Broken Bikes, Sunny Days, and Long Beautiful Walks

Garrett: Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear G (on the 9th this week), happy birthday to you! I hope you have a great day man, and know I'm so grateful for you and love you so so much G :).

We are on day 112 of being inside.😂😬 I made the comment to Elder Johnson this week that we have officially made it past a regular and normal 104 days of summer vacation, so that was kind of a cool fact. Honestly though, it is just so much fun for me to be able to get outside and walk around and smell and enjoy the fresh air! I actually quite yearn for it everyday now, especially with it being the middle of summer vacation. It is super hot, humid, muggy, and sticky everyday now. It usually reaches about 90 to 95 degrees everyday now, with about 75 percent humidity. G00d thing I have my trusty short sleeve shirts.

I've been thinking a lot this last week about who I am being everyday, and what I have learned from this experience I've been in now for 4 months. It's actually a question I ask myself pretty regularly to help me gauge who I am being everyday. The question is this: 'If I were called home tomorrow morning and got on the plane tomorrow morning, who would I be?' And as I have asked myself that question, I have realized something more and more these days. A mission truly prepares you for the rest of your life, because of who you're being everyday. These days, I feel like I have been in a 5k run and am just pumping my arms and legs, and trying to finish the race everyday! At the end of each day, I feel exhausted and very tired emotionally, physically, and mentally, but I also feel so much stronger! I feel that good sore that you get after a really good workout, or after you go outside on a hot hot day, and work all day in the yard, and then get to go inside and then go on a nice road trip afterwards. I know that was an interesting analogy, but it explains perfectly how I feel everyday. And just like in the 5k runs, there are many moments during the race when we are out of breathe, and our legs hurt, and quite frankly we want to fall to the ground because of the sweat in our eyes and the headache we have from dehydration. When we feel this, a quote came to my mind this weekend: When we have done all of this, 'the Lord really will endow us with power from Heaven'. He is there for us every step of the way. The finish line is in sight, the fans are cheering everyone on, and we will finish the race, with a PR, because of everything we are being able to do, learn, and experience right now.

I was thinking this week to a time during senior year of high school, that related a lot to an experience I had this week. During senior year, during Homecoming week, when it was super busy and there were events every night, and I had to be in different places everyday to help out with it: The week went successfully and it was a very fun and very rewarding experience to be apart of. Well, this last week I was feeling lots of emotion because of being inside everyday for the last 4 months, and then that one or two moments during the week that we are allowed to go somewhere, it is exciting and kind of wierd/nerve wracking, because I haven't been in a crowd of people now for a hot minute. But, in those times that I have to be somewhere, I see heaven helping me out and strengthening me in those times to be my best self, and to help give me blessings from all around me to who I am in that moment, and in the moments going forward!

I wake up everyday and go on the back porch/deck of the apt, and look at the blue sky and the sun rising, and I tell myself "That today is going to be my best day yet". Back in high school, and actually just all while I was growing up through the years, I always tried to picture the type of missionary I was going to be on my mission, and why I would be that person on the mission. Now, basically 12 months into my mission, I realized something else this last week. Heaven needs each of us and all of our interests, talents and abilities, and our hearts in this great Work of Salvation. He doesn't need everyone to be the same as each other. Imagine if every runner or every player on the field was the same strength size, weight, and mindset and tried to play successfully: They wouldn't do as well. Why someone might ask? Because, a team wins the game when everyone can play their hearts out with everything they each have learned individually and then can bring it to the game when the game stands tall and everyone is needed to be their best! 💯

I just have been thinking a lot about that recently, and how important and essential it is for us not to change because we have to, but learn everyday different plays that we can bring to the game TOGETHER, and can work TOGETHER to win the game and even if we end up losing that game, we did our best and we had fun while at it. We are in the 4th quarter of life right now, and we have to be working TOGETHER to help win the game and ask Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ for help. 

Lastly, I have also realized so so much in recent weeks and months, that we all make mistakes and we all have our times in this life that we struggle and we need time/a break, to re coop, and to re energize our minds and spirits. God doesn't expect us to be perfect. I've seen that on my mission so so much. He wants us to be trying our best everyday and to not be giving up, and to just go a little further the next day than we did the day before. Be ourselves, work together as a team, and play to have fun and to work hard, because this game of life is meant to have smiles, tears, and everything in between 😉

Some things I did this week (the title explains a little about it)

- On Tuesday and Thursday this week, we went over to Wadsworth high school to the track, and I ran while Johnson shot some hoops. I decided I wanted to start doing the speed workouts I would do for track and cross country for some of the workouts. I did: - 1 mile warmup, -7 100 yard wind sprints on the turf, -12 sets of bleachers up and down, and - 4 to 5 100 meter wind sprints on the track. Tuesday I did super good at it and felt amazing! On Thursday I did this same workout and was feeling really great again, and then I was like, "I remember when Blake Adam's had me do 2 workouts in the mornings before senior year. I can push myself here cuz it's just like when Blake had me do different things for my workout". So I finished this 40 to 45 min workout and then told myself I was going to finish the day on a high notes and RACE a 400 meter. I haven't raced a 400 meter since May 17, 2019. 😬😂 So I started racing, and made it about 350 meters and then the last 50 meters were so hard. I finished the 400, went to the grass and threw up for like 5 min (gross I know right 😉). But I felt so good and I ran about a 60 second 400 without having raced in over a year and with tennis shoes and no spikes.

- Tuesday afternoon we took a Book of Mormon to a lady who wanted it who lies a few miles south of here. We took our bikes because it was so sunny! We made it there, made the hand off, and started back towards the apt. Johnson was about 50 yds ahead of me, and all of a sudden, "Whack!", my chain on my bike broke and I fell off. I called to Johnson but he was too far away. So I walked my bike by myself along the road (haha literally like main street road in Mona by the lavender fields), and walked by myself for about 30 min. Johnson came back and felt so bad about leaving me, and then we just walked the bikes back to the apt and by that time were so hot and sweaty and tired but a fabulous time none the less.

- Thursday we went on a walk/drive to Rittman high school about 20 min away. We got there and there was a baseball tournament going on. So we stopped and watched for a while. This lady came up and said she had noticed us, and told us she was a member from the Cleveland ward and was watching her son play that day. We talked for about 45 min, and then she payed for us to go to lunch after that. So I got dairy queen.

- We had interviews on Saturday with President and Sister Horgesheimer up at the Talmadge bldg. We got to meet them and they are such such nice people and so fun and energetic! It will be fun to get to know them more as time goes on. They are about mom and dads age.

Also, you guys if you haven't already, go check out the facebook page for this zone (Akron zone). It's called, The Church of Jesus Christ in the Greater Akron area. Since me and Johnson are the tech specialists for the zone, we post everyday on that page, and so it's been fun to be creative and involve everyone in it. President and Sister Horgesheimer actually texted us yesterday morning while we were getting ready for the day, and told us that they have loved seeing the posts that we both post everyday on our individual FB accounts and the zone page. And to keep up the great work! That was fun to hear from them about it.

Sorry this email is long long this week but it was so much fun to tell you guys everything! In the end, I know Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior and our Redeemer. He is with us every step of the way as we walk this path called life. I invite us to pray to Heavenly Father and ask Him to help us everyday of our lives. He is our coach, and when we ask Him what play we can run, He walks onto the field with us and will be by our side throughout eternity. When the game stands tall, we know what side of the fence we are on. I love this Gospel and I love my family! I love my loved ones at home, and I'm so grateful for all of you!

I saw Salem days is cancelled for this year but that's good though they can do that to hopefully stop the spread in Utah county more. School starts in like a little over a month which is so crazy!

I pray for all of you guys every day, multiple times each day. I miss you guys so so much, and I'm so grateful we get to talk each week! I love talking to you!

I'm so excited for today and to hear about all of your adventures!

I love you forever and always,

Elder Dylan