The Big Apple

Most of you know that I'm from New York...but I think some of you think that I live closer to New York City than I actually do haha. So to clarify I actually live upstate near Rochester which is around a six hour drive from NYC. Which means I don't get to head down a whole lot. But this past week I got to go down with my dad when he went for a business trip. It was pretty sweet getting to go down there and wander around the hugeeee city by myself. There was no one to slow me down, I could go see what I wanted, walk where I wanted, and go at my own pace which was great! I got to see pretty much everything I wanted. I don't really have a favorite place though which is kinda strange. I did really like Central Park and the Empire State building though. And I just gotta say that Time's Square at night is the bomb!! All of you who haven't had the opportunity to go really need to put that on your to-do list before you die haha. I had a lot of first too. Rode the subway for the first time, rode a taxi for the first time, and a few others I can't think of right now. I ran into a few fellow BYU fans in Time's Square of all places too! And they were from Alpine, Utah. Go figure haha. I just gotta say that even though NYC is soooo cool...I never want to live there. Too busy, too loud, too dirty and messy, and just not enough green. I think I'm set where I am.

Almost There!!!

It has been a very long five months. I got my mission call the week before Finals out at BYU in April and I saw the report date: September 29th. But after the long wait and the times of insanity I only have three precious weeks left. It's almost to unreal right now though. I have dreamed and waited for this moment ever since I was a young man growing up through Deacon's Quorum and now that it's actually here I can't even begin to realize that it's actually happening. When I went home from BYU at the end of April I thought I was in for the longest five months of my life. I could have used that time to go to a Spring and Summer Term out at BYU and gotten some more schooling out of the way. I felt that I was just wasting my time sitting at home with nothing to do when I could be doing something useful. I got a job working at a local wholesale club but I didn't really get many hours which was very frustrating. There was no way I was going to be making nearly enough money with only eight hours of work a week. I decided to find more work to keep me busy and to make some more dinero. So I ended up being a soccer referee for the Recreational League here in my hometown and made some decent money. I've house sat for a few families in my ward, and I've even helped a man in my ward with some renovation in his backyard. But with all the college kids going back to school I've finally gotten more hours. Now I'm almost wishing I didn't have so many! Other than work early on in the summer I didn't have much to keep me from missing everything about BYU. I didn't feel like doing much at all. I missed everyone and I even missed my classes!!! Crazy I know. I thought about taking some online courses to keep me busy but I never got around to that. I tried to hang out with some old friends from high school but sometimes I just didn't feel like getting out for some reason. So basically I was a bum for the first half of the summer. But everything changed once the Hill Cumorah Pageant came around. I absolutely loveeee Pageant. It is the best thing about summer for me that I have ever experienced and I'm so glad that I could do it for three straight years. I think I just needed a wake up call. I realized that I was just dwelling on the things I could have been doing back then and not doing what I should or could be doing now. I also needed a Spiritual booster. I knew that I was going on a mission and that I knew it was the right thing to do. But they say that the time before your mission is when Satan and his angels try their hardest to bring you down and I was definitely feeling that. The friends I made at Pageant, the experiences I had, and the lessons I learned were exactly what I needed. I can never thank my Heavenly Father enough for this last chance to participate before my mission. I originally put my availability date for my mission as July 1st which means I would have missed Pageant. But I know that He has a plan for each of us. And I was supposed to be at Pageant one more time. Ever since Pageant ended the weeks have flown by. I've been happier, more awake, more in tune with myself and the Spirit. I started studying Preach My Gospel and the scriptures more intently and on a more regular basis. I've literally felt myself being picked up from the ground and being set in the right direction. I know that Heavenly Father knew what I needed to become the best missionary I could possibly be. And now with just about three weeks to go I still have a lot to finish. But I feel that I have been set on the right path and that I am getting set for what the Lord has in store for me. Thanks to everyone for the support you've shown me. Even if I haven't specifically thanked you or told you, all of you who I call my friends have had more influence on me than you know.

Another pageant has come and gone...For the past three years my family and I have participated in the Hill Cumorah Pageant which takes place just 25 minutes away from my house at the Hill Cumorah. It's been one of the best experiences of my life! And now a week after it all happened I wish we could just rewind the past month and do it alllll again. This year was probably the hottest year weather wise. The first week was sunny, hot, and really humid. So that meant very few games of ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and whatever else and a lot more time just sitting in the shade or sneaking into the costume shop where the AC was.

I thought one year as Nephi was enough but once again I got to wear the wig and costume. I guess it was a good thing I was the same character again because it took me a lot less time to "learn" how to put the costume on since I did it all last year. The only difference this year was the scene I was in. I was in the vision of the tree of life. And if any of you don't know what I'm talking about then I'll assume that you aren't mormon and encourage you to read the Book of Mormon to find out :). But in the scene there were water jets that shot up during the scene so every night without fail I got soaking wet. Most of the time it felt really really good because it was so hot. But other nights it wasn't as great because the mosquitos just loved my wet costume and I ended up with new bug bites after every show. But it was all definitely worth it.

During pageant we have our cast team which is like our family during pageant. I must say that I'm pretty sure I had the best cast team ever this year. Even though there were only four guys, including me, and sixteen girls. But I guess I shouldn't be complaining. And my cast team leaders were the bomb! The Watsons and the Tomas were great! We got to go on a service project, which was scraping gum off chairs and tables at the high school and then moving boxes of paper around the school, tour the church sites which is always an awesome thing to do, and then we had our free day where we went to the lake. I've seen the church sites so many times since I only live twenty to twenty five minutes away, but they never get old. The lake was awesome! It was sunny and gorgeous out. 

Whenever something begins you know that there's always an end and it's the same way with pageant. The last sunday was so sad. Probably more so for me because I won't see most of my friends for over two years. There were plenty of last minute pictures with friends and good bye hugs and some tears from various people. But thank goodness for the church and BYU because there's a very good chance I will see most of them again. Even if it is after two years.

When I moved out to New York almost ten years ago I don't think I fully appreciated how close I was to Palmyra and the church sites. But luckily I do live so close because I can basically go whenever I want. I recently went through the Palmyra Temple for the first time and it was an experience I'll never forget. Unfortunately on my mission I probably won't be able to go very often but that's why I have all summer to go here.

I just felt like going and taking pictures of the sites the other day for some reason. I'm not sure why but it was a gorgeous day and it was the perfect day to go. And there weren't any mosquitos in the Sacred Grove! I started at the Hill Cumorah where I spend about two weeks in July every year participating in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It felt strange to walk up to the top and to see the hill empty. I'm used to having people everywhere, having a huge stage on the face of the hill, and being there with my friends and family. It was so calm and peaceful and I just imagined what it's going to be like again in less than a month when the pageant starts again. At the top is the Angel Moroni monument. I can't remember how long it's been up there but it's been there for a while. After the Hill Cumorah I drove to the Sacred Grove and Joseph Smith Farm. The great thing about going during the week and during school hours is that there are very few people at the sites at those times. So I had the whole Grove to myself and the whole Farm. It was great! That way no one could get in the background of my pictures accidentally. I went into the Grove and walked down the path that I normally walk down and went to the same bench I always do. It's by a certain tree and every time I go there I have to stop by. I'm not sure why. But I just call it my tree. I usually just sit on the bench right next to it and just enjoy the breeze, the birds, the squirrels, and of course the feelings you get by just being there.

Called to Serve

After waiting 19 years for this I'm finally going on a mission! I will be serving in the Spain, Barcelona mission for the next two years of my life. I report to the Provo MTC on September 29 2010... a little later than I was hoping but I can't really do much about that. After three weeks there I will be transferred to the Madrid MTC for the final six weeks of training. I'm excited and ready to go and I can't wait to get out and serve. I just hope that these next five months go by pretty quick.