some news. kinda somethin' I guess.

So it's been a while...

I went to the Subway in Zion National Park with my family on Monday.
Yes, you've heard correctly, it was amazing.
At the end of the hike, there's a pretty steep trail out and a decently long path to the parking lot. My two brothers were leading the way like warriors who were in frustratingly stupid, good shape so obviously, I was falling pretty far behind them. At the same time, I was ahead of everyone else and so I happened to end up all by myself. If you've never been to Subway, there are a lot of places where there really isn't a trail, there's a kind of trail with occasional trail markers and then a kind of trail again... but basically, it can just be a guessing game where you're going. The trail out was kind of like that and since I was by myself, I was just trying to play smart. I followed the trail markers and a couple sets of tennis shoe prints in the dirt. As I was walking along I thought about how if I didn't have those tennis shoe prints, I would be completely lost. What a great analogy to how we need to follow Christ's footsteps and the example He left us so that we won't get lost.
I was feeling all fuzzy and happy inside about my awesome life lesson that I was learning when I came to the end of the trail and guys... there was no parking lot.
Dumb footprints took me nowhere. I was at the edge of a road.
I figured I'd park it for a bit until someone found me because I was most certainly lost.
Ya, no one came.
So I started hiking up the road to try and find this elusive parking lot. Well guys, long story short... after much hiking, knocking on a strangers door for directions, getting a ride from a different stranger because they didn't look like they were going to murder me and abandon my body in the desert, my mother almost crying in relief to see me and a just in time return to my group to prevent an almost made call to search and rescue.... I was okay.
It made me think though...
dang is it easy to follow the wrong set of footprints and get lost.

So guys, here is my news. After a long, hard, full of so many incredible blessings, amazing period of time, I have received permission to serve an LDS mission. Something I have wanted for so long. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and that I even get to go. I am beyond grateful for those people who have helped me to be in a place where I am even emotionally, physically and spiritually able to serve. And I am beyond grateful for all the support that I've received over the past couple years.
I am serving a mission because I want to help people find the right set of footprints to follow because guys, there are a lot of lost people out there and being lost sucks.


Photo by me shot of my papa in the Subway.

If you'd like, I'm reading my mission call at my parents house tomorrow night (7/11/2013). Shoot me a message if you'd like to be there and I'll give you the deets.