Letter from Colin:

This morning I drove Elders Davis, Beach, and Morris to the Cape Henry Lighthouses. Elder Beach is one of the District Leaders in our zone. Elder Davis is terrified of heights, so while the rest of us were excited to go up the lighthouse, Elder Davis was less-than-enthused about the concept. Nevertheless, like a good companion, I made Elder Davis go up with us anyway! I have never in my life seen someone grip the hand rail tighter than he, but don't worry, I assured him despite the fact that the cast iron staircase is almost 200 years old, it wasn't going to fall out from beneath us. The cast iron staircase is the “new” staircase, too, (well, not very new). In 1792, when they built the lighthouse, they had a wooden staircase, which I imagine was a pain to build. 

         A lighthouse is the symbol of the Virginia Chesapeake Mission, (the Cape Lookout Light, to be exact). It is the symbol of the mission not just because of our significant coastal location, but because the purpose a lighthouse has is guiding and warning ships in the various waterways. Just as a lighthouse guides a ship by its beacon of light in the darkness, we as missionaries are doing our best to be guides for God's children in the ever-increasing darkness of this world. We have been called by a prophet of God and set apart to labor with the Lord in his work here in this part of the world. I know that this is true, and I know that only true and lasting happiness comes through living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or to put it in the words of James Jones, of North Carolina, "You can be miserable if you want to, but if you want to be happy, like good ol’ James Jones—then you have to live the Gospel!"  That is just the dang truth and I cannot deny that. It saddens me to see the way many people live their lives. There is so much potential for happiness in life that too many people completely miss because of the choices they make. We will only maximize our potential as human beings if we are fully committed to living the Gospel, the “Gospel” being (in the words of “True to the Faith”), "Our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Happiness."

      This week we learned that one of the less-active members of the church we’re teaching was a CIA assassin--so that's pretty cool. The member we took with us to the lesson, much to our surprise, has a practically identical past--in almost every way. I am going to say it was the Spirit prompting us to bring that person with us. We had no idea about his life details and he is in every way a perfect friend for the man that we teach. Don't expect to read any books written from either of them anytime soon. Almost everything they've done is still classified. Those two people are some of my favorite people. They are both so kind, even though they were assassins.  I have learned from the very vast variety of people I have met and taught on my mission, you can pretty much learn to love people no matter who they are, or at least see the potential they have as children of God. I have talked with the smartest people, and I have talked to some of the most holy people that I've ever met, however, I have also spoken to the vilest, and most evil people that I have ever met. The thing is, that Heavenly Father loves both groups of people the same. No one that I have met is beyond the reaches of Christ's Atonement for us-- after all, He suffered for all mankind, not just a few of us. 

         In the last 15 weeks I have come to love the people here in the Cape Henry Ward so much I desire for them to have true happiness. If I can, in my last 9 weeks on my mission, just lift the culture of this ward and this mission I will be happy with my efforts. Hopefully I will keep a better journal this week so I have more details to write about next time, but until then, I hope y'all have a blessed week!

-- Elder White