InvestiGATORS

Jake and Justin two young men in our Ward went fishing. They didn't catch anything. But I get a call from Justin saying he is going to be at the house in 10 mins. I was like okay. I open the door and Jake pulls out a baby alligator! It was still alive too! It was freaking awesome! We got to hold it and take pictures with it. We I taped it's mouth to see what it does when you put a stick in its mouth. It was awesome. A good way to end a pretty slow day!

Justin, Jordan & Jake

This investiGATOR isn't happy with the gospel plan.

You can't have a gator as a pet!!

Reclaimed

This last week in Elder Rowleys weekly email he referenced on of my most favorite Mormon Messages for the youth entitled "Reclaimed"

You can watch the video here:

Don't we all have garbage?

Isn't it wonderful to know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can rid ourselves of all of that and become clean?

Even through disappointments, cancelled appointments, dropped investigators, Elder Rowley is continuing the learn the true power of the atonement.

Here's Elder Bowen's original address, if you would like to read the entire talk

The Atonement Can Clean, Reclaim & Sanctify our Lives

A Day at the Beach

 Every three months, if you are serving by the beach, you get to go.  In Elder Rowley's words, "I am super excited! We have to go super early before all the beach goers get there. But we get to watch the sunrise so that will be pretty cool."

Have you ever watched those Discovery Channel shows where they show those baby turtles crawling out of their nests in the sand and trying to make their way to the ocean?  They are so small and the 20 feet that they have to crawl to make it to the ocean seems like hundreds of miles to them?  While on their path, they have to watch out for predators, crabs, seagulls and apparently LDS missionaries...although I'm sure that Elder Rowley and his companion and other district members didn't intend to eat him or keep him as a pet.  Perhaps they saved him, by putting him closer to his destination.  Look how very tiny that turtle is!  Better yet, look how very happy our son is!

Couldn't he somehow relate that tiny turtle's journey into a missionary gospel lesson?  A short journey that seems long. A journey wrought with trials and challenges.  The turtle has a eye single to it's ocean home.  A straight and narrow path.  Much like our earthly and mortal life.  A journey that seems long - although it's a small moment in an eternal perspective wrought with mortal trials and challenges.  Sorrow, pain, sickness, suffering.  If we could gain the turtles perspective - an eye single our celestial home on the straight and narrow path. 

Here's where our journey differs from the turtle.  There is nothing that can save a turtle when a predator grasps it in it's throngs.  If a crab gets a hold of that tiny turtle, chances are it's done.  There is no salvation.  Despite it's eye single to it's destination - the adversary can and will stop it.  Many baby turtles start on the very same journey, but few make it to the final destination.  We, on the other hand, tend to lose sight of our destination, but luckily have the benefit of a Savior.  Perhaps we could learn a lesson from the turtle and focus more on the destination.  The goal of the ocean.  And such is the work of a missionary.  Many start on the journey, many are lost along the way, and yet missionaries are there to help those find their way back.  We are there to help our brothers and sisters find their way back.

An eye single to the Glory of God.