Loved Ones,
Why, hello there! First of all, I love you guys. I hope that is clear. It was so good to see your faces thanks to the wonders of Skype. I definitely liked that better than the phone call. It was much easier to communicate. It makes me happy to see everyone doing well, and it is pleasantly surprising to see how much everyone is growing up! It turns out that life outside of my missionary service does not become encapsulated in a bubble, immune from the progression of time. Alas, change is good as long as it is good change. I'd say that the change has been good on all accounts. It really was so nice to hear all of your perspectives on our life in progress straight from your mouths. There are few things sweeter than the voices of those I love. Speaking of our life in progress, I woke up to a sight this morning that caused me to drift into a moment of pondering and reflection. The new World Trade Center tower has been steadily climbing throughout my time in New York, and it is nearing completion. This morning, the rising sun stretched its light out from the horizon and let it fall on the glass surface of the World Trade Center. In a perfect confluence of the angle and intensity of the sunlight, the shiny surface of the tower took on the appearance of fire. A beacon of light was created that was intense enough to travel the miles to my apartment window while still being too bright to look at directly. I thought about how the steady progress in the construction of the new World Trade Center has been, in some ways, a companion to my progress as I've served as a missionary in New York. As I looked at that burning tower, I felt a connection with it. We've been growing up together, and we still have a climb ahead of us. Just as the World Trade Center is not complete, I readily acknowledge that I have a long way to go. But, that does not change the fact that there has been progress, and I have gained great joy in it. I'm grateful that the Lord has taken the time to lovingly build me up. He has been and continues to be the perfect architect and builder. The same Being who created this perfectly beautiful world is still actively creating bright presents and futures for every one of us. If we will let Him, He will take us to heights far greater than we could hope to achieve by our own power. The sight of the World Trade Center illuminated by the sun's rays also caused me to reflect on the illumination I received yesterday as I spoke with my family and was touched by the bright, warm light of love. This morning, both the World Trade Center and I were brighter than we normally are. One by virtue of the powerful light from the sun, and another by virtue of a light that I feel is far more powerful. I want to thank you for your love. This climb would be rather empty if love wasn't my companion, and I assure you that your love is loved and returned. You guys are the best.
This past week was really excellent. Elder Legere and I have found new people to teach, and the people we've been teaching are doing well. There were some fun times as well. A family in the ward invited the missionaries over for an authentic Filipino meal
on Friday, and that was quite the experience. The food was really unique, but good. They served several whole fish, bones and all, and I found that enjoyable. I felt like I was in "Cast Away" just eating a fish right out of the ocean. It was great until I accidentally swallowed a fish bone. The family became very concerned when I told them, and they said that I needed to either swallow a banana, eat a ball of rice, or have a cat scratch at my throat. I chose to eat a ball of rice. That seemed to do the trick. I'm not entirely sure what would have been accomplished by allowing a cat to claw at my jugular, but I suppose they know their stuff. For the grand finale, they presented a dish to us called balut (I'm not sure what the proper spelling is). Perhaps you have heard of such a thing. Basically, it is a duck egg. That doesn't sound all that exciting unless you learn a little bit more about this duck egg. Inside this egg is a partially developed duck fetus that has been hard-boiled along with the remaining yoke. So, when you crack open the egg, an alien-like creature is essentially staring at you, and the next step is to eat it. Personally, that's not the logical connection that I would make, but apparently it is a popular dish. Eat it, I did, and it wasn't as bad as it sounds. It just tastes like a standard hard-boiled egg. The texture of the fetus was a bit disturbing, but I held it down. Elder Stauffer was sitting next to me, and his bite nearly came back up again, but ultimately none of the missionaries were sick. There was a lot of laughing, perhaps to keep from crying. It was a lot of fun. I was grateful that the Balgos family gave us a cultural experience.
I have had something on my mind lately that I'd like to share with you all. One of the gifts from my mission thus far has been a deeper understanding of what the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ means to me. I have been thinking a lot about this lately, and especially about the Prophet Joseph Smith. If I may, I would very much like to share some of the thoughts I've been having. I have developed a great love for the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that he is the Prophet of the Restoration. I willingly and anxiously testify that that man was called of God to perform a great work, and I know that he truly lived up to that calling. I had that testimony tried by a man I spoke with on the street the other day, and I am so grateful that I was able to stand by the Lord's servant Joseph Smith and say with conviction that I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I look to him as a friend, and when the man on the street declared him to be a deceiver, I knew with all my heart that he was the exact opposite, and I let that man know! The witness of the Holy Ghost is something that I cannot and will not deny. This knowledge is significant and sacred to me because of the deeper understanding that I've gained of the Restoration. It's difficult to express, but I composed a poem that helps me to do so. I thought I'd share that with all of you.
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