Argentina

IT CAME!!!

I have been called to serve in the Argentina Posadas mission. :)


I will be speaking Spanish. The best kind of Spanish.

& I enter the Provo MTC on August 28th.................. in FOREVER.

But that's okay because I'm going to ARGENTINA!! :) And I am so beyond excited and happy, it's ridiculous. I am seriously thrilled. I couldn't have asked for a better mission for myself. I am so blessed. ♥


At first, I didn't want to make my call opening a huge deal. Originally, I was just going to open it with my parents and my brothers. BUT the more I thought about it and talked to people, the more I realized that I just couldn't do it without my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my friends and even some of my neighbors. There are so many people who have played such a huge role in bringing me to this point in my life, it felt wrong to not include them.

So, we invited the world. :)

We even Skyped my aunts and uncles who are scattered across the Nation.

And it was such a blessing to be able to share this wonderful moment with just about everyone I love.

 I told the Lord that I would go where He wanted me to go. (Except for Russia. |: ) I even would have been willing to drive 5 hours to Boise, Idaho if He wanted me to. However, He wants me in Posadas Argentina. I never would have guessed it, but now that I know, there is no where else that I would rather go. This has definitely strengthened my testimony of how well my Father in Heaven knows me. ...

AND of how much He loves me.

Argentina could not be any more perfect for me.

And the waiting begins.....

Christmas in April

I am five years old.

I am exhausted, yet I can't sleep.

Because it's Christmas Eve!!

Okay, not really. It's April 9th but it FEELS like Christmas Eve.

Almost not as blissful, though, because on Christmas Eve, I absolutely know that I am going to wake up the following morning to a magical room full of gifts. Unless I somehow happen to be  put on the naughty list. Growing up, I never expected to be on Santa's naughty list. I always knew he would come with a couple of new outfits for me.

I know I'm not on Heavenly Father's naughty list and I know that He wants me to receive my gift, but there is still a chance that it won't come by morning. Because Heavenly Father can't bring me my gift physically. The mailman has to do it.

But the mailman is not as wonderful as Santa Clause.

source

The time has come, my friends. [Hopefully] Tomorrow morning, my momma should be getting a phone call from the Post Office informing her that my MISSION CALL has arrived!

After 6 long months of debating whether or not I should submit my papers and 3 even longer WEEKS of waiting for the call to come, it is finally here! [Hopefully]

The church is true. Christ lives and He loves us. We have a Father in Heaven who knows us and loves us and is aware of our every want and need. I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so excited to be able to share that knowledge with the world by serving a mission. I want those people that I am to teach to have the opportunity to experience all of the joys that the gospel brings into my life, daily. There is nothing more meaningful than for all of God's children to be able to know of the blessings that come through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that the Lord wants this for His children more than anything. He wants His children to come to know Him. I want His children to come to know Him and I love that I can be a hand in moving His beautiful work forward.


I can't wait to see what my Heavenly Father has in store for the next 18 months of my life. ♥


Any guesses?

twenty

20. 

Today, I am twenty years old.

There were 20 candles on my birthday cake. I feel so old.

I also feel so blessed.

Today, I got to share my day with a very special occasion.  I love that my birthday is always close to Easter. The Easter season always seems to help me to put life into perspective. With every year of age, I am able to reflect on my life and remember my Savior and all that he has done for me. I love Him. I love the Atonement and I am so thankful for it. I am so blessed that every few years, Easter Sunday comes on my birthday. For without my Savior, I would not have a  birthday to celebrate.

The true meaning of this day is far more lovely than 20 candles on a chocolate cake.

"He is not here, but is risen. ."  -Luke 24:6

I am so thankful for this day.

Happy Easter all. ♥

Life is Changing.

Sometimes, I don't want to leave at all. At the same time, I want to get on that jet plane RIGHT NOW.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm in high school again. My senior year is ending, all of my friends are staying, making plans together and I'm leaving by myself. We're all going our separate ways, but my way is the most separate.

Sometimes, I long for an earlier time. One before high school. One when I could stay home all day long with my mommy to craft and watch movies.

On days like today, I feel like the world around me is changing uncontrollably and I hate that I feel like it's going to keep changing without me. Because it is. I feel like I'm stuck. Today, I feel like the next six months of my life are going to be practically pointless.

On days like today, I have to put things into perspective-eternally.

My friends are staying. They're making plans together and I am leaving by myself. We're all going our separate ways and my way is the most separate.

BUT..

In the same way that moving to Logan to go to Utah State by myself was the greatest thing that I ever decided to do, serving the Lord for 1.5 years is going to be an experience that I need. It's going to be an experience that so many people are not fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience. I have been given this marvelous opportunity and I am going to be so selfish and I am going to take it!

My choice to serve a mission IS the greatest choice that I have made up to this point in my life.

It's okay that everything that I leave behind is going to change because I'm going to change too.

And it's going to be so wonderful.

Sometimes, I forget how happy I know this is going to make me. I forget how I felt when that wonderful announcement was made. Sometimes, I forget about the blessings that I can offer to so many strangers somewhere on this earth. I forget about the blessings that my mission will bring to my family, even my future family.

On days like today, I'm thankful for my mom. She helps me to look more at the eternal perspective. She promises me a Christmas break filled with crafts and movies and shopping, and she promises me that everything is going to be okay. She tells me how proud of me she is. She reminds me of the crazy things that I have accomplished and she reminds me of the potential I have to continue to accomplish amazing things because my Heavenly Father has given me that potential and because He loves me.

Today, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and He is proud of me. I'm grateful for his sense of humor and for the ways that He lets me know He's there. I love him. I want to jump on a jet plane RIGHT NOW and I want to go and thrash a nation somewhere and teach them the gospel.

However, I know, and He knows that there is SOMETHING that I need to accomplish in the next six months. It's hard to wait sometimes and sometimes I wonder if there really is something that needs to be done or if I am just wasting time. Maybe I'm the only person who will be able to teach some poor physics student how to build a roller coaster with a marble or maybe I just need to stay to be a bridesmaid for my best friend's wedding or maybe I just need a little more preparation. Whatever it is, I'm here for six more long months and that's okay.

Because I am changing and changing is good. I will keep changing and I will keep learning, because that is also good.

God is good. He is good to me and I want to be good to Him.

Sometimes life is hard but, if we let Him lead us, He will change our life and it will always be good.

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Today, I found the church's website for sister missionary preparation. It's fabulous.

They talk about clothing here. AND they have makeup tips here! Also, there are lots of other fun things to read about and to look at. I spent a good hour browsing this part of the website.

Why is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints so great? I'm a super lucky girl and I'm super excited to be able to wear cute clothes on my mission that I am also super excited about! :)