"There's no shortcut..."

I think when I come home I'll have a very hard time adjusting to being called by my first name.  Maybe everyone can keep calling me Lonas for awhile, to help me ease into it?

We went to the temple this week.  Every day leading up to the temple I became more and more excited, which was manifested by a neverending round of me singing "Going to the temple and we're, gonna get ma-a-a-ried, going to the temple and we're gonna get ma-a-a-ried. Gee.  I really love you and we're gonna get ma-a-a-rieed... Going to the temple, *mumble lyrics so no one knows that I don't know them*"

(Sidenote: I did not get married.  But it wasn't a complete failure or anything, the temple was still awesome :)

My companions are very grateful that that is over.

Also, if anyone knows the real lyrics (besides chapel- I am aware that the real lyrics say chapel ) please let me know.    DONE. :) 

I love the temple.

We had to split the Mission into 3 groups, each going on a different day, because we have so many more missionaries than last year, which was too bad because I wasn't there with some of my friends, but I was there with some of my close friends that I was with LAST year when I went to the temple :) It's really... disorienting, for lack of the correct word, to be here in Bremerton again one year later.  It's getting sunnier and sunnier, and especially when I'm emailing at the library, which is in my old area, I just feel like I'm right where I was. So much has changed, and so much has not.  I try not to think about it too much.  But I still think about it too much.

(Unrelated note, I just banged my leg into the wooden table thing, It hurts and is very distracting)

Anyway, I learned a lot this time in the temple.  The spirit is so strong, you can't help but learn.  I was thinking how much I wished I could have a pen and my planner so I could write down things I was learning while I was there- but then I realized that, once again, Heavenly Father is smarter than I am. 

( Heavenly Father- A Kazillion, Elder Lonas- 0)

While it's definitely a good idea to go home and write down impressions and stuff, I think that it's part of Heavenly Father's plan to have us not be able to write stuff down, because that means that if I want to learn everything he wants to teach me, I need to go frequently, for the rest of my life.  There's no shortcut or other way to do it.

I won't be able to go to the temple again until I'm coming home... that really scares me.  I feel like Im starting to do things for the last time.  Last temple trip, last phone call home....

      I've been staring at this computer screen for about 10 minute straight, it's so hard for me to try to convey things sometimes.

Ooh, let me tell you about Tyler! (short version, not long version)
He came to church this week! we met him last Sunday, after church, so this is the first week he could make it.  He's way legit. In Church, he introduced himself as "Tyler, Candidate for Baptism! And these are my missionaries, they're my escorts today!" 

Pretty awesome :) He's in his 50's, and came to church looking way classy in black slacks, black tie and suspenders. 

I just think that's awesome.  :)  He's going to be baptized in a few weeks, I'm really excited for him! 

Life is wonderful.  Missionaries are so happy, because sharing the gospel makes me everyone happy! And being a full time missionary makes me full time happy.  The cool thing is that we're the FULL TIME missionaries! which means that everyone else who has been baptized is ALSO A MISSIONARY :) I promise everyone of you that if you are bold, and invite someone to come closer to Christ this week, through reading the Book of Mormon, or coming to church with you, or meeting with the full time missionaries, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. John 7:17

Love,

Lonas