Today we got to FaceTime my cute missionary brother for the first time! He has been out on his mission for almost six months now so it was SO great to be able to talk to him face to face! I got married when I was 19, so I never really got a chance to serve my own church mission (although I hope to with Kody when we are older), so I love hearing about my brother's missionary experiences, feelings, etc.

He told us about how right now he is in a small town that isn't the wealthiest or the nicest. He talked about how a lot of the people he teaches and visits live in motel rooms and have really, really hard lives. I won't share the specific stories, but it was clear that his young, teenage heart just ached for these people.

I will admit that my first thought when hearing about drug problems or DUI's or convicts is something along the lines of "well, maybe if they wouldn't have done those things, they wouldn't be in that situation." I mean, it is pretty easy to feel love towards people with disabilities or poor little children in third-world countries, or innocent people like that. But people who are not cute, and sweet and innocent? It isn't always the easiet thing. Yet for my brother, it was. He says he absoluetly LOVES the area he is in and doesn't want to leave. He sees the potential these people have and wants to help them. Words can't describe how much that opened my eyes. After all, that's what the Savior would do. I don't think He even cares what a person does, He loves them just as much as anybody else. After all, we are all sinners and we are all needy.

I think sometimes in our society, we only want to help people that are easy to help. We often think we need to travel to far away countries, or have a lot of money to help people when the truth is that people who need help are all around us. In our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our classes, our families, everywhere. They just may not always seem like the typical, needy person.

Anyways, sorry for the rambling but my brother is such a great example to me and I just love him so much. Merry Christmas!!!

xo