Sorry It's Been So Long

     I remember when I was younger, whenever my friends and I would play any game using our imagination, I would always decide that the character I was pretending to be was a teenager.  I was so excited to one day be a teenager, to drive and go to prom, to make lasting friendships in college and high school, to be able to date and to hopefully go to BYU, and then later go on a mission.  I imagined that those times would last forever that I would bask in the sunlight of teenagedom.  Now here I am and those times have flown by, too quick it seems.  I feel like those years of my life were all in fast forward, and now here I am, on the threshold of leaving for my mission and I am in awe of how quickly it has all passed.  Maybe it’s just that when you’re younger that time seems slow, that you can really enjoy it.  When I was young, I feel like the Christmas season, for example, was such an extended period of time, and I could really do everything I wanted to as a kid in that time period to prepare for the upcoming holiday.  Now everything arrives so quickly, that I will often think to myself the night before something happens “Oh my gosh, it’s already here” and watch as the time passes me by.  Maybe I am just shocked that I am weeks away from leaving on my mission.  I’m pretty sure that is it. 

     One thing I had been really looking forward to before my mission was going to Missouri and then going to BYU events while out here in Utah.  Here I am, back for weeks from Missouri , just thinking back to the trip, and how it passed me by so quickly.  I did have so much fun though while I was out there.  My mom and I went out and finished packing up the house which was a hard experience, but also one that allowed us to grow closer together through.  That house in Missouri, that’s the house where I became who I am today, where I became “Kennedy”.  That was hard, to say goodbye to it, where so many memories were made and where I grew so much.  I will always be able to look back on that fondly though, just as I do with our old house in Oregon and the memories placed with it.  It will be a place to visit and a good chapter in my life. 

    After we packed up the rest of the house, we could finally relax a bit and visit the friends that I knew I would not see for a couple of years.  It was weird just because I always think, “Oh, I’ll be back and see them eventually” but for me it will be a few years.  That is so odd to me.  My friends in my brothers grade will be GRADUATING…wow that’s so odd.  It will be good to come back and see all the change though.  It was also so good to see everyone.  I am really going to miss them all, but I also cannot wait to serve a mission.  I know it’s what my Heavenly Father wants me to do and I just want to teach His children here on Earth.  I love to teach.  I haven’t really ever thought that was something I enjoyed until I was called to teach my Sunday school class this summer and then subbed for my seminary teacher when I was out in Lee’s Summit.  I loved it!  It’s just being able to interact with everyone and talk and I just get this sort of rush from teaching and being in front of people.  It was so fun to be able to do that for Sister Furnell, that service that was so fun to give. 

     Another memory that I made in Missouri, one that I will cherish forever, was being able to go through the Kansas City temple with my close family and friends.  What an inspiring and spiritual experience, one that made sense and was unlike anything else.  It’s hard to write about because it was so amazing, and something I am going to treasure to myself for as long as I live.  I just feel so blessed for temples.  I will write more about this, just not in this post.  I want to save it for its own post.

    Going to Missouri was very needed.  I still had so much to do and so many “till we meet again” to give out to those I love.  I am so glad and blessed that I had the opportunity to go out there and see the transition from that part of my life to this next step.  And now here I am, in a weird transition phase between my first term at BYU and entering the MTC for my mission.  The wait is weird.  At the same time as I want it to end, I also want to prolong it, to enjoy this pre-mission period.  I am torn, but it’s a good torn.  Being here and leaving for Brazil are both good things.  That’s why instead of complaining about how I want to leave for my mission already (which I am excited to leave for) I am going to cherish these moments, and make memories that I can come back to.  I am so very excited for the next chapter of my life, for what awaits me in the future.  It looks bright and I am excited to step into that light.

Why Have a Bad Day When You Can Have a Good Day?

“Just keep swimming” “May the force be with you” “There’s no place like home”  “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”  “Hakuna Matata”  Aren’t movie mottos the best?  Anyone can on the spot think of one, remember some classic line that the characters repeat and live by.  Just like Timon and Pumba, I think it is important to find a motto for our lives.  To have that saying, that simple thing that can lift you up, encourage you to keep moving forward.   They can be so simple, and at the same time mean so much.  Literally, sometimes when you think about it, it can totally change your day.  My personal motto is “Why have a bad day when you can have a good day?”  Sometimes, thats all I need to think about to turn a down day around.  (Hey, that rhymed!) It is all focused on choice.  We are the only ones who can decide the mood we will be in.  No one else can dictate how we feel without our consent.  If you want to have a good day, make it a good day.  Don’t let the little things affect you and keep a positive perspective on whats happening.  I would much rather have a good day, than be down and focused on how life sucks. (which it does not by the way.)  I would much rather be that smile people can look to than just someone adding to the complain mill.  Honestly, I challenge you guys, if you’re having a bad day to ask yourselves “Why have a bad day when I can have a good day?” and turn your attitude around.  I know it has helped me be a lot happier in life, and helped me keep my happy attitude.  

     Even men and women in the scriptures had personal and group mottos.  One of my favorite examples is in the Book of Mormon, with Captain Moroni.  In Alma 46:11-13, Moroni creates the Title of Liberty.  He writes on it “In memory of our God, our religion, and our freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children”.  Those were the things that they were going to fight for, the things they were willing to die to protect.  Their motto was to live to protect the things that meant the most to them: their freedom, their families, and their religion.  The strength of these men is so inspirational to me.  They are the definition of bravery, of valiant men.  I love that not only are they willing to die for their families and their freedom, but their religion as well.  I love how much that meant to them, God and standing up for their beliefs.  They know whats important in life and that it was absolutely worth defending.  Captain Moroni is probably one of my biggest heros.  I would always hear in primary about how much the little boys loved Captain Moroni, that he was so cool and a leader of warriors.  But I love him for more than that.  He is a strong man, one who is strong in his faith of our Heavenly Father and is willing to stand against huge armies to protect his people and their right to believe what they know to be true.  He trusts in the Lord and knows that He will never abandon them or allow anything wrong to happen to them as long as they believe in Him.  He prays for his people, that they might be protected and have their liberty persevered.  He is a mighty man before God and such an inspiration.  He knows and lives by his motto.  He lives in a way to display it and let all those around know what he stands for and what that means.  

     If you do not have a motto, go out and search for one.  Or if you cannot come up with one, just use someone else’s that you really like!  Mottos are wonderful and fun things to have, and in the case of Moroni, powerful things that can lead a people.  Now all of my friends, have a wonderful day, and remember “Why have a bad day, when you can have a good day?”

Divine Beauty

     So this term I am in a sociology class, and I love it.  It is so very interesting, with all of the theories and the different social problems that we are studying.  Thus far we have talked about poverty and gender roles and I am learning so much!  Now I am not some super feminist, like I think women should be treated right but I am not going to pretend that women and men are the same.  We are very different and because of that, we can be better at some things than other things and I think that it ok.  Variety makes life worth while.  Yet I am also not going to pretend that society has not influenced how girls view themselves and the effect it has on both genders.  In class we watched this short by the Dove Real Beauty Campaign that compared how women view themselves.  They had a sketch artist come in and sketch how the women viewed themselves and how a total stranger viewed them.  In all cases the total stranger gave a more accurate, more beautiful description of the woman, than they themselves gave.  When describing themselves, the women were so harsh on their different features, seeing themselves as old and ugly, not a thing of worth.  When watching it, all I could think of was the Young Women theme, how that Individual Worth was one of the pieces of the theme.  In young women's we would have activities geared towards increasing our feelings of worth and our esteem.  Low self-esteem is such an epidemic in our world today.  It seems like all the girls hate how they look, or wish (and in some cases succeed) they could change how they look.  It really makes me so sad.  It makes me so sad how that girls will look in the mirror and hate how they look, truly despise their appearance.  Watching that video really made me realize how real of a problem it is in our world today.  We should love how we look, not tear ourselves apart every time we look in a mirror.  When we read about the Creation, it says that we are created in the image of God.  We are made to resemble divine creatures, and we should feel that way, divine.  In the beauty industry of today, it does not help that plastered all over is the worlds image of “beauty”.  It is an almost impossible thing to accomplish, and many a girl will put so much time and energy into trying to become that, and in some cases, hurting themselves in unhealthy ways to meet that mold of beauty.  I cannot express how truly sad this fact makes me.  When I hear about friends who criticize themselves it hurts so much because I do not see the imperfections they see, I just see how great and beautiful they are.  We all need to strive to see ourselves for what we really are, for how our Heavenly Father sees us, as His beautiful children.  We need to have our beauty shine forth from the the inside and be reflected in our works.  We need to be confident and know of our divine worth, know that we are reflections of divine creatures.  Dove Real Beauty Sketch

Locked out of Heaven

     What an amazing weekend!  Man, I just cant get over it!  The 20’s dance was so fun, but then again I am one of those hyper-chaotic-arms-flailing-likes-that-bass kind of girls, so I tend to love dances.  Just letting loose and having fun, really not caring is how I like it.  Plus it is always fun to dress up!  I loved themed dances, because you get to be creative and be someone you are usually not like.  Maybe it’s because I never was the type of little girl to dress up as princesses, (I preferred to be a dragon, much cooler in my opinion and they were my favorite animal.) maybe thats the reason I am now enjoying dressing up so much, some sort of need I did not fill as a child, while most other girls did.  Or maybe it’s just because it’s fun.  Either way the dance was a blast.  It was just fun to spend time with friends new and old, get together with all of these people I enjoy so much.  

     One night that started off my weekend was not ideal though.  So this may be a rough analogy, but right now it feels right in my mind. (but that just might be because I am writing this late at night, and am getting slightly exhausted).  So this last Thursday I believe, my good friend and dorm mate Lindsay and our partner in crime Matt and myself were all hanging out, chatting and what not.  Anyways it starts to get really late and we decide to part ways and get some rest, because all of us were in some way, shape, or form starting to fall asleep.  To those of you who wear contacts you’ll know what I’m talking about when they start to hurt and get blurry and you can barely see out of them.  So, blind a bat, I start to get ready for bed.  My actual room mate was asleep and I did not want to wake her up, so I dumped all of my stuff in our room, grabbed everything I needed and left the room quietly.  Right as I was about to close the door, I felt impressed to leave the door slightly open.  But, being tired, and trying to be considerate, I did not listen and shut the door so that I would not wake my roommate up with the hall light.  I get dressed, brushed my teeth, yada yada yada, and I’m ready for bed.  Any who, skipping along to my room, I reach for the handle and it doesn’t open.  I try again and the door won’t open.  I was locked out.  We still are not sure how the door got locked, but all I knew was that I could not get in and my keys, phone and any means to get in were on the other side of the door, out of my reach.  I tried picking the lock with a bobbie pin (which I have never done before and was quite unsuccessful with) and jiggling the handle some more but nothing worked.  Now my roommate is a really heavy sleeper so I was not expecting her to wake when I knocked multiple times, and sure enough, I was left outside the door, only wanting to be in my bed.  With no other option, I grabbed my spare towels from the hall closet and headed for the couch (Now if you live in Heritage, you know these couches are no comfy cloud, they’re slightly stiff and a tad uncomfortable). There I made a makeshift nest with a bathmat as my pillow and a beach towel to cover my body.  Not the most ideal set up but I did not have a lot of other options.  As I laid there, certain lines of songs kept running through my head.  From Panic! at the Disco’s Miss Jackson “Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?” and Bruno Mars’ Locked out of Heaven.  “Cuz you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven”  Right then and there, my bed sounded a lot like heaven to me.  As I was laying there I kept thinking about how I should have kept the door slightly open, how I should not have closed it.  It made me sorta think of how we should be with our Heavenly Father.  We must always have that door of communication open with Him.  We should never close the door on Him, never shut Him out.  That’s when life gets rough.  When we keep Him in our lives and in our minds, we always have that option to turn to, always have that door open to go into.  I know I often get distracted with the world, get busy with school and callings and what not.  But that is no excuse.  We all need to have that relationship with our Heavenly Father and remember Him frequently.  I know it is an important thing, and I am constantly working in my life to try and make myself better at this concept.  

     I can not believe we have another set of midterms this week.  I love summer term, but man it goes fast!  I think we only had one week free of midterms in between these ones and our last midterms.  It’s stressful but so worth it.  I am having such a blast out here and learning so much!   

The Refiner's Fire

     This last week has been a busy one!  It’s been filled with midterms and projects and lots of activities.  At BYU they have a testing center where we take our tests at, and it’s actually really cool.  It’s the building where the most prayers are said they say (all of that pre-test anxiety, it would be nice to have some divine help).  I was so worried before going in there, that I would not know where to go, or something along that line of thought.  Once you go in though, its pretty straight forward.  I was very pleased to find out right after I turned my test in, that I had done really well on it.  Thats one of the cool things about the testing center.  By the time it takes for you to get downstairs, your score is already posted on a TV, instant results.  I kind of wish in some instances that that was how life was.  Instant results and instant solutions.  Patience is a virtue I defiantly need to work on.  

     Though this has been a good week, it has also had it’s fair share of trials.  A few days ago I found out that my family will be moving to Utah, as soon as they possibly can.  That was really hard for me to accept.  Not that Utah isn’t great and all, but my home is Missouri.  When I think about going home after summer term, I imagine going home to Lee’s Summit, not to some house I’ve never been in before in some town that I am a stranger to.  One thing I personally struggle with is change.  That's mostly human though.  We all hesitate when it comes to change.  To my surprise I have handled being on my own really well, and think I will do fine on my mission.  One constant that I always would look to though is my home, my home would be something that would not change.   Yet now it has.  While out here, I have thought to myself, “Oh, we only have like about 4 weeks and then I’ll be going home.”  But I wont be going back to Missouri, if only to finish packing and say my goodbyes.  How strange a feeling.  Though it has been hard for me to accept, I have found that turning to my Father in Heaven has helped.  He is the most important constant in anyones life.  My parents prayed about this decision and I trust that the Lord will lead us to where we need to be.  For some reason, we are meant to move to Utah, and I know that everything will be ok.  At least a part of me knows that.  I’m still working on it.  I’m trying to get into my head that it will be an adventure, that it will be fun, as I’m sure it will be.      

     This past week I was reading my scriptures and came across one verse that really stood out to me.  In 1 Nephi 20:10 it says “I have refined thee.  I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction”.  It was weird (or really cool) that I was reading that and then the lesson I taught in Sunday School was about trials and adversities that Joseph Smith faced while in Liberty Jail.  I think I may enjoy these topics so much because I am trying to look at the big picture when I’m facing trials, that they will only be for a while and that I’ll grow from them.  Many people do not view trials that way though.  They believe it is God punishing them, which in some cases it is, but really they can be instruments of learning.  By going through the trials and turning to The Lord, then he can “refine” us, causing us to become better creatures.  He is there for us in “the furnace of affliction”, to help us become better people.  When we feel at our lowest, when the heat is scalding, that is when He will assist us, allowing for us to grow the most.  He never puts us into something that He does not think we can over come.  Thats the part that baffles me.  When in trials, some people will go “Woe is me, I’m not going to be able to make it, it’s too much”.  Do they not know that we have the most powerful being ever cheering us on?  He believes in us.  That would just motivate me more to make it out on top.  I don’t know about you, but I am thankful for trials.  Sounds weird but I am.  I know they will shape me in a way that is better, changing me into a better person.  And, like most people, I am always wanting to be a better person.  

I've Been Called To Brazil!

     On Friday, the day I had been waiting for finally came.  For weeks and weeks I have been waiting on my mission call, waiting to know where I would be going for 18 months.  The day had finally come!  I will be serving my mission in Sao Paulo Brazil, reporting to the Missionary Training Center on November 20th.  I am so excited!  I had never guessed Brazil, when I would imagine where I would go, but as I read, I knew that Brazil was the right place for me.  I knew that the Lord wanted and needed me in Brazil, that I could be the best instrument in His hands there.  I am feeling so blessed right now in my life.  I am so grateful for the opportunity that I’ll get to serve, the chance I’ll get to teach many people about the Book of Mormon and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  My dad served his mission in Brazil, and has already begun telling me about the country.  We’ve decided that when I get back home in the fall, he is going to start teaching me Portuguese, which I’m so excited to learn.  One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is meeting the people.  

     Some people may ask me why I am serving a mission.  In the Mormon church, it is expected for guys to go on a mission, but it is not something girls must do.  They can if they want, but it is not required of them.  So why should I go?  Why not stay in Provo, continue my education, and possibly get married sooner?  I want to serve a mission because I know what I will be teaching is true.  I know the blessings it will bring to the lives I teach it to.  My testimony of this gospel is so strong, that I can not imagine myself not being a missionary, not being in a role where I can share it with many people.  My mom is a convert to our church, and if it had not been for the missionaries, then she would have never become a member, never met my dad, and I would have never been born.  My mom is one of the strongest people I know.  The measure of her love for the gospel and her testimony is one I hope to someday be comparable to.  I look up to her example so much.  I have seen the blessings of the gospel in her life, and I want others to be able to have that same joy that I see in her because of it.  Ever since I was a little girl, I had wanted to go on a mission.  At a young age, I did not know why, I just knew I wanted to.  Yet, as I’ve grown older, I’ve been able to nail it down as to why.  I know the gospel is true.  I want others to know about their Savior and the very real love He has for them.  I want others to know of the joy I have in this gospel and to be able to be a part of it.  I want families to benefit from it, and know that they can be together, forever.  That -plus lots of other reasons, but it’s late and I’m sure I’ll list them later, in another post- is why I want to be a missionary.  That is why I want to leave my home for 18 months, go to a foreign land, speaking a foreign language, and preach the gospel.  Because I know it is true.  

A Land of the Free, Because of the Brave

Happy Fourth of July everyone!  Isn’t it just a wonderful day!  I just love our country so much.  You might say that it is because I was raised by very patriotic parents (hello, my name is Kennedy, my brother’s is Harrison, and we have a dog named Justice), but I think more than that, I see the blessings that come from our ancestors and living in this land.  Now before everyone starts freaking out about our national debt, or gun control, or even President Obama, yes I acknowledge that our country can sometimes have some problems.  But doesn’t everywhere have issues to work out?  This day is meant to look back on where we have come from, to recognize the lives that have brought us here, to love our independence that we are so blessed to have.  We live in a country that is competitive, always moving, and one that is free.  I believe freedom of religion is one of the ones I appreciate the most. 

     I am so thankful for our troops, past and present.  Jay and Heather Hertzler, you guys are so amazing to me and I love you guys so much.  One of my best friends, may be the perfect example of strength.  Mason is right now training to become a part of the Marine Special Forces.  He has gone through years of JROTC in high school and has gone though rough training for days and in some cases, weekends.  Mason is amazing.  He always seems to make everyone smile or laugh.  He is my age and going off to serve our country... that is just so mind blowing to me!  I know I personally would not be strong enough to do that.  I love that there are guys like Mason, young men and women who want to protect our country.  I am so very thankful for that. I want to write more, but I'm about to go see some fireworks.  Have a safe and wonderful Fourth! 

     

Light in the Wilderness

     I am writing this as I sit outside, enjoying the lovely day it is today.  Can I say how thankful I am that in Utah it is just a dry heat?  It is so nice that the shade is actually refreshing, not like Missouri, where the humidity pollutes the air and it is uncomfortable to be outside, no matter where you are at.  It’s one of those days where there is a slight breeze and birds are chirping in the trees I’m sitting under.  Literally, I can not even tell you how beautiful this campus is.  It’s so peaceful here.  It’s not just the location though, it’s the people too.  Everyone here is so nice!  I haven’t seen any polls about it, but if I were to guess, I would guess that BYU is the friendliest college campus.  You could be walking, just enjoying the day, and that moment when you pass someone going the other way, instead of both looking down, avoiding eye contact, here they look you in the eye and genuinely smile.  Most of the time they say “hi” too, or something to that nature.  It makes me feel like everyone is friends here, that we are very happy to be here and all want to do good.  With that mindset, how could we not be nice to everyone we see walking on the grounds we share?  The only problem with this is, with meeting lots of people and making lots of friends each and every day, you have to learn a lot of names.  I may be one of the worst people out there when it comes to remembering names.  It’s the struggle for me. I think I might be getting better though! Maybe!

     Last night was our first official Family Home Evening night.  (not familiar with the term?  It’s ok, it’s a Mormon thing.  Basically it’s family night, filled with fun and usually a spiritual thought.  At BYU, since we are not with our real families, we are divided into groups by our ward and they are our “family”.)  Any who, we met up and played this game called “Signs” (I would explain it, but it would take the rest of this post to do so) and if you have never played it, you really need to.  It is SO FUN!  Before we knew it, an hour and a half had passed and we were still playing that game.  As I was thinking about last night, I just really became thankful for my church and for BYU.  With the honor code and that fact that it’s a stone cold sober school, I don’t have to worry.  I don’t have to worry about tons of people getting drunk or partying too hard.  BYU to me is just proof that you can have fun and enjoy life without drinking, or doing drugs and other activities of that nature.  I have been having so much fun, and I would not change a thing.  

     As I was reading The Book of Mormon for my class, I came across one verse that really stood out to me.  1 Nephi 17:13 “And I [God] will be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments...ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.”  I just really love this scripture.  It’s so comforting to me, to know that our Father in Heaven will not abandon us.  I’m not sure why this scriptures about not being left alone are standing out to me so much.  It may be that when I am facing a trial, I tend to think that only I can conquer it, that only through me can I over come it.  We never have to be alone.  Our Heavenly Father will be that light that we need, the one to guide us through the adversities that we face, the daily ones and the ones that are harder to over come, those that take more time.  All we need to do is keep His commandments and ask for His help.  Simple as that.  He will be our light.  Man, I just love that.  

Looking Down, from the Top of the Y

     So yesterday a few friends and I hiked the Y.  (If you haven’t been to BYU, and don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s this giant “Y” on one of the mountains behind the BYU campus.  You can hike up to it and look over the whole valley.)  I remember hiking the Y when I was younger when my parents would take my brother and I to their old school.  I remember the fun times we had and how my younger self thought that when I made it to BYU, I would hike the Y everyday for a workout.  Man, my younger self was so wrong.  I don’t know why I could not remember how steep it can be at some points of the hike, but hiking it on Saturday was a little bit of a struggle.  The steepness, plus factor in the thin air, and we had ourselves an adventure.  My group hiked up the trail, constantly looking to the Y to guess at our distance from it.  It was all so worth it, once we reached the top.  The view was breathtaking.  You could see everything!  The beautiful Utah Lake, BYU, countless homes and neighborhoods.  It was amazing.  On the way back down, I was thinking about that, the journey to the top, and it made me think of our lives.  We are always moving, always moving forward in our lives, day by day, second by second.  When climbing, I could have kept going up, or quit and gone back down it.  That’s much like our choices in life.  You can keep going up, no matter the trails you are facing, deciding that the end goal is so much more worth it than your current situation.  On the flip side, you can quit, decide that life is too hard and think that you’re alone and won’t make it, so why try.  I prefer to think like the first option. Now, I know there are hard times, heck everyone has rough patches.  I know in many instances, I have thought to myself that whatever trial I was going through was so much bigger than it really was, that I was hopeless.  But working through it is so much more rewarding than letting it consume you!  You can learn so much from hardships, gain so much faith from them.  And never think that you are alone.  You’re not.  When looking back, they are worth going through, just so that you can come out on the other side stronger than you were in the first place.  While sitting on the top of the Y, I was looking down at the trail we traveled.  Now it may just be me, being an optimistic person, but I was filled with such a confident spirit gazing down, that I was positive that I could hike that trail again and again, that it was easy and that the journey was worth it.  I bet that’s how it will be for us, when life comes to a close.  We will be done with it, looking at how far we’ve come.  Hopefully through we’re looking down at it, and not at the bottom looking up. 

Why a Blog?

It still seems so weird to me that I am already out here, already at BYU.  My whole life, I have been dreaming of what life at college is like, and now I am here, a week into it.  I am so blessed to be going to my dream school.  Truly, it is amazing.  It kinda feels like you’re trying to take a drink of water out of a fire hose.  There is just so much, all rushing in at you, but it is all so good!  It’s hard to grasp it all.  Especially at BYU, where you’re a part of so many different things!  You have your ward, your family home evening group, your Y group, your dorm-mates, and so forth!  I am in so many things that its hard to keep it all straight, but at the same time, that means so many options and activities to be a part of.  It’s overwhelming, and crazy, and fast, and new, and I love it all.  I love my classes so much.  I love how enthusiastic the teachers are about what they teach, the love they have for their field of work.  I also love the spirit BYU radiates.  It is so thick with the spirit, with love, kindness and service.  

     Oh wait!  I almost forgot to explain why I’m doing this blog.  In my Book of Mormon class we were assigned to do a project that we will be doing the whole term around, relating to the half of the book that we are reading.  I was thinking of Nephi, keeping records for his people, and this blog idea started forming in my head!  Why a blog, you may ask.  Maybe it’s my love for writing.  Maybe it’s because I thought it would be fun!  Maybe it has something to do with my generations fascination with documenting our every thought, thinking that they are all diamonds. (catch the Easy A reference anyone?).  Mostly though, I think that I just want to share this wonderful time I am having with you guys.  I want people to feel connected to me, for me to be able to share my experiences with you guys, help someone out if they need it.  I am having so many amazing experiences on many levels, from physical to spiritual.  I just have to share them.  

     This week I was called to be a Sunday School teacher.   I was very intimidated at first, because I would be teaching my peers, kids who in some cases are way smarter than I am.  Most of them are also way taller than I am so that just added to the whole intimidation thing.  Any who, the lesson was on the saints in Kirtland, and the sacrifices they made as those early church saints.  As I read through it the night before, I just became so thankful to them and all they did to make the church where it is now.  The Mormon church would not be where it is today without them.  It just made me even more excited for my mission.  Almost in some ways, it is a way for me to make them proud, to show that I appreciate what they did, that many of them were poor, had families and still went on missions.  That even though they were in danger and persecuted, they still stood by their faith and the gospel.  That they would not stray from the Lord.  They had a amazing amount of faith, one that I can only hope to one day have.  They put all of their trust in their Father in Heaven, knowing He would not leave them, much as He will never leave us today.  I even know He gave me strength today, while teaching my lesson.  I was so nervous, but as it got started, it was so amazing!  I loved teaching!  I’m not sure what it was about it, but it was so amazing.  I got a rush from it and am excited to teach next week.  Maybe I should go into something that involves me teaching... hmmm. 

     I am so excited to be doing this blog and to be going to BYU.  I hope you all have a wonderful day!