"One of the healthiest things I've ever done is loving others more than myself."

I love my mommmma!

I have to be quick so I'm sorry. My comp will kill me if I don't hurry up today haha. I always take so long.

Well I've been humbled this week and it's been awesome. I think too often I get too excited about learning and growing that it's necessary that I get slowed down a bit so I don't hurt myself haha.

We visited two very precious souls in the hospital this week. Both were in their 90s. One refuses to read or leave the hospital and has never been to the temple. What do you do in a situation like that? "I know you can't move grandma but we gotta get your old wrinkly butt to the temple!" It confused me. Then we met another very very precious lady. We walk into this ladies room that has her Book of Mormon that has had to be tapped because it has been used so much and the recent Ensign on her lap! My soul just leaped for joy! The most sincere lady I've ever met. She just talked about how grateful she was for her good health compared to others. Well she has cancer and parkinsons and is constantly in pain. She ALWAYS wears her garments even though it's a huge inconvenience. And yet she says she still worries about if she was valiant enough. I know Heavenly Father loves us all, but He has a very special place for her with Him in his most glories kingdom with a very special hug for her.

I'm learning to be so very humble. Too much I thought, man I just wanna get out there so I can just baptize so many people into the Gospel so I can be really cool. I'm learning that that doesn't matter. As long as I just give of myself wholly and truly desire people's happiness. I went to temple prep since our LAs and and investigator was there. It made me realize that we are to help people get to the celestial kingdom. It gave me urgency and helped me see the importance of our work.

Giving blessings is so amazing. I always worry if I'm going to say the right thing but my mind is always filled with such peace. It's so awesome to get done and hear them say, "that's just what I needed to hear". The priesthood is so amazing.

Too often I judge others for not being as servicable as they could.
But I found this out: deeper realization of my own mistakes
stronger desire to help all in anyway
greater joy and appreciation for people's current righteousness.

Good stuff. Good to hear from everyone. I don't even have time to get to dad's and other people's emails. I'm really sorry. So much more I want to tell you. Love you.

Experience I shared with Elder Herdt I wanted you to know: In my blessing when getting set apart, the Stake President said I would learn to love others more than myself. I've been thinking a lot about that. About how true that is in missionary work and how the Savior loved us far more than himself and how he suffered an eternity of pain for us. It's amazing.

Last night I was looking at a map of our mission. I noticed in our area that there were THREE towns on the map that none of us ever noticed, not even my trainer who has been here before. Already we cover two wards in a town that is just bursting with readiness for the Gospel. Already we're really busy. AND we cover another small town of 300 that doesn't even show up on the map, PLUS a ton of little clusters of homes that are isolated. Then we come to find out that there are THREE that just come up on the MAP. If the small town doesn't show. How many other towns are there that aren't on the map? How many more tiny clusters of homes? It opened my eyes on the urgency of preaching the Gospel. The intimate personal relationship Heavenly Father has for each of those individuals.

While writing in my journal and praying last night I closed with this thought. "One of the healthiest things I've ever done is loving others more than myself."

I love guys all so much so personally. I pray for you and your success. Dad, wanna print and send me what you wrote? Sorry for not writting you this week haha. The only time I have is lunch, breakfast, night and my companions like playing risk and I have to roll the dang dice to defend myself... Love you guys so much.

Keep the fire going!

Elder Edgel