Spring in South Carolina

Well Mom, you're right, we've been celebrating spring for several
weeks now, and the gnats are certainly back in force.  There are a few
good things to be said for cold weather (ie. no bugs), but biking
around these Lowcountry islands is very pleasant right now.  It almost
makes me want to live here someday...

Wow!  Kariann, Leisl, and Cami all home within a week?!  I'd forgotten
that they all left that close to each other.  Thanks for the
addresses. I'll see if I can jot in a few quick notes to them today.
Hahaha, and yes, Eli, I have only been gone a year.  Don't make time
fly faster than it already is!  I'm glad to hear that Corey got his
mission underway!  How long will he spend in the MTC?  8 weeks?

I had not yet seen a photo of Daniel with his new flame, so I'm glad
you sent one, Mom!  I got a chuckle when I opened the file - the first
thing I noticed was a very large belt buckle!  Yep!  Definitely a girl
for Daniel!  Way to go, little brother!  (Hmmm, I suppose I can't
really call you 'little' anymore....)  By the way, I loved your
inspired idea of writing "USU" somewhere on Alyssa's cake!  It would
have been genius!  True Blue, all the way!  None of this BYU stuff!
=P  Good luck in Tuscon this week.  I regret only having seen you run
once in your entire collegiate career.  Say hello to the Milnes for me
when you see them this week!  Congrats to Brady!

Gabe and Joe, it sounds like I need to teach you what camping is all
about next spring!  Be prepared for a week-long backpacking trip!!!
And no bringing the gameboy and iPod with you!  ....perhaps we can
even track some mountain lions while we're out on the mountain....  =D
Hahaha, thanks for sharing, Mom, I loved the tale!

Well, this week marks halfway through the 12 week training process. A
new transfer begins, and I've just realized that I have now spent more
time here in Beaufort than in any other area of my mission. I'm
suspecting that President will leave me here one more transfer after
Elder Cancel is finished training, so that would make 6 months in one
place. Unheard of for me!  I really love it here though, so I don't
mind at all. I'm afraid I don't have any miracle stories for you this
week. It was very quiet compared to the last few weeks with a lot of
dropped appointments and people not home, but we continue to work
hard.  We did discover a whole colony of people that live on the very
southern tip of St. Helena island and I keep Elder Cancel on his toes
by threatening a day where we bike out and back - a round trip of 40
miles or so. Lol, he's got a lot more endurance now than a few weeks
ago and we can go over the bridges and things now without walking -
I'm proud of him.

God humbled me this weekend by opening my eyes to a lot of my own
weaknesses. King Benjamin speaks of our "nothingness, and your
worthless and fallen state" and calls us "unworthy creatures" (Mosiah
4:5,11) - I think I felt somewhat of the reality of those verses over
the past few days. Moses said something similar (Moses 1:10) after
being confronted with the glory and perfection of God.  Hopefully now,
I'll be able to use this understanding of my own in-sufficiency to use
the Atonement more fully and become more of what He would have me be.

Elder Bishop and I were privileged to give a disabled man a blessing
this week at his request. We both felt very strongly that it is the
Lord's will to heal him in the near future and we are uniting our
faith to hopefully see that miracle happen during our ministry here.

I love you all.  Seek the Lord.

Elder M.