The last 2 weeks have been kinda crazzzzzyyy? Nah. REALLY crazy. Crazy is probably an understatement. High points and low points galore. Smiles and tears. Peaceful moments and hectic moments. Many prayers. Many tearful prayers. A lot of tears, actually. For good and bad. I just felt overly sensitive. I cried in the shower every morning. I cried in bathroom stalls on campus. Tears accompanied sincere prayers that were said multiple times a day. You know it's bad when it's not that time of the month for you to be so emotional and you're still crying. Get the point? And honestly, looking back--I just felt so much (more than I thought I could feel, that it was just plain overwhelming) that I would consider it one of the most struggling times I've had in a longggg while. I constantly felt pressure to be discouraged or to give up on everything that I was overloaded with i.e. midterms, papers, assignments, uh rocky mountain, rocky mountain, and rocky mountain etc etc etc. And then I had such a strong desire to be so happy when I would get the mission call and see the fam and be in the temple that I was just plain worried that I would miss out on something because my mind was constantly going. Constantly. Now that I look back I remember something someone told me and that I now notice. Maybe it's from general conference...but everyday I became a little stronger. Your faith grows when you need it. What I really want to express is that I know that God lives. Without a doubt--I believe and know with all my body and spirit that God is our living Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, loves us and are both just waiting for us to come unto them. Granted, I've had a testimony of this for a long long long time. But I am grateful, so very grateful, that we have moments in our life when life does becomes ohhhh so difficult--and we have the opportunity to become more acquainted with God's love and power. What a blessing! He is always ready to extend a hand and lift us up into his arms to be with him. Our gospel is one of love. And of hope. And of the power of God.
And aren't I lucky to take an awesome sabbatical to Costa Rica?! As excited as I am to be about the business of extending hope and teaching my favorite subject (the gospel) to the beauties of Costa Rica; I am more excited to be able to just live a pure life of service. I know that most people serve missions because they want to share the gospel with others (which is great and all and that reason is up there) but I have always just had a desire to acquire the greatest amount of joy through serving God. From my earliest memories in Primary, I remember feeling the desire to serve. I knew that I loved God and that I wanted to serve him forever. I couldn't place how I knew or what I did to know--I honestly think it's just a trait that accompanied my spirit from the pre-existence. I have a theory that it sneaked through the veil and sticks to me like glue; or--it's just a spiritual gift. But the theory sounds pretty pleasing to me...
Amidst all the sad tears from playing the game of life and rolling the dice and finding out that you just lost a turn---somewhere in there I got my mission call! For my journal's sake: here's all the knit and gritty deets. The Friday before (on the 28th) the letter was supposedly moved to "shipping" status on the website that the Stake's Executive Secretary could see. But the call didn't come til Wednesday. (no comment on the SLC to Provo public mail delivery time...) I had planned on having my roomie who checks the mail, text me as soon as she saw it in the mailbox because I'm one of those crazy 10-hour-a-day-living-on-campus gals and wouldn't be home til 6:30pm. But I had my usual 3pm scriptures study break and I convinced myself it was worth going home to be the one to check the mail, and I could just read the scripts at home today. So I dallied home in the sunshine, smiling, and if I could whistle I would've been.
And here it was--just like this on Oct. 3, 2012 at 3:11pm or sometime around then.
I shed some quick happy tears (that it arrived on time--with my short time table).
And then texted and talked to the folks about it.
I spent the next few hours in class (the first hour I texted everybody in my phone when the opening ceremonies would be) and then spent the second hour actually getting excited to open it (before this point, I could care less because I knew the decision was already made).
I'm glad I was excited though.
Here's some of the peeps that were there. Not pictured: Natty, Nora, and Bro. Watts.
There were no tears. Just a lot of smiling on my part. My eyes didn't skip down either. I just read it off the page, "the San Jose, Costa Rica" mission. I definitely had never thought of Costa Rica. Spanish speaking Central or South America ideas had been thrown out--but I didn't care--I was willing to go to the hardest and ugliest mission there was. But it just felt right from the moment I read it. So I smiled. And people talked about how tan I would be. And Jane and I reminisced about taking Spanish together at BYU my sophomore year. And my poor family kept yelling (semi-rudely) over the speaker phones that they didn't hear what I said. It was wonderful.
As soon as I made all the important phone calls, I drove to Bro. Palmer's house in Orem to pick up my temple recommend. They went ahead and interviewed me the night before and initiated my temple recommend--but due to church policy--they held it hostage til I had my call issued. The rudypoo's. I guess I respect their exactness in following the rules. :)
And here' s a quick shout-out to Emily for turning 22 on the 5th of October. Best friends for 11 years and still counting. I went and danced my heart out for 2-3 songs at her party before heading over to see my parents, who had just flown in.
Friday on Oct. 5, I was able to go to the temple! We went up to Bountiful (my favorite childhood temple) and I was yet again, spoiled to have Jim and John fly in. I still don't think they realize how happy it made me to have them there. Or how much I love them. Even if it cost a lot of my money and even if John was only in Utah for a few hours (and was exasperated to see he missed 30 texts/emails from the campaign--just during that 1 1/2 hour of being phoneless) they made my dreams come true.
It was wonderful having Bro. and Sis. Holbrook, Carolyn, and Nora come too. It made it all the more special. Oh, and I was soooooo grateful for Sis. Christianson who was the temple worker who assisted me. She was the cutest (maybe 5 feet tall?) old lady who had on this cute knitted shawl, perfect white curls, and the sweetest smile. As soon as we walked past the temple recommend desk, she was waiting for me and hugged me immediately and told me she loved me. She gave me a bunch of hugs (and I never even told her how much hugs meant to me). I was pretty sure, she was sent to be my angel from Heavenly Father. She waited for me every moment, made sure I had the prettiest temple dress on and gave me lots of tissues with love. I loved her immediately. I was never embarrassed to ask her questions--even if I could go to the bathroom. Haha. Oh, I love her and hope to have a spirit that shines like hers when I'm old.
General Conference was the next day. I sadly said goodbye to John the night before, and enjoyed conference with my parents, Jim, and Katherine.
Rocky Mountain then came and went. I couldn't have pulled it off without every volunteers help! And prayers. Honestly, it was a crazy day and evening; but I was so grateful to have my mom there to see me perform at devotional and our best show! I love the Cougar Marching Band. I got to sneak out of performing at RM's dinner break (when our band did a 5th quarter concert on the 50-yard line) and I never want to forget what I felt as I got to listen. Right in front of the band in the stadium was where I stood. Our music, sounded so gooooooooood that I was in tears with a smile. I love this Band! My greatest hope was that every person involved would benefit from the Spirit of BYU. It's something I am so grateful for--and often have to remind myself how much I loved BYU after living in Georgia. They were two polar opposites; but I wouldn't appreciate or have the love for BYU, if it wasn't for my sweet time and experiences in Georgia.
Now for some kicks in giggles (especially if you've read this beast of a post already). Here's Bro. Mac asleep at the football game last Saturday!
And a kid in my ward served in Norway (he didn't serve with John--but had heard a lot about him--not surprised). Anyway, I saw these pants and knew that John missed out on his mission for not getting some! Haha...
Naturally, I have an AWESOME ward this semester (and I'm sad to leave it next semester). Just about every FHE group carved pumpkins on Monday night and this one, was my favorite.
