Sunday, November 28, 2010

Missionaries






Marcus leaves tomorrow for the MTC. He is headed to Chile!! He is gonna be such an awesome missionary!
Jesse leaves December 15th and is headed to Hawaii!!
I report to the MTC on January 26th and I'm headed to Minnesota!

We have been in mission prep together all year, we are sort of like the 3 amigos, but we are the 3 missionaries off to save the world!...sort of ;)

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Reflections

It has been a long, weird, incredible, amazing, hard, short, frustrating, and maturing year. There have been sooo many ups and downs, so many adventures, experiences, disappointments etc. and it's hitting me that I only have a few short weeks left before my whole world changes.

I have never had such an emotionally challenging, tough, frustrating but completely reward job in my life and I can't imagine what it will be like when I'm actually a mother. When I came to Arizona, Wesley could hardly speak. If you ask him about his trip to the zoo the days after he went around Halloween he would start telling you: I picked up a duck from the bucket (a rubber duck) and it had a number on it and then the man asked me "What sound does a sheep make?" and I said "baaa" then I chose stickers. He has learned so much and grown so much and looking over the past year I am almost brought to tears at how much he has learned from me. But, more than that--how much I have learned and how much I have grown. It has been a challenging situation and job but I know that it has helped me prepare for the future.

I don't know if any of this even makes sense, but I just can't help but reflect on how much my move to Arizona has affected me. Not only has Wesley had a huge effect on my life, but my branch presidency, my stake president, the members of my branch, and let's not forget Jesse and his family. My branch president has become like a father to me--him and his 1st counselor. I can't even express my love and gratitude for them. Jesse's family has been SO good. They have let me come into their home and spend family nights, or nights that I needed out of the house or just a place to feel comfortable. They have felt like a family away from my family. They were kind enough to include me in their Thanksgiving dinner and it was SO nice to be included and feel like a part of a family for Thanksgiving. :) Even if they don't know it, they have given me strength to make it through this year.

Of course, last is Jesse. If it hadn't been for Jesse this year would have been SO different. Let me tell you about the first night Jesse and I met:
I was at institute and hurting and alone because Curtis had just broken up with me. I felt so out of place and no one seemed to want to talk to me. I texted Pama and said "I think I'm gonna go home. I feel out of place and no one is talking to me." She responded and told me to talk to someone but I was being shy. Just moments before I was about to walk out the door Jesse came up to me and introduced himself. We began talking and hit it off really well. A few months after we met I mentioned how I almost left and he told me that he had received a strong feeling that he needed to come talk to me, and that he'd been scared to talk to me. We are both grateful that he followed that prompting.

If that had not happened I'm not sure I would have gone back to institute and who knows what would have happened if I wouldn't kept going to institute and gotten to know my institute teacher, Sister Dick and the other students. I'm not even sure I'd still be going on a mission if Jesse hadn't come along and strengthened me throughout this year. He was always there when I needed a boost of strength and optimism. Without him, this year would have been a lot different and I'm grateful that the Lord brought him into my life, regardless of what happens after our missions. I've learned so much with him and we have had the most amazing and priceless friendship.

I can't accurately express my feelings about these people who have been in my life but my emotions are strong and Arizona has been my first REAL home since I left Auburn, Nebraska. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to come down here and meet new people and have new and strengthening experiences. :)

(If you made it to the end, I'm extremely impressed! Sometimes I just need to put my thoughts and feelings into words, even if no one reads them.)

Monday, November 15, 2010

11 Things People Should Know About Me

1) I HATE being late.

2) I hate it when meetings are unorganized.

3) I often give looks without meaning to and they convey the wrong message...so if you are getting a cold look from me, don't take offense, I'm probably off in space thinking about something completely random.

4) I'm not shy, but I only open up to people who seem interested. If I don't feel like you care to listen, I just choose not to talk.

5) I'm a Mormon.

6) I love my family and friends and will stick by their sides through thick and thin.

7) I LOVE chocolate and ice cream.

8) I'm stubborn and will argue my point--that's why I did persuasive speaking in high school.

9) Just because I don't talk to you doesn't mean I don't like you.

10) I love to play the piano to relieve stress.

11) I like to be self dependent. I hate having to rely on others to get me to where I'm going or get me what I need. In most situations I'd rather walk than ask for a ride.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

I'M GOING TO.....

Minnesota Minneapolis Mission
English Speaking
Report to MTC on January 26th, 2011

Monday, November 8, 2010

Mission Call!

Tonight, I will be opening my mission call!! It arrived Saturday, but the Clark's didn't gather the mail until Sunday evening. So, I just found out! My mission call is going to be brought to the airport, and I will open it before driving home. So, maybe tomorrow I'll post where I'm going...I'm soooo excited!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

NE, AZ, Mission, Jesse

Once again I have found myself back in Nebraska. It certainly has been a trip down memory lane and it has definitely become a piece of my past! I know, or maybe I should say talk to, almost no one here anymore. I have spent a long time thinking about things that have happened in various places, the people I've known, our relationships, the good times, the bad times. Just memories. It's awesome to look back over my life and see how each experience shaped me and prepared me for where I am now.

My stay in Arizona is coming to an end, so very quickly. I have about 6 1/2 to 7 weeks until I arrive home in Illinois. Which is 28-31 days of work left. I've recently been realizing how much I love Wesley and how hard it's going to be to just leave him to a new nanny. The Clark's were interviewing a girl the other night and I found myself wondering who she was, what she was like, what she looked like...just questions about her in general. I had to force myself to realize that it wasn't my choice and that the Clark's would choose whomever they felt would take the best care of Wesley. I love that little boy. I'm certain that the only way I could love a kid more is if they are my own...buuut we will leave that one to test out WAY later.

I'm still waiting for my mission call. If I haven't said it on here already, I knew from the beginning of this year that the Lord was gonna teach me patience, and He certainly is. It probably has something to do with me asking him to get it to me on Thursday instead of Friday so I didn't have to wait until Tuesday to open it. Haha, well, I guess I'm a slow learner.

It has been 2 days since I've talked to Jesse, 3 since I've seen him, and I miss him. Lots. I feel pathetic. Last night I was wondering how in the world I was going to make it 2 years...it seems like such a long time. This afternoon I was reading Preach My Gospel and read this quote from President Ezra Taft Benson:
I have often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work--there is not satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.

So, if I work work work and do my best, I'm certain the time will fly by :)It's still weird to think that I'm old enough to serve a mission. I used to think that the missionaries were old and mature...now I'm older than a lot of them :S haha, oh how time changes everything! <3

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Halloween

Since everyone else is posting their Halloween pictures, I may as well post mine! Jesse and I dressed up as Wesley and Buttercup from Princess Bride. Some people could tell right away, others had to ask... I think Jesse pulled off the costume quite well...as for me...I was in a dress with blonde hair and a tiara. I definitely needed Jesse at my side to give the impression of who I was. The Halloween party we went to was enjoyable :) We started out Saturday morning with a service project making a path on Casa Grande mountain (I'm still a bit sore), then we showered and went up to the temple grounds with his brother and a couple friends. Then we came home and went to the party. It was a great day!



This is Jesse (Wesley) being attacked by an R.O.U.S.!


Wesley got to do several Halloween activities during the week and dressed up as a pirate, and a might cute one at that. When asked what a pirate said his response was "Arrr is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" Then he would continue singing the song. He is so cute and funny singing that.