Farewell Talk

The talented Sara Ditto took his pictures and made this great invite.

We are so grateful for the family and friends who came to hear Jacob speak in church before he left. He gave a beautiful talk on choosing discipleship as a daily commitment.

"There are many ways in which we can  show our discipleship, but two things that require our renewed attention on a daily basis are living the standards that have been provided for us, and continual acts of service and love toward one another." 

He shared a story about growing up in Cody, WY, as a member of the Church whose standards were different from many of his classmates. When a member of his middle school track team attempted to insult him by calling him a [expletive] Mormon, Jacob was surprised to be quickly defended by non-member friends surrounding him, who said, "Ooh, hear that guys? He called him a Mormon!" The group laughed at the idea that this was the best insult the boy could come up with, and Jacob was grateful for the unexpected support. Instead of being discouraged, Jacob was encouraged to continue to stand up for his beliefs, and strive to uphold the standards he was being raised with.
Jacob also shared the choices he made the months leading up to his mission departure.

"For those of you who don't know, my mom has very limited use of her right arm, my little sister is recovering from her second knee surgery, and my family recently added a very energetic and active toddler to the household. All of these factors led to my decision to stop working and be an extra helping hand around the house. I have become the ride to seminary, the ride home from school, the main diaper changer, the babysitter, and much more. The amount of dishes and laundry folding I've done has increased a drastic amount over the past two months.

"It can be pretty common for me to be frustrated with some of these increased responsibilities, but as often as I can, I try to remind myself that I am doing this because I love my family and I want their loads to be lightened. Every morning I have prayed to find new opportunities to serve my family, and more often than not, I have tried to lovingly act on those opportunities. Through this service, I feel that I have grown much closer to my family."

"Every day we make some form of a decision as to what degree we will follow the example of Christ through the choices we make. From the moment we get out of bed, it is up to us to choose what kind of person we will be to our fellow men and to our Father in Heaven."

Jacob's service was definitely felt in our home, more than he knows. His example is keeping us going strong now that he is serving in Spain. When Jacob is working and happy, he sings. Any song that is in his head. He's done this since he was a little boy. Our house has been filled with Jacob-song. We can imagine the singing he'll be doing as he serves the people of Spain, his missionary companions, and those in his district. Our house is quieter now, but we can think of Jacob singing, and it makes us smile.

Spain, you've been warned.