August 14, 2007

Dear Irvine Family:

I am heading out to the field tomorrow morning! I'm so excited and so nervous! I'm going to be immersed literally and figuratively in Spanish culture and language for 22 straight months! I am very excited but I am still learning the language, but I can do basic lessons and nothing really deep. I hope no one asks me details about the Fall...not a very simple subject!

I went to the temple for the last time probably for the next 22 months, and it's really depressing. I feel peace and I really feel relaxed and detached from the world. It is such a joy to have the temple right next to the MTC and have the opportunity to go once a week...I love the temple and doing endowments for my deceased brothers and sisters (all pre-Restoration days too!). The work is continuing beyond the veil, and I know that Grandpa is enjoying himself up there.

We had the opportunity to see the televised funeral services for Pres. Faust. It is really sad to see him go, but I am very happy he's moved on to holier spheres, without pain and suffering as he has been for the past year. He was a great man, and I believe the words of Elder Holland, Pres. Monson and Hinckley. I cried when I reflected on Grandpa's funeral, of the sadness and sorrow Ruth Faust must be feeling right now, that it is very similar to Grandma's situation. Elder Holland said that 'Jim' had a backbone of steel, and that he knew Jesus was the Christ and that there is a life after this mortality. Pres. Monson spoke of his wonderful relationship with 'Jim', and of his love for others he didn't know personally. Pres. Hinckley said as soon as he got called to be the President, he wanted 'Jim' to be his counselor. What a gallant servant of the Lord! I wrote some quotes from one of his talks, The Shield of Faith. He truly was a prophet of God, and I'm sad to see him go. He wrote the lyrics to This is the Christ, so the Choir sang it in closing the services. How happy he is now, to be with his friends and family once again! I'm very happy he's not in pain anymore.

Elder Wheeler and I have been alone for two days. My district left us! 4 to Mexico Monday morning! We had class by ourselves for the entire day, and it was a bit strange. But we practice contacts and references, which I'll be doing in the field. It is strange to think I'm heading there...I don't feel very ready but I know that I have to go sometime. I put my trust in the Lord
to guide my speech, to guide my tongue to say the things that those contacts need to hear.

These 9 weeks have flown by. I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe that I have only 22 months more to serve the Lord. I cannot even fathom when I am heading home, I don't even want to think about it. Right now I'm worried if I can still ride a bike!

I have a testimony of this work. There are people out there, waiting, just waiting for me and other missionaries to just knock on their doors and testify of Christ. I know that these 'escogidos' are just waiting and praying for the truth, and I have the incredible opportunity of sharing it with them, if it's 2 or 5 or 45 minutes of our message. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus suffered all for us so he can know how to help us and our needs (Alma 7). He is our Elder Brother, and He is our Shepherd.

I read the story of Ammon and Lamoni, as well as the stories of the conversion of Lamoni's father and the trials of the other sons of Mosiah, Omni, Himner, Aaron and Mulek (Muleki in spanish). I have that same power. I have that same calling, that same mantle. It's not going to be 14 years of missionary (how wonderful would that be?) but 22 short months of hard work, losing oneself, loving the people, distressed and devastated when they don't follow up on their commitments and put in jeopardy their eternal salvation. I am going to the Lamanites, the House of Lehi as my branch president always says. I am going to remind them of their knowledge that has been lost through the veil. As Nephi said, 2nd Nephi 33:15- I MUST OBEY AMEN. This is the work: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Through baptism! Through the gift of the Holy Ghost! Through persevering to the end through going to church! This is the Gospel of Joy, Happiness, and Eternity.

The Spirit is unrestrained here. The Lord lets us feel the Spirit strong here so we can have that desire to replicate it in the field, to feel that joy and love of the Savior. I have had too many blessings of the Spirit here, God is too kind to me. I know that if I stay obedient, exactly obedient to his words and rules, hell cannot bring me down. No one can take this calling away if I am exactly obedient in every way. The White Bible, the rule book some could call it, is over the heart so we can always know and so it can be a protection to our most vital organ- the heart. I know that this is for my own good, and I dare not disobey.

I am not going to fail. I may fall short, but I have the wonderful chance to repent and offer myself to the Lord for forgiveness, if I fall short of both his and my expectations and goals. My teachers have taught me invaluable treasures of knowledge here, of to set goals with the Lord so we can be accountable, so we can know this is important, so we can have a measuring stick to measure it against. I have learned of the blessings of the work, of the joy of baptizing my brothers and sisters. My calling is to baptize, and baptize I will with the Lord's help and preparation. I am blessed to have my abilities, to love to talk, to love to get to know people. My teacher gave us blessings, and I specifically remember that he said (in spanish) that I will learn to talk and get to know the people, and that I will be able to teach in a way they understand. I read my patriarchial blessing, and it specifically says my testimony won't fail me. It hasn't yet, and it won't. I won't let it fail me, if that is possible. I feel the love of the Savior when I testify, I feel the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5) through the feelings of the Spirit. This is the Lord's work.

It's going to be hard to separate from Elder Wheeler, but I know that I will (or should) have a great trainer to guide me into the work and how to be a great missionary, that exhausts everything for the Lord. I want to be like my teacher, who exhausted everything for Him, there is no doubt. He baptized many, and I know he was a great missionary.

I know this church is true. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today, and God will always call prophets in this dispensation. There is a life after this mortality, there is a haven for those that have worn themselves out in serving the Lord. I know families are forever. I know this is the work of the Lord, and I'm a part of it!

Steven- Stay strong, build and bear your testimony!Mom- Keep crying, because you know I'm crying with you too.
Dad- help the missionaries with referrals, they need it. Be good, will you? :-)
Grandma- I love you, stay strong and next thing you know, I'm back!

I love you all, take care. This is God's work, and I can't wait to start teaching my Mexican siblings!

Love,

Elder Irvine.