The Celestial Kingdom and Holy

 Oh hello sir Jacob!

I hope this note finds you well. I sure enjoyed talking with you on Monday. I’m not sure if you realize this, and I could be wrong, but I sensed a little more happiness in your countenance, a tiny bit more confidence in you, and much less sense of dismay. Your letters reflect that too. It’s slow, maybe tiny baby steps with stumbling all over the place, but it’s coming. I’m getting excited for you now. It may still be months away, but at some point things will start to come naturally to you, start to flow. That’s when this will will really start to be fun. Look forward to it, keep striving for it, you’ll get there without even realizing it. I did, you will.

I was talking to Aunt Stella last night. She mentioned that you sound so happy in your letters home. She’s thrilled to be on your list, she really enjoys them and I think she feels closer to you. Those letters are a kind of service to people like her. You have 5 or 10 regular readers that really enjoy them, and probably need them to some extent. People are looking to hear what it’s like for a real kid with lots of faith be honest about the mission. Too many missionaries write only what they think the should, not about what it’s really like.

Speaking of aunt Stella, she told me something last night that really affected me. I took it as a compliment at first, a really sweet one, maybe the best one I’ve ever gotten. But as I thought about it more I realized that it was something I should have been aware of more, something that I’m not nearly grateful enough for. She keeps thanking me over and over for that trip, even though she paid for most of it. She was amazed at how fun it was, how everyone got along so well, how happy everyone was. Then she told me that to her, that trip with us was like being in heaven, and if that’s what the celestial kingdom is like, she’d be happy. Well Jake, you know my road trips…lots of driving and looking out the window and when we do stop it’s for treats, forts or wagons and visitor centers. And while I really enjoy them, I’ve never associated them with anything heavenly before. But as I thought about it, it really sank in how right she was. Everyone in that car had been through hard trials and experiences that may have taken us away from family or good choices. Aunt patti and cousin Artie have had some brutal trials. When we got home from Texas my sisters were fighting a lot and really didn’t like each other. We’ve had my job trials and aunt Stella has had a lot of trials too. Yet here we were, three days in the car with my sisters (and Spencer) chatting away in a pretty tight back seat getting along not just like sisters, but like best friends, and Artie and Ben building a closer relationship and me with my sweet aunt just like when I was a tiny boy. It’s all about family and relationships and being good to one another and finding true joy in that. And to then realize that we can have that perfectly and eternally through the atonement. And that we have access to those blessings all of the time. That’s what you’re bringing to Mexico, that’s what you’ll find in your mission for yourself through your service.

Well, I went off the “righteous dad” deep end again, sorry. I can turn that a 180 with the next paragraph or two.

Tonight I went to go see Dune with Ben. His second and my first time. Joe took a pass and mom’s fine waiting to stream it. We got great seats in the imax theater in the district. The sound and picture was amazing. I really enjoyed the movie, and while it was complex, I didn’t have any problem following the story. I think you’d like it too. Now for the “he’s really not all that righteous of a dad” part. I was sitting next to this kid. Must’ve been about Ben’s age, super nerd and skinny (think of one of your uncles…506 too?) he came in late and sat next to his buddy. He never said a word. But then, every single time there was a scene change, every 15 seconds, he would do one of those obnoxious, nasally, closed mouth giggles and keep looking at his buddy. Every scene change was like he was such an insider he knew what was coming up and he was so thrilled about it he couldn’t keep it in. I glared at him several times, muttered “duuuude” in a not very under the breath tone a few times, and mostly fought back the urge to bury my elbow three inches into his face for three straight hours. What is it with sifi movies and idiots that have never left the house before? Ben said it was a cousin of holy’s, but Holy had nuthin on this moron.

Well, about all I have left is the mundane news. The shed didn’t come due to rain. I printed another batch of parts for my iron giant. The printer is starting to give me some errors, but I’m figuring those out, mostly. I have a doctors appointment Friday morning, I plan on being told to loose 50 pounds. We’re going to my cousins Estrella’s Halloween party Friday night, I’m going dressed as her, I even bought a megaphone to replicate her voice. I might go on a short jeep trip Saturday morning, probably by myself because Ben’s working and joe thinks they’re boring. The Utes play UCLA Saturday night, they’re still favored to win the south for some reason. And finally, bronco mendenhall will be back in Provo as Virginia plays byu. It will be the first time I’m ever rooting for bronco.

Well, that’s it for me tonight. I sure love you Jacob. You are always in my heart and on my mind and you the first and last thing I pray for.

Pops