Journal and Letters
Trevor Reinhold Strong
2/20/03
Today I went to school. It was boring. I was
excited because I had a church ball game. I played a couple of games of 21 with
my friend Dom and Scott. I won 4 out of 7 games. But in the game I had zero
points. I felt bad. Next game I think I’ll at least have one point. When I got
home I was tired so I watched T.V., read scriptures, and went to sleep.
2/21/03
Today I went to school. Today was Friday so
it was short but still boring. I was tired so when I got home I watched a
little T.V. I fell asleep for about 15 minutes. I might have a sleep over.
Depends on if Bud can sleep over and if I clean my room. My Mom and Dad went to
the Temple and stayed there late so I couldn’t have a sleepover.
2/22/03
Today is Saturday. I am dishes this weekend
so I had to do dishes. First I cleaned a little bit of my room. Then I did
dishes. Then I cleaned the rest of my room. I rearranged it so it’s better.
2/27/03
Today is a Thursday. I went to school. We
got to pick our classes for 8th Grade. I am taking Spanish,
keyboarding and percussion and all the other required classes. I went to a
Stake Priesthood Conference. It was boring.
6/8/03
Today is Sunday. I’m finally out of school.
Today was Stake Conference. It was boring, but I got my sleep. Yesterday was
fun. I played night games with the DeLaMares, Ashley, Brittany, Bryce, Brianne,
and Megan Henderson. Jeff is in the MTC leaving for his mission to Switzerland.
I got nothing to say.
7/15/06
Wow! It has been three years since I have
written in here! Well I was reading my last entry and a lot has changed. Jeff
has been home for a year and hasn’t changed a bit. I still kinda like Brianne.
Now we never talk. It was never the same after she cheated on me and only went
out with me to get to Bud. Now I like Megan Raby and Ashley Hillam. Things are
confusing right now. Ashley likes me and everything, but I really want to get
to know Megan a little better. Right now I like Megan more because she is so
easy to talk to and she is soo hot. I haven’t really hung out with Megan, I
just see her at Oquirrh Park where I work. But hopefully tonight or Monday I
will see “Pirates of the Caribbean II” with her. I am about to get my license
pretty soon. I have all my hours done. I lost my Social Security card because
someone stole my wallet. I also lost my bank ATM card and had to get a new one.
Then a couple of days later I lost my other wallet that was in my Dad’s car
with my Driving Permit. So I have been driving illegally for a while. I failed
my driving test so I have to take it again when I get my license.
7/16/06
Today is Sunday so how eventful could it be.
Well yesterday I ended up not going to the movies. Megan did not even call me.
I am beginning to think that she doesn’t like me anymore. She did accept My
Friend request on My Space but I think it was just to be nice. Well Andy and
Heidi bought a house and we saw it today. It is definitely a fixer-upper. But
it will turn out really good. Andy will finally have a place to put his shoes.
They will live closer to Davis and Kiersti which is pretty cool. Chad is moving
officially in two weeks but this summer has felt like he is already gone. I
hung out with him last night and it was fun. Kind of like the old days.
7/21/06
Well I don’t know about Megan anymore. I
haven’t talked to her in person since last Thursday. I wrote her on My Space
but she hasn’t written back even though she has probably read my messages
already. That made me pretty mad. Then she was supposed to call me but she
hasn’t. I think I am just going to try to move on. It is hard because she is so
hot and I think about her a lot. I wish she would like me and I think of
excuses of why she hasn’t called or wrote back. I worked today and there is
this lifeguard who checks me out. She is pretty hot but kind of has a man
voice. I think her name is Maddie. I don’t know what is wrong with me. I can’t
just like one girl. I feel bad for Ashley. Well off the subject, Scott got his
license the other day. I am a little jealous because I probably won’t get mine
for another month. The Social Security office closes at 4:00 and that is when
we got there to get a new card.
7/22/06
First step: I removed Megan from Friends
list. She messaged someone two days after I sent her a message. She still
hasn’t sent anything or called. I have to pretty much ignore her. I bet she
won’t even notice that I am not her friend. I went to the Rocky Mountain Review
last night. The Jazz should have won but they lost to San Antonio. Ronnie
Brewer and Paul Millsap made the All Revue team. They are good.
7/23/06
Today is Sunday. It is the real test. If
Megan doesn’t write me back today, then I will know. She will have all day to
write. Work was hot yesterday. It got up to 107 but not when I was working. It
was 102 though. There were more people than I had ever seen before. It sucked.
3/14/08
I just got a sweet new pen. Bryant came up
from St. George so we have been chilling. We went to a movie, well actually two
movies because we snuck into another movie. There was a school dance tonight
but I didn’t go. I really wanted to because Ashley was going to be there. It
was a weird spring dance so I kind of didn’t want to go. Any chance I get to
hand out with Ashley, I usually do it.
7/25/08
Today I had an interview for the fifth key
person at Albertson’s. I’m not going to say that I choked, but I definitely
could’ve done better. I really need that job so I can get money saved up before
my mission. I’m hoping to save $1,200.00 a month so I can have a little when I
get back. I am really excited to go. I am not ready to go now. I have a big
problem that I need to fix, but with the Lord’s help, I feel that I can do
anything. I need to repent and pray every day. Bad thoughts need to stay out of
my mind and I have to keep the Spirit with me at all times, even if it means
praying a million times a day. I always feel bad after I sin and try to do all
the good things I’m supposed to, but it feels way better when I don’t do a bad
thing and do good over and over. I truly want and am going to serve a mission
so I NEED TO START NOW AND TRULY REPENT AND GET IN THE HABIT OF ONLY DOING
GOOD. Stay away from all the evil in my life.
7/26/08
Today I went and played basketball and I was
like 7 for 9 from three in the last game including the game winner. After, I
went to Steve and Barry’s with Davis. It’s a crappy store but Davis loves it.
After I went and saw “Stepbrothers”. I thought it was going to be hilarious,
but now I’m starting to realize the rated “R” movies just really aren’t that
great. I feel bad about taking Simi to “Superbad” before his mission because it
couldn’t have helped at all. I just finished 2nd Nephi tonight and
I’m really proud of myself. I am starting to understand the Book of Mormon and
it is less confusing. I like the feeling I get when I read the scriptures. I
know that it is the Spirit testifying to me that they are true. I want to read
more and more so I can finish the Book of Mormon for the first time. After, I
can do more studying instead of just reading. I will learn so much more and I’m
excited.
7/28/08
Today I worked at Albertson’s from 1-6. I
heard some great news. I got the 5th Keyperson job!! I start
training next week and I’m very excited. I am going to thank the Lord for this
opportunity to make money for my mission and keeping me patient. I went running
tonight and did the long route that Simi and Bryant used to do. I started off
with a giant side ache. I really wanted to finish the run, but it was almost
unbearable. Then something came to my mind about enduring to the end. The more
I thought about it, the better the side ache got. I thought that running was a
little like life. There are obstacles we face or that Satan throws at us that
we must overcome to finish. I had a side ache, and just by thinking about the
Lord and knowing that He is with me ‘til the end helped me out and made the
side ache disappear. Having the Lord with us in life will make us endure to the
end and bring us to Him. Have Him in our hearts, and we can overcome all of
Satan’s obstacles. Keep praying.
8/1/08
“Who we are today is God’s gift to us. Who we become is our gift to God.”
8/2/08
“Stand for something, or fall for anything.”
8/5/08
Today was my first day at my new position.
It was a Tuesday and apparently they are the hardest days. There was so much
stuff to do it was crazy! I kept busy most of the night. Right now I’m in
training 3-4 days a week for 3 weeks. That will be kinda nice until I get the
hang of it (with the Lord’s help) and have to work 5 nights a week. But then
all my friends will be starting school and I’ll have an excuse for not being a
loser.
Last week was Youth Conference and I was on
the committee, which meant nothing. It was the first year that we didn’t travel
anywhere. On Thursday we started it out with a dinner at the Western Hills
Stake Center. It was cool to see a bunch of new people instead of the same
people from our stake. After dinner we listened to a speaker. It was good but I
left halfway through because I had a Men’s League game. (We lost in overtime by
7 or 8. I had 11 points which is a high in that league.) I was up extra early
Friday morning at 5:50. I had to go up with my Dad to set up breakfast at the
SLCC Institute Building. After breakfast we had Brother Hoch speak to us then
classes. The first class I went to was dating because it was in the same room
as the speaker and I didn’t have to move. I was with Stephanie, Mike Sharp, and
Whitney King. I thought the speaker was awesome but I was kind of too old for
that class. It was a refresher. Next was free time and it seemed like all we
did was make fun of all the weirdoes. Then we had another class. I went to the
missionary class and that was good. I didn’t like the speaker as much as the
dating guy but it was still good. I learned to be a missionary before your
mission. Next we ate lunch then a service project. For the service project our
ward planted trees around the campus. It was hard work compared to what
everyone else did (all weeds) Scott and I met this guy and girl that go to
Taylorsville. The girl was very good looking but left before I could get some
digits. Next was dinner. Then we could go home and change for the swimming
party at KOPFC. We had a private party there and reserved three pools. I gave
the crowd a show with my back flips of the white platform. Saturday morning
there was breakfast but me and Scott accidently slept in. So we made it to the
testimony meeting. It was the best meeting. The Spirit was sooo strong. People
were going up left and right. I even went up because my heart was pounding. I
couldn’t fight the Spirit. Most of the people were feeling the Spirit so much
that they didn’t even notice three hours go by. It was unforgettable. We had
lunch after then went home. The dance was later that night. It was a 70’s theme
so I borrowed Andy’s Ron Burgundy clothes. I looked good. It was the first
dance I danced with a girl every slow song. I danced with a weird girl but the
rest were fine. Lindsey was all over me. Too bad she is 15. I’ll have to wait 'til
after my mission. I danced with Ashley too and it’s sad because that’s probably
the last time I’ll do that. And that was Youth Conference.
8/18/08
So tonight I went to a Jack Johnson concert.
It was amazing! I went with Terrez (A girl from the pool and goes to Hunter)
and two weird kids. We met up with this girl who digs Scott, so she invited
him. Jack Johnson is awesome live and that was the only good part. Terrez was
flirting with me the whole time and really got annoying. She kept laying on me
and holding my hand. He played “Better Together” last and it was by far the
best song. After, Terrez took us home. She made me go with her instead of going
with Scott. I had a feeling she wanted something at the end of the night, and I
did not want to give it to her. So we got to my house and I was trying to say
goodbye and just leave. She kept the conversation going and kinda wouldn’t let
me go. She asked for a hug a second time, but this time she wouldn’t let go. I
knew for sure what she wanted. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then somehow it
made it to the lips. Pretty soon we were making out. She was not the person I
wanted my first make-out with. I kinda waited for a break so I could just
leave, but she never let up. She was getting too feely and turned the car off
so I stopped and said I was for sure leaving. I gave her another hug and she
started kissing my neck, so I quickly stopped the hug and left. I’ve never felt
so disgusted with myself in my life! My stomach hurt and I just felt dirty. I
definitely sent her the wrong message. I have to up this soon and tell her I don’t
feel that way. I’m really worried she will tell people and it will be so
embarrassing!
2/19/09
Today I went and got fingerprinted for
coaching Boys Soccer. It was really weird. Then I kinda bought some stuff I
really didn’t need. After I realized I did and I need to save a lot more.
That’s a new goal among many to prepare to be a better missionary. I took Champ
for a walk, and man is Champ out of shape! I had an interview with President
Weaver tonight. He is making sure I’m staying on the right path. He is a really
good man and I learn a lot from him. He reminded me about Preach My Gospel. I
am going to start reading it all the way through. I realize I need to keep the
gospel in my life throughout the week instead of just on Sunday. I had a Rec.
League basketball game after. We played Farnsworth’s team, but all their good
players weren’t there. I had the game of my life, though. 24 points, 10+
boards. With Eric out I might start to get more touches and opportunities to
make more of an impact. The Church is True!
2/20/09
Today I didn’t really do much. I did start
to read “Preach My Gospel”. It is a great missionary tool. I’m excited to read
it because I know it will better prepare me for my mission. I already learned a
lot in the 20 minutes I read. I worked from 4 to 12. It was a pretty busy day.
I did run into Mike Nelson who I am supposed to home teach. I really didn’t
introduce myself. I Had a weak attempt at setting up an appointment. That will
be something I’ll have to work on. The Church is True!
9/7/09
Last month I received my mission call to the
Texas, McAllen Mission. I report to the MTC Oct. 28th. It is cool
because Simi comes home on the 21st, so I’ll be able to see him for
a week before I leave. And his homecoming is the same day as my farewell. It is
going to be awesome! I never realized how hard missionary life was until I
started preparing. There is a ton of things I should be doing like read and
study the scriptures, read “Preach My Gospel”, memorize scriptures, and write
in a journal. I can’t keep up! Yesterday was Labor Day. We went to the annual
BBQ at the Strong’s. I was really weird not having Grandpa there. He passed
away about 3 weeks ago. He was a great, loving, spiritual man. He was an
example to everyone, and I know the Lord is pleased with him. I hung out with
the Twins and Ashley after which was nice because Ashley was leaving in the
morning back up to USU. We went to IHOP and I ordered this chicken crepe thing.
When the waitress brought it over it looked nothing like I had expected. I
called it the sauce covered crap crepe and right after I had said that, the
waitress came over and asked “Does everything look alright?” It was hilarious!
We couldn’t stop laughing! At the end of the night, Ashley dropped me off at
home. My favorite in the world has to be being one-on-one with her. She is
amazing and things are just really good between us. At first I wanted for us to
be a couple so bad, but now all I want to do is just be around her. She has
this glow about her that is irresistible and she is one of the greatest
examples in my life. I will really miss her while I’m on my mission. I just
will have to focus on serving the Lord to the best of my abilities and
everything else at home.
