a lift back into town. We then went and did a devotional at a nursing home.
Saturday morning (the 6th), we drove down to Bastrop for Conference. We watched it there (that's when my mind was blown and still is..). After, the Rice family took us out to a Chinese buffet because our teaching appointment fell through. As soon as we were done with lunch, we headed down to Monroe to watch the second session. We got there right as it started. We enjoyed that and then we had a dinner with eight other missionaries from Monroe/West Monroe. It was a Mexican potluck. We brought down some tasty chicken fajita mix we were going to serve over rice, but totally forgot the rice. Oops. Well that was good food. Elder Durrant and I then went and briefly practiced our musical number for zone conference that the Monroe Sisters are singing with us. We stayed there for the Priesthood session and then went back to Crossett.
Sunday morning, Brother Rice picked us up to take us down to Bastrop for Conference. That's when he told us that the satellite stopped working after the Saturday morning session and that they had watched everything else on an ipad at the church. They called SLC and got a website link for the Priesthood session. Looks like going to Monroe worked out well for us after all.
Well the satellite was still down so we all watched the Sunday morning session on an ipad again. Brother Rice drove us down to Monroe for the afternoon session and everyone else just went and watched it at home.
So, Conference was amazing and I loved it. It was also an adventure. I know for myself that those men that spoke to us are truly men of God, prophets and apostles of the Lord. My soul is filled with such great love for them and for my Savior. The assurance that this Gospel and Church are His, is a knowledge that I wont trade for anything else. I just wish that people could feel what I feel, and then they too would have no doubt that this is His work. We are doing our best at bring that Spirit within us, out and unto the hearts of others, where they choose whether to let Him in or not.
I love all of you. We are going on exchanges this week until Wednesday. Elder Durrant is going off to Greenville, MS (yeah, compare the two on a map...that's our district). My boy is growing up so fast! I love training. I know that all the missionaries I have served with have been with me and I with them for specific reasons. I needed them. I have learned so much about myself and others because of my companions. It's almost unfair at how much serving the Lord has blessed me personally. Serving the Lord will always bring us joy and knowledge, as long as we do it for Him and out of love and for no other reasons. Leave the feelings of pride, selfishness, hate, and fear behind and fill your soul with love, faith, and hope. Serve Him with all willingness and all that you have. Hold nothing back. If President Monson can be an apostle for 49 years, then we can serve a two year mission, we can do our home teaching, we can do our family history and temple work. It is all the same great redeeming work. Do it for God, and leave all else behind.
I love y'all. I really truly do. I can say that for anyone that will read this. My heart is full. Jesus is the Christ. He is my Savior and friend.
Love,
Elder Dwight Mendenhall
