Happy Birthday, Yinsky!

Dear Collin,

Thanks for being my best friend and playing Barbies with me when we were kids and thinking it was cool and for letting me play G.I. Joes with you.

Thanks for sending me the letter that said, "I guess you can call this, "our younger brother who thinks he rules over us Laman and Lemuel type advice [thanks for referring to me as Laman :)]...My mission saved me. Man, it's literally saving my soul. You are gonna feel things you never thought possible. You are gonna see things you never thought possible. You will see the finger of the Lord, the touch of the Master's hand...No matter what anyone tells you no matter what you hear, your mission will be the most incredible 18 months of your life...you can make it the most incredible time of your life if you let the Lord do it! He can make you more than you ever imagined. You are a daughter of the Most High God, the Most High King! You can be brilliant!! He expects you to..."

and the letter that said, "The Lord's work will get done, the stone will roll forward. It's funny how it never says 'the field's a mess, and lo, he that pulleth out the weeds, fertilizes the ground, digs about, and plants seeds, in 50 years will be white already to harvest,' C'MON!! Go Reap, Baby! ...Don't waste time...Charity, I love that we're on opposite sides of the globe in two totally different cultures, but spreading the same gospel of peace to the same lost people. Isn't this work amazing?"
and the email that said, "I get nervous when I think about how much God trusts me to send me one of His precious little angels....When I start hyperventilating and feel the oxygen leaving my brain, it helps me to remember what I've learned from the Gospel: #1-Heavenly Father is perfect, so that means He is a perfect father, and He is my perfect Father and He can't make mistakes so making me a father isn't a mistake no matter what I think, #2-Knowing Heavenly Father is a perfect father gives me some peace, because I know I can always go to Him to get perfect advice on how to be the best father I can be."

I may be 14 months older than you, but I look up to you in so many more ways than just because you out grew me. You will probably never know how much you have influenced my life.

All my love and respect, little brother!