5.7.12

Elder Paolacci's Grandfather John Paolacci passed away on Thursday May 3, 2012

Well my dear family, I am not gonna lie, last night was a pretty rough night for me. After me and my companion had finished planning I was in the process of changing when I received a call from President Ardila. I was actually super nervous because I thought I had an emergency transfer. He started talking to me in a way I have never heard him and I instantly knew why he was calling. I don’t know why or how, but I knew. We talked for about a minute or two when he broke me the news. I love my mission president so much. As he was about to tell me he started to cry. He told me about how his father had passed away and it really helped me out.

After the phone conversation I immediately got on my knees and prayed. It was hard. I haven’t cried like that for a while, but I had the strongest impression that Grandpa Paolacci and Grandpa Harper were right there next to me. I hadn’t had that feeling since the time Grandpa Harper had passed away and in one of my baseball games when I was walking to the mound I felt like he was right there with me.

Last night was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. I asked Elder Janco for a blessing and as he put his hands on my head I felt as though there were two more pairs of hands upon my head. It was an amazing blessing and afterwards I felt so much better. Before I went to bed I read the chapter in Jesus the Christ on the Atonement and also his Resurrection. I didn’t go to bed till very late but it helped me a ton.

When I woke up this morning I looked through the pictures I had of Grandpa Paolacci. I cried again, but felt the impression to read a scripture that I had read when I started the misión. When I read it at the start of my mission I put my name in the place of Joseph and sidney. I was having alot of troubles with homesickness and this scripture changed everything:

D&C 100:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friend Dylan, your family is well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.

This time as I read it I thought of this in a way that I have never thought. I was thinking of my grandpas looking down on us and that they could also be feeling the same things we are feeling in these moments. This time I replaced Joseph and Sidney, for John and Kent.

D&C 100:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends John and Kent, your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.

I know as a fact that Grandpa is in a good place,

as it says in verse 4 of section 100 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls.

Our father does everything in this life with a wise purpose. We may not know what it is but his plan is perfect. If we live according to the gospel in these times we may come to know the reason of the things he does in his life. But we cannot expect to know exactly why he does all the things he does other than the fact that its for the salvation of souls.

There is another passage of scriptures that I read this morning that helped me alot in 2 Corinthians 5: 

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Grandpa was a great and literal example that we walk by faith and not sight. And as it says in verse 7, even though we are here to have joy in our lives, being in the presence of the Lord is uncomparable. And as you all know, he is much happier now, as you say mom, I know he is looking down upon all of us. On Logan playing baseball, on Coleton doing his plays and turning into an incredible young man, on Karleigh being the most enduring person I know, on Morgan being the best young mother and wife that exists, on Marissa with her creativity and always amazing attitude and love for others, and I know he is looking upon me as a missionary.

Last night as I was laying in my bed I started thinking about how close I was to being able to see him, and I started reflecting and thinking on maybe why our Heavenly Father chose now to bring him home. And I feel like I know why now.

One John may have left my life at this brief moment we call earth life, but God has put another in my path as a missionary that is having a serious impact on my life. Yesterday Johnathan showed up to church (like 15 minutes early) with a completely different look on his face. Your prayers are working family. He is changing so much and is extremely excited for his baptism on the 19th. Every time I see him I have the strongest impression that I was put here in Jauja to help the Lord change his life. If possible my desire to help him now is even more than it was before, and I know grandpa is going to support him in this change he is making in his life.

I know this is and will be a very hard time for the family. And I am sure it will be very difficult for me too. But we “are in good hands”. We need to search for what the Lord wants us to do now, and do it.

I love all of you so much and I will be praying for all of you. If there is a Preach My Góspel or a pamphlet of lesson 2 in the house, I ask that you all study the plan of salvation as a family tonight for Family Home Evening, I will be doing it as well.

Gods plan is perfect, don't forget it. And because Christ lives, we will all live again.

I Love You all so very much,

Elder Dylan Thomas Paolacci