It is a day that many men have looked forward to since they were old enough
to think. You are now 19, and that large, white envelope from Utah arrives in
the mail. Your family gathers around you, you call everyone you know, and 14
cell phones are on speaker as you announce that you are going to...
That isn't my story. Or my brother's. He didn't prepare from a mission
until after his sophmore year of college. He went to Samara, Russia at nearly
21. I waited until after my Junior year to prepare for a mission. I am nearly 23
years old - old enough to have served two missions. I am one of the older guys
out here. I am older than many of the sister missionaries (they serve at 21).
When I opened my call, I had one sibling on the line, and three family members
around. I had not wanted to serve when I was younger... But I am so glad I decided
to serve.
The last week has been pretty fun. We have been playing basketball on our
P-Day, as well as a form of 'skinny football', a version where no one wears
pads, no one hits... okay, it's basically where I run and the quarterback throws
me the ball. It's a ton of fun though. Elder Leavitt has a good arm, and I am
greatly enjoying running routes.
Speaking of football, I found out that Austin Collie is in my mission
boundries. For those of you who do not know, Austin Collie is a wide receiver
for the Indianapolis Colts. He had a fabulous career at BYU, left a year early,
and became a go-to guy for Peyton Manning. He had 15 TDs and 1300 yards in his
first 25 or so games. He's good. His family sounds awesome. His dad runs a
receiving camp every year. Eagles Coach Andy Reid said something along the lines
of him being the best coach not on a payroll. I can't remember the details. I
read the articles about his family nearly 6 months ago, but his little brother
just got recruited by BYU, as well. I really want to meet them.
Now, to music. I love music. There is a acapella group named Noteworthy. Oh
my goodness, I highly suggest anyone who likes acapella sound look into this
group. They sound great. Also, we have been listening to a lot of Elder
Archeletta. I like him as well. I have been trying to sing solely hymns while
biking, but it is a little hard.
This area is wonderful. We have a handful of people we are teaching. They
are all challenging in their own ways, but I am growing to love them. I enjoy
teaching so much. It is something that is dear to me, and grows more dear every
time I study. I love this work.
Elder Gavin Strawn
8267 Deseret Ave
Fair Oaks CA 95628
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