It's Scout's birthday today. I remember imagining Scout turning 18 by the time I returned from my mission and it seemed an unfathomably long time. Pretty crazy. We went to Cheba Hut yesterday, which is a weed-based sandwich shop. I was so excited because they had Bob's Burgers playing! We sat and ate our sandwiches as I died laughing reading the subtitles. To quote Elder Stubblefield, in this "famine of fun," we are all so desperate. Elder Prescott departed to Riverton and Elder Edwards joined me as my new companion. He’s fun, laughs a lot, and we have a good time. His birthday was yesterday. He received a Target package from his mom, which he presumed was a birthday present. We woke up in the morning, and he said, "hey, should we open the gifts?" I sat watching as he cut open the packages with a butcher knife. He opened it up and pulled out dryer sheets. "Aw," I thought, "that was thoughtful his mom threw something useful in with his gifts." Then, he pulled out laundry detergent, toothpaste, and other household items. I could see in his face the confused disappointment. He reassured me that there was more coming. We then just busted out laughing. He actually does have gifts coming -- his mom had no intention of this package being a gift. This week I also shared some funny moments with Elder English. He has a very monotone voice, but is wildly intelligent and very funny. He said, "I took a communications class. I got a 90% because 10% was based on enthusiasm." I about died. I'm enjoying myself. As I continue to be more and more obedient to certain principles, I see so many blessings. The new short-format lessons we are teaching are just as effective and meaningful as the long ones—if not more. They want us back, they trust us. The urgency is real; we have work to do. It feels good. I feel happier. A promise Elder Wong made in a recent talk has held true for me lately. As I've studied the Book of Mormon every day for thirty minutes, my entire view of the gospel has changed. Though I did not notice it at first, it completely changed. I completely changed. Spending so much consistent time in scripture allowed for me to grow, guided by a loving Father in Heaven. He has given the tools for us to see miracles -- we just have to use them. I recently visited a missionary who has been really struggling with his companion. After a training meeting, he walked up to me and I asked if they'd be willing to do a guided companion inventory. Both a little surprised, they masked a smile and agreed. The conversation was SO good. They both talked about their perspectives, their desires, and their vision for the companionship. It was evident they both were living in different realities and were not willing to confront eachother. I've learned that confrontation is not the same as contention—a critical confusion to make. We must realize that differences are necessary even though differences can cause confrontation. We must have confrontation so we can assess, strategize, and succeed together. On my mission, at first I thought I knew what I was doing. Then, I realized I didn’t. When I began to figure it out, I shared it! Then, I came to the point that I knew that trusting others to wrestle with their problems and reaching out to them when called upon is trusting God. Thus, I didn’t need to share. I didn't need to speak. By listening, I realized how much I still had to learn. I've also learned that we must balance broad principles with practical advice. If we only talk about one and not the other, we come off as vague and unconvincing or like a jail warden. Meeting with these two, I was able to show high love and high expectation, I was able to not speak, I was able to give good, practical, principle-based advice effectively, and I was able to make people laugh. How far I've come.
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