Hellloooo!

So the mission is still awesome. Im loving this so much. Time is flying by though and it's a little freaky. Elder Lira and I are tight like unto a dish and are seeing a lot of success. Elder Lira will be going home this transfer along with a lot of other missionaries I know. One thing that I have learned from Elder Lira is that when it's time to go home, it's time to go home. Some missionaries get to the end and they love the mission so much that they want to just stay out for ever and have a really hard time going home. Elder Lira is someone who realizes the importance of progression. He is excited to go home and progress in life and he knows that you don't need a name tag to be a missionary. I have really tried to let that become engraved in my heart. I will always be a missionary whether I have a tag or not. No, that doesnt mean that we have to go around preaching all day every day haha but we have been asked as children of God to be examples to our fellow brethren. To take upon us the name of Christ, and be ready always to comfort those that stand in need of comfort, mourn with those that mourn, and always be ready and willing to follow the direction that God would have us take. That is the path that will bring us the most happiness. I wonder how much greater the world would be if we each looked for opportunities to serve others each day, and then follow the opportunities that we see and do them. I know that there will never be a time when we serve someone else that we will not be blessed for it. If the love of Christ was brought into every relationship and every family, we would, as a world, be lifted out of poverty, freed from disputations and needless arguments, and truly be a happy people. 

Sincerely Elder Irvine.

Just a few pics this week

I don't have time to write today, but here's a few pics of the beautiful ladies we baptized Saturday night and an amazing hike we went on our P-day.  Life is so Good!!

Hey Ya'll

Ok so...I am missing southern cooking now. But, it's ok. They do their best here! :D 

My companion and I are giving talks in sacrament next week and we have two people set to be baptized on the 28th at 7. Super excited. Elder Lira  and I ride our bikes on this one road a lot and it's super fun because there is this truck that every time it passes, it tries to fling gravel at us with its tires. haha It's super funny. It just makes me want to chase the truck and talk to him about Jesus Christ! :) 

Anyways, I'm loving it out here. I'm almost to 6 months. That's very strange. I'm almost 1/4th of the way done with my mission....WOAH. I guess it is a good thing it's going by fast. I really hope I can continue in my learning and growth after my mission. 

I think it's interesting when I hear someone say they have been "saved" but they are the same person they were before. If you haven't changed at all then what have you been "saved" from? Im not sure if that makes sense but I hope it does. We are meant to become better by following Jesus Christ and becoming more like him. Do our best and He will do the rest. But it's important to do our best. I don't think He said "follow me"  or "if ye love me, keep my commandments" just for fun. I think He meant it. "Be ye therefor perfect, even as your Father, which is in Heaven is perfect." Through the enabling power and saving power of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us, we can be made perfect. But we have a part to play too, otherwise He wouldn't have need to tell us anything. 

Anyways love yall! 

Your friend, Elder Sawyer Irvine.

Hey Ya'll

Hallo! 

This is Elder Irvine. So I am now serving right next to downtown Boise but not in it. I can honestly say that there are some strange people in BOISE, but most of Idaho is cool :) I love my new area it is so much fun to meet new people and have new experiences. 

I want to encourage everyone to read Exodus 31 : 13. It talks about what the Sabbath day is and what the Lord wants it to be. Sabbath is so important. Inspiring and spiritually rejuvenating, the Sabbath day is essential for Christians to keep the spiritual power they need in order to combat each and every week against the temptations and negative influences we face that attempt to draw us away from the Savior.

 Brothers and Sisters, make time for the Sabbath. Now sometimes there are responsibilities that some of us hold which is understandable. However, I promise that when the time is made to dedicate yourself as much as you can to keeping the reverence of the Sabbath day each and every week, the Lord will ensure the blessings of Heaven to you and your family. I don't know any worldly or temporal pleasure or thing that is greater or more joyful than bringing  the promised blessings of Heaven in this life and in the life to come. That is my testimony of the Sabbath day. I encourage you all to gain the same testimony if you haven't already and then increase your testimony and become immovable and always abounding in good works as it says in Mosiah 5: 15. Yall should read that scripture too, out of the Book of Mormon. 

My message in sticks!

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Irvine

Friends

Fishing on P-day, caught a Bass :)

Did all of you know that you are my friends? I wasn't sure, so I wanted to make sure ya'll knew. I know I don't know everyone super well but that's ok because you're still my friends. Friends to me have always meant support, help, lift, inspiration, protection and love. But, I suppose that really everything that I listed comes from love? All you really need is love. Do we love our friends? I do.  I love all ya'll!  Maybe I love some more than others but that's just because I know some better. 

Friends are really important because you have to have love in your life. If you don't then it just ain't gonna work out too well. So, let's make sure we love our friends, all of them. It doesn't mean you have to take cookies over but I do hope that everyone knows that if they needed some advice or an ear to listen, that I would love to. And I'm hopeful that everyone could say that to me and to one another. As a missionary, that's what we do every day. We listen. We support. We Love. I would challenge everyone to keep each other in mind a little more this week and hopefully build on becoming everyone's friend. Thank you everyone for your support. 

Love, Your friend

Elder Irvine

Finally I can Write

I'm soaking all the pity I can get!

Hey everyone.

I'm sorry I couldn't email the last two weeks. My head was introduced to a wooden board at high speeds and I got a concussion last weekend. I was out and in bed all week. Really boring!  I don't recommend a concussion. 

Yeah we have a car since I got a concussion for a week or so :)

I thought I would share a quick scripture from the Book of Mormon. Its something I have committed to memory and have done my best to apply it in my actions. A captain of good guys in Alma chapter 46 verse 12 in the Book of Mormon writes a "title of liberty" on a rent cloth. The reason he is doing it is because a lot of bad guys are coming to battle against the good guys and they are really evil. They want to kill and enslave all the good guys. So Captain Moroni ( the good guy's leader ) Erects this "title of Liberty" as a statute for the good guys to fight and live by. This is what it says.

"In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children."

- Captain Moroni, Book of Alma chapter 46 verse 12 in the Book of Mormon. 

I love that title. It's simple but true.  It's pure, it's loving, and I believe it should be a way for us to guide and direct our lives. In each of our actions may we think of how it will show respect for and affect the name and image of our God, religion, freedom, peace, wives, and our children. 

If you are addicted to anything, you are not free because you are bound to something that causes you to make decisions based on if that addiction will still be available to you. I encourage you all to observe your actions and find out who you are, by what or rather who, you are acting for. 

I love you all and hope you enjoyed that scripture. 

Love,

Elder Sawyer Irvine

A Bump on the Head

Well I don't like having to write for Sawyer 2 weeks in a row, but this week he's not able due to a bump on the head and 5 staples in the head.   Boys!!!

Apparently he was trying to help a lady take apart some furniture so they could toss in a dumpster and when he hit a piece of the furniture with whatever he had in his hands...a board from the furniture flipped around and hit his head.  Why do boys enjoy destroying things????

Unfortunately, he has been placed on bed rest until he is symptom free (no nausea and no headache) for 24 hours.  Before the bump however he had a great week.  He was able to go hiking with his district last P-day and sent some great pics.

Sword fighting

Boys being boys!

My cutie pie!

Thank you everyone for your support.  Sawyer sends his love!

Monica