Memories from August

 

Busiest Week of the Mission

I'm so so excited to be able to hear all about the exciting adventures from this last week. Anything happening in Salem this next week? I saw SHHS football won again on Friday, so they are now 2-0 on the season so far. How has Justin been playing so far? 

Well, as the title states, it was a very busy week and I would say, probably the busiest week I have had in the last 13 months. We were literally going non stop! So, without further ado, here is my week😉.

Hannah Saylor is still on date for September 5th to be baptized by her boyfriend here in Wadsworth, and so we are just working hard with her each of these weeks to keep her prepared and ready, super exciting!!

On Tuesday, we were having a fairly regular day actually. We called some members up, had some lessons with them and had gone on 2 or 3 walks. We met with Lexi and Ryan Kelly and their 2 adorable babies at their house and talked about Joseph Smith's First Vision and how that impacts us today. We then got a call from the Massillon sisters, and they said they needed their apt to be rededicated. So, we drove down there to Massillon which is about 40 min away, rededicated their apartment, then drove another 20 min over to the Canton elders apt to have a training visit the next day! Whhheeww, was that just day 1?!😅

Wednesday morning we got up, and went on a run. One of the Canton elders (Elder Draper) graduated in 2019 with me and he went to Ogden High School, and we ran cross country together. So we went on a run that morning, and raced the last 400 meter . . . I won :):) Then, we went and helped a nonmember down in Canton move to a different house for about 2-ish hours, they gave us pizza, so that was nice of them. Then, me and Elder draper walked roughly 10 miles around North Canton and passed out a few pass a long cards and talked to a few people. Then, we got to the church and the 4 of us elders had a young men activity that night with the Priest's about missions and how they can prepare for them now. Super awesome! We got back to Wadsworth at about 10 o'clock that night.

Thursday was a pretty regular day as well, we went on some great walks and Sister Zuro saw us out walking and so she bought ice cream for us, which was so so nice of her! We helped out at the food pantry too, and it was so so packed and busy. We were literally running around trying to get things packed and bagged to get it out to the people who ordered it. Overall, super great and fulfilling day.

Friday, we were up and moving at 5:45 am, left the apt at 7 am to drive to the city of Akron where our whole Akron zone of missionaries met at a food pantry and helped for the next 4 hours pack and box food, and take it out to the people. I put pictures on the drive of it. And we got super nice yellow service shirts from the Horgesheimers. Then, at 11 o'clock, we all left and quickly changed into missionary clothes, and drove 20 min north to Talmadge to the stake center where we then had an amazing 4 hr zone conference (the first one in person in 6 months). Super super fun! I was pretty tired when we got back to the apt that night at around 6, and then we also had a district devotional that night over messenger of which me and Elder Moss were in charge of. We talked about how we can be becoming stronger Disciples of Jesus Christ, and building our foundations on the basic principles of the Gospel. Did the fun stop that night though? Noooooo . . . .

Saturday arrives, and we were up at 6 am, left the apt at 7;30 am to go back to Talmadge, this time to the zone leaders apt for a training visit that day. Then, from 10 am to 5 pm, the 4 of us helped do service at 3 different houses, all doing yard work outside. It was also 98 degrees all day with 80 percent humidity. My face and neck shows it too 🙄 sorry mom and dad . . .😅 It was so much fun, and made me miss doing weeds and mowing the lawn back at home haha! Then, me and Elder Hibbard (the zl I was with) had 3 lessons that night, one of them in person with a family with 10 kids and it was so much fun! We got back to Wadsworth at about 10:15 pm that night.

Sunday, ah we made it to the end of the week 👏 We had a very spectacular great zoom call with Sister Zook in the morning, where we studied Come Follow Me with her, and taught the topic of Remembering the Lord, even when it's hard. Then, we had a ward coordination with Brother Johnson who is the ward mission leader, picked up food from Sister Demming (a super sweet older lady here in the Ward), dropped off some bibles for a guy in the area, had a lesson with the McPhearson family over zoom, and a mission wide devotional that night. It was such a great day, and honestly, Sundays are the days I love because we can reflect on our week, as well as spiritually prepare for the upcoming week and do everything we need to be ready for school, work, and to have our best week yet! 

I learned a lot this week, some things that I now value as crucial and vitally important, and not just for my time as a missionary, but for every part of life. It was that of:

- Keeping ourselves physically in shape. I can't even tell you guys how many times I told Elder Moss that I'm so grateful we have been running every morning, because it really did help us out to have the energy and stamina to accomplish everything this week. 

- Using our time wisely. There were many times this week, that had I not been planning out the next activity, we would've missed it. It is so important that we always plan and prepare for everyday, because Heavenly Father wants us to accomplish everything we need to each day and each week.

My thoughts this week have been a lot of feeling the Lord's hand in my life. It kind of was the climax of this whole COVID 19, quarantine, wacky lifestyle we are all in right now. It taught me how much the Savior loves and truly and really does care about us. He just gives us stuff each day to stretch us to where we need to be, so that we can and will hit our fullest potential in this life. A quote that was shared at Zone Conference was: "It is never good to sit on a nail, and then not move". It is always easy to sit and let life pass us by, but if we are on top of the nail and then not moving, that is bad, because then that means it isn't hurting enough to want to move. It isn't hurting our life enough to have stuff in our life that we need to let go of, but we aren't because of how it may turn out. I promise, that as we turn to our Savior Jesus Christ to help us off of the nail, and ask Him to make us strong to be able to move forward and move on in life with faith, hope, optimism, and charity -- That we will indeed be able to do just that 👊🤗.

I know our Savior Jesus Christ lives and that He loves us. This week has been great for many reasons, but one of them was because even when I felt like my head was going to fall off because of everything I needed to do and was asked to do last week, my Savior Jesus Christ was my strength and my light, to be able to guide me and help me become a better person each time I turned to Him and asked Him for help. "Come unto Me, and I will make you fishers of men".

How is Salem doing? How is things going with the start of the new school year? How are the projects going at the house for the shed and the fence and the cement? :) I'm so so very excited to be able to see how they turn out! :) ALSO, here is to my last full week being a teenager🤗😉

I just wanted to let you all know how wonderful and incredible and amazing you are. You have been able to do such great things, even amidst all the hard times that have been here in the recent months, and I'm so so proud of all of you! I don't know why I got so blessed to have 9 wonderful people for my family, but man I'm so so forever grateful for all of you 🤗🥰 thank you guys for your examples to me and for always being there for me. We are in this together, and I'm so very grateful for that, that we are a team in this earthly journey 🏈🤗👍.

I love you guys so much and I pray for you everyday, and miss you guys lots and lots 💖 I'm so grateful for your guys examples to me, and for your love and support of me, you guys are my #1!

I love you ALL Forever and Always 💛

Elder Dylan

Driving, Driving, and More Driving

Super exciting that school starts this week on Wednesday for the elementary and jr high and high schools in Nebo School district! You're going to do so awesome Momma, and I know you have been working hard :). I'm excited to hear about how all this first week back goes! How did church go yesterday? Dad did you end up needing to conduct one of the meetings? It's crazy to think about, but I realized a few days ago that I havent been to IN PERSON church in 6 months now❤ I miss it . . . A lot! Also, thank you guys for sending the package! I got it last week and it was everything I needed and wanted! I have been in heaven with the tens/stem unit, it's helped my back and neck a lot; the shirts were much needed, and I have loved the spark everyday and have loved reading the poems you guys sent. Also, thank Jen Wright for sending a package too! She sent one as well last week :).

I had a super good week, and I'm so excited to tell everyone about it. First off, being able to be at the Columbus temple on Tuesday and to go inside with Elder Moss was super super cool! I hadn't been able to go to the temple for a whole year, so it was so so very special to be back for a day. Me and him drove down to Riverside on Monday night to be closer to the temple on Tuesday morning. It was about 1 hr 45 min drive down, and we got there at about 9:45 pm. He fell asleep on the way down for about an hour, so I was just listening to music as I drove us down. We had to be up at 5:15 am the next morning to be at the Columbus temple by 7 am. The session lasted about 2 hrs, we did some amazing and incredible pictures, and then hit the road for Wadsworth. Elder Moss fell asleep again on the way back, so I just listened to music again and ate some honey almonds, and drove us for 1 hr 45 min to the apt.

Wednesday we had a super great lesson with Sister Zook who is a member of about 4-ish years, and we do 2 zoom calls a week with her (Come follow me on Sundays, and scripture reading on Thursdays). Super cool lady! We had district council at the Medina bldg, and we talked about how we can be finding success in our efforts everyday, but not necessarily in the numbers part of successful missionaries. It hit me hard that day, and taught me that we really don't need to focus about the numbers, but we do need to focus on the people and teaching to fit their needs, not ours. It taught me a lot about being humble, and selfless and thinking of others before I think of anything in return. God blesses us when we turn to Him and ask for His help. When we got back to the apt from district council, I decided that I wanted to make cookies and take them to people who live here at the Linvoln manor apt complex. So I made cookies (the mixes you guys sent me :)), and then we took them to 2 different families here at the complex, knocked, and ran so it would be a suprise of who left them 😉🤫 We had a mission wide call on Wednesday night, where President and Sister Horgesheimer told everyone that they want this mission to be focusing on the first 3 lessons of Preach My Gospel and to be studying them with scriptures attached to them so we can have them memorized and ready to teach and talk to people.

Thursday we had a super great meeting with a sweet older lady named Sister Baynes. She lost her job 2 weeks ago, and really wanted to talk to us. So we called her, and had a great lesson on the power of faith and why we must always be having faith, even amidst times of uncertainty and grief, we can find hope, happiness, and peace to our hearts when we turn our hearts over to Christ. COOL MIRACLE FOR SISTER BAYNES TOO!! She texted us later that night and said she had gone to Dunkin Donuts for a treat, and had gotten up to the drive thru and the cashier lady said the guy ahead of her had paid for her donuts already, so Sister Baynes was super happy about that. Me and Elder Moss went to the food pantry again on Thursday night and were able to help out there for 2 hrs. It was so so busy that night! About 30 or 40 cars of people came and needed food, so it was so so much fun to be able to work hard and help re stock all the shelves with food and everything. Service is the best! :) Mosiah 2:17.

Friday was my HUMP DAY (One year mark)! Crazy to think that I have been out longer on my mission than what I have left to finish out my mission here in Ohio! We went on a couple different walks that day, weren't able to see and talk with a whole ton of people, most of them are just driving and so it's sometimes "harder" to stop and talk with them, but that's okay -- We make do with what we have 😉👍 We had pizza that I put in the oven that night and was so good! Pizza fridays are the best! We also had a district devotional that night with the other 6 missionaries here in our district, so that was pretty fun.

Saturday was probably the best day this whole week (even though everyday is the best day). We went on about a 2 hr walk down in Rittman, and were able to talk with a few people, but mostly just say hi to them and wish them a good day :) We had a messenger call with Hannah Saylor. I realized I had forgotten to mention earlier in past emails, but, we have Hannah ON DATE TO BE BAPTIZED ON SEPTEMBER 5TH!! Super exciting! Her boyfriend is going to be baptizing her. He lives in New Mexico, but they dated in high school and he actually introduced her to the church and then he moved after high school but they're still dating, and so he is going to be baptizing her here in Wadsworth on September 5th. 

Sunday was a fabulous day! We were able to do some walks, teach Sister Zook, the Teffteller family (in person), and a zoom call with the Zuro family! And then we had a sweet mission devotional that night with the Columbus North Stake President, President Welch. We also watched some of the Book of Mormon videos and did the sacrament, so overall it was a very great and needed day to recuperate and refresh and to keep working hard and finish this time here in ohio out strong with every last day I have left, to give it my all and finish this race out strong!😉👍

Overall, it was such a great week. I'm realizing more and more lately in the last few weeks, that every week can be a great one, even a good one, if we just do our best and we focus on continuous improvement everyday. That is something I have focused on a lot lately too, is committing myself to do a little better with each new day, and focusing on as well the importance of gaining Christlike attributes. Each day for the last 3 or 4 weeks, I have focused on one Christlike attribute a week. at the end of each week, I evaluate how I did on it and see if there is something I could do better, and can I just say: It is such a good feeling not necessarily at the end of each week to look at the results, but it is an amazing feeling to focus on each day during the week and strengthening our testimonies and foundation of Jesus Christ. I love it! I'd encourage each of us this coming week to pick one Christlike attribute, and to focus on it the rest of this week, and pray to ask Heavenly Father how you can attain and gain it in your life.

369 days ago, I was set apart as a full-time set apart missionary of Jesus Christ. 1 year and 4 days later, I understand my Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father's plan for me more than I ever could've possibly imagined I would. I know Jesus Christ lives, because He suffered and atoned for all of the sins of the world. We are never alone, and Heavenly Father promises us that He will never leave us, but He also asks that we put forth constant effort everyday. Pray to Him, pray for guided help and strength to make it through each day. sometimes we think that because we changed our course from Plan A to Plan B, to Plan A to Plan C -- that Heavenly Father is sad with us and that it wasnt what He wanted. I promise you guys, that OUR "Plan C" was and always WILL BE, "Heavenly Fathers plan B". It's like a GPS, it reroutes our life, but just like a GPS, we ALWAYS end up at the same destination as originally planned. Dont give up, we got this :) 1 Nephi 3:7.

How is Salem doing? Hopefully Salem Hills will get to have a Fall sports season, hopefully 🤞How is work and school going? Mom and Garrett, you guys will start BYU IDAHO/PATHWAYS on September 14th right? And Khristin, I know you will do so so great and amazing at teaching at Northridge Elementary school this year! Good luck with school starting this week, you're going to crush it 🌞👊 How's MA course going for you Park? Good luck with everything this week! Exciting times, and I'll be thinking about you guys and am so excited to hear all about it next week! 

I love, miss, and pray for you guys everyday! I'm grateful for the knowledge we have of eternal families and that we can be together forever :) Thank you guys for your constant love and support of me while I'm here in Ohio, you guys are the absolute very best ever!❤💛

I'm so excited to talk to you guys today!!

I love you forever and always!

Elder Dylan

Hump Day

Super glad you guys were able to go to Dave Acosta's viewing, and that so many people were able to be there to support his family.

I had a very great week! :) So, I am training a new missionary right now, and he is so awesome and fun to be around. His name is Elder Moss and he is from Bountiful, Utah. He graduated from Bountiful High School 3 months ago, and he was originally assigned to serve in Peru. He did online MTC for 6 weeks to learn Spanish, and is now here for the foreseeable future. He is so kind, happy, and energetic and positive; we have had a great week together!

It is so exciting and hard to believe that 1 year ago this week, I entered the Provo MTC for the start of an experience that has proven to make me into who I am today, and a stronger disciple of Jesus Christ. I'm so forever grateful for this opportunity I have been given to serve here in Columbus, Ohio and to make friends with people that will forever have a piece of my heart. In the last year, I have had 11 companions, I've served in 5 different areas, and have loved every single part of what I have been able to do and accomplish this year!

We were able to go out and about these last few days and go street contacting for a couple of hours each day. We were able to hand out 2 pictures of Christ, and then on Saturday morning we were able to walk probably about 3-ish miles with a lady we met that day who was carrying her groceries in a blue bag, and it was super heavy for her, so we carried the bag for her and talked with her. She was super kind and kept inviting us to go to the potluck dinner they were having that night at the Salvation Army bldg down the street from our apt complex. Then, I was helping and teaching Elder Moss a little about how to approach people and start up a conversation -- and so I saw a girl walking her dog, and I asked if we could pet it, so we went and petted this beautiful dog (golden retriever I think), and were able to talk a little about Christ with this girl and give her a picture of Christ as well -- super fun and just goes to show that we can teach in any given set of circumstances.

We were able to help out at the local food pantry here in Wadsworth on Thursday night, and it was so much fun! It was a little more of a crazy night with how many people came to get food, but I was so happy we could provide that help and comfort to those families that night. It taught me a lot about the word humility and what we learn when we are in the service of others. Mosiah 2:17 is a scripture that has been my constant guide this last year. We never know when we are going to be the answer to somebody else's prayer and so we must always be staying in tune to what our Heavenly Father needs us and wants us to do. Continually be striving everyday to look for ways that we can each be helping out those around us and serving them in anyway that we can.

EXCITING NEWS!! So, Elder Moss has not been able to go through the temple yet for his own endowment and so tomorrow morning we will be able to be at the Columbus temple for his endowment! And this next part is what I have just been so grateful for these last few days. His parents are not able to make it here to go through the temple with him, and so President Horgesheimer called on Friday and said, "Elder McEwan, you have a current temple recommend right? Well, would you like to be Elder Moss's escort on Tuesday morning?" I know without a shadow of a doubt, God was a part of that. I'm forever grateful for my time as a temple worker at the Payson temple before I left, to be ready and able to be with Elder Moss tomorrow morning on this very special day for him. So, we are driving down to Riverside tonight at 8:30. And then we have to be up and at the temple gates by 7 am tomorrow, for his 8 am session. They're asking us to come dressed in my white clothes already, to avoid too many people in the temple changing and everything. I'm so excited! I haven't been to the temple since a year ago at the Provo temple during the MTC. 

It has just been a great great week. Something I have been thinking a lot about lately is the importance of staying willing and able to do whatever the Lord needs us to do. My knowledge of that topic has grown so much lately, as I have been able to be a part of things that a year ago at this time, may have been something that I saw that I couldn't do in my life. "The Lord doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called". I know that is true with every last ounce of my heart ❤ My emotions have been very high lately, and me and Elder Moss were talking on Saturday as we were walking outside, about the importance and value of: Not just staying willing and able; but also, recognizing that we are the Lord's hands, and that us speaking up and speaking out for what we believe in, is really the Lord's last act of redeeming love for His people 💛 What I have been able to do out here in Ohio, I will do the rest of my life. My life has been changed and has been touched by the many people out here who love God, love His people, "but are only kept from the truth, because they know not where to find it". That is my invitation to all of us going forward: is to speak up and speak out for what we know to be true and believe in. Dare to have a purpose, dare to make it known. And as we pray to Heaven to make us strong to do this, we will be endowed with power to share the message of our Savior to the world.

Something that has been sticking out to me a lot lately, is something I learned while I was in seminary in high school. It is the topic of: Choosing today who we will be tomorrow. I have learned so much in the last few months, that it is so important to be preparing ourselves today, to be able to have the Lord do wonders among us tomorrow. God is a part of everything, the big and the small things. I know as we come closer to Him everyday, as we choose constantly throughout each day to serve Him and to make a difference in someone's life TODAY, then we will be endowed with power to do just that. 🤗 I love this Gospel of Jesus Christ with all of my heart💚 I have come closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ than I ever thought I would here in Ohio, and these people have changed me into who I am today. I know Jesus Christ lives and that He is our Savior. He suffered and said, "Father, wilt thou take this cup from me? Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." When we choose to be ready, the Lord tells us to act, and the miracles and blessings come. It may not be tomorrow, or next week, but in the words of Elder Holland, "We will learn, if we have not already, that in frightening almost perilous times, lightning will strike so to speak, and we will be asked to use our power and authority from God." Be ready, be willing, because the Lord qualifies those who He calls. I know this is true 👊💯

So super exciting that Derrick will most likely get his mission call tomorrow!! Just let me know tomorrow if he does receive it tomorrow and then I will facetime with you guys when he opens it tomorrow. We will be back to Wadsworth by early evening, 4 or 5 Ohio time, 2 or 3 Utah time, so I can call anytime after that to watch him open it. So so proud of you buddy!!

How are you guys doing? How is Salem doing? So exciting that the school year starts next week on Wednesday! I know you are going to do so so great this year Mom, and i know that school is so grateful to have you there! How is work going for everyone, and church callings going? You guys will have church this next Sunday right? Tell everyone in Knoll Park ward that I say hi and hope they are all doing great! Hows the weather there?? 🌞🌤 It has been so hot, humid, and sticky here the last few days. It zaps my energy a lot.

I am thinking about you guys everyday, and so so happy you guys are staying healthy and having so much fun this summer and each day. I pray for you all daily, and love you all so so very much guys 💚💛 keep doing amazing and great things, because you all are such great and wonderful examples to me, and I'm grateful for each one of you in my life.

I'm so excited to talk to everyone today!

Elder Dylan McEwan

I'm Going to be a DAD (mission dad that is)!

So glad you could spend the week up in Millville and swim and play with Lola and hangout with everyone. Thank you guys so much for sending me the package last week too with the Armor Up coins in it! I had been missing having mine that I gave away a few months ago, so it made me really happy to have another one again!

Katherine, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Katherine, Happy Birthday to you (tomorrow 😉🎂). I'm so very grateful for you, and am so so glad you are in our family! I love you very much :) Hope you can have a great fun filled day!

So . . . . the moment we have been waiting for for 6 weeks, but who's counting right?! We received the transfer calls last night, and I will be training a brand new missionary and I will be staying here in the Wadsworth area for this next transfer. I am so excited to be able to train a new missionary, and learn so much from him as we work harder than ever here in the coming weeks! We also found out, that in the next 6 weeks, the OCM will be having a total of 52 total new missionaries coming here, straight out of online MTC, which will put our number at 245-ish by September 17th . . . The Lord is strengthening His forces!!! So me and Elder Johnson will be driving down to Powell tomorrow morning at about 9 am, it's about a 2 hr drive down there from Wadsworth. And then I will go to the "trainers mtg" when I get there at 11, and then we will head back up here to Wadsworth after that, so about 4 hrs total driving tomorrow, another good little road trip!! I'm excited, ah this is going to be such a fun transfer!! :) 

I wanted to start this week off by just sharing my testimony of what I have been able to learn on my mission. Next week on Friday August 14th, I will hit my one year mark  (365 whole days) of being a missionary out here in Ohio. I have learned so much this last year, and what I do know and have learned is that God love us all equally. He created each of us in His own image, to then come down to the earth and to be raised in families, with parents and siblings who love us. God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, to make the ultimate repentance, and to suffer alone so we wouldnt have to. I know that our Heavenly Father is in the details, big and small. When we stand in need, He only asks that we then kneel, and pray in faith and to pray with courage. He will bless us as we do this, and He will strengthen us in our trials, because no trial is to great that the Son of God can not help us with. I know this is true, and say that in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, amen.

It's going to be a lengthy email this week, have lots on my mind that I want to share with you guys 👌 This week has been so good! We had district council and training visits with the Canton elders on Wednesday last week, which was so good! I went with Elder (Joseph) Medlyn that day. He has been on the mission for 22 months. He lives in Lehi Utah, so we talked about if he knew our other McEwan family up there, he said he would have to check on it and see. But it was such a great and amazing day, and we were able to meet a really cool guy at his house who is from another religion, and has a really huge love of scouting. So I told him I was an eagle scout and that got him excited! It is so truly amazing and wonderful what God can do for us when He knows who needs to talk to us, and the similarities as well as the differences we all share together. 

Friday night, me and Elder Johnson went down to the south part of our area down to Rittman. A few kids had invited us to come play basketball with them, and so it was a ton of fun. We played for almost 2 hours, and then shared a spiritual thought with them. They were quite impressed with how well me and Elder Johnson behaved ourselves and that we didn't swear that night, and kept ourselves above the line. I explained a little about how we as members of the church make sure to always show respect to ourselves and to others. Me and Elder Johnson also won all the games we played with them that day, so that was good too.

So funny story, and Parker you and me are now in the same boat with this. On Thursday we went to this non member lady's house and met with her and her 2 daughters (age 12 and 22). When we were walking up their driveway, the 22 yr old turned to her mom and said "that red head doesn't look like he can even drive, let alone be out on a mission." She then explained that she thought I was probably about 12 yrs old . . . I had to explain to them that I turn 20 years old in 30 days from now. Then on Friday (literally the very next day) while we were playing basketball, a kid named John Luke said, "Dylan, how old are you? You seem pretty young". I then told them that I turn 20 in about a month, and that usually when I'm not a missionary I have some facial hair on my face. Guess it never hurts to look younger than what you really are huh?

We were able to do some service this last week at the local food pantry up in the middle of Wadsworth. It was so much fun! We wore our masks and then helped for 2 hours on Thursday night, with loading cars with food for lots of people, and we got to meet a ton of new friends and faces. It was such a blessing, because I know that God had his hand in that experience, even something super small, made a big difference for those families and people who now have food on their table for the next little while. This is something that I have really seen lately, even more than the first 8 or 9 months of my mission, is how much I love doing service for other people. I think back to during high school, and even during Fall 2018 when we had the 2 big fires in Salem, and needed to help people get food. The whole community and more from outside the city, came to help and do whatever they could. I love that at the drop of a hat, we can all be ready and anxious and willing to serve. I would like to encourage all of us to do something this week and in the coming weeks that can be in someway or another, a service or a help to others. It makes us so truly happy when we can be God's hands in doing good for others (Mosiah 2:17).

I've been thinking a lot recently about the importance of progression and being able to grow individually to who we want and need to be. My thoughts turned to Alma 5, when Alma the younger is faced with a task of deciding in the long run, what type of a person he is going to become. He chooses to follow God, and later on, brings many to the church and to Jesus Christ. The same can be said about all of us in this life, that we have a chance to choose everyday who we want to be, and who we want to help that day. Praying to Heavenly Father lets Him know that He can trust us, and that He can place anyone in our hands, and we can help them with the power of our God in our hands. It's a joy and a happiness, because we can all and will all be blessed as turn to our Savior. Thats something I have learned to rely in and on over the course of the last 12 months, is trusting my Savior in every aspect of my life, and then also doing just the best that I can each and every single day. He loves us, and is there for us every step of the way.

JOY. What does this word mean to me? An experience I had this last week really told me that joy is available to anyone on any given day. On Thursday morning we were at a members house, her name is Sister Zook. She is an older lady and lives by herself with her 2 little dogs. We were over there and she made us zucchini muffins and chocolate chip raisin cookies. So good! We were reading the scriptures with her, and honestly I could just feel so much love for her. I had never met her in person before, and she didn't know me, but I knew that Heavenly Father had sent me there to be a light to Sister Zook. It warmed my heart to be there that day, and really just goes to show that God is really aware of all of us and our needs. He also let's us know that we need to love one another, and we need to be there for one another. Don't let things of the past hold you back from loving someone and being happy, be happy NOW 👊🌞

Another thought I have been thinking of (haha like I said, my mind has a lot of things going through it. What does it mean to have our eyes set on the finish line? This week, during District Council on Wednesday morning, we were learning about what the Anti Nephi Lehis did with burying their weapons of war, and not using them again. We then compared that to things in our life, that we might either be holding onto or going back to time and time again i.e. sin, temptation, etc. I learned and was able to feel/recognize something that makes me so happy, which is this -- It's not that God doesn't want us to hold onto our special memories and important moments in our life, because He does and He knows how important those memories and moments are and mean to us. He just gently tells us everyday, to be stronger each new day, and to not dwell in the past (like Lot's wife did on the city of Sodom and Gomorah). We cant accept Jesus Christ into our life, make covenants with Him, and then look back to our own city of Sodom and Gomorah, and then still expect to be fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Let by gones be by gones, and move forward with faith. This stuck out to me a lot these last few days. Don't worry about what happened in the past, cherish the moments and memories that are from the past, and use those moments and memories to help us out in the future.

Also, an update on the weather here . . . So we found out that there is a huge hurricane passing through Florida right now, and so from that, we here in Ohio have been being pelted with rain and thunder and wind of every kind. It rained and rained all weekend long, and was just really cloudy. Then like an hour or two later, it is sunny and blue skies, then pouring rain again at night 🤷‍♂️ I have been singing this song everyday, but switched up the words just a little -- "oh the weather in Ohio is frightful, and sometimes it sure is indecisive, but when we are outside, please let it be warm, let it be warm, let it be warm.

I'm so extremely grateful for you guys, for every single one of you. ❤ I have been missing everyone a lot lately. Thank you all so much for all the love and support that you guys always give to me. I pray for you guys daily, and am always hoping you guys are doing good and staying happy and healthy. I'm so very excited to be able to talk to you guys today!!

I love YOU ALL, Forever and Always!

Elder Dylan McEwan 🌞

#1 Parents

I just wanted to tell you both that I am very very grateful for you and for your guys examples to me! You guys teach and show me everyday the importance of love and hard work and dedication, and I'm so grateful for everything you guys do for me everyday. Thank you guys for always being there for me when I've needed you! It's something out here that as I have learned and grown I feel like on my mission, that I can and do contribute a lot of my growth in my life to having the 2 most outstanding and incredible parents in the world!!! You both are the best and so outstanding!

I love you,

Elder Dylan

Missionary Leadership Advancement

Dear Brother and Sister McEwan

We wanted to make you aware of a leadership position that Elder Dylan McEwan  has recently been assigned, due to his consistent and dedicated effort as a missionary within the Ohio Columbus Mission.  Below is a copy of the letter he will receive from President Horgesheimer.

Cordially,

Sister Linda Newman

Ohio Columbus Mission Office

* * * * * *

Dear Elder McEwan,

I congratulate you on your calling as a Trainer within the Ohio Columbus Mission.  Your acts of love, compassion, and service, coupled with your eagerness to work in building the kingdom of God, have prepared you for this greater responsibility.

A missionary's first companion will have a profound, lasting influence on the development of the mew missionary's attitude and habits.  Encourage your companion to participate as an equal partner in every phase of the work.

I have every confidence that you will enjoy this new calling, as others have before you.  Always remember that you are an ambassador of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Your words and actions matter.  The Lord is anxious to pour out His great blessings upon you as you go forth in this new calling.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Jason J. Horgesheimer, President

Ohio Columbus Mission