Beginning With The End In Mind

 

 

Dear Family and Friends,
 

Wow Austin you are doing awesome in football this year. I'm so proud of you!!!! And you're getting bigger! Unfortunately... I'm getting smaller...😫 so I think when I get back you might actually be bigger than me if you keep up the hard work!!!!! That's key!!! Don't stop lifting bud- you can do it, I know you can!!!!!  I'm so glad you were able to watch conference.  This one was so amazing!!!!!!!!! I love conference now! It's like Christmas for me.  I was sooooo excited to hear the prophet and apostles speak! Talking about prophets, President Monson didn't look too good near the end of his talk.  He was leaning over and breathing heavily.  I hope everything is alright! My favorite talk in conference mom (and you'll be surprised by this) was a Sister!!!!!  Can you believe that?  I can't remember her name but she talked on how in their family they have a
motto and that motto is "It will all work out in the end."  She told the story of a family where the mom, dad, brother and sister had all died in a plane crash.  The other 2 sons survived because 1 was on a mission and 1 was on a school trip. Could you imagine?  Picture this: your mission president brings you into his office, sits you down, and tells you your 17 yr. old brother is alive but the rest of your family has died in a plane crash.  I wouldn't know what to do with myself or what to
think!  Imagine that- especially from my view!!!  I feel like most people (includiIng myself) would come home right then and there from their mission.  But you know what?  That young man didn't... and I want to be just like him.  He still served a mission because he knew that was what his mom would've wanted.  He knew it would all work out in the end.  With that being said, think of the other 17 yr. old brother on a school field trip.  Think of him finding out that his entire family that had been aboard the plane had died in the crash.  How sad....  Not only that, but now think if them trying to figure out who's going to take care of them.  They were probably asking, "Where do I go?  What do I do?"  Those would be questions I would ask. Not only that, but he attended the funeral of his family.  He had to speak and he saw his family member's still bodies.  However, this young man with a testimony of a giant, got up.  He knew that he would see his family again and he knew that it would all work out in the end!  This story touched my heart!  What I got from this story is that no matter what trial comes upon you or me, we have to have that positive attitude of it will all work out in the end- NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!!!! I want to have a testimony like that that those 2 extraordinary men had!!!!!!!!!!!!
 




Sister "C"-  First Baptism

Now let me tell you how crazy-spiritual this week was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, this past Saturday I had my first baptism- Sister "C."  It was such an amazing experience.  There were so many people there supporting her and helping her. That's when Elder Tengberg got the boot!😬  He is now a District Leader in Beaver Valley Pittsburgh North!!!!! Going. Going. Gone!!!!!!! However, before transfers (his last day here in Olean) we went to the Palmyra Temple with Brother "C" when he took out his own endowment!!!!!!!!!!! 👍 That was the coolest moment on my mission because that's the ultimate goal in the



Brother "C" and others from Olean Ward

mission.  It is not to get them to the font- the font is just the beginning- it is to get them to the temple.  The temple is where we want to get to in the end (-that's the reason for the subject line of this email "Beginning with the end in mind").  That's the purpose of life.  We begin this life and endure to the end which will eventually have us returning to our Father in Heaven.  I know that we can get there and I know he wants us to be with Him in heaven forever. Oh Yea!!!!!!!!

After the temple, when I was outside, I met a gentlemen who grew up with Kurt,Darin and Dad (he even knows you, Mom).  His name was Dan Ivie.  Do you know him, Dad? Does that name sound familiar? Did you get his text message he sent to you? Anyways, I talked to him for awhile and that was really neat!!!!!!!!!!!!  His son, Andrew, will be serving a mission soon and they were visiting the church history sites in the Palmyra area.  How cool is it that I'm 2 hours away from Palmyra and just last year we were up there as a family and we had no idea my mission and area would cover Olean, NY!!!!!??????  I truly am blessed!  Well after the temple we spent the whole day saying goodbye to those who went up with us.  That was sad.  Bishop started crying and he said, "Dang it I'm gonna kill President J for taking my missionary."   Hahahah He's so funny like that. 

New Companion Elder Harper

 

My new Companion is Elder Harper!!!!!!!!!! HEY GET THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Elder Harper was the first missionary to start teaching Brother "C" and so now he's back.  He was able to stand in the circle when we confirmed Sister "C" on Sunday!!!!!!!!! How amazing is that it?? What an amazing blessing it is to see that.  What wonderful memories and times we had in their home!  So that is the lay down of this week. 

 

Fall in beautiful NY

  See
Ya Next
Week!


Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️

Elder Cahoon the Baboon