Well! By this time next week I will be in the MTC! I can't even believe my report date is finally approaching... I mean, I received my call on May 8, and I remember thinking at the time,
Holy cow, I have to wait four months?! Guess thats to be expected when you don't turn 19 until late August and you turn your papers in AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
And now it's so close I can almost taste it. Yay! (:
Holy cow, I have to wait four months?! Guess thats to be expected when you don't turn 19 until late August and you turn your papers in AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
And now it's so close I can almost taste it. Yay! (:
Receiving a call to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a wonderful experience! I had been attending BYU in Provo since Fall 2014, and decided to continue taking classes during Spring and Summer terms as well, so that's where I was when my call arrived! After only 12 days from the time I submitted my papers.... it came! MY CALL. I couldn't believe it was actually HERE! I had just gotten home from work and was planning on doing homework except I couldn't really concentrate because I was so excited! I was so so SO impatient to open it, that I immediately called my two brothers (both RM's and also attending school at the Y) and asked them to hurry quick to my apartment! Then we face-timed my parents, my little sister, my brother Josh and his wife (who are attending Law School in Iowa), and as soon as we were all there I opened that envelope right up... It was so exhilarating! I had been talking to my mom earlier in the day and remembered that she had said something to the effect that whatever place is written in that letter will stay connected with me for the rest of my life... And at that point, I was beyond excited to learn exactly where that place would be. And not going to lie, it was a little unexpected! I saw Ohio and my first thought was, "oh my!" as I am a die-hard Michigan wolverines fan. And then I saw Cincinnati and I was completely excited! Ohio might have been one of the last places I ever expected to get assigned, but once I read it I could just feel that the Ohio Cincinnati Mission (OCM) was the right place for me!
Going through the temple for the first time was absolutely wonderful! I was extremely lucky because my entire immediate family was able to all be together in Utah at that particular time and come with me! And the Oquirrh Mountain Temple is gorgeous - but isn't every temple, really? I am very thankful for the experience I had there that day and for the incredible work that is performed in temples in general.
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| ONE of my favorites... Shout out to my SIL Kayla who looks fabulous in this photo. (; |
After finishing Summer Term at BYU, I moved back home to Visalia, CA and was able to go on vacation with my ENTIRE family for a week... Can I just say that we had SO. MUCH. FUN. all being together?!
The Sunday we got back (Aug. 23rd) I gave my farewell talk because my older brothers Sam and Nate were still in town (they were headed back to BYU later that week for fall quarter) and I really wanted them to be there. Of course, no farewell talk is complete without family pics afterwards!
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| Me and my girls. |
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| Almost all of my siblings... really missed Josh, Kayla and Noah! |
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| We are all models... |
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| Aren't we cute? |
The day after my talk, I got my wisdom teeth out, and the day after that I started working at my father's office, and since then I have basically just been packing and getting things ready for when I leave. I have also enjoyed helping my mom out with various projects and hanging out with my family, as well as eating certain meals "for the last time" (that sounds so horrible haha! But really - I have been kind of spoiled because I get to request ALL my favorite meals & family activities since I won't be doing that for at least the next 18 months... and it's probably the only time it'll ever be like that in my life - lol!)
I am very excited to begin this new chapter and know it is going to be one of the greatest (and possibly one of the hardest) things I've done so far in my life, but I also know it is going to be
SO WORTH IT!
SO WORTH IT!
Really quick, I want to share a favorite scripture of mine, which you can find in
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 80, verses 3-5:
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 80, verses 3-5:
"Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss. Therefore, declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true. Behold, this is the will of him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Amen."
I have wanted to serve a mission for several years now and am humbled by this amazing opportunity to finally do so... what a great blessing to be able to share the restored gospel with the wonderful people of the OCM; the very same gospel that has brought me so much happiness and joy. I truly desire others to be able to experience that same happiness and joy in their lives, and it is for this reason I will be spending the next year and a half serving my Heavenly Father as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
OCM for life! (:
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| The Book of Mormon. Read it people! Best book on Earth! #twinning #thugmormon |
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