Wednesday, March 23, 2016

"Go that Inch" - March 21, 2016

What's up FAM!!!

- we saw an owl. 

- had dinner over at the Della Silva's. Her enchiladas are the only ones I have had that compete with my moms so that's impressive. Somehow let it slip that Utah football is a higher priority than marriage when I get home and she did not like that one bit. Explained that it is pretty much work, leisure, school, all in one but in reality I was just digging myself a bigger hole while trying to get out. Bro DS may be a Cougar at heart but he was on my side... Just knew not to admit it haha. Felt like a conversation me and @pettbryan would have with mom. #DogHouse. We are having Easter dinner with them and I am so excited. 

- We were talking to the bishop one day and he was just straight up venting to us. It was hilarious. He's such a good bishop, he's just real with it. By the end of the discussion we were quoting Dumb and Dumber... "Although slow and dangerous behind the wheel... The elders do serve a purpose in Hamilton." Obviously the slow part doesn't apply to me... #TheyDone 

- we decided to try a burger joint that neither of us have been to. Called the "Filling Station" or something. It was either the green chilis on the burger or the music being played  that nearly brought me to tears... "That's all", "Summer of '69" #Track1, "Old Time Rock and Roll", and "Somewhere Beyond the Sea"... #DirtyDisney. 

      "That kinda music just soothes the soul, I reminisce about the days of old, with that old time rock and roll".

Yep, That was my Babylon music fix for the week! It took me back to those drives in the panther!

- so some elders in the district are talking about some of their revelatory dreams that have proved to mean something to them as they serve... And once again... Then there's Elder Pett's dreams... I told them about how the night prior I dreamt I was #StealthOp tracting with @teambetaalpha because Russian terrorists were trying to kill us.... Got that "how are you our zone leader look" from them haha. No Greg Popovich involved this week but dang I have some weird dreams as a missionary. 

- saw a herd of buffalo. 

- Went out to dinner at Naps with Sister Leighter. Those burgers tho... I swear each bite equates to 100 sit-ups but I don't even care, so dang good. Sister Leighter is awesome. She's from Conrad so we had a good time talking about #TheRad family and the #GOAT Brother Weisgram. She's so dang funny... Alright let me paint a picture for ya.

*"Brown eyed girl" is being played on the radio (such a good song)... 

*You are downing a 12 oz burger while the elderly lady in front of you is too downing a 12 oz burger (she's didn't eat all of it but I was still impressed)... 

*You are having a nice conversation about families and the gospel... 

*Next thing you know she starts going off on the liberals that don't want her shooting bears and that want to take her guns away.... #ThatEscalatedQuickly 

*** Just a reminder she's 70+... #WelcomeToMontana, I love it here. She'd be awesome on Twitter, official grandma of #TwitterDreamTeam. 

- while on the topic of celery doesn't have calories (#ThingsMissionarysTalkAbout) I said... "Ya, pretty sure brownies don't either" and Metcalf gave me that same look Kurt would give me whenever I tell him made up facts. Love ya potato boy.  

- helped a band get set up for the ward young adult dance party and the drummer reminded me of pre-mission haircut Andrew Thackeray. Cool guys, wanted to get out on the dance floor that night but unfortunately such acts of Babylon is forbidden for elders. 

- PEC on Sunday was pretty much just bracketology and it was kinda weird not having a clue what's going on in the world of March Madness. I did fill out a bracket last week... I got to fill out ONE bracket... Was notified via email that the team I picked to win it all got their butt whooped in the second round but when you get one bracket to fill out you can't NOT pick your team to win it all (if that makes sense)!!! "A Utah Man sir will be till I die." 
 
- Dinner with the Pederson's and Brother Pederson (ex-military) started going off on PO'd red necks killing terrorists if they ever invade this country. I love Montana. 

ZONE CONFERENCE!!!!

- Drive to Missoula was winter, drive back was spring (check the pics). #WelcomeToMontana 

 
- Reunited with my splash elder. It was quite the reunion, gosh I have missed Potter. When the vehicle coordinator was up there talking about how speeding tickets result in driving priviledges being gone we slowly turned and looked at each other #TheyBothDone. As soon as one of us are allowed to drive we have a feeling it's gonna be #AvengersAssemble and President will team up the splash elders to ignite an area with the gospel. 

- Sitting at lunch during zone conference when a sister tosses a note onto me... Open it up and #ShotsFired on my Utes (check pics). Sister Dayes heard that "I Am a Utah Man" from Sister Freeman (MTC district) and decided to blind side sucker punch me with that written Bomb while I am innocently talking with Potter and Metcalf about the BROzeman glory days of last summer .  Mom, you'd be proud to know I buried my weapons of war last July and I didn't go all @MPett3 #TwitterDreamTeam on her. Probs not a good idea if she started Faslev'ing it while I'm Pedroza'ing in the background... Especially while the Mission President is sitting right there. I know I subtly take some jabs at the Cougs every once and a while in my emails but I have actually been pretty nice out here. Dang, it caught me off guard though! Never even met Sister Dayes before that. Freakin savage move but I'll admit it was well played.


- Zone Leaders and District Leaders had a little meeting with President where we could ask some questions... Somehow playing Risk with members got brought up and President asked what our thoughts were... I responded (100% jokingly btdubs) "spirit can't dwell with contention" and President told everyone that's exactly right and went off about it for like 5 minutes. I of course quickly act like I was being serious. When He told me "nice work Elder Pett" I felt inside like I just accidentally banked a 3 pointer... The Points still count right??? #ICalledBank 

Ya... Good week tho. Just kind of realized A lot of missionaries just send a paragraph home and that's probably how it should be but heck I take 3 paragraphs just to talk about catching a bunny or retrieving relief society left overs from a Christmas party after curfew while #StealthOp ninja starring Spencer Briggs along the way #SorrySisterBriggs... I just gotta let it all out man, I have so much I wanna tell you guys about!!! I guess as socially awkward as I am I just like to talk... So today's spiritual rant will be on Easter.

Everything seems to be magnified on your mission. Prayer, scripture study, the sacrament, Gen Conf, kicking rocks, hearing from your family, and currently for me, Easter.  You start to notice that the things that really are important in life, are what's magnified on your mission. Easter is definitely being magnified for me. 

A few weeks back in district meeting, Sister Sanjaa gave a discussion on charity and it has been on my mind ever since. "The pure love of Christ". I know that's what charity is, but something about that discussion and the time of year just made it stick in my mind... The pure love of Christ.... Think about that for a second! It's so much deeper than that, I honestly can't even fully wrap my mind around it. 

Typically when I need help understanding something I compare it to one of two things... 

Utah Football... Or the Mouse. 

In this case, I went with the Utes. Thought back to the video I posted a year ago last February. I think it was like "Utah Football 2014 Season Highlight video"... (Go watch the first minute and this will make a whole lot more sense. Mom if you blog this post a link.) I remember mentioning it in a previous email so this might sound a little familiar but I'm just gonna expound a little more.
 
 
The intro talks about the inches in our life. How important each inch is. You gotta do whatever it takes for that inch, but most importantly go the inch for the guy next to you. As crazy as it may sound, that's my idea of charity. That's my idea of the pure love of Christ. What Christ did for us, I really can't comprehend. Suffering every trial, pain, affliction, and temptation so that he could make up the inches we can't go. He gave up everything, suffered everything, laid down his life so he can help us go that inch... That's charity in my eyes, going that inch for the guy next to you. 

I'd go that inch for my family. By now you have probably realized I consider pretty much anyone that has had a positive impact on me as family. Whether it's my mother or a Twitter follower I have never met yet I'm tight with, If at anytime you have helped me... All I gotta say is "Family on 3".  I'd give up everything and do anything for you. But Christ didn't just go that inch for the people that loved him, he went that inch for the people that were against him too. It's easy for me to say I'd do anything for Z, but what about the person who slams the door in your face or a guy who tells you to go to hell??? Instead of yelling back "see you there!" you mean to tell me I gotta be willing to do anything to help him go that inch too? That's the most key part of charity, willing to go that inch for everyone... And that's where my thoughts have really been. 

How did Christ do it? How did Nephi do it? How did Joseph Smith and the Saints do it? They went that inch for those around them knowing darn well they were going to be rejected for it. I'm far from being like any of them, but being a missionary I guess I could ask myself how do I do it??? You have those days that every possible plan goes to crap (like @pettbryan's bracket) and no one wants anything to do with you and quite frankly you just wanna go and play in Toon Town with Z. Those days happen to everyone, missionary or not. It can kinda be hard going those inches. Dang, seriously tho, how DO I do it??? For me, I think of my family. Who I have backing me up. Those that left a legacy on me. Those that would go that inch for me. 

Now this isn't doctrine, but I imagine the Saints thought of the same people. As did Nephi. As did Christ. Who would be willing to go that inch for them.  I'm sure Heavenly Father gave them a glimpse of what was to come, the people that would be able to go that inch in the future because of the sacrifices they were making. 

I mentioned I think about my family, well I especially think of the 3 month old middle line backer back home that shares a name with me. Have I met Eli in this life??? Nope, but knowing he's got Uncle K's name gives me strength to push on, to be the best person I can be. Then I think about the name on my name tag, the One I represent. The One who went that inch for everyone. When Christ was struggling, I'd like to think he did the same thing I do. Think of those that will someday bear his name. As he was going that inch for every one of us, he knew there would be those that would reject Him. But I bet ya he was thinking of those that would go that inch for Him, and if 2 years brought him a millisecond of peace and hope when he was in the garden or on the cross, that alone makes these 2 years worth it. 

"I think you're gonna see a guy that will go that inch with you, you're gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team cause he knows when it comes down to it, you're gonna do the same for Him." 

This is a special time of year as we celebrate his life and resurrection. I know he Lives. I know he loves us. And how sweet is it that because of what He did, I can be with my family forever. 

... Well I hope that made sense... If a dude dressed up in a bunny costume and colorful eggs helps you understand it better than a Utah football hype video then all power to you. I really do love this gospel, and am so incredibly grateful for a Savior that went that inch for me, and now I can go that inch for those around me.

 A year ago I got my call and a year ago today I baptized Alexis!!! Wow that freaks me out... I had a little meltdown when it hit me on Saturday... Don't even want to think about the year mark to be honest... I can't believe how much I have changed in that year, how much a mission has taught me and helped me grow. I wouldn't say I was a complete and total child of hell before my mission but there were no doubt things that I could have been better at. This gospel changes you, it helps you. I'd be nothing without Christ in my life.  I don't have all the answers of what the future will hold... but I know God has my back, and as long as I know that I'm good. 

Church is true people, I love it. Have a happy Easter and thanks for the birthday wishes, means a lot. Don't really care how old I am, @pettbryan and I will always need to be separated by my mother in sacrament meeting and given treats to behave. S/O to my lovely mother for putting up with eternal 5 year olds. 

Love ya 

- Elder K

- happy birthday this week to ma boy Nic Goldsbery (@niccysmalls). Love ya dude. 

Pics 

- don't know what that is but I want to drive one. #WelcomeToMontana

- Utes All Day Everyday
 - Splash Elders 

 
- red Camaro... Black racing stripe... Had to go read the "lock your heart" talk after I saw that beauty.

- I'd live there. 
 

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