Lessons of the Decade Pt. 2011
Here goes the 2nd part, 2011. I would definitely consider this a majorly defining year in my life.
2011
The start of 2011 was fun and exciting. I was right in the midst of Jimmermania at BYU which was definitely one of if not the most exciting basketball year ever at BYU. We were camping out for the games sitting not too far from courtside, watched Jimmer take down Kawhi and #4 San Diego State, played a lot of basketball, grew my friendships, and there was a little bit of school in between all of that too. On March 2nd, 2011 I received a letter that I didn't expect would shift my life as much as it did. I received a letter saying I was assigned to labor in Nevada Las Vegas for 2 years serving a full-time mission for my church. I continued the rest of my freshman year of college really preparing myself. I continued to study, play, and work while making some great friends. I finished the semester and had one last little shebang with my family in Hawaii. This was an awesome memory for me because my parents were married there and all of my family served missions before myself. I spent the time enjoying my family and picking their brains in getting ready. The time then came to finally go. For 2 years straight, from June 2011-June 2013, I would put work and school aside and solely focus on serving God and the people in Las Vegas.
The first 6 months to my mission really set the tone and helped to truly define me. I spent 9 weeks studying the gospel and trying to learn Spanish and those 9 weeks pushed me mentally more than I have in the past. I got the chance to see some of my closest friends from BYU going through the same thing but also made some more new incredible friends. I also had the chance to meet my Mission President and Wife, President and Sister Neider, and I had no idea that they would become 2 of the most influential people in my life. August 2011 the journey in Las Vegas began. I got to Las Vegas and I felt the weight of what I was doing. I remember feeling so overwhelmed knowing for the next 2 years this was home and I was dedicated to the people and to my Heavenly Father. We continued with first day things and then I got my assignment and my trainer. We were assigned to the Moapa Valley including Logandale and Overton Nevada. This was a small town valley about an hour north of Las Vegas and 30 minutes south of Mesquite, regardless it was a small town with horses and cows and I had now entered completely out of my comfort zone. We set off to work and meet people and serve. Little did I know, this Moapa Valley would in a lot of senses become my personal Garden of Eden. It was here I truly found my place and relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We worked our butts off, I cried a lot, and I felt one of the lowest I had ever felt, but through it all, I found JOY.
2011 left me with 2 major lessons. Lesson #1.2011 is there is joy in the journey it just might be disguised so you have to search for it sometimes. 2011 was a rollercoaster ride for me so many ups and downs, small ones like leaving some friends and making new ones to some big ones with a number of personal medical issues and problems to learning to love. The joy wasn't found in the "likely" places. I found joy in the long phone calls back home to family and friends at school then when I hung up the phone and saw new people I didn't really know and it made me nervous. It was hard. I found joy when I was sent to a small country town, which if you knew me this is definitely not me, when I was expecting to be in Las Vegas. I found joy when I was forced to try and speak spanish when I still wasn't that comfortable in it. I found joy when I was curled up in fetal position in so much pain on the phone with Sister Neider because I wasn't ready to go home yet. I found joy when I was having a breakdown crying because I didn't know why I was doing what I was doing. The joy that lasts in my mind was found when I was having the hardest time. Joy truly is found in the journey and sometimes it is just the rockiest parts.
Lesson #2 is something that my brother said to me. I don't think that I've had something so simple impact me so much. He said, "You be You, but be the best you you can be." I realized at this moment that this was something that I needed to hear because it's something that I struggled with. I was in high school living in my brother's shadow but with my twist doing choir and a lot of other things but I still never felt like me. I went to BYU feeling like a little fish in a giant ocean. I felt a little overwhelmed trying to live up to a standard of a major university student while still being me. I then went on a mission where I felt like I was going to please my parents. It was at the previously mentioned breakdown that I realized I didn't feel like I had a purpose. This little saying my brother said to me hit me hard. I finally came to the realization that the greatest being ever, God himself created ME. He didn't just create another body, He created ME. He didn't create me to try and keep up and be just like Joe Schmo, He created ME to be ME. He didn't create me to try and be anyone other than Andrew James Dubois. This changed my life and I hope it changed yours. All that He asks us to do is just try and be the best us we can be.
As Life Plays the Guitar Strings it is up to us to Write Our OWN story. Life isn't super easy but it is worth it. I feel blessed to be traveling this journey as me, Andrew James Dubois and I wouldn't want it any other way. Life is good. Bless up!
2011
The start of 2011 was fun and exciting. I was right in the midst of Jimmermania at BYU which was definitely one of if not the most exciting basketball year ever at BYU. We were camping out for the games sitting not too far from courtside, watched Jimmer take down Kawhi and #4 San Diego State, played a lot of basketball, grew my friendships, and there was a little bit of school in between all of that too. On March 2nd, 2011 I received a letter that I didn't expect would shift my life as much as it did. I received a letter saying I was assigned to labor in Nevada Las Vegas for 2 years serving a full-time mission for my church. I continued the rest of my freshman year of college really preparing myself. I continued to study, play, and work while making some great friends. I finished the semester and had one last little shebang with my family in Hawaii. This was an awesome memory for me because my parents were married there and all of my family served missions before myself. I spent the time enjoying my family and picking their brains in getting ready. The time then came to finally go. For 2 years straight, from June 2011-June 2013, I would put work and school aside and solely focus on serving God and the people in Las Vegas.
The first 6 months to my mission really set the tone and helped to truly define me. I spent 9 weeks studying the gospel and trying to learn Spanish and those 9 weeks pushed me mentally more than I have in the past. I got the chance to see some of my closest friends from BYU going through the same thing but also made some more new incredible friends. I also had the chance to meet my Mission President and Wife, President and Sister Neider, and I had no idea that they would become 2 of the most influential people in my life. August 2011 the journey in Las Vegas began. I got to Las Vegas and I felt the weight of what I was doing. I remember feeling so overwhelmed knowing for the next 2 years this was home and I was dedicated to the people and to my Heavenly Father. We continued with first day things and then I got my assignment and my trainer. We were assigned to the Moapa Valley including Logandale and Overton Nevada. This was a small town valley about an hour north of Las Vegas and 30 minutes south of Mesquite, regardless it was a small town with horses and cows and I had now entered completely out of my comfort zone. We set off to work and meet people and serve. Little did I know, this Moapa Valley would in a lot of senses become my personal Garden of Eden. It was here I truly found my place and relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We worked our butts off, I cried a lot, and I felt one of the lowest I had ever felt, but through it all, I found JOY.
2011 left me with 2 major lessons. Lesson #1.2011 is there is joy in the journey it just might be disguised so you have to search for it sometimes. 2011 was a rollercoaster ride for me so many ups and downs, small ones like leaving some friends and making new ones to some big ones with a number of personal medical issues and problems to learning to love. The joy wasn't found in the "likely" places. I found joy in the long phone calls back home to family and friends at school then when I hung up the phone and saw new people I didn't really know and it made me nervous. It was hard. I found joy when I was sent to a small country town, which if you knew me this is definitely not me, when I was expecting to be in Las Vegas. I found joy when I was forced to try and speak spanish when I still wasn't that comfortable in it. I found joy when I was curled up in fetal position in so much pain on the phone with Sister Neider because I wasn't ready to go home yet. I found joy when I was having a breakdown crying because I didn't know why I was doing what I was doing. The joy that lasts in my mind was found when I was having the hardest time. Joy truly is found in the journey and sometimes it is just the rockiest parts.
Lesson #2 is something that my brother said to me. I don't think that I've had something so simple impact me so much. He said, "You be You, but be the best you you can be." I realized at this moment that this was something that I needed to hear because it's something that I struggled with. I was in high school living in my brother's shadow but with my twist doing choir and a lot of other things but I still never felt like me. I went to BYU feeling like a little fish in a giant ocean. I felt a little overwhelmed trying to live up to a standard of a major university student while still being me. I then went on a mission where I felt like I was going to please my parents. It was at the previously mentioned breakdown that I realized I didn't feel like I had a purpose. This little saying my brother said to me hit me hard. I finally came to the realization that the greatest being ever, God himself created ME. He didn't just create another body, He created ME. He didn't create me to try and keep up and be just like Joe Schmo, He created ME to be ME. He didn't create me to try and be anyone other than Andrew James Dubois. This changed my life and I hope it changed yours. All that He asks us to do is just try and be the best us we can be.
As Life Plays the Guitar Strings it is up to us to Write Our OWN story. Life isn't super easy but it is worth it. I feel blessed to be traveling this journey as me, Andrew James Dubois and I wouldn't want it any other way. Life is good. Bless up!
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