Lately...

The past month has been filled with friends and fun! Mostly, Jon and I spend our day at work and then come home to meet up with friends, the missionaries, go to a church event, or have a date night.

One of the highlights was bowling with our friends Pier, Nicole, and Pa. Once again, my utter lack of bowling skills was displayed. I'm resigned to the fact that I'm just not cut out for the sport.

Pa and me:

Nicole and Pier:

This past week, Jon and I also got in the Thanksgiving mood by making a gratitude turkey. Jon was a good sport and cut out the feathers while I made the body. It turned out pretty good!

Yesterday morning the two of us went on a hike. It was short, but super steep! Like, no switched backs...just 1500 feet up in a mile. Holy. Cow. Of course, once we got to the top we discovered that there was another way up that did have switchbacks and which is gentler, so we went down that way. I kinda' liked going up the crazy way, though! It was a great leg workout!

The mountain we climbed (more like a hill):

The two of us at the top with the sunrise shining through:

What other amazing/fun things have been going on? So many, I'm sure I'll forget some. But among the huge list...

-I met my mom in Centralia on Friday and the two of us went shopping, got a bite to eat, and just talked
-Our friend, Pa, got baptized!
-Today we have another friend getting baptized
-I got salted caramel frozen yogurt at my favorite place
-I visited with Laura, my sister-in-law, and her cute kids--Brooklyn and Evan--on Veteran's Day, a day off of school
-Also on Veteran's Day, I met up with Araceli--a girl Jon baptized on his mission--and the two of us had lunch

It's easy to count your blessings when they pour upon you unrestrained. I'm sure that with this week being Thanksgiving, many more are bound to come!

Sending Emily Off On Her Mission

Right before I dropped Ems off at the MTC!

Today I had the super huge blessing of dropping off my sister, Emily, at the MTC. It was good. So good. Her plane landed around 9 and I picked her up at 9:15, giving us about four hours before she had to be dropped off at 1:30. After driving back to Provo, we picked up Jon and went over to Kneaders to get some of their endless French toast! Then we dropped off Jon, went to my place for a bit, did some running around so that Ems could pick up some last minute things, then went to the temple parking lot to just talk and wait before I had to drop her off.

Things between Emily and I have been a little crazy over the past two years. Two years ago she was trying to figure out college while I was trying to figure out how to be a Relief Society president. Then the next year I was trying to figure out how to be in a relationship while Ems tried to figure out classes, jobs, and mission plans.

This past Sunday the two of us finally talked about it all. We both admitted that we were sad at how far apart the two of us have grown over the past two years. As Ems put it: “We were living together, but not being sisters.” But as we continued talking over things, the mood improved drastically. We were able to say: “I’m sorry,” and “How stupid of me,” and “Will you forgive me?” and “I love you.” It was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had in my life. It’s hard to ask for forgiveness and to admit that you might have done someone harm, but it’s so good to let the Atonement work between you and that person, healing you both.

When I dropped her off, there was nothing bitter or to regret. I was jealous of her for a moment as the sweet spirit of the MTC touched my heart and I thought how cool it would be if I were being dropped off here—a place full of people who love the Lord and are preparing together to dedicate over a year of their life to serving Him full-time. But as I gave her a hug and watched her walk away with a sweet Polynesian sister (“What’s your name?” and “Where are you serving?” she asked Emily) the Holy Ghost confirmed to me that everything was just as it should be. Though Emily is preparing in the MTC by learning Norwegian and studying “Preach My Gospel” and creating talks, and I’m preparing in my little house by reading my scriptures and searching for an apartment and spending time with Jon, we are together in both preparing for the biggest adventure life has had to offer either of us up to this point. She just happens to be doing hers wearing a nametag on her chest while I happen to be starting mine wearing a white dress. I hope that the two of us will learn to really lean on each other during what will be a new, exciting, terrifying, adventurous, wonderful, purifying, and happy next year and a half. Yes—God really is in the details of our lives.

Missionary Work

“Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever.” –Mosiah 28:3-4

"Like the sons of Mosiah, they had felt the effects of sin in their own lives and the marvelous healing of the Atonement within the Church of God. Out of love and gratitude for the Savior’s gift to them, they wanted to help everyone they could to escape the sadness of sin, feel the joy of forgiveness, and gather with them to safety in the kingdom of God. It was the love of God and the love for their friends and neighbors that unified them to serve the people. They desired to take the gospel to everyone in their part of the world. And they prepared their children to be worthy to be called by the Lord to teach, to testify, and to serve in other parts of His vineyard." -President Henry B. Eyring, We Are One

One measure of our conversion is the degree to which we desire to share the gospel with others. When we love the Lord and truly want to follow Him, we will naturally want to share this love and joy with others. We will want those around us to experience the same love and peace in their lives which we receive in ours from following the commandments and from building a personal relationship with the Lord. Ultimately, the true disciple desires his neighbor's salvation as much--if not more--than his own. When charity becomes the motivator behind all our interactions with others we will desire nothing more than to offer them the best of that which we have--the gospel of Jesus Christ.