Eternally Minded

I cannot believe that it is already the 19th of November! It feels like it was just yesterday when I was saying, "Well I am glad that summer is over, and now I get to look forward to Halloween!" Guess what? Halloween has passed and gone! Just like my time here on the mission, it feels like we are going faster than ever before, and that kind of scares me. But, I have many different things that help me to stay focused and on task.

This past weekend we had Stake Conference. On Saturday, we went to the adult session. I am still trying to decide if it was good for me to go or not. We were blessed to hear from our Stake Presidency and Stake Patriarch. All of their talks were about marriage and families. I will be honest with all y'all... It made me a little "trunky" for going home and dating. But, it also helped me increase my vision. 

In the movie The Lion King, Rafiki tells Simba to, "Look beyond what you see." This simple phrase matches perfectly what I thought and felt on Saturday. As the Stake Patriarch was talking, he said that there are 3 types of marriages. 

1. Term

2. Whole Life

3. Eternal

I don't want to focus really at all on 1 & 2. But, just know that those were man-made. They have never, or will ever existed in God's kingdom. But, I want to focus on Eternal. Thinking with an "Eternal" perspective helps us to, "Look beyond what (we) see." This is what I will use throughout my life to stay close to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The mission is the greatest experience that anyone can ever have. No one should ever say, "Well, the mission just isn't for me..." Because the mission is for EVERYONE! We shouldn't look at these experiences that we have in life as something that is time bound. All these things that we do, help us to achieve our bigger or ETERNAL goals of living with God again, and becoming as He is. 

My perspective of the mission has changed from seeing it as a separate experience of 2 painfully long years, to now seeing it as what it really is. This is 2 of the greatest years, and only years to show God that I truly desire to live with him again. My mission is to help me develop righteous habits that keep me on the covenant path.

Brothers and Sisters, these are the last days. The Lord is asking a lot of us. We can not "settle" for small things. We need to "...press forward feasting on the words of Christ..." I know how hard life is, trust me. But please also trust me when I tell you that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, needs to do better. No one is exempt of this hard work. I love this Gospel! I know it's true! As we all strive to have that Eternal perspective, I know that we can and will work towards our goal of living with God again.

-Elder J.T.Yates

An oil plant that we drove past on exchanges during the sunset.

That same oil plant, that looks like it is on fire. 

The sun behind the smoke stacks made it look SUPER cool!

My 1 pound Joe's Burger.

 The Yates posterity all in one photo! From left to right: Elder Fleming (2nd son), Elder Bell (3rd son), Elder Yates (me), Elder Robinson (Grandson - Elder Smith trained him), Elder Smith (1st son).

Some biking babes in the rain!