Hello family and friends! 

I want you to think about your lifetime. Now, compare that to eternity. We think about this concept a lot as Latter-day Saints and I have thought about it a lot this week. I hope that this email motivates a perspective change and a reality check for all those that read- specifically on what you need to do or what conclusion you must fully come to in your life at this time. After all, your life is just one small blip! 

I say blip because that is what our lives here on earth are. They are but a tiny, minuscule blip compared to what lies ahead. I think the importance of this blip can be easily forgotten. While this blip is small in time, it is large in significance. The way you go about treating your personal blip can and will determine your eternal destiny. It sounds kind of scary, huh? The fact that one, tiny ounce of time can determine what the rest of our time as eternal beings will be like. Well, there is no need to fear! 

I want you to think about where you are at with life right now. Today, I want you to do an inventory on wherever that is (emotionally, spiritually, physically, you name it). After you do that, think about where your Father in Heaven wants you to be. NOT where you want to be... because frankly, that doesn't really matter.

In life, there are all kinds of situations that each of us go through. With my personal observations I've come to realize three distinct groups of people. You have those that live what appear to be seamlessly easy and enjoyable lives. Everything usually tends to work out in these peoples' favor. They have their struggles, but their life is overall an extremely lucky and enjoyable one. Then, you have the people whose lives are a living hell. If it's not one thing, it's another. These people literally suffer every single day of their lives. They do all that's asked of them, follow our Father in Heaven, and still seem to struggle at seeing any light. Then, you have the people (most) who are in between these tow extremes. They experience joy and pain and overcome some very tough trials. They continually struggle but still consider themselves fortunate and content with life. 

I don't care who you are or what kind of life you live. In the end, that is not what is important. All that Christ wants you to do is NOT GIVE UP. At times, we feel inadequate, unworthy, or overwhelmed. These are all common feelings. We are promised in the scriptures that our Father does not give us trials we cannot handle (1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.)

Even though this knowledge is comforting, there is the exception of times when we are faced with trials that result in us crashing down completely. If this is your case, get back up. You've been foreordained with the strength necessary to overcome whatever it is you are going through. One of the most frustrating things is to see people not utilize the spiritual strength they have been promised. If you struggle with addiction of any kind, you can and you will stop whatever it is that eats away at your spirit (if you have the desire and faith). If you are less active (for whatever reason) you need to be back where God wants you. Not later, now. Your blip is too short for you not to be in His presence. You can have that strength to get your foot back in the door. And if you lack the desire, humble yourself and strive for it. Put off the petty excuses and worldly desires. If you have been offended by anybody, pray for the strength to forgive. If you are simply struggling with any sort of trial, know He is there. When we go through certain hardships, we tend to question God. Well, stop questioning and start doing. 

We are each given our individual trials because they are the ones that God knows will force us to utilize every bit of our strength. Don't back down. Not now. Fight and return with honor. Do whatever it takes to reach that celestial glory you have been promised. ( 2 Nephi 31:20Wherefore, ye must press forward with a ^asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of ^bhope, and a ^clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and ^dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have ^eeternal life.) When we sacrifice all we have, the Lord will provide. This has been revealed to us in the story of Elijah and the poor widow in 1 Kings Chapter 17 (I highly recommend you read this chapter today). 

I say these things because they are the very things I have had to learn for myself this week. I underestimated how hard serving a mission really is. The only reason I am serving a mission is because I love my Father in Heaven and I know this is the work He wants me doing at ths time in my life. Of course my purpose is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end" but I wouldn't be doing it if our Father in Heaven didn't care. 

Just as I have to serve and overcome my trials by enduring as an elder, it is your responsibility to do the same. Figure out what it is that Heavenly Father wants you to be doing and do it (if you aren't already). There is no time to waste. I testify to you that I know our Father in Heaven personally. I know He has established a foundation and a church for all men and women to live by. If we but endure and follow His will during this "blip" of a time, the blessing we receive will be so great. There is much I don't know and much I don't understand. But these are the things I do know and that is enough for me. I just hope and pray it is enough for you too. Stay strong and fight the good fight. Whoever you are, know I love you. And better yet, know the Lord loves you. If I can find His strength, I know you can too. 

Have a happy new year and Godspeed! 

Elder Catchatoorian 

Hello familia y amigos! 

This week has been a longgg one, but a great one. So many miracles have occurred. 

For those of you that don't know, missionaries go on exchanges. This is when companionships swap for a 24 hour period and serve in different areas. We do this so we can get a change in scenery, learn from a different elder, etc. So I was assigned to go on exchanges with Elder Jorgensen who is a Spanish missionary! Yep, that's right. I went to what the elders call "spanish land" here in California. I think it's pretty much the closest you could get to the feel of northern Mexico in the United States. 

We are encouraged to talk to as many people as we can, so I had to do language study with Elder Jorgensen to practice an introduction and invitation in espanol! As I walked down the street I saw a woman walking her children home from school. 

I said, "Hola, como esta?" 

She responded, "Bien". 

Nervously I asked, "Hablo Ingles?" 

Of course she said "No". 

Then I went to do the introduction and I totally choked! I was like, "Soy.... Umm... mi no hablo espanol!" Which in English means "To myself, I don't speak Spanish." She gave me this look and responded with an "Okay...." Then I just smiled and made Elder Jorgensen do the rest of the talking. Needless to say, it is a beautiful thing that I'm not a Spanish missionary! I would definitely struggle! 

Although going to the Spanish area had its struggles (e.g. not knowing a lick of Spanish) it also had its miracles! As Elder Jorgensen and I were biking down the street some woman came running out of her house yelling "Missionaries, missionaries!" We turned around and went up to her gate. As she opened the gate she invited us to come inside. This area was not the best and we saw some alcohol around on the ground. Elder Jorgensen looked at me and signaled that it probably wouldn't have been safe to go inside. I smiled at the woman and told her that we were happy outside. As we began talking I was truly amazed. After awhile, my legs got tired so we ended up sitting on her front doorstep together and teaching her about the restoration. As we began teaching, I was truly amazed. This woman's name is Olivia and she had a friend that was Mormon years ago. Her friend got kicked out of her house so she gave all her old books to Olivia and Olivia saw the Book of Mormon and decided to read it. As the woman who was Mormon taught Olivia about our faith, Olivia was all ears. She said to me that from that day on she knew the church was true (the day her friend told her about the church). We have no idea where her friend is now, but Olivia has been knowing the church has been true for years and never got baptized. She said she's open to all faiths and whenever she gets invites to church, she always attends! The spirit moved Elder Jorgensen and I to invite her to be baptized into the church that she knows to be true. She smiled and excitedly said "of course!" "YES!" As I bore my testimony to her and looked into her eyes she stopped me and said: 

"I see God in you." 

That was probably one of the most moving things anybody has ever told me. As our visit came to a close I asked her: "Will you do all of the things necessary to be baptized that God needs you to do?" (or something to that extent). She told me that she would and Elder Jorgensen and I went on our way. I will probably never see Olivia again and I don't know if she really will get baptized. But I do know these things: I know that she felt the spirit so strong that day. I also know that she knows what God wants her to do. Now the ball is in her court. She has some very important decisions to make and I hope that she aligns her will with the will of the Father. 

Later that day I met some more incredible people (that thankfully spoke English)! I was talking to this incredible guy named Anthony who has one of the strongest spirits I've ever seen. As we were discussing the gospel, this guy named Jose walked up to me. I finished my sentence, turned to him and just started teaching him along with Anthony. I didn't even know who this guy was but I didn't stop teaching. They were both very receptive and the spirit was strong. I shared my testimony with them, invited them to church, and told them how much I was grateful to come across their paths. As I said this, Jose told me that he was sitting in his house and had this urge to get up and go on a walk. So he got up and walked down the street. As he looked over near Anthony's house he saw Elder Jorgensen and I teaching Anthony and the spirit moved him to walk over to us to see who we were and what we were discussing. 

The power of the Holy Ghost and the way Heavenly Father works in our individual lives is amazing. I feel like I'm learning something new every day! In fact, I was reading in Alma the other day (I'm sorry I don't remember the chapter) and I had a rude awakening! Many of you don't know this, but I'm going to share it anyway. I used to have sort of an issue with the "culture" of the LDS church. I felt like the church expected us live a certain way. For example: 

We get baptized, we go on a mission, we get married, we have children. These are obviously not bad things to be doing! I just always thought "maybe I want my independence... or maybe I want to wait to have kids." Then, it hit me like a brick as I was reading. As I've said before, serving a mission is not about me. Buttt, LIFE isn't about me. Or you. The church provides an outline for us to live our lives so that we are ALWAYS serving somebody else. That's why so many missionaries are passionate about marriage after their missions! They are so used to constantly serving somebody else that they want to have the opportunity to serve their best friend. Then after you serve your best friend, you serve the children you have together. We are required to constantly serve. Why? Because you don't find yourself when you are trying to. You find yourself and become something greater when you are NOT trying to. It's that simple. Our Heavenly Father doesn't want us to be selfish. He wants us to constantly be thinking of His children. That is why the church is the way it is. It's not to tie us down or to tell us how to live our lives, but to make us like our Father in Heaven. 

I know we are given certain trials in our life to help us learn and grow. It sounds cliche, but it's just the truth. Life can honestly suck sometimes. It's hard, it's painful... but it can also be happy. Think about what you have and the knowledge you have been given. Reflect on all the experiences you have had where Heavenly Father has touched you in your life.

 I am very sad to hear about the passing of my dear friend and leader, Bishop Rummage. My mission president (President Smart) informed me last night. At first I didn't want to believe it... I was in shock. Then, it brought me to tears. I felt so close to Bishop because he was the bishop I had throughout majority of my youth. He helped me on my path to being the missionary I am today. He always lead with love and I was always so amazed at how one man could be so wise. If it wasn't profound or funny, it didn't come out of his mouth! One of my fondest memories of him was when I had the opportunity to home teach him and his wife, Sister Rummage. Being in the Rummages home was always such a warm feeling. I always knew of the love Bishop had for his family as he talked about his children, grandchildren, and of course his good ol' pal, Taffy (the pup)! The love he had for his wife was also something special. He never had to say anything about how much he loved her because anyone could easily see it in his countenance. The way that he looked at her allowed me to see how much respect and love he really had for her. His enthusiastic greetings and smile always lit up the room. He had nicknames for all the young men and mine was "I-dawg". He would smile at me from across the room then motion for me to come his way. Who could resist that smile? Of course I approached him as he reached out his pinky. You see, Bishop was too cool for handshakes. We always linked pinky's... almost as if he was making a promise to me every time he saw me! One time Josh and I needed a ride home from a church activity, and of course he was more than happy to do it! As we were riding home he turned up his radio and rapped for Josh and I. Oh how I wish I wrote down those lyrics because they were hilarious! And even better... done on the fly! From that time on I just knew I had the coolest bishop out there. I mean, how many of you can say your bishop raps for you and your bro? 

Right before I left, dad and I had the opportunity to stop by his house. Little did I know that was going to be the last time I ever saw him. Cherish every moment you have with the people you love because you really never know when it will be your last. He told me I was going to do great on my mission. Well, bishop, I will continue to do as great as I can for you. 

I will always remember his wise counsel. As President Smart said, he has begun a new mission and he's working right now. Maybe he'll even help me to connect with somebody down here that needs the gospel! Bishop Rummage was a man that I was so very blessed to know. I'm grateful that he played such a significant part in my life. I love him and can't wait until the day when I get to see him again. My prayers are with his family at this time. Please inform Sister Rummage that my thoughts and prayers are especially with her. As she said, thank goodness for the gospel of Jesus Christ- especially the Plan of Salvation. The knowledge that he is and will be okay gives me so much comfort at this time. Our Father needed him to complete work up there with Him. He is in great hands. I know it. 

I am grateful for this holiday season and all the love shown on my behalf. I don't think I've had so many cookies in my life! The members down here are treating me well. I eat more now then I did before my mission! In fact, I'm growing a little Buddha belly. Let's just say I'm gonna have to start working out really hard. Your cards, letters, and emails mean the world to me! Please keep them coming! 

Mom, I received your Christmas card, but nothing else yet! I should probably get the other things this week. If you sent the package to the mission home, they don't give us the package until Christmas! Thank you for your sweet card. It made my day! Could you email some recipes of really easy/healthy meals to make? I can print them out next Monday! I'm trying to be more health conscious. I don't know anything about our Skype plans yet. I will inform you as soon as I find out a time and all of that. 

I love each of you VERY much! Have an amazing time together and party hard. ;) 

Peace and blessings, 

Elder Catchatoorian 

HELLO!!!!

This week has been great! I have so much to say... so let me begin.

First off, I have never had so many comments on my name in my entire life. Everybody looks at my tag, gets intimidated, tries to pronounce it, then usually ends up butchering it. No matter who I talk to they ask where my name is from. I'm so proud to be a Catchatoorian with a name that's memorable! I tell everyone to just call me Elder Catch so that they don't hurt themselves.

California is beautiful! Believe it or not, it's actually really chilly right now! So glad I brought long sleeves. I'm in a city called Hemet. It's south of Riverside (go look it up on a map)! It's an awesome area with quite the mixture. Now I know what people meant when they said California is totally different. It's so different from NC but I've been really enjoying it. The mountains are not as big as UT's and they aren't as small as NC's. A real nice cross in between. And I have never seen so many palm trees in my life! They're everywhere! My ward is the Fruitvale ward and it's VERY small! I don't know why it's not considered a branch. Most of the people in the ward are older. They call it the land of "Newly wed or nearly dead". So true. There's no in between! It needs lots of work done and my companion and I are willing to do whatever it takes to improve, grow, and strengthen the ward!

Speaking of my companion... his name is Elder Johnson! And he is SUCH A BLESSING! He is incredible. I thank the Lord every day for this man. He is known as one of the hardest working missionaries in the field. Everywhere we go all the missionaries look up to him and respect him. He's a champ forsure. I think I was given the best trainer in the field. And I'm not just saying that either. ;) Elder Johnson is from Ohio and he's been out for 15 1/2 months. He's the fourth of 6 kids and he is an athlete/bodybuilder/hulk. Literally. His biceps are bigger than my face. He drinks protein shakes throughout the day and wakes up at 5:30 every morning so he can have extra time to work out in the apt! He's cray. I never want to make him angry cuz he could bust me up with his pinky. I don't let him know that though... I have no fear. ;) He hopes to play football for BYU when he gets home but if he doesn't make the team he'll just stick with rugby! As you can tell, we obviously aren't too similar because I'm a skinny Indian boy that hates sports, but we get along just fine! We both have a passion for missionary work and want to work hard so we do what we do. I think we make a good team! He's showin' me all the ropes and I don't know what I would do without him. Praise the Lord!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: being a missionary is hard. When talking to people in the street I can honestly say I get rejected 90% of the time. But something within me won't stop. I just keep going. When people walk away from me while I'm talking I just smile and follow them awkwardly to finish what the Lord would have them hear. I reach a point where I realize it's their salvation, not mine. I'm doing everything I can to help them and if they don't want to listen, that's okay. As long as I do everything I can I can't do anymore. That 10% of people that take a minute to stop and listen makes it all worth it. The people that are willing to receive Christ's blessings makes me want to keep going. I don't care about being rejected. It honestly doesn't bother me at all. It just makes me want to work harder. I truly believe that God is enabling me with power. Because if this was just me doing this I would've given up a long time ago. God is right by my side and I feel of his presence every day.

One thing I enjoy as a missionary is being able to see peoples' potential, even if they don't see it. There are so many people that would be a perfect fit for baptism or would grow and be such an incredible asset to the gospel of Jesus Christ if they just took that leap of faith necessary. It's sad that people don't see the capabilities within themselves. I can say motivational things all I want, but it will mean nothing to if they don't feel the spirit confirming it to them. I just want everybody to come to the knowledge of the true gospel here on this earth. Everybody deserves a chance to hear it. I just pray and hope that I will be led to the people that are READY to hear it.

I am busy allll day, every day. I used to love being a night owl but now I look forward to bedtime. I wish I could go to bed BEFORE 10:30! Elder Johnson and I are both new to the Hemet area and are on bike. We have to bike no matter what the weather conditions are. No excuses! It's tiring and my legs get a lil sore every now and then but I really like the workout! Biking all those years before I had my car is such a blessing now. It prepared me to do this. Elder Johnson said he was glad that I'm a good biker because the last elder he trained always crashed into him or lost control... what a struggle. It's weird how certain aspects of my life have prepared me for my mission. I didn't realize it then, but I realize it now.

Our apartment is NASTY. We live with two other elders and they treat it disgustingly. Mom, you would be horrified. The shower was the nastiest thing I've ever seen in my life. It had dirt 2 inches thick with hair in every crevice. Being raised the way I was raised, I did not stand for this. My second day in the field I went to Walmart, bought soft scrub and a brush, came home and scrubbed the crap out of that shower. Today is cleaning day so I am going to be leading all the elders in transforming our apartment to hopefully livable conditions. I can't live with what it is now. It's so gross. And the water here is unclean and nasty! It's like we are in a different country because we don't dare drink from the faucet. From now on I'm going to have to buy bottled water. It's all good, though. I'm actually excited to clean today and make the apt somewhat nice!


I love each of you more than words can express. I think and pray for each of you throughout the day, every day. Stay strong and keep enduring! I get to skype you on Christmas! :D Mom and dad, so sorry your race got cancelled but I love the pictures! You both look sooo good! Slim and trim. ;)

Talk to y'all next week and once you get my address, write me!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU,

Elder Catch