catching up on brocks letters. :)

Family!

So...I hear you miss me! I also hear mom cried when she smelled my shirt that she wasn't sure about if it was clean or not. I don't really know whether to think of that as a tender moment or dissapointing, I guess it depends on the details that I didn't get...Anywho! What is goin on back in Thatcher land? Give me some news updates on crazy things happening. I hear there was another celeb OD death recently, Amy Winehouse. Oh those druggies.

Well I bet you are wondering when I leave. I have told a few people in letters that I mailed today but you guys will still be the first to know (if you open your email before jared does that is) I leave the mtc on monday the first at 530 pm and arrive in Brisbane on wednesday the 3rd at 1230 pm. I get to fly into the future thanks to the international dateline! I have a layover at LAX for two hours and also a layover in Sydney for two hours. Altogether it will take a full 24 hours to get there :/ Crazy!

Well it's spiritual experience time! So this past sunday, the 24th of july as we all know, there was a fireside. The fireside was alright, nothing too amazing but for the closing song we sang 'come come ye saints' with a recording of motab...Which if you don't remember is the same song they used for the grand finale of the tcc. I had lost my voice for some reason ( i got a little sore throat for a while) so i couldn't sing very loud but I gave it all I had. We all stood up for the last verse in the gym where firesides are held and a flood of memories came crashing down on me. In my mind I was looking up into the night sky while hearing thousands of youth sing to the prophet and feeling all the love in the world in my heart. I was the one singing along this time though. It reminded me of that night on my 18th birthday where I cried my eyes out while 'flying' in the air. We watched Legacy after the fireside and that was amazing as well. I have missed the temple soooooo much since I left because the provo temple has been closed since i got here but I found out friday that it would be opening on tuesday, my pday, and that I would be able to go! I was so excited! While at the temple I had one of the best visits I had. As I sat in the Celestial Room and prayed I started to cry because I knew that the Lord had allowed me to go to the temple once again before I left...which is something I really wanted.

I'd love to say more but I only have 2 minutes left on email! I love you all and next time you get an email from me I will be in Australia!

Elder Brock Reynolds

P.S. Look up the lyrics to come come ye saints for the last verse and try to put yourselves in my shoes as I stood up to sing the last verse with thousands of missionaries, you will know why I cried :)