July 24 and a Birthday . . . An Exciting Week

How are you all doing? What were some of the fun adventures you guys were able to go on this week? It looked like Lola K's dance review via video was so much fun on Friday, and I'm so so happy she has gotten the chance to do that this last year, so proud of my little monkey 🙈🐵 Have so much fun up in Millville too when you guys go up this month.

Dad -- Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear dad (on the 22nd 😉), Happy birthday to you! I hope you have such a very fun filled and exciting day!🥳🥳 I'm so grateful for you in everyway and for your example to me! Thank you for being the world's greatest dad!

Happy Happy 24th of July on Friday too!! Make sure you guys do bottle rockets! ;) 🚀

I have gotten my workout routine down to a T now, and honestly I am in the best shape of my life! All the missionaries always say, "Elder McEwan, how do you have the energy and stamina to workout everyday?" I smile and say, "Because if I'm not first than I'm last, and I can't be last cuz then I'll be walking home"😉 Its been fun, and I feel stronger everyday.

Well it started as a very very adrenaline filled week on Tuesday morning. So I'm getting ready for the day, and I walked out onto the deck and was just looking around when all of a sudden, an SUV flips into the parking lot and pulls up to this other car, the lady of the SUV gets out and runs towards another guy in the other car, and shoves him up against the brick wall and stars attacking him and throwing punches. Then she goes after another guy in the car too with punches and is yelling super super loud. Apparently, the lady was a mom of one of the girls in the car and they were doing drugs and she was very upset and decided to take matters into her own hands about it. The small car drove off quickly and the lady got her daughter and drove off too. And that is how I started my week off :).

Then, me and Elder Johnson went shopping on Wednesday to Walmart and I also got a haircut at Great Clips, and my head feels so much better -- it has gotten pretty hot and muggy here. While we were at Walmart, we had finished up our shopping and were at the self check outs paying for our food, and we had asked the lady there if we could do cash back (we needed cash to do our laundry), and she said that "Walmart is running out of money, and so they aren't doing cash back right now because they're not getting enough cash (money) in return." So that was intriguing to hear! :) 

We had zone conference this week on Wednesday morning via zoom call, and it was super good! Something that stood out to me was: What we are doing to petition for Heaven to send us the blessings we need in any given circumstance or part of our life that we may be in. I thought that was pretty cool, because it truly exemplifies that we can ask Heavenly Father for help and we can ask Him to bless us as we go through life. It is kind of like when we did swimming lessons when we were younger, and we got a blue gummy shark everytime we passed a level or swam a certain distance or time. The same thing is true for blessings from Heaven. They come as we complete or work hard to accomplish our goals and tasks each day. President Nelson sums it up pretty well: The Lord loves effort, because effort brings happiness, and happiness brings blessings.

I have been thinking about the last 13 months of my life, and started my job as temple worker at the Payson temple 13 months ago, to entering the Provo MTC a little over 11 months ago now. I remember starting my first shift as temple worker in June 2019, and having so much peace and so much happiness as I was inside that morning. It wasn't just the peace either, it was the comfort and the knowledge of knowing that I was right where I needed to be. This is something that has helped me out here in Ohio, especially lately with being inside for a while now. I have felt so much peace and comfort the last few weeks as I have seen Heavenly Father stretch me far beyond what I thought I could be stretched. I have seen myself grow in patience and love towards others, and I have seen myself being stronger in Jesus Christ to rely on Him in every aspect of my life. I have found myself doing this more lately, but I have been reflecting on my time in the MTC and how that impacted my life. I remember a day while I was at the MTC that I was just having a really hard time. It was about my 5th or 6th day at the MTC, and me and my comp (Elder Cowdell) were really stressed because we had just missed our lesson for the day. As we were walking back, I felt a prompting to go to a quiet place and I wasn't sure why, but we went to the 5th floor of one of the classroom bldgs, and we both just prayed and prayed for guidance and for direction. I have felt myself doing that more and more these last few days. This last week, I found myself on my knees more often than not, praying to Heavenly Father. Of this I know, our Heavenly Father loves and cares so mightily about each of us. He prepares us long long before we are asked to do something. Trust Him, and if we can't believe 100 percent fully, then go with the "20 or 30 or 55 percent" of faith that we do have, and let Jesus Christ make up the rest through His atoning sacrifice for each of us!

That is my testimony and I'm so forever grateful for it. I have said this every week, but I wanted to share it again -- On April 16, 2019 I did not know or think in my wildest dreams that I would be going on 126 days now inside of the apt and trying to be a missionary and serve the people of Ohio. But, I did know then as much as I know now, that the Lord's work will roll forth to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. He is God, and He is in control. We may not have the solution or the answer to every thing we do in this life, but I can promise you all with every last ounce of my energy in me -- He knows you, and He has the answer you need at this very given moment. Please, pray to Him and ask Him for that answer, and then do everything you possibly can to recieve it through your faith and experimentation on the knowledge and things we do know.

This is the thing I have learned most over the course of my mission. Is that we can be instruments in the Lord's hands everyday of our life. It makes me happy thinking about some times in my life during jr high and high school that I was able to be an answer to someone's prayer, and help them out. We don't always know the reason we are doing something or start doing something, but I can tell you this -- It matters not the amount of knowledge we know beforehand, but it does matter and it does make all the difference, when we can step up to the starting line with our shoes tied and with a mindset of not giving up.

Lastly, I have been thinking a lot about an experience I had in sophomore year of high school that really has paved the way for me up to this point in my life now 4 years later. It was during fall semester, and I was running cross country and playing football at the same time. I would go to xc practice on Mondays, football practice on Tuesdays, xc race on Wendesdays, football game on Thursdays, xc races on Friday and Saturday -- And I did that every week for 3 months. I remember how tired and stressed I was pretty much everyday, and how sometimes I honestly didn't know how much longer and further I could keep going. And I remember how good it felt when I finished a week with everything, and could relax for a day. I can now relate that to everything going on right now. How overwhelming, stressful, and tiring and confusing this all can be right now. But, I can honestly say from the very uttermost part of my Elder Dylan McEwan mind -- To just believe, and to just go forward and act on what we can do, and in the words of our favorite quote and saying -- BOUNCE BACK. Focus on the things we can control, and move forward past the things we can't control.

Some things I did this week that made me happy:

- Went to the church and watched The Work and The Glory, and it was so good! I hadn't watched it for a while.

- Elder Johnson wanted to check out a music store down the street, so we went on Friday. When we were walking back to the apt we passed a few bldgs that no lie, reminded me of the haunted house and rides at Lagoon and it even had music playing like they do at lagoon! haha it was fun!

- We have interviews tomorrow with President and Sister Horgesheimer. via zoom, so that'll be fun and very much looking forward to a future date when I can be with people in person again. 

I'm so very extremely grateful for all of you, and for your guys examples to me and for always being there for me! Your love and support for me throughout my life means so much and I'm thankful to Heavenly Father everyday that He has given me an All-Star of a family and MVP siblings and ROCKSTAR parents that I can spend the rest of forever with 👊 .

I love and care so so much about you guys, and I'm continually praying for all of you and your health and safety everyday. I'm so excited to talk to everyone today!

I love you guys forever and always 😉

Elder Dylan McEwan