Elder Milne is Now the District Leader

Wow! Two amazing weeks in a row. Elder Milne and his companion Elder Dopp are really being blessed. Some big changes this week. Ty is now the district leader, and they are no longer in a threesome. Today is Labor Day, and I am in New Mexico with Blaine. It was so awesome to be able to talk to Elder Milne together. Blaine and Ty had a long conversation, and Blaine had tears of joy streaming down his face many times. We have been so blessed having Ty on his mission. There is very little that compares to the spirit a missionary has. Ty looked so good, and again, he just glowed with the Spirit, and his excitement about missionary work is contagious. He reports they had another great week. He said the week felt long, but looking back, there were a lot of great things that took place. He and Elder Dopp were able to meet with Leo, his wife, and three kids. They shared John 14 with him, and then he joined them for church on Sunday. Ty also shared that the mission president shared with them that their mission has more baptisms on date than they have ever had in the entire history of the mission. Covid has made things extra difficult, but it certainly has not slowed the progress of God's children. Elder Milne also shared that they were able to teach Megan again, who is now 17, and she brought a non-member friend with her. They were also able to continue teaching the lady in the wheel chair who struggles with her reading, but her husband who used to be a member decided that he would help her by reading the Book of Mormon with her. This was a big surprise because he told the missionaries that he wants nothing to do with the church. So, they were really excited about that. Ty said that they also were able to have a lot of member lessons this week. He said at first it was really hard to come up with lessons for the members, but now he absolutely loves teaching them. He also said they did a lot of service this week at the food pantry and picking up trash. While serving at the food pantry they met two people who want to learn more about the gospel, so they are going to start meeting with them. For P-day, Ty and his district again had batting practice! He said it is a lot of fun. Elder Milne admonished us to watch Elder Holland's new video called The Miracle of Hope. It is an excellent video. This is one he has been sharing with members and nonmembers alike. It was so awesome visiting with Ty and Blaine both today. What a very special experience. It made my trip back to Utah much more bearable. 

Letter from Blaine:

Feliz Dia Trabajo,

¿Que pasa?

¿Como es tu la semana pasada?

¿Sigues hablando inglés?

¿Te gusta tu misión?

¿Te gusta Newport Beach, California misión mejor que Péru, Lima misión?

¿Estes contendo?

¿Que has aprendido en tu misión?

¿Ha crecido tu testimonio en tu misión?

You mom is here in Rio Rancho with me this weekend but is going back to Utah today. She has clients at 9am in the morning and needs to leave early this afternoon.

BYU is playing Navy on ESPN tonight and Dax Milne has been getting a lot of publicity on BYU sports nation lately.  They are going to highlight he and his parents this week on BYU Blue because his mom had been dealing with colon cancer. 
Dax Milne is a starting wide receiver and a junior this year.  His dad Darren Milne played ball with me at BYU and played for Detroit Tigers for a couple years.  Interestingly, Dax has a brother named Dallin.

Will you guys get to watch the game tonight?

Have you noticed any cute girls on your mission?

Or are they all homely there too?

Más tarde, hermano!

Con cariño,

Dad
 

Letter from Ty:

Que tal mi padre! Su español esta mejorando! Buen hecho. Mom told me that you'll be on the facetime today I'm excited to see ya! That's awesome about Dax milne, sad we won't be able to watch the game! We are missionaries - can't be doing that haha. I'm glad mom came down to spend some time. And there is a couple of 3 chicks, but I'm not too worried about it. I'll talk to you about everything else! Thanks for reaching out -  love you dad.

Letter from Home:

Good Morning Elder Milne!

How's my favorite missionary doing this week? How's my Ty Guy? Today I am writing you from our home in Rio Rancho. It has been wonderful spending a few days with your dad, but sadly, I have to go back to Utah today for another full week of seeing clients, classes, and school work. Life is good, but hard nonetheless. Each day I try to remind myself that the blessings of eternity are with the mortal wrestle, and I find that as I press forward in faith, God's hand becomes evident in all that I do and all that I am. He is ever mindful of each one us, and I am continually amazed at the little tender mercies he shows me each day. These tender mercies witness to me that He sees me, that He knows me, and that He is acutely aware that I am truly doing the best I know how, and despite my imperfections and short-comings (and especially my sins), He is there to bless me with all that I stand in need of. One of my greatest desires has become that everyone I meet and know will come to truly believe this for themselves, so they can recognize His constant love and daily care in their own lives. As I meet with my various clients throughout each week, it becomes quickly evident to me those who have learned this and those who have not. There are even those who were taught this eternal truth, but they have turned away from it, and it is so evident in their lives. They have truly been deceived by the adversary, and their resultant messy lives stand as a testimony of this. However, it is not my job as therapist to judge, criticize, or condemn, but to do as the Savior does - provide a safe space for them to explore the questions and answers of their lives and then provide them with love, encouragement, and most of all understanding. Only by doing this are they able to gain the courage and confidence to begin seeing the reality of their situations and commit to doing things differently by responding to the opposition they face in healthier and more functional ways. My goal with each patient is to treat them as the Savior does - He meets us where we are, sits with us in our pain, seeks to understand our hearts, and loves us unconditionally. This is the only way to truly motivate lasting change. It is truly a beautiful process to witness. Indeed, this is how we should treat all of God's children, especially ourselves. I have been doing some research on the power of self-compassion, and it is truly life changing. We as humans are so quick to offer compassion to those around us who need it, but are we willing and able to show compassion to ourselves? When we show compassion to others, we are blessed with the satisfaction that comes from lightening another's burden and showing unconditional love. When we receive compassion, it truly puts us back on our feet and gives us the strength to move forward with our lives. The beauty of self-compassion is we receive both of these blessings because we are both the giver and the receiver. I teach each of my clients this, along with what self-compassion looks like and how we show it to ourselves. This proves to be a very powerful tool they can use as they continue on their healing journey.

Anyhow, enough about all that! How was your week? I'm excited to hear all about it - the good, the bad, and the ugly - LOL! How are your investigator friends progressing? How is your newly baptized member doing? How were the service projects you engaged in? How are things going as a trainer and with your companions? I pray for you constantly throughout the day, and you are in my heart always. 

Everyone back home seems to be doing okay. We are getting excited for Carter and Carley's sealing. It will truly be a beautiful experience. They have patiently waited, and they have truly worked hard to be as prepared as possible to be sealed in the house of the Lord. I am super excited to return to the temple. It has been way too long! The blessings of the temple are so important to me, and I have missed being able to attend regularly. I love the temple. I love the lessons of eternity that are taught there. I love the endowment we receive for ourselves and others and how this endowment teaches us how to receive the gift of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Indeed, this is what the endowment truly is - the gift of the Savior's atonement. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, this is truly the only thing that matters. We have so many distractions in our daily lives that take us away from this precious and vital truth. The keeping of our temple covenants is what truly blesses our lives and provides us with the strength, courage, and safety we so desperately need. When we die, this is truly the only thing that matters - did we keep our covenants we made in the temple, because the bottom line is, these covenants were given as the gifts that guide us back to our Heavenly Father. As a missionary, our mission president always told us, that baptism is important, but our real goal as missionaries was to prepare individuals and families to receive the blessings of the temple. Baptism is just the beginning. Perhaps this is something you can keep in mind as well. Baptism sets them on the path to Eternal life, but the making and keeping of our temple covenants is what qualifies us for eternal life. And the beauty of all this is that we don't have to wait for eternity to partake of these promised blessings. Doing our best to make and keep our temple covenants will bless us during this life in countless ways. The biggest being peace and joy.

Well, I've said enough. I hope all is well. Take care of yourself Ty, and know you are loved more than you can comprehend. Work hard, play hard, and pray harder!

All My Love,

Mom

Letter from Ty:

Thank you for the sweet email mom! I love all that you said. A ton has happened this week, I'm excited to talk to you about it. I love you so much - thank you for your love and your amazing words. I am so lucky to have you as my mom. 

 

 

Faith, Hard Work, and Endurance Pays Dividends

 This week was the week every missionary dreams of. First and foremost, they had a baptism. She is the wife of a member, and her husband baptized her. Elder Milne spoke at the baptism about the First Vision. He said he hasn't felt the Spirit that strong since his very sacred experience at the MTC when he prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true. He said everyone in attendance had tears in their eyes. The baptism was also live streamed via Zoom, and they had many missionaries and nonmembers watching as well. After the talk, the bishop came up to Ty and told him his talk was amazing, and how grateful he was that the Spirit so strongly testified to the truth of what he was saying. This same day was also Elder Dopp's birthday. What a wonderful way for a greenie missionary to celebrate his birthday in the mission field. All of the missionaries watching the baptism said how wonderful the entire service was and that their nonmember friends were very touched by it. The next day (Sunday), they held a Sunday School meeting on Zoom, and they had several nonmembers in attendance. One of them was a man named Leo. He was someone Ty had contacted on the telephone as part of going through the area book and contacting old contacts. Leo really enjoyed the meeting, and they are super excited to begin teaching him and his family. He has several kids. That night they met with Jerry and his daughter Megan again, and Megan told them she wants to be baptized. Ty was also able to give her a blessing in her car (LOL). On P-day this week, the entire zone met at the baseball field, and Ty threw them all batting practice. I sent him a bucket of balls, his bat, and a couple of mitts, along with some sunflower seeds and Big League Chew. He said they had so much fun. During his phone call, he was happier than I have ever seen him. He literally glowed with the Spirit. I told him that this week was a result of all of the hard work and endurance he and his companions have exhibited over the past several weeks. There were so many moments of discouragement, but they kept pressing forward, and chose to continue to put their faith in God and trust that the work they were trying to do would somehow amount to something. I told him that had he quit and come home during those difficult days, he would have never experienced this incredible joy that he is feeling today because of the amazing baptismal service and the events that took place on Sunday. How very blessed he and his companions are. Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing Elder Milne with an abundance of they Spirit and with the knowledge and testimony that thou art very mindful of him and his companions. My mamma heart is so happy. 

Letter from Blaine:

Hola El élder Milne,

Hola, mi nombre es Blaine. Yo estudio Espanol en la manana y yo trabajo en officina dentista en el tarde. Mi ayudante de dentista habla Espanol.  Yo practico Odontologia con mi ayudantes de dentista. Ellos hablan rapidamente.  Yo no hablo rapidamente.
Mi ayudantes de dentista hablan Espanol y Inglès. Daniel, mi ayudante de dentista toca la guitarra. En la oficina de dentista, nosotros escuchamos  a la musica cuando nosotros trabajar.
Yo practico Odontologia en mi oficina en la manana y el tarde con Dr Stewart y Dr Jensen quién habla Espanol y Inglés. Ellos practico Odontologia muy bien. Yo llevo uniforme quirurgico con yo trabajar en mi pacientes dental.
A veces mi hijos Dallin y Carter practica odontologia en la escuela de odontologia. Ellos estudian odontologia en su escuelas.

Did you understand mi carta?

I noticed where Peru extended their state of emergency and quarantine with curfew another 30-90 days.  Maybe you won’t make it back to Peru in time before your mission ends.

Don’t worry though. It sounds like you are moving forward on your mission there in Newport Beach.

Are you in the same area or did they move you recently? Are you still in an English speaking area? Any chance at speaking Spanish there?  Any areas in that mission that is Spanish?

I was given a Spanish workbook from a patient and I am learning a few things.  That is why I wrote you the above letter in Spanish to help me work on it.

Hope you are holding up. You are very lucky to have such a good mom and brothers to help you with your mission.  Use their help and experience to aid you in your efforts.

Take care

Dad

Letter from Ty:

Buen hecho mi padre su español esta mejorando. Etendì todo de su carta. Keep practicing haha! Yeah peru isn't doing good at all, we'll see if anything changes by 2021. But I'm doing good here I had a great week. I am in the same area. Speaking English, I am training a new missionary so it's been good for me. We just had a baptism on Saturday which was awesome. I'll have mom tell you about it later. 

Dad thanks for reaching out love hearing from you. Thanks for working hard I pray everyday that the Lord will strengthen you. Love and appreciate all you for me. Would love to facetime you soon. Have a good week

Letter from Home:

Dear Elder Ty Adams Milne,

How's my favorite missionary and youngest son doing today? I hope this email finds you happy and well and is able to convey the deep love that I have for you in a way that you can truly feel it. I love and miss you so much Ty, but you also know there is no place I'd rather you be at this time in your life. My heart thrills when I reflect on the tremendous growth you are experiencing and how your relationship with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost is becoming even more precious to you. It truly is an awesome thing to witness, and I am so grateful you have made this choice to serve your Savior and your fellowmen. You have been blessed with a kind, loving, and compassionate heart, and because of this, you will bless so many lives. Because of this fallen world that we live in, everyone experiences pain and suffering, so if you treat each person as if he or she has a broken heart, you will not be wrong. The more I learn about people, the more I recognize that we all have a basic human need to be seen - to have our suffering acknowledged and validated and to be valued for who and what we are. Only the Savior and His infinite atonement can truly mend broken hearts, but hearts cannot heal if they cannot accept the Savior into their lives. That is our number one job in this life - to bring souls unto Christ, and not just so they can be baptized, but so they can experience His love, succoring, and healing. Gathering scattered Israel is a mission of love and healing.

How did your baptism go? I pray everything went well, and I sent up extra love, thoughts, and prayers for you and all those involved. What a wonderful thing to be a part of! I can't wait to hear all about it. What an amazing privilege you missionaries have to administer this saving ordinance to those who desire it. How awesome it is that you have been given this authority to baptize and bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is the gate to eternal life, and it puts us on the path back to our Heavenly Home. This path is not easy and is full of distractions, temptations, pain, and suffering, so that is why the gift of the Holy Ghost is so vital to our journey. Can you imagine how lost we would all be if we didn't take the Spirit as our guide, if we didn't have his comforting influence, and if we didn't have His witness of the truthfulness and divinity of Christ and His gospel? How blessed we are to have this very sacred gift as members of Christ's Church. Our relationship with the Spirit is vital to our success and very existence. How grateful I am for the Holy Ghost. I truly believe that this gift for most of us is highly underutilized. We need His teaching, guidance, peace, and influence today more than ever. There are so many compelling voices that echo in our ears each day - we need to be able to decipher truth from error, and that is where He comes in. President Nelson has promised us that as we read from the Book of Mormon each day, we will have the Holy Ghost with us, and we will not be deceived. This is an incredible promise, and one I think about often. I love the Book of Mormon with all my heart, and I am so grateful for its powerful teachings and its sacred witness that Jesus is the Christ. A few days ago, I was reading in 3 Nephi 17. This has always been one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon because of the experience shared about Christ and the children and how precious they are to Him. I was truly moved this time of reading it because of the compassion he has, not just for the children, but for all of them. If you think about it, just prior to His coming, there was great destruction throughout all the land. Entire cities were destroyed by earthquakes, fires, whirlwinds, etc.. Countless lives were lost, and homes and places of business were destroyed. Then to make things worse, there were three days of complete darkness - so dark, that there could not even be a fire lit. There literally was no light - just complete darkness. The people that survived that were in the land of Bountiful gathered to the temple (which is significant in and of itself). Surely, they were seeking comfort and peace there, and that is when the Savior appeared. In Chapter 17 we read how he gathered the little children and then He prayed, and not only did He pray, but He wept for them. Think of how frightening all of this death, destruction and darkness must have been for them. He truly recognized this, prayed for these precious children, and wept with them. He knew their pain and suffering, and He knew how to heal it. He showed the highest form of compassion - acknowledging their pain and suffering, sitting with them in it, and then weeping with them. As a therapist and also the times I have been a client in therapy, I have come to realize how powerful and healing it is to acknowledge and validate someone's suffering, sit with someone in their pain, and then weep with them. It is truly a beautiful gift we can give to others, and your precious heart is so capable of doing this Ty - it is one of your greatest gifts.

I love you Ty, and I am so proud of you and your efforts to work hard as a missionary and to serve your Savior. It is the greatest privilege in the world, and nothing compares to it. I know that your situation right now is not ideal, but I also know that our Heavenly Father is mindful of you and all of His missionaries. He will send an added measure of comfort and strength if you will but receive it. I can't wait to hear from you today! Love you to the moon and back and to infinity and beyond!

Mom

Letter from Ty:

Thank you so much for the sweet letter mom. You always know exactly what to say to me. I love you so much. I had a fantastic week, I'm excited to tell you all about it. It's awesome you mentioned 3rd nephi 17, I read that chapter earlier this week and loved it. I made a member lesson out of it. To start out we'd ask what is their favorite name that Jesus Christ has, like savior and redeemer and why? We had some great lessons with this, and the spirit is always there. I then shared that my favorite is Healer. We then read verse 7 with them. "Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in ANY manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy." I love how it says afflicted in any manner, because he connects and heals us in any way. We then ask them if there is someone in their life that needs the healing of the savior and what they can do to reach out to them. Christ has healed my broken heart and has brought me so much peace. Especially in the mission field. Love you mom; can't wait to talk to ya! 

New Companion and Elder Milne's a Trainer!!

 Elder Milne and his companions had some changes this week. One of the Elders was transferred, and they had another Elder join them. His name is Elder Dopp. He is from Ogden, Utah and is a greenie. Elder Milne has been called as a trainer by his mission president. They are still in a threesome, but his other companion is the district leader, so he is busy with that. This past week was quite frustrating for Elder Milne and his companions. The work was slow and nothing remarkable really happened. Ty said that he prayed really hard throughout the week, and he told Heavenly Father that he didn't come on a mission for his own personal growth, he came to serve His son Jesus Christ and to teach His gospel. There were a couple of highlights this week that kept him going. He and his companions have been meeting with a recent convert of just over a year each Sunday. His name is Jerry, and the bishop meets with them as well. Jerry said he spent over forty years searching for the true church, and he is so happy he found it. He used to be a comedian, and he has also done character voice work for Disney. This week Jerry brought his 16-year-old daughter because she wants to start learning more about the church. Her mom is not too supportive of this, but they are all praying that she will have a change of heart. Ty said the Spirit there was very strong, and he is hopeful that they will be able to teach Jerry's daughter. They also had some really spiritual member lessons this week, and Ty has learned the importance of strengthening the members, especially during these difficult times. He and his companions are finding that many of the members are not partaking of the sacrament regularly or participating in the Come Follow Me curriculum. So, they challenge the members to re-engage in these things that their lives might be blessed and strengthened. Ty says that these member experiences have been what has kept him going. He says that it is often hard to feel like a missionary due to the restrictions placed on them, but after their experiences with the members this week and feeling the Spirit so strong with them, He says that this is what keeps him going. He reports he loves feeling the Spirit, and recognizes the rejuvenation he experiences every time the Spirit is present.

Here are this week's letters:

Letter from Blaine:

Hi Ty
This is a great article written about a BYU baseball player. He was Keaton’s teammate in 2019.
It shows us why we should never give up and helps motivate us in times of disappointment and even health problems. He is not a member of the church but because of this experience with the BYU baseball team he says he loves BYU.
I thought this article could help you see many things pertaining to your mission and plan in life.

Love and think of you

Dad
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__byuphoto.exposure.co_overcome-2Dand-2Dconquer&d=DwIGaQ&c=z0adcvxXWKG6LAMN6dVEqQ&r=ryfVf8QXbcFmLQ_bO2PBcZnArjgoT6pWCLfKuswq9lk&m=ZaZhQjDDFgTavdc_MQ9vDEhgV3stXTUVrJXxBIdaPZA&s=nuTynzxXLpJjr-GkNVBPY-9je3R_lgv0E4oucTOhzng&e=

Letter from Ty: Thank you for sharing this dad! I'll have to read it at the church later. Hope you have a good week love you 

Letter from Home:

Dear Elder Milne (Ty)!

 How's my favorite missionary and youngest son today? I hope this email finds you happy and well. I am very happy this morning because last night we had a wonderful rain storm that we have needed for so long. It was definitely a flash flood, and the improvements on Main Street worked because there was no flooding (at least not for us). Bishop Smith texted at about 10:30 last night just to make sure we were staying dry. I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for sending rain in abundance. Southern Utah needed it so badly!

 Yesterday was a wonderful Sabbath day. At 1:00, we had a nice dinner at Grandma Susan's to celebrate Aunt Nanette's 55th birthday. Grandma and Raymond were there along with Nanette, Randy, Carter, Carley, Shelly, and myself. I made all the food - sweet pork burritos, salad, and fruit. Then we had cake and ice cream for dessert. We had a wonderful visit and spent a lot of time laughing and sharing funny memories. We had to leave around 3:30 to drive to Cedar City to Carley's mom's house. Deb also fed us! We enjoyed a yummy spaghetti dinner. Abby was there and Craig. Abby said to tell you hello! We then spent a couple of hours planning Carter and Carley's wedding dinner and reception. We are all very excited, but we will miss not having you here. I am going to order a life-size cutout of you so you can stand in the line and say hello to everyone and they can all wish you a happy birthday!

 When I returned to St. George, I drove over to Jaclyn's to feed her cat. Jaclyn is in the hospital with congestive heart failure. She has been in there since Wednesday evening. I'm not sure when they will let her come home. She is doing better, but they are having a hard time getting her heart to slow down and stabilizing. The doctors are doing some sort of shock therapy on her heart today, so hopefully that will do what they want it to do.

 This week I start back to school. I'm somewhat excited, but mostly just to get it over with. I will have one class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2:30 - 5:00. I am seeing between 10-13 clients a week as well. I really love being a therapist! I just want to keep getting better at it. There are so many people with so many problems out there. 

 Last night I was reading in 3 Nephi, and I came to my favorite chapter - chapter 11. I love this chapter for so many reasons, but mostly because it serves as another powerful witness that Jesus is the Christ. Old Testament prophets saw Christ and conversed with Him, New Testament prophets and apostles spent their days with Him being taught by Him and witnessing miracle after miracle, and of course, stood as witnesses of the greatest miracle of all - His resurrection! And now we have the witness of the Book of Mormon that testifies of His resurrection as well. We have these three powerful ancient records to testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ and his gospel, and now we also have the modern witness of Joseph Smith - the First Vision and other experiences we read about in the Doctrine and Covenants - particularly D&C 76: The Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw the glory of Jesus Christ as He stood “on the right hand of the Father” (D&C 76:20). They saw “the holy angels, and them who are sanctified … , worshiping God” (D&C 76:21) and “heard the voice bearing record that [Jesus Christ] is the Only Begotten of the Father” (D&C 76:23). This remarkable experience led the two witnesses to declare, “After all of the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!” (D&C 76:22).

An apostle by the name of Elder Bruce R. Mckonkie used to ask congregations: "How do you prove that Jesus is the Christ?" The answer is - the resurrection. Then he would ask, "How do you prove the resurrection?" The answer is witnesses. You have the witnesses in the Old Testament, New Testament, The Book of Mormon, and Those who have seen Him in our day. The resurrection truly proves that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, and that he was not just another great teacher or prophet. 

 Anyhow Ty, I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I love my Savior. I am so grateful for all that He has done for me and for all of mankind, and I am especially grateful at this time that you have chosen to be one of His special servants as a missionary, to declare His gospel and to testify of His Divinity. What a wonderful privilege this is. Do your best to remember this each day - It is He whom you represent! 

 Love you so much Ty, and I pray for you multiple times a day. I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who constantly and consistently answers my prayers. We are so very blessed!

 Have a wonderful day and week!

 All My Love,

 Mom

Letter from Ty:

Thank you for reaching out mom, I always love reading these! I'm glad y'all got some rain it's about time hahah! The dinner with everyone sounds awesome - glad y'all are able to spend time together. I'm so excited for carter and carley! You'll have to send me pictures of it all, and that's so silly about the cut out. I'll start praying for aunt Jaclyn; hopefully everything goes good with that! I'm glad you're staying busy with your clients - they are all lucky to have you. Loved your words about Christ. 3rd nephi 11 is also one of my favorites, the people of peru loved reading that chapter. We had a great dinner Saturday night w 3 member families there. Then we read some of 3rd nephi 11 and had a discussion and shared testimonies. It was great. We are very blessed to have this gospel and to have the help of our Savior in all that we do. My love for him and our Heavenly father has been the biggest motivator out here. Very grateful for you Mom and our amazing family. I will strive to represent us and Christ better this week!