Sudden Change Of Heart

So I went camping this last week with the priest of the ward I live in. I myself am a priest and have the Aaronic priest hood. Well this trip didn't really go as planned. We didn't camp were we wanted and we only did one hike we wanted to do. We ended up spending about an hour at my grandparents trying to figure out were to camp next. We didn't really wanna camp somewhere, then break camp and camp somewhere the final night. So we found a spot with their help and all was well. We even came back there after our first hike and had lunch. They had a table and everything waiting all we had to do was cook the burgers and brats we had packed. I love them so much. Well while there my grandma had asked me an interesting question. "Are you going on a mission?" Well I told her I'm undecided and that I had to think about it, but this question didn't leave my mind. Well the next day we were supposed to go through another set of slot canyons.. well that wasn't happening with clouds in the sky. A rain storm could make that for a very bad day. Well we stopped in Tory, the last gas station before you get to Capitol Reef where the hike was supposed to take place, and there was this mini hiking store. Darren, one of our leaders, had gone into the store to ask the person that worked there if there was another hike we could do instead of the slot canyon hike we had orginally planned. She said "well there is Sulfer Creek, which is through water about 75% of the times." Her ideas she threw out didn't sound as fun, so we asked more about this Sulfer Creek, she gave us a map and told us everything we needed to know even the part about another vehical on the other side of trail. The hike it self was about 5 miles long, and included every rock knonw to man, Sulfer rock walls, red rock walls.. it was amazing. We even saw some ancient lizard tracks that were awesome. Well when the water hit it made for and even more amazing hike, and ducked down into some of the most beautiful, nature carved rock you have ever seen. We even took a shower in a water fall. Well when you see all the natural made landscape and the ancient lizard tracks it makes you wonder. So conversation of Creation came up. How God created the world in 6 days? 6 god days is like.. 6 thousand years, and there was prolly time inbetween each creation right? Well we finally decided that God had created the earth and inhabbit it with creaters. These creaters evolved until God seen the perfect one to put a spirit in, which became Adam and Eve. Then we did some more math. If you take the time from Adam and Eve, the time God came to earth, To the time we were born, it's been about 13,000 years since the earth was created. That's a long time.. and then you have forever after we die.. which when you think about it it's a lot to take in. This kind renewed my faith in the Mormon church.

Well after all this creation talk, the camp fire that night we had a lil.. closing meeting were everyone would share a thought. Something they were thinking about or something they loved about the camp. Our Bishop spoke first and gave some interesting advice. He told the group about our "math" since most everyone wasn't part of that convo and told us about how our choices prepare us for the furture. Everything we do reflects on our person. Then he talked about happieness.. what makes us really happy. He talked about quick fixes, then he talked about the spirit and the gospel and compaired the too. Quick fixes only make you happy for a short period of time and the gospel makes you happy all the time, having there spirit there guiding and watching over you. That hit me like a sack of rocks and I just knew what he was saying was right. So then It was my turn as we went in a circle and I had just so happened to be sitting by him. I knew I was gonna be first or last.. kinda on the spot either way. What else is knew. So I spoke.. I didn't really know what I was saying. I reflect on it and it was the spirit that spoke for me. I remember back to a song, Lost by Gorilla Zoe. The first lyrics are, "Walking around, looking for a way, when no one tells me which way to go, caught up in a world, a laberaith a maze, where yes ma'am could eaisly mean no, I ask them no questions cuz they give me no answers, following the wise but their walking in pampers, give me a cigerate, smoking my cancer, it treats the pain away but I still have no answer." After I said that I thought.. that's how my life has been for like.. since I dropped out of highschool. I've been lost and don't know what to do. So I ended my though and ppl moved on. Most just told their fav part of the camp, til My leader Matt came up. He said a lot. He talked about something my Bishop had mentioned.. Choices you make. He talked his wife now, how if had not gone on a mission.. he wouldn't have had a chance.. it was something she wanted in a husband. He talked about his friends.. had he not gone on a mission he would have partied like they do. He talked about his family.. had he not gone on a mission they woulda not been the family they are today. Him being the real only member, leads his family. He just said "Everything good in my life came from my mission." Bishop said the same thing.. As did Darren.. As did Wayne, Chad's father.

So the next morning we woke up and packed. I rode with Matt in his Pilot with 6 others and we watched Arrested Development for half the ride. I wasn't focused on the show.. mainly cuz I could only hear and not see it, being in the front, but was having casual convo with Matt. As we came outta Nephi I saw the semi trailer with the words, "Jesus Christ is our God.. Not a swear word." When I saw that it hit me.. I need to go on a mission. I thought about that for the next hour, and finally decided I needed to tell someone. So I told Matt. "I'm going to go on a mission." He was shocked as I thought he would be. Him, Bishop and Darren had been talking about this exact thing just that morning. "Travis needs to go one a mission." I knew it was the right thing as I've never been happier. Right now I feel on top of the world. Nothing can de-rail me. Maybe this is the answer I've been looking for. Maybe the Church is true after all. I started reading the Book of Mormon.. something I should have been doing regularly and I'm half way through only reading one day and realize more and more that I need to be teaching these words.. words of God. I guess the church is true. As much as I doubted it in the past, I realize now the trueness of the Gospel, how happy it can make me.

After making this decision I will probably lose a lot of friends. I'm ready for that. I will probably be challegned with temptation.. people telling me not to go and what not. I know that It's Satan trying to get me to not go. I know it's were I need to be. I'm ready to start a new. I'm ready for whatever this decision will bring. I'll be gone 2 years but that is nothing compaired to forever.

I'm ready to go and nothing will change my mind. I've realized I need to do this to find answers. Hopefully it's what I'm looking for. For any who read this and need advice or have questions. Hit my email up. dayum_ninja@yahoo.com

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore they speak the words of Christ; wherefore I say unto you, feast upon the words of Christ for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things which ye should do.

June 16th 2010. I have been 19 now for 4 months and ten days. Feels like 4 years and 10 months. Work ultimately.. sucks. More drama then a highschool. It's storming right now.. thought you should know. LA beat up on Boston last night, Boise State is becoming a member of the MWC and Utah is more then likely going to join the ranks of the Pac-10 (12). The World Cup has started and there has been a lot of surprises so far. I applied for a job working on an oil rig in North Dakota. It's hard work but 26 weeks a year making 100k+.. I'd be stupid not to. Life with my family is only get worse as the days go buy. Doubt me and mom will ever have a decent convo together. Can't wait to leave next week and leave things behind for a change. No worries of any kind. I've started this thing that has help me with my problems. I write them down on a piece of paper, make that paper into an air plane, then toss them off the Mountain when I go up Farmington Canyon. You can almost feel them fly away. It's kinda cool and I'm going to make it a weekly thing. I told my friend this and she said now I am truely an artist. Thinking outside the box was always something I was good at. So I know this thing is really short and has been all over the place but I'm calling it good. I'll do a longer one tomorrow.