Chase's talk - sent by Pamela

 Good afternoon brothers and sisters.I was asked to introduce myself.   For those of you who don't know me, which I'm pretty sure is all of you. I'm Elder Mikkola. I'm from Ririe, rigby Idaho. If you're familiar with Idaho, it's close to Idaho falls. I've lived there all my life. I've got three younger brothers, and no sisters. So unfortunately im the oldest. You know how that goes. A couple things I like to do around home are riding dirtbikes, hunting and fishing. I graduated highschool In 2020 at the technical careers highschool in Idaho falls in the welding program. After graduation I got a job working for a bridge construction company out of state for almost a year and a half. I worked in Montana,Idaho,Utah,and wyoming. I got sick of being out of town all the time so I went looking for another job. I got a job for denning drilling, a water well drilling company. It ended up being my dream job. I was hired as a welder. After a little over a year I told them I was going on a mission and they were super supportive of me. They offered a job for me when I get back and as long as plans dont change that's what i want to do. I'll start off with what made me decide to go on a mission. After I got the job for dennings I moved out and I quit going to church. My parents werent there to babysit me anymore and I thought it was nice to not have to get up early for church.  When you go inactive you never really think how far you fall away from the savior. Each sunday went by and id go over to my parents house for dinner and they would alwaye ask if i had went to church or not. Most of the time id lie and tell them that I had went.  I guess at the time i had thought it was easier to do that instead of actually going to church.Its so easy to fall into satans temptation. Id like to read a scripture to you its helaman 5:12 and it reads" And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall".  I love that scripture. We need to have a strong testimony of the savior so we are prepared for the trials that come with this life on earth. One sunday morning I woke up and decided i wanted to change so i called my dad and told him i was going to church with them. In sacrament meeting I had some time to ponder. During that time I felt the spirit so strongly I can't even describe how happy I was. I knew I was supposed to be there, I knew I had made a mistake but God forgives us no matter what. And from that sunday on i have been to church every sunday and have not let anything get in my way. I made a promise that I would never fall away from the church ever again and that I would hold close to the lord and his promptings that guide us every single day. He has brought me so much joy and peace in my life and I will be forever thankful for that. As I kept going to church I felt that I should go on a mission. All throughout my childhood I had wanted to go on a mission but after I moved out I didn't want to go. I prayed about it and I kept getting the answer that I needed to serve. I talked to my bishop about it and I was off and on about it for a few months then I finally submitted my papers. After three weeks I got my call. It was a wednesday I remember all throughout the day I was looking at my phone every chance i could and by the time i got off work i still hadn't gotten my call. Five minutes after I had gotten off work I called my mom and told her how sad I was. Right after I hung up the phone I got a text from the church saying I could now open my call. I was so excited to serve. A couple hours later I was finally able to open it. I had lots of family gathered around. This was it, i finally came to the words``you are hereby called to serve in the newyork newyork city mission’ honestly i was super excited but at the same time i'm a farmer boy from idaho. So lots of thoughts rushed in my head. Sky scrapers, rats, pizza, statue of liberty you name it. It was  june 22 and I didnt start mtc until october 16th. I didnt want to wait 4 months. I was telling myself that i just wanted to leave right there and then. I didnt realize until october how much it takes to get ready for a mission. These 4 short months flew by. I was really uneasy about it but I knew It was the right choice. The car ride from ririe idaho to provo Utah is about 4-½ hours. The whole ride I was thinking in my head man let's just turn around, I can't do this. I think that was the most I had ever prayed in my life. God has my back and so do my friends and family and If I put my head down and got to work time would fly. When I got dropped off in the parking garage at the mtc I hugged my parents and my youngest brother porter. My stomach was upside down and I was scared more than I'd imagined. But I looked to my right and there was a missionary there to greet me. It made me feel so much better and I knew I wasn't the only one having to endure through this. I truly felt God's love. My mtc experience was amazing and I saw my testimony grow, every single day. I spent about two weeks there and it flew by. I made some of my best friends there. And I'd say they were the best times in my life. Well now I'm in New york. I've been here for 6 days now. It's definitely a lot different than idaho but i've loved every minute of it. I see myself growing closer to our savior every day. And it's cool to see all the different cultures and meet new people and become more like Jesus christ. Id like to bear my testimony and I know that the savior lives and I know that as we keep his commandments he will bless us more than we could imagine. I'm so happy to serve in New York and you all are amazing people. I say these things in the name of Jesus christ amen.