Oct 20, 2014

Mom,

Sage is team captain, doesn't surprise me a bit, what a champion.  College is such a strange place.  It was VERY beneficial for me looking back now to be living at home while doing my first year and I would recommend that whenever possible. It’s just a dangerous place these days, plus very expensive. 

Send the package the way you think is best.  I just heard DHL was cheap, but if you’re not confident in it do whatever you feel is best.  Instead of candy this time around send some cookies(chewy ones), cracker type stuff(maybe cheezits or animal crackers, that kind of stuff).  Biscuits that we don't get here are appreciated, like Chicken in a biscuit, wheat thins and stuff like that.  Thank you so much for all of these packages are fantastic.

Sydnee is such a great girl.  I pray for her so much, and I can't believe that she is almost 18.  She will be YSA by the time I get home, that's nuts!!!  Everyone is growing up too fast for me, but I suppose the world still rotates whether you’re in it or not.  It’s great to hear of her success in sports.  My own success was crucial for my confidence and social stability in high school.  And yeah, having my name and photo up in the gym and in the school magazine helped a bit too.  Plus some trophies in the weight room.  All good stuff, like brother like sister eh? Except for the straight A's, that's not like me ha-ha that's all her.  I'm proud of her. 

It was a slow week, lots of finding, little success.  It’s okay though, we plan on having success soon because there has never been any success of considerable note that has ever occurred in history without a long trail of failure and shortcoming to precede it.  Failure is the evident and necessary anecdotes of success.  No worthy success comes easily nor without sacrifice.  So we work on.   I read Ether 12  this morning, that is a very good chapter.  I love the dialogue between the prophet Moroni and the Lord.  It's such a great growing experience for Moroni and reading it really humanizes him and sheds on us a great lesson. 

I love you Mom and I love this church.  I plan on calling you guys one day for parental advice; it seems that your children are doing alright.  Think of the stripling warriors who fought on without one being killed, while countless others were dying all around them.  These are the last day, parents like you were reserved for the faithfulness and valor that would be required of the House of Israel before the Second Coming.

Have a great week, talk to you soon,

Elder Merrill