[SENT 1/28/17]

At Natural History museum with giant sloth

Hello family!

Happy Saturday. Hope it's filled will movies, popcorn, and fun! With maybe a few cleaning chores, and other duties sprinkled here and there. My Saturday so far has been great! We visited the Natural History Museum this morning and that was really neat. It's a GIANT Museum with all sorts of stuffs. I'll make sure and send some pictures. 

Elder Burgess and the Dodo bird

My Thoughts

The longer I've been out on my mission, the older a missionary I feel. Isn't that surprising? :) Yesterday marked 20 months since I left home. Everything between now and then seems like a dream. It's interesting thinking about things for post-mission life. Example, where I will live at BYU, what I will study, what I'll do in the summer, mom and dad picking me up. I strive to maintain focus on the here and now, being 'where my feet are', while being smart and planning ahead for the future. It's almost as if I'm torn between two worlds, both of them with so much to offer. I'm so grateful for the amount of time I have left to serve here, and the good that's still left to be done. Being a missionary is the most unique, soul stretching, rewarding, blessed time of my life. I have no idea of what my life would be like if I wasn't serving the Lord on a mission in London right now. Missions are the best!

Spiritual

This past week we had interviews with President Stevens. This past interview was a milestone moment. One in which I will forever be grateful. I won't go into too much details because it was quite a personal and powerful experience, but coming out of my interview with President Stevens I came away with an intensified knowledge that God knows and loves me personally, prayers are answered, and President Stevens is called of God. 

Thanks for your emails each week, and your love for me. I credit much of the person I am today to my wonderful upbringing. Mom and dad you are both such wonderful examples of living the gospel. You work hard, you are selfless, and you are my friends. Drake I will forever be grateful for our friendship, and the blessing it was to be in High School together. You paved the way for me, and I'm grateful for your example in serving a mission. Brock my dear pal, I'm grateful for all the time we were able to spend together, whether it be on Minecraft, or playing Kickball in the basement or around the playset, or playing cowboys and Indians in the back yard. 

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Withers