Happy Halloween!

Howdy everyone!

I hope y'all had a great Halloween holiday! Take a look at two of the pumpkins I carved (free-hand, I might add..) this year! I wish I'd thought a bit more ahead and gotten some candles to light them up with. <sigh> Oh well. :/ I'll just have to do the "Keep Smiling" one again next year! :D It was a lot of fun!

This week, I've learned a lot of what it really means to be patient, and to just be still (D&C 101:16 -  Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God). It's taken a bit of practice, and a lot of prayers asking for help from Heavenly Father, but I'm getting better. I just hope I can continue more and more to KEEP getting better!

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to go to a mini-mission "kick-off", and it was a lot of fun, except for the fact that because there are so many youth in Utah wards that we had to stand in the back.. Oi. Made for some sore feet yesterday evening. We were asked to speak for a few minutes about the mission, and what we've learned so far, how we wish we had prepared more, etc. It was a good time for some self-reflection, and I've learned a lot from thinking a bit more about what my answers are to those questions.

Then, last night, we had the opportunity to go to an "MTC Training." That was something that sent me into flashbacks of my own MTC experience. Jeez, it was really scary how close this ward came to giving the youth a genuine MTC "training". It was also a good reminder of some of the basics, and I really felt like I need to go back over some of them, and refresh some of the easiest and most basic things in my mind again. I'm so grateful to be serving a mission. It has definitely been something that has pushed me and challenged me in SO many ways. It's made me evaluate myself, and where I stand in relation to Heavenly Father. I'm so grateful for His divine help when I feel like I can't take another step. I know that this mission will bless my life eternally.

Just a quick follow-up from last week.. What miracles have you seen this week as you picked something small to be just a little bit better on? Send me an email at conrad.hamilton@myldsmail.net with some of your miracles! I'd love to hear some of them!

I love y'all!

Elder Conrad Hamilton

Keep Smiling!