7/30/12

hey dad just doin the same old thing day after day beans and rice and walking i will be walking for the rest of my mission our new mission doesnt have cars so yeah that kinda suck i heard mike phelps sucks now so yeah and good you guys need to start eating better and exercising ive met a lot of people up here who have bad health because of diet that suck you didnt get drawn if it make you feel any better i didnt either and i cant go shoot prarry dogs to make my self feel better either haha well tell everyone i said hi and forward this to grandma as well please love you see guys

hey what up its all good im still with elder stuller ask dad to forward you the picture the other day we were wlaking down the street and some crazy homless lady was trippin on acid or somethin and gave my comp a sun flower coverd in white sticky stuff haha there is some family that i love one we just found the moralez fam from guatamal they are super funny the wife is less active and the husband is excomunicated they love us and we got them to come to church yesterday for the first time in forever so that was good im sorry i dont have much time to right back but its all good ill try to email you more stuff next week love you guys see you and tell scott thanks for the poem he sent me

                      He's Been There Before:

The alarm rings at 6:30; I stumble to my feet I grab my companion's bedding and pull off his sheet. A groan fills the room. It's already time to arise?" It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes. The morning activities follow: study, prayer and such When its time to leave the apartment, you feel haven't accomplished much "We have a super day planned," my Companion says with a grin. I lowly utter a faithless breath, Yea, if anyone lets us in. With the word of God and my faithful schwinn, we ride off in the street. Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through. My companion and I are riding home, not accomplishing what we thought we'd do. We ride up to the mail box hoping to recieve a lot. Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "AIRBOX" We go up to our apartment; the day is now complete the only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet It's past 10:30 Pm, my companion is fast asleep. Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep In the midst of sadness I kneel down to pray; I need to talk to Father, but I'm not sure what to say. "Oh Father," I begin, "What happened to us today? I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away My hands, my aching hands worn, hurt and beat If our area was any smaller,we'd have knocked on every street." Why on missions are the days so much alike? the only difference aboutn today was the flat tire on my bike. Will you send some cooler weather? the heat is killing me! I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes. Its very hard to see. Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough? People always laugh at me and call me stupid stuff. Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack; I want to give them Book Of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back." And what about my Family? They don't have much to say. I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day. Oh Father,why am I here, Am I just wasting my time? Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind. My Companion, Heavenly Father, wha are you giving me? The way he rides his bicycle I don't know if he can even see! Now you have it, I can't go on. I DON'T KNOW what to do! That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I leave you." My prayer now finished I stand up, then jump right into bed. I need my feet for tomorrow; we have another long day ahead Sleep starts to overtake me, I seem to drift away. Then it sems a vision takes me to another time in another day. I'm standing alone on the hill, the view is very nice. A man walks towards me and says, My name is Jesus Christ." Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet. "Arise he states, follow me to the shade you and I need to speak." My attention towrads my Saviour, total and complete He says, "Your Mission is similar of what happened to me. I understand how you feel, I know what your going through; In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you. "Even know how you felt when no one listened to you At times I felt now quite sure what else that I could do. I know you don't like to ride a bicycle for a car would be sweet. Just remember the donkey I rode I was not equipped with 21 speed. I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something to hate. I remember when I sweat blood from every pore, " Oh, the agony was great. I see you don't like your companion you would rather have someone else. I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth. It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you. I remember when they put thorns in my head and called me King of the Jews. So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack. I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back." Your hands hurt from tracking and knocking on doors all day I guess when they pounded nails inro mine, I ache in a similar way. It's hard not to hear from homr when your family was not there to see. I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why has though forsaken me?" We have a lot in common, but there is a difference between us you see. I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me." He embraced me with his arms, His light filled me with His love. With tears in my eyes, I watched as he went back to the Father above. I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head. I listened and heard the alarm, when I realized I was in my bed. My companion let's out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!" I sat up and said. Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!" No matter what we go through when we feel we can't take more, Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He's been there before

by Troy Whittle