Into the field.

A few weeks ago I stood in front of my parents' church congregation and willed myself not to cry. In a few minutes, my little brother would be giving his missionary farewell talk. I was about to sing a hymn whose words were a little too apt for the situation and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get through it without getting emotional. Don't look at anyone, don't think about the words, I thought. SING LIKE A ROBOT.

Somehow I kept it together, and David gave a wonderful talk, despite my attempt at sabotage by giving him a big hug right before. That day we all got a glimpse into the wonderful missionary he will be for our Church.



My oldest sister Sarah already posted a great tribute to David, and I won't attempt anything like it since a) it would fall short and b) I generally try not to cry at work. But David leaves us tomorrow to go to the Missionary Training Center, and I wanted to acknowledge the occasion. I know he will have amazing experiences and that he will develop a great love for the people he serves, and vice versa.

We're proud of you, Doov. Good luck!

Called to Serve.

This dapper young gentleman:

is all grown up and received his mission call yesterday. Surrounded by his college buds and while Skyping and conference calling with various family and friends, David found out that he has been assigned to the New York, New York South mission and will be teaching the gospel in the Mandarin Chinese language!

It's very possible that I was more nervous than HE was as we waited for him to open the envelope. When he read "New York, New York," everyone (especially me) erupted into cheers, which doubled when he read "Mandarin Chinese." David started taking Mandarin this semester because he really wanted to learn it, so he was thrilled with this news. And while he won't be serving in Manhattan, I'm hoping I'll have an opportunity to "accidentally" bump into him (with freshly baked cookies in hand, probably) at some point.


I can't believe that the little boy with the bowl cut is going to be leaving us for 2 years. David is the baby of the family, and over the years has been subjected to all kinds of humiliation at the hands of his older siblings. And yet, he still turned out to be one of the nicest kids you'll ever meet, and he loves his family a lot. I couldn't be more proud of him and I know he will be a fantastic missionary.

Rock star.

Today there was a special conference for the NYC area, in which I got to hear this man speak:


...at this place:



"When harder times come, stay with Him. There may be temptation to say, 'Well, I guess God doesn't care about me.' But when the winds and waves are unexpected and fierce, stay in the boat. This is no time for you to try your own little doggy paddle." - Jeffrey R. Holland

He also quoted Bryan Adams.