I will be leaving for my mission in sixteen days. SIXTEEN! I can hardly believe it is getting this close! I'm working on getting the last few missionary clothes and shoes and, oh yeah, I need a bag. (Any suggestions on good sister missionary bags? Something that worked really well for you?) Anyway, I just thought I'd make one small announcement for anyone who is reading this blog:
I will be speaking in church before I leave. Not my farewell, but rather, the "SICPTLOMM" (aka: Speaking in church prior to leaving on my mission) talk. This will be on Sunday March 21st at the American Fork North Stake Center. (As long as I'm doing acronyms, this one will be the AFNSC).
Church starts at 9 and the address is 900 North 60 East, and, yes, in American Fork.
And thats all I have to say. Everything else I'll save up for Sunday morning!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
And It Came To Pass
I got my mission call!
I've had it for a few weeks now (3 weeks, to be exact) and I just remembered that I need to blog it! I opened my call on Christmas morning, while surrounded by some of my wonderful family and some of my closest friends.
But I digress, let me cut to the chase. I have been called to serve in the Missouri Independence mission. In addition to my call to share the gospel I will be serving in the Independence Visitors Center.
I really feel like this is the best place that I could go. I have always loved history. Mostly American History and Church history. I love this stuff so much that in September of 2008 I went on a tour with BYU-Idaho. It was called the Mormon American Travel Studies Tour. We spent a few days in Independence and the surrounding areas. I actually saw one of my friends from high school who was serving his mission in that area.
In August of 2009 I went on a family reunion to Nauvoo, but, due to the location of the airports in the surrounding area, we spent the ends of the vacation in Independence. Before we headed to Adam ondi Ahman I discovered on the map that there was a little town called Bethany. WOAH!
I was determined that I would get there, but the closest we could get was 18 miles away. Yes my dad did stop and turn the car around so we could take this picture.
I've had it for a few weeks now (3 weeks, to be exact) and I just remembered that I need to blog it! I opened my call on Christmas morning, while surrounded by some of my wonderful family and some of my closest friends.
But I digress, let me cut to the chase. I have been called to serve in the Missouri Independence mission. In addition to my call to share the gospel I will be serving in the Independence Visitors Center.
I really feel like this is the best place that I could go. I have always loved history. Mostly American History and Church history. I love this stuff so much that in September of 2008 I went on a tour with BYU-Idaho. It was called the Mormon American Travel Studies Tour. We spent a few days in Independence and the surrounding areas. I actually saw one of my friends from high school who was serving his mission in that area.
In August of 2009 I went on a family reunion to Nauvoo, but, due to the location of the airports in the surrounding area, we spent the ends of the vacation in Independence. Before we headed to Adam ondi Ahman I discovered on the map that there was a little town called Bethany. WOAH!
I was determined that I would get there, but the closest we could get was 18 miles away. Yes my dad did stop and turn the car around so we could take this picture.
Since we didn't get any closer to this city which bears my name, and since it is within the bounds of my mission, I would really love a chance to actually serve in Bethany!
But if the chances are that I don't (my mission covers a large portion of Kansas) You know I will just find a way to Bethany after my mission.
In short, I'm incredibly excited to serve. :)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
I am opening my mission call tomorrow. I can hardly believe how quickly this day has gotten here. I still don't believe that I'm 21. I don't even know how to handle the fact that my mission has already been assigned to me. That I am, in fact, going to leave home for a whole year and a half to spread the word of God to people, that right now, I don't even know exist. People I've probly never seen before in my life. Lots of questions are going through my head about where I will go- will it be foreign or stateside, will I speak my native tongue or learn Spanish, German, Italian, or even Canadian? What is going to happen to me? Will I be able to teach and share and learn how to recognize spiritual promptings from the Holy Ghost? How will I be brave enough to share things that are so sweet and sacred to me, with people I don't even know? I have a hard enough time sharing with close friends if I have the hint of thought that they will reject me or what I'm saying!
But I am at peace with what is coming. I know the Lord knows what I need to do, and where I need to go, and He will help me learn how to serve him while I'm there. I'm trying to learn what I can from others who have and who are serving. In fact, I would just like any knowledge I could get my hands on about what kinds of things ought to be done to help me prepare. The faith is in the preparation. And I want to be prepared enough that the spirit will be able to guide me to people in need as well as be able to bring to memory anything that I need to say and even the things I need to stand up and defend.
We'll see if I even remember to blog after I get my call, so you can know what's going on, where I'm going and when I'm leaving!
But I am at peace with what is coming. I know the Lord knows what I need to do, and where I need to go, and He will help me learn how to serve him while I'm there. I'm trying to learn what I can from others who have and who are serving. In fact, I would just like any knowledge I could get my hands on about what kinds of things ought to be done to help me prepare. The faith is in the preparation. And I want to be prepared enough that the spirit will be able to guide me to people in need as well as be able to bring to memory anything that I need to say and even the things I need to stand up and defend.
We'll see if I even remember to blog after I get my call, so you can know what's going on, where I'm going and when I'm leaving!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Anticipation
Today I am getting ready to teach a lesson from the Preach My Gospel book. What it really is preparing me for is my mission.
I'm one interview away from getting my mission papers sent into Salt Lake City! It is so close I can hardly believe it! I don't even know what to think of this all.
I've recently surrounded myself with lots of returned missionaries. But not just any RM's- I mean, I've learned how to be friends with the guys RM's since I turned 18. But Sisters! This is a whole new world! Not only has it been being friends with them, a lot of my friends, my age and younger, are leaving, or already gone on their missions. I get some weekly emails from one of my old roommates, as well as some typical updates from some of the guys from my home ward. And that has been such a pleasure, and such a habit that it will be weird for me when they all get home and I don't get any more letters.
But it has been so awesome to be surrounded by Returned Sisters. I've been able to talk with them about their missions and they've helped me understand that some of my fears are natural. Even knowing that they felt similar things to what I'm feeling now, has been so comforting to me.
I'm so grateful for this chance I have to serve the Lord for the next 18 months of my life. It really isn't very much time at all, and I want to do all that I can to make the best use of every minute I will have to teach these people how to return to God.
I'm one interview away from getting my mission papers sent into Salt Lake City! It is so close I can hardly believe it! I don't even know what to think of this all.
I've recently surrounded myself with lots of returned missionaries. But not just any RM's- I mean, I've learned how to be friends with the guys RM's since I turned 18. But Sisters! This is a whole new world! Not only has it been being friends with them, a lot of my friends, my age and younger, are leaving, or already gone on their missions. I get some weekly emails from one of my old roommates, as well as some typical updates from some of the guys from my home ward. And that has been such a pleasure, and such a habit that it will be weird for me when they all get home and I don't get any more letters.
But it has been so awesome to be surrounded by Returned Sisters. I've been able to talk with them about their missions and they've helped me understand that some of my fears are natural. Even knowing that they felt similar things to what I'm feeling now, has been so comforting to me.
I'm so grateful for this chance I have to serve the Lord for the next 18 months of my life. It really isn't very much time at all, and I want to do all that I can to make the best use of every minute I will have to teach these people how to return to God.
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