especially for youth: week three.

I know I say that every week is good but this past one was very good.

I don't have much time but I wanted to get some pictures up. Before I left Snowflake a week ago I wanted to take some pictures of the temple. Isn't it sweet?

So now I'm in Flagstaff. I never got to serve any of my mission here and I was always jealous of the missionaries who got to be there during the summer, because it isn't hot. NAU is gorgeous and embedded into the woods. Trees everywhere. Lots of shade. We stayed in McConnell Hall which is the most complex building I have ever been in. I've lived here for a week so far and still don't understand the building. The hallways are like a labyrinth.

My youth this week were incredible. Honestly, incredible. I didn't have a single issue with anyone. They were all there for the right reasons. We would ask a question and every hand went up. We had to often tell THEM to stop talking because we had to move on with the discussion. I loved it. Our team name this week was "The Chosen Few" and our goal was Unity. We achieved it. The youth became best friends by the end of the week. They loved each other and grew in the gospel together in just six days.

And might I add (to which I unfortunately have NO pictures for) that our team won BEST banner/flag and BEST team cheer/skit this week. I freaked out just a little bit when they announced the winner for each...just a little bit.....ok it was a lot...

I also had my birthday this week but it was a little more low key than usual, which I was fine with. It came and went and now I'm 25. But the kids made sure to sing to me and make it special so that was nice of them.

I had fun taking pictures this week. My favorite time of the day is from 8:15 to 9:15 in the morning every day when the youth spread out all throughout the courtyard and read their own scriptures. We teach them tips on learning and then they go to their own spot where they can ponder and pray. It's an amazing sight. People from the college walking by are all like "what's going on?"...it's pretty cool. And it's dead silent except for the wind and turning pages. Favorite part. So this week I kinda snuck around and took cool pictures during this time. Here are a few:

There were many awesome things to witness this week and I don't have time to describe any. But they were great. I really enjoyed getting to know this weeks youth and working with them.

Oh, and during the Tuesday night dance, I kind of got a little carried away stalking my boys during slow songs and making sure they were asking girls to dance. I never once had to tell them because I always found them dancing. They even told me later that they wanted to make sure to find some girls who may not get asked as often. I was so proud. Oh, and I may have found (stalked) them each and taken pictures of them dancing with a girl (and these boys were the type to let me do that...to which I went to Walmart later on in the week and developed the pictures of them to take home...) because I'm cool like that. And humble too...

Here's a few of those pictures:

T.J. with Eden

Morris with a girl I don't know.

Zach C. with Paige.

Joe with a girl I don't know.

And a few more for the week:

T.J. escorting the ladies.

On the way to the final dance. I'm somewhere there in the back left.

My whole group this week. I'm in the back right.

Crazy Counselor Picture!! (Many of these are taken by all counselors during the week...). This is one of many...

I love efy.

Also, the day after my birthday I treated myself to this great piece of work:

Toy Story 3 is by far my favorite movie of this year (and compared to the slim pickin's of this years cinema choices, I guess that's not saying too much). But anyway, it was a fantastic movie. Stands alone as a classic in comparison to the other two awesome films in the series. I remember each time I saw the first one in theaters (including at the now-abandoned Fox Theater in downtown Salinas), as well as part 2 (once with Jake Warwick and another with my family on Thanksgiving 1999). I saw part 3 by myself! In 3D! In IMAX! I figured, if it's your birthday you might as well go big or go home. I love all the characters in these movies and part 3 offers a few new hilarious ones. It was hysterical but also genuinely touching at the same time. Grown men/fathers/husbands were breaking down all around me and tearing up. I even choked up a little bit...truthfully. It was great!

Go see it.