Hello absolutely wonderful friends and Family!!!! This week has been so fun filled despite the snowstorms every morning, the freezing cold temperatures that Dakotans say is mild, and never ever seeing the sun. BUT IT'S ALL GOOD, life is supposed to be an adventure, mine just requires me to memorize a wind chill conversion chart and bathe in front of a Happy Light each morning.
This week's spiritual thought is all about following the sun. As I mentioned here in the Dakotas we can go weeks and weeks without seeing or feeling the sun and its warmth and to many this is a very hard and grueling daily challenge. In a study done by tricitymed.org (I will neither confirm nor deny if I just Googled Sun and Mental Health Studies) they state that the Sun is essential to our mental health in that it improves our mood, Increases Vitamin D levels, Deeper Sleep, Stronger Bones, and can even lower blood pressure. The sun is exactly like our eternal home where we lived with our Heavenly Father and Mother. Here in this mortal world we are separated from the sun and our Heavenly Parents, left to test ourselves in the trials and darkness of mortality. Many times, we can feel abandoned or depressed, but our Savior and Heavenly Father have not forgotten us. They have given us tools similar to the Happy Light that allow us to feel and follow the warmth of the even when we are so far away from home. These tools are the scriptures, the temple, prayer, and above all our Savior Jesus Christ. Even in our dreariest days, emotional moments, and darkest nights, he is the Son and he will lead us home. I bear witness of this in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Friend Update!!! This week has been really good for Imaboo. He was able to receive his driver’s license and is now looking to purchase a car so he can "come to church quicker" (honestly we were just as delighted because that's a huge stress off our backs). He is such a Golden contact, and who would have known that just by reaching out to him over Instagram would end in him entering into the waters of baptism. Allison is not doing much better, she is still in the hospital and slipping in and out of consciousness, but still wants to meet with us and talk about everything from Family History to the wives of the twelve apostles. Unfortunately, the doctors have politely asked us to stop calling her because it puts "too much strain on her". Thank you all for all the prayers and blessings, I personally have felt it and I know she does as well.
Another super exciting thing that happened this week involves mission advertising. I had the wonderful opportunity to help President Howell organize and style his PowerPoint that he will be presenting to not only the area seventy but also to Elder Neil L. Anderson and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the quorum of the twelve apostles. Unfortunately, Elder McMullin is not invited, but I'm still over the moon that I got to design a presentation for two members of the Quorum of the twelve. Another exciting event was the unveiling of the Altharia collection (which is chandelier translated in Arabic) which released a new set of Ads that will tie in our own individual lights into the beacon which is Christ. The missionaries and President and Sister Howell loved it and have even given me the nickname of Master of Presentations and Missionary Hype. One of the big parts of the Altharia collection was for me and my Ad committee team to start announcing new Advertisements that we will be running on Google and Missions that we will be adopting for advertising purposes, so look out friends and cousins that are on missions I might be swooping in ;-)
All in all, I love y'all (My Dakota accent is starting to slip in :)) I don't really have much else to say, just working and trying to be the best soldier I can in the Lord's army!! Stay safe from Covid-19, all ten Hospital beds out here in Nodak are full so we're done for, but regardless stay safe and have an absolutely positively awesome week!!!
Sent with love and a smidge of Frostbite,
Elder McMullin :-)
Photo Gallery!!!
1) I LOVE my new camera and hope that I can continue to progress the Lord's work with it (her name is Friday)
2) IT IS SO COLD, but the temple provides warmth, so that's a plus
3) Probably Should have rethought my Footwear for the Snow
4 & 5 ) Fun Photos we took the day before it snowed
6) My Positivity Glasses: Pretty Fresh right ;)
7) My new Album Cover for my future Band (The band was inspired by the photo)
8) Sun or Snow I love my Comps!
