May 18, 2015: "poof"

May 18, 2015: "poof"

That's the sound of my mission fading away into the past.

The past week was great. We had our 3-day training in the McAllen area, and even though I didn't get to visit any of the areas I had been in before, I really enjoyed working with some amazing, super faithful missionaries.

On Saturday we performed our missionary musical fireside. It went really well, especially considering how much of it was thrown together at the last minute due to people falling through. I have no videos, since I just found my camera charger while packing this morning. :( But that's what Facebook is for. :)

On Sunday we the missionaries were in charge of "Missionary Sunday," but the rest of the district had to run it without me since I was suddenly whisked away to McAllen to have my last interview with President Maluenda (it was scheduled for today but got moved). So I missed church my last Sunday on the mission, which was pretty weird. I got back right after everything ended, so I got to see at least some people. Plus, we stopped in Las Milpas on the way back and got fed surprise spaghetti by some members which was great.

As for the actual interview: the future looks bright.

The past two years have been amazing. Absolutely fantastic. I wish I would have learned to appreciate it more before it went flying past. It's kinda a microcosm of life, you know? Life is full of so many opportunities and experiences. We just have to make them happen. It's full of ups and downs, too. But we can always decide whether to be full of faith and hope or start dragging our feet. I'm so glad is here to help us to do the former, no matter what trials we go through. I know He lives, and that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that He loves us so much that He suffered all the pain and guilt and sorrow the world would ever experience so that we wouldn't have to.

I would keep testifying, but I think Peter said it best when he wrote, "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full."


TTYL! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOO MUUUUUUUUCH!!!!!

~Elder Dylan Young

Elder L. Tom Perry gave a talk in Oct. 2001 general conference to returned missionaries.
  •  “One of the strongest recollections I have of being a missionary is how close I drew to the Lord through the practice of regular prayer. The frequency of our appeals to our Father in Heaven gave us strength and courage to press forward in the work to which we had been called. Answers would come, sometimes in astonishingly direct and positive ways. The guidance of the Holy Spirit seemed to be magnified the more times we appealed to the Lord for direction on a given day.” So, his first point is that we need to keep that missionary spirit through more frequent, consistent and mighty prayer.
  • "The next fond memory I have as a missionary is that of daily engaging in scripture study. The discipline of following a scripture-study plan of learning the gospel was a wonderful, rewarding experience. The knowledge of the teachings of the scriptures would unfold in a glorious way through individual study. We would also take an hour or more each day to study as companions together. Having two sets of eyes examine the doctrine of the kingdom seemed to multiply our understanding. When we leave the mission field, we no longer have companions to help us discipline our study habits, but that does not mean that the practice should be discontinued. As we return home, how great it would be to hold daily family scripture study. If we leave home, couldn’t we invite roommates and friends to study with us?”  Study as a family too!
  • "Opportunities to teach the gospel and baptize are not exclusive to those who wear the badge of a full-time missionary. I want to promise you there are great blessings in store for you if you continue to press forward with the zeal you once possessed as a full-time missionary.” Missionary work will always be a part of our lives as we serve as visiting and home teachers and as we simply try to be good neighbors. We will still have people miss appointments too but we can continue to try.


May 11, 2015: One Week Moooooooore!



May 11, 2015: One Week Moooooooore!

Can you hear the elders sing?
Singing the lyrics "Hasta ver"?
These are the words you hear when stuck between
Excitement and despair.

When the Spirit in your heart
Tells you you've worked and served your best,
It's time to see your home and family
And get some rest!

Being this close to "dying" puts you through a huge emotional whirlpool. I imagine it's something like being on the verge of leaving mortality. But there, we can have peace and calm knowing that God has a plan for us, and that when we've done our best despite our mistakes He'll welcome us home with rejoicing and gladness. And I guess it's the same for the end of the mission. And right now is the time to go down in a blaze of glory.

The highlight of the week was getting to Skype the fam yesterday to celebrate the dia de la madres. Basically it was just a "see you in a week!" kinda deal.

I also was on exchanges 3 out of the 7 days this week, which was hectic. I probably left something in every apartment, and I know I did in at least 2 of them.

Today I'm heading to McAllen for a 3 day meeting and won't get back until Thursday night, after which we'll be frantically getting stuff together for a) the concert we're having on Saturday and b) the missionary Sunday the day after. Fun times! Maybe I'll be so busy I'll forget about dying?

I love you all. Period.
~Elder Dylan Young

May 4, 2015: Mission Log #whoscounting

May 4, 2015: Mission Log #whoscounting

The week in review-

Monday we got invited to half of MLC, which is usually just for zone leaders and STLs. "You're playing with the big boys now...!" It was a great meeting. We needed it. I'm probably more pumped than just about ever, despite the fact that I've pretty much been going through the 5 stages of grief (or the Kübler-Ross model; look it up) as my final days approach.


Also with so little preparation we all had to improvise as far as sleeping accommodations went.
Don't they just look snug as bugs in rugs? Or... snugglies and bugglies in rugglies? You know what I mean.

But enough about that.

The town of Raymondville sports the aptly named Smiley Face Park, with this water tower looming over it.
Adorable, right???

And last night I had my first homemade tacos since I got to Harlingen like 4 months ago. They came from the Daniels, who are as white as white can be. The Rio Grande Valley is a silly place.

I just wanna encourage every single one of you, know matter who you are, where you are or what you're doing, to enjoy every single minute of it. 'Cause time like literally moves faster and faster the longer it goes. I can't explain it, but you definitely don't want to look back with any regrets when it (whatever it is) is over. You feel me? Me explicit?

Mosiah 24:14: "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." Sometimes we have tough experiences so that we can: 1. See the hand of God, 2. Bear witness of God, and 3. Strengthen each other with our faith. As the people of Ammon shared their experiences with the people in Zarahemla, they bonded with them and were united and all of their testimonies were strengthened. 

Burdens and trials are great. We all know we came to life to be tested, right? So we have trials. How do we pass the test? Well, obviously, we shouldn't turn to wickedness or sin to get away from hard times. But not failing isn't the same as passing or even acing a test. We all know we need to have faith, but what happens if we go through trials with bad attitudes? We're not passing the test! One of the biggest things I've learned (and am still learning) is that, as long as we're doing something good, the Lord doesn't care so much about what we do about it, but how we do it and where our heart is. And obviously doing that will strengthen our testimonies!

I love you all like Lindsay Lohan loves attention: with a desperate, depraved obsession.
Just kidding, but almost. <3 div="">

Con mucho amor,
Elder Dylan Young

April 27, 2015: Adventure is Out There!

April 27, 2015: Adventure is Out There!

Lots of excitement this week. We took an excursion up north to the far reaches of the Harlingen 1st ward, including the towns of Raymondville, Las Perlitas, and Port Mansfield. It was about a 100 mile round trip, but we met lots of great people out in the boon-docks, a lot of whom have never seen missionaries in their lives.
Look! It's the ocean! Yay!
There are a ton of deer up there too, for some reason.


In an unrelated incident, we found a live crawdad chilling outside our front door, about a mile away from the nearest canal.
We messed with him a little before letting him crawl away. We have no idea how he got there, or what happened to him. But he'll always have a special place in my heart.

Then on Saturday I went on an exchange with Elder Brady and got to teach Andrew, aka "Bam." He's black, which already makes him awesome. And he's also an olympic gold medalist in boxing. How legit is that? Too legit to quit. He even has a catch-phrase. It's "Yeah, baby."

Today we just found out that we're going to an out-of-the-blue meeting in McAllen. Pfft, we didn't need any miles anyway, that's what bikes are for.

Life is gran in the Rio Grande, brothers and sisters. Stay cool.
<3 div="">
Elder Dylan Young

April 20, 2015: Ch-ch-ch--ch-changeeesss!

April 20, 2015: Ch-ch-ch--ch-changeeesss!

Everything's all topsy turvey here in the Rio Grande Valley. Long famous for being one of the only universally bilingual missions in the US, the changes that started in the McAllen area have spread east to the Harlingen Stake. Every companionship is now assigned to just one ward, like all of the other boring missions in the world. It's for the best though. There won't be as many missionaries in each ward, but each companionship will be totally focused on that one ward. The end goal is to help everyone become more active disciples and members of the church; no more relying on the 12 missionaries to take care of everything for you.

So we found out about this on Tuesday, and got the new area assignments Wednesday, and it's been hectic ever since. Elder Boyer and I had to switch apartments with Elder Ward and Elder Alonso, and now I miss my boys Elder Browning and Elder Brady.

We had interviews this week as well with President Maluenda. Basically what I was told is that I'm almost dead so don't screw up.

I got my hands on a clarinet yesterday from some member that hasn't touched it in years. It's really nice, too, a Buffett E11. I'm a little rusty after 2 YEARS, but hopefully I can get back into the swing of things in time for the missionary concert we're putting on in the park on May 9th. (It's gonna be ssssiiiiiiick!)


We were exploring out in the boonies again and found this funky thing in the same pen as the ostriches:

It's like an African safari out there, except that apparently this wildebeest things are native to Texas? (Someone look them up.)

I also learned how to make a snake skin belt. We pulled up to a member's house just in time to see her neighbors with a 33 inch coral snake they had just killed (like the "black and yellow kill a fellow" kind). She peeled off it's skin, showed us all the eternal organs, and then pulled out another snake about half as long that it had recently eaten and was working on digesting.

These same neighbors have a pet raccoon that's morbidly obese. It's hilarious. Pictures to come.

I thought this was amusing.
And that's all I have to say about that. I loooooooooooooove yooooooooooooooou!!!

~Elder Dylan Young

April 13, 2015: Lo que pasa es que...

April 13, 2015: Lo que pasa es que…

A new transfer. New dreams.


I'm gonna miss these goobers.

But now we have two new goobers! (pictures forthcoming).

And also, my old friend Elder Pope is now one of my zone leaders. Whee!

My new comp Elder Boyer is a boss, and super hard working, which is good since hopefully he doesn't let me die to hard over the next few weeks.

We went exploring out in the middle of nowhere and discovered Jurassic Park.


That's right folks, an ostrich farm. One of them got super mad and tried to kill me from behind the fence. I felt like that guy on the toilet who gets eaten by the tyrannosaurus rex.

The fireflies have been just getting more and more abundant, and coupled with the splendid array of lightning bolts splitting the heavens, I've been incredibly grateful for our ability to appreciate the wonders of nature, and for said wonders, both of which come from our loving Heavenly Father. Everyone go outside and just stare at something for a few minutes: the night sky, a distant mountain, rolling hills or deep green forests. Then listen to "My Heavenly Father Loves Me," from the Children's Song Book, preferably a rendition by MoTab or your favorite Mormon A Cappella group (of which there is a plethora.)

I love you guys like Sonic the Hedgehog loves corn dogs (yes, that's cannon).
~Elder Dylan Young

April 6, 2015: You Would Not Believe Your Eyes

April 6, 2015: You Would Not Believe Your Eyes

If ten-thousand fireflies
Were floating around Harlingen yesterday...

It was a magnificent sight. Plus, it was like the third time I've ever seen any fireflies in real life. I wish I could have taken a decent picture of them, but alas, 'twas not meant to be.

I hope everyone had a magnificent Easter Holiday. Did everyone enjoy smashing confetti filled egg shells on each others heads, or was just just us? I hope everyone watched general conference as well, since it was a blast. I've never felt so spiritually boosted. I know we all get down on ourselves every once in a while. Come on, admit it. But you know what? We don't need to! Just rely on Jesus Christ. Just like the #BecauseHeLives video says. So watch some general conference (right here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference ) and prepare to be refueled.

In other news, transfers snuck up on us once again. Elder Torres ya se va! We don't know where he's going yet. Or who my new comp will be. But I'm here in Harlingen for 6 more weeks... no more, no less. *gulp*

Just think how great life would be if we always recognized all the little miracles and blessings that surround us, that God is pouring out on our lives every minute of every day? I could recommend a bunch of little gimmicks and plans, but really it's all about putting forth the constant effort to change our attitudes. Let's all make the world a brighter place, shall we?

I love you lots, my peeps and peep-ettes. Stay classy.


~Elder Dylan Young

March 30, 2015: HHHHBBLLEEEEEAAGGGHHHHHHH

March 30, 2015: HHHHBBLLEEEEEAAGGGHHHHHHH

That was the noise I found myself making leaning over the toilet at 3:57 this morning. It must have been food poisoning or something, and the same thing happened a few weeks ago, but for the life of me I can't figure out what's doing it.

Since I'm now too tired to really remember what happened last week, and considering how comfortable this library chair is, I'll keep this email brief and let you all go watch the #BecauseHeLives video over and over again.
Watch it.

This week had some exchanges with Elder Sherman, which was fun, and I got to hear a new original song by the one and only Elder Renshaw, which is always a blast.


And I saw this van: 
Tee hee.

Everyone just cheer up a little more, and the world will brighten up a little as well. Se lo prometo.

I love youuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!
~Elder Dylan Young

March 23, 2015: Road Trip!

March 23, 2015: Road Trip!

Elder Browning needed an MRI, so we packed our bags, loaded our district into the van and took a trip down to Brownsville for P-day!


We took advantage of the situation to go digging for some more ties. It was the first time for most of the missionaries. I thought I was over my tie addiction, but boy was I wrong.
In other news, we had a great week. We got to do a zone blitz up in Rio Hondo, and Elder Young and I got to work together! He's cool because we are the same, and also he and Elder Pope went to high school together. We as missionaries get asked often enough if we're brothers just because we're both named Elder (because that's how brothers work), so imagine everyone's surprise when we had the same first AND last name.

I got to whip out the good ol' Plan of Salvation laminated object lesson, where every phase of life is represented by a planet or cloud or something with an adorable smiley face, and the kids loved it. In one way or another, the gospel of Jesus Christ makes you happy. So everyone come listen to the gospel!

I loves you all, 'cuz yous are mah peeps.

~Elder Young