Howdy yall! Had a pretty good and fun week down here in New Braunfels 🤠 A lot of crazy stuff happened like how Elder Jacobson dumped pancake mix on me in the shower 🥞 It was funny but not fun to wash off myself lol 😅  We also got to go to Zone Council and the Temple this week with our district which was lots of fun! Our friend Jean is also progressing very well and we are starting to prepare for his baptism in the coming weeks. Jean is literally the sweetest person I have taught during my whole mission and he came to gospel study class this friday night and when we were closing he bore his testimony and shared with everyone how grateful he was for us all. He keeps on saying to everyone at church, “Thank you for saving my life.” So adorable!

And while this week was great and lots happened, I want to share more thoughts on some important lessons I have been learning. I think I am starting to understand and see the inspiration behind me staying in New Braunfels and training a second missionary in a row. And that is it has been a lesson not just for my mission but something for the future. A lesson that will probably care far greater weight a few years from now when I have added hindsight to the lessons and experiences of training.

In our mission, we often joke that training is like being a Dad. Most of us trainers – for the most part – affectionately refer to our trainees as our Son's. And within just 3 months I now have two. And let me tell you, sometimes training really does feel like how I assume being a dad is. The little trainee follows you around, asks questions, makes mistakes, learns and grows, copies your actions and asks for your permission to do things. 😂 

But isn't that pretty much what I do as a son of my real Dad – the Instagram reel famous Curt Noble? Growing up I looked up a lot to my Dad and still do! I have often had conversations with my brother Casen about how we want to be able to do the things Dad does especially when it comes to the successes of his job. Is my Dad perfect? Well no, but we can learn from him and always seek to be like him but I am sure that his desire is for us to be even greater than him. 

And what I have just described is exactly how I have felt as a trainer yet on a much smaller scale that being of just 2 years. I have also been thinking about how different both of my trainees are. Yet they have so much in common too! And while they are both drastically different in background and skills as me, basketball, golf, hacky sacks, drawing, we still have good connections and have a good bit in common! It's also been cool to see how the trials and successes they are having so far are exactly what I have already been through on my mission. And it's put me in a position to give loving guidance. And that's another thing I have learned – the importance of genuine love for them. I do feel a lot of charity for both of them probably more so than any of my other comps (don't worry I still love you all 😅)

What's also cool is I have been thinking a lot about correction and obedience lately. I wasn't the most obedient at the beginning of my mission to be honest – but each transfer I have improved and at the point I am at now I would say I am at my most obedient I have been. And as Elder Walker had always told me to expect – I have seen blessings come from that specific obedience!! And so as a trainer I have tried to be more obedient to the standards for disciples of Jesus Christ than ever before. Which meant correcting both of my “sons” when they fell short or went against them. And that comes to another lesson I have learned.

Each of them need a different experience but they both need it to come from the same source – that being my love for them. It's been cool to see how the strengths Elder Thunell had are the weaknesses that Elder Johnson has. And that the strengths Elder Johnson has are the weaknesses Elder Thunell had. And yet I have had ALL of them as weaknesses before. But I feel I have since changed a lot of them to become strengths. And that's something I hope I have/can influence both of my sons to do. To overcome the opposition of their weaknesses and use them for strength, to use them for good, to use them to bless others, and to use them to honor God and to become instruments in his hands. 

I can't help but recognize how these lessons have lifelong principles tied to them. Surely raising me was a lot different than my three brothers. My Dad and Mom raised us each with an incredible amount of sustaining love and yet taught us each in our way. For example let's take sports. I am not good at sports and didn't enjoy them so my Dad never really needed to teach me much about them. But he still taught me a lot about the importance of hard work in other things like employment. While my brother Casen who loves sports and is good at them was able to learn from my dad about them. (Not to say my Dad doesn't show him the importance of employment) but that while he taught the same principle of hard work he did it according to each of us and who we are. But I am sure that it came from the same source of love for us. Training a new missionary is the same way. Teaching them how to do something each in their own way. 

It has been a joy to experience this principle of what I suppose to be fatherhood on such a small scale compared to an entire life. But it excites me for the future when I do have two very real children of my own that I will get to raise in their own unique way. But with the same source of love ❤️ 

Pretty cool the lessons you can learn on a mission. 🙂

With Love,

Elder Noble

District Daddy of New Braunfels ❤️