January 21 - Week 32

Hi Jon!

I got to go skiing twice last week. First because it was my birthday and second because it snowed 24 inches overnight making a 75 inch base at Sundance. It was great both times. Provo Canyon was closed due to an avalanche but if you have 4 wheel drive there was a detour that took you on a side road near Bridalveil Falls. Most of back mountain was closed but right when I got off the flathead lift at the top of Grizzy Ridge the ski patrol guys were right there pulling the rope back and letting people go through so I got to be the first one down Grizzly Ridge and Badlands with 2 feet of new powder. It was exhausting but amazing at the same time.

This week had my 4th and 5th interviews with Lucid Software but it seems like they are going to offer me a pretty low position that I'm going to have to decline. We'll see but for now I'm not really that interested in it.

Grandpa Poulton is back on his feet after his surgery and having pneumonia and he was able to come give Chance his patriarchal blessing this week. It was pretty cool. Grandma, Grandpa, mom, Chance, Javi, and I attended and we all bore our testimony and then Grandpa talked about patriarchal blessings for a few minutes and then he gave Chance the blessing. I thought it was a great blessing but I can't remember a lot of it now so we'll have to wait to get a written copy.

The NFC and AFC championship games happened yesterday to determine which 2 teams would go to the Super Bowl and both of my teams did really poorly. The Saints played the Rams and the game was tied 17 to 17 with 2 minutes to go and all the Saints had to do was kneel on the ball three times and then kick the game-winning field goal. But the refs made a horrible call which made the Saints have to kick the field goal with 2 minutes left and then the Rams made a field goal which sent the game into overtime and then the Saints lost. Stupid refs. Everyone on espn says the Saints should have won and the refs are terrible. The Patriots played the Chiefs and the stupid Patriots won so the super bowl will be patriots vs rams in 2 weeks. I don't like either team.

Yesterday we went to Allison Ludlow's missionary farewell - she is going to the Warsaw Poland mission this week. I don't think you know her but mom and I are good friends with her parents Rob and Marianne Ludlow. It was cool to see everyone. Allison is very beautiful and comes from a spectacular family so maybe I'll introduce you when you comes home in 18 months and returns to BYU. hahaha

Aimar went out of town this weekend to Las Vegas to play in a soccer tournament with his team. So the house was VERY quiet! Wonderfully quiet. Mom and I took Chance and Javi out to dinner and dessert at a new crepe place in Riverwoods shopping center. A lot of the retail stores are going away and being replaced with new restaurants since retail doesn't make money anymore but restaurants do. No complaints on that from me.

OK now for some more missionary advice from dad.

There are two parts of the perfect missionary. The first part is technical skills. This means that you must know the scriptures, you must have teaching techniques, and you must know the discussions. These things are so important. The second part is the spiritual side. You must always have this as well. You will see elders that know everything and have no spirit and you will see elders who are as spiritual as the prophet but are still not sure if Italy is a country or a continent. You got to have both parts. When you have both then you will be the Jedi. This should be what you are striving for. 

I would say that the tools of both sides come slowly and with lots of effort. Remember though, the spirit can quicken the technical and in some cases learning the technical quickens the spiritual part. Much like the Jedi in training, there are many tricks that you can learn. You will feel the spirit flow through you. It will guide you and become your inner compass. What is funny about that compass or mantle is when it’s there, you know it’s there but not really. It is like you get used to it. However, when you are released as a missionary you can feel it leave. It is as physical a difference as when you know and feel that you are wet and then you are dry. I really miss that sometimes.

Apostle Richard G Scott was once asked this question - if he could go back in time and take all that he knew now as an apostle and could serve a mission again, what would he do different? He paused and thought for a few minutes. The room was totally silent. He then said that he would work closer with the spirit. Out of all the things he knows now that would be the one thing that he would do different. I have thought about this a million times. Think about all the things he has seen and learned and that was his reply. “I would work harder with the spirit.” Wow.

I hope you can continue to work hard but also work smart. Learn to work closer with the spirit. The spirit can tell you where to go, who to talk to, and what to say.

Love,

Dad