Hey!

I have my flight plans. I didn't bring them with me again! Ahhh! But my companion is right here so we're going to give it our best shot at what it is. We will fly into Dallas I think sometime betwen 10-12. And I think we will be in Miami at about 3:30 - 5:30. That's really rough, and I'll see if I can't get back to you with for sure times, but I'm not sure if those times are local to the area or to our starting destination if that makes sense. I think they may be telling us local times of where we will be when we are at the airports. I'm gonna try to get the for sure times though.

Things are going well! I had the priviledge of going to the Temple and doing an Endownment Session today. Wow, I felt such a great peace come over me as I was in the Celestial Room. I had been kind of struggling, and then I felt a great peace. There is a picture of Christ hanging in the Celelstial Room of the Provo Temple, and as I prayed to Heavenly Father, I finally felt peace as I felt my Savior and my Heavenly Father's presence. I also felt someone else's presence with me. I felt Grandpa again! I felt that he was there that he is with me, that he is proud of me! I"m so grateful that I have such a righteous Grandpa. I've been thinking this week about something that I learned this year in Institute. Our ancestors who have passed away are here and can see us and what we're doing and the choices that we're making. Sometimes they're disapppointed with the decisions we make. That's been a source of motivation for me. There are so many great people that have come before me in my family. They were righteous, wholesome people. I'm so grateful for the example that they left for me and I pray that I can be even part of the kind of person that they all were.

I also was reminded of another quote that I loved that I heard from my Institute teacher this year, Brother Bawden, which has been a good source of motivation for me. He stated the following: "The real hell is when the man you are meets the man you could have become." Wow, what great words of wisdom. I love that quote.

So I'll be heading out in two days! I'll be in a different country in two days for the first time in my life, wow! I'm not sure if they print off "Dearelder.com" letters down there, but I kind of think that maybe they do, so you may still be able to talk to me in the same day if you continue to use "Dearelder.com".

I just want to part with a portion of my testimony. I know that my Savior, my Redeemer, my Brother, even Jesus Christ lives. He lives! I testify of it this day! He lives, and we all have a loving Heavenly Father who lives and loves us too! He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what is best for us in our lives! When times get tough, I try to imagine my Heavenly Father embracing me in His arms, promising me that He won't let anything happen to me. I know that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and that the Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ were restored to the earth through him! How grateful I am for him! I know that by the Power of God Joseph translated the Book of Mormon. I know that that book is true. It is more true than any book on this earth! I promise you that you will grow closer to your Heavnely Father by abiding by the teachings of the Book of Mormon. The Gospel blesses families! How great it is that we can be together forever. How great is our God! He loves us so much! I am so blessed and so grateful for Him and His love for me. I know He hears our prayers! He listens to everything we pray for, He listens even when we're not praying. He listens to and knows our hearts. We are all children, when I think about it, we're all little children, not knowing as much as He does, but He will help us learn and grow and through us He can work miracles! Everyday He works miracles. Everyday He works miracles in my life. The simple fact that I can be happy is a miracle! Just look for it everyday, look for one thing that He has done for you and you will see that He truly can work a miracle in your life everyday! We have so much potential, I pray that I can live up to it and be the man that I can be.

I love you all so much, thank you for all that you do! I"ll call you from the airport! Don't worry if it's not till like 5 o'clock or later, I think we need to factor in time change because it's already an hour different here in Utah. I love you so much! Keep up the good work!

Love,
Elder Jeffrey DeSpain

Later Jeff sent the actual flight plans for Thursday (8/5):

He leaves Salt Lake City at 6:00 AM (5:00 AM AZ time).
He arrives in the Dominican Republic at 7:30 PM (4:30 PM AZ Time).