Email #47 - One Year Down

July 31, 2017

Montgomery Alabama

Family - I hope you are all doing really well. Wow! What a week. It's getting to the point where it really is just flying by.  I just feel like I put my head down and get to work and then the next thing I know I am writing another email home. Pretty crazy... So this week has been pretty darn quick... It's been a pretty long week to be honest though... We didn't see much happen this week. We've had a lot of appointments get cancelled on us.  So that's always super great... But anyways, I was thinking about a few quotes that I've heard while I've been out on the mission.

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

At times things are super great and at other times, things aren't going your way. I've been thinking about those tough times in our lives and how they don't stick around but we often need to put on our game faces and push through. This week here in Alabama was one of those weeks. We didn't see a whole lot, and we weren't able to visit with a whole lot of people. But those are the weeks that you show who you really are. Are you willing to push through for the cause of Christ? Are you willing to pull and put everything on your shoulders for the cause of Christ? Are you willing to stand up for our Savior? Do you "Dare to Stand Alone?" as President Monson says. These are the times that we are given to show what we have; to show how dedicated and how willing we are to do the will of Jesus Christ. Yes, it has been a pretty rough week when it comes to missionary work, but those are the times when we are able to show the Lord how willing we are to give it our all for the cause of Christ. I'm so thankful for these hard times.  We are able to grow and learn from these times. I have often said, "What good things come from things being easy?" We can't learn if we aren't being tried and we aren't being challenged. I feel like I have become truly thankful for those hard times. I have become thankful for the trials that we are given to help us grow and truly become "unshaken" in our testimonies as Jacob and Enos were, and to help us learn to give it our all for the cause of Christ.

Thank you all for your support and your love. I'm thankful for your examples and your steadfast testimonies in our Savior. I pray you all have a great week. Please send my love to all of our loved ones. Love you all!

Strength and Honor

Elder Noah Featherstone

Stephanie's Baptism

Chowin' down on some cupcakes with my boys Bo and Frankie

 My man Ethan Stoker and I chillin' on the banana chairs