The End of Elder Searle

Dear Family,

Well, it's almost here, 2 years in the flat lands of Nebraska are almost over...I have sure grown a TON from this adventure. I am for sure not the same person that I was when I first came out. One thing that I have learned/really came to understand is that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is really for anyone and everything. I think we can all understand that yes, He died for ME, He knows what I'm going through but being able to tell these people I met, to the toothless people in Council Bluffs to the Air Force people in Bellevue to the Children of the Corn in Seward, that Christ's arm is ALWAYS stretched out towards us and that He knows what we are going through and how we feel and that He is there for us. My favorite scripture kind of has to do with this.

3 Nephi 10

4-O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you.

5-And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell in Jerusalem, as ye have fallen, yea how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.

6-O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.

Christ is the Hen, He wants to protect and help each and every one of us. He wants us under His wing, under His gospel and he is always there for us. Past, Present and Future.

Another favorite scripture is Alma 38:5 and what I like about this one is that you can switch out Shiblon and put your name in it!

5-And now my son, Shiblon (Brendan) I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials and your troubles and your afflictions and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

It has been a very emotional past couple three days  (yes, couple three will now forever be in my vocab) I did a pretty good job bottling it all in but saying goodbye to the Dolezal's sure made the bottle explode. I lost it....not as bad as saying goodbye to Little Monkey, but it was sure close. Then to top it off, I had to say bye to Brandy after that. I didn't cry, men don't cry but I sure had something in my eye the whole time. ;) We were able to have one last party with Brandy and her family and we also burned a get up of mine. So, I'm not sure how long Elders have been doing this, or if' their still doing it but we burned a tie representing 6 months out, a white shirt for being a year out, suit pants for 18 months and a suit for 2 years!

So I guess to sum it up, I will surely miss the mission and the people that I have met, good thing we have Facebook and Skype! The mission has sure been a roller coaster but it has been fun and I have grown a lot. I guess I can sum it up with a scripture.

2 Timothy 4

6-For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.

7-I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

17-Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known.

I love the people here in Nebraska and I'm happy for the chance I have had to be here and I can't wait to return home in 2 days!!  I love you all and I will sure miss the people in Nebraska!!!

Love you all!!
Elder Searle

 The Dolezal's

 Elder Searle and Brandy

 Elder Searle and Mark

 Elder Searle and Little James

 Anna and Elder Pacheco

 The Vavras

Final Zone lunch at Cici's

 

 The Johnson's

 Elder Pacheco

Final Week

Dear Family,

Holy Cow....I can't believe that I have one full week left of my mission. Time has gone by sooo fast! I swear just yesterday I was home causing trouble, teasing Nana Bear, 4-wheeling, getting yelled at for bringing mud in the house etc. The mission has been great and it will be sad that it's over. 

We had an AWESOME week!! Alisha's baptism went well and it was super spiritual! Her grandpa was the one that baptized her and he had a very hard time getting the words out because of how emotional he was. There were so many people there! The youth had a hayride/tin foil dinner activity and they invited some of the ward/branches around us and a lot of them stuck around for the baptism so there were a lot of youth there to support Alisha. Even the branch president said this was the most people he has seen at a baptism here in Seward for the 9 years he has been branch president. Alisha sure deserved it, having to wait 4 years and still faithfully doing everything and just having the patience. It was also great to have one last baptism before I go home so can't complain at all.

We did a lot of driving this week, we still have our normal miles, 1100, but since I will be gone next week and Elder Pacheco will just be with the zone leader we won't be needing our miles at all for that last week so that means...we can use them all in this 2 week period. So we have been hitting a different town almost every day and we have been having fun on dirt roads and getting Ashley (our car, we named her Ashley) a little dirty. We drove all the way up to Gresham and there was nothing there, but we found a telephone outside so Elder Pacheco was going to prank call another elder but it was $2 to call! They also had some old gas pumps so I acted like I was filling up so that explains those 2 pictures. The other picture of Elder Pacheco looking cold was pretty funny, we were at the church for district meeting and it was so cold in there! Then poor Elder Pacheco was just so cold that he walked around the church and found a Scooby-Doo towel and used it as a blanket, he also went and grabbed some wool socks from the back of our car and used them as mittens, it was pretty funny. 

Fire Chief picture, so we were helping someone move and we found the apron and oven mitt and we were able to take them. I also had some glow glasses that I think you guys sent me?? So I put them all on and also acted like I had some oxygen pumping into my system, so I put them all on while Elder Pacheco was in the bathroom and oh boy was he surprised when he came out. Too bad I didn't have it earlier, could of used it Friday at Foodnet when everyone else came dressed up but I didn't have anything...oh well..

The mission president has really been pushing for us to teach short lessons, 30 min and to keep it simple and to also be able to teach the whole restoration lesson in 8 min. if we teach it on a door step. So I found a scripture in Acts 20:9 that says as Paul was long preaching, the guy fell into a deep slumber in a window loft and fell out falling 3 stories and was taken up dead. (if you read on he really didn't die but just that one verse makes it sound pretty funny). So I texted that scripture to a couple three sets of Elders and they found it pretty funny. :)

This last full week I have is going to be different, like tonight, the Foodnet crew are throwing a potluck/goodbye Searle party so we have that and another 2 little parties coming up. We will still have to work hard so time doesn't just drag on. I don't even know if I'll  remember what real life was like, I will have to have T-Rav show me or something. I am excited and that kid better get out of my room. Also, there is no way I'm sharing a room with Smelly P, he can live outside in a tent or in the barn, hook up a tv out there and a microwave and mini fridge and he will be fine. Just kidding!

I have no clue how next week is going to work, I know I will be picked up sometime Monday so I'm not sure if I will email at the normal time or later in the day, but I'll get on one more last time. I would say you can start your countdown, but I'm pretty sure you guys have been counting down already. I love you guys and can't wait to be home! It's going to be sad leaving the mission and saying goodbye to certain people, but I think it's time. Love you guys!!!

Love, Elder Searle

Alisha's baptism!

Fire Chief

Study desk

Sleepy Searle