Well. I have a lot of feelings today, so a short post is in order. After finally getting the last piece of medical clearance that I needed, I've submitted my mission paperwork online! On to the interviews. I AM SO HAPPY. Also, I found this video today:
Which is AWESOME. And doubly cool because he served in the same mission as my older brother, and my bro had told me to look him up. So I just have a lot of mission feelings. And I'm STOKED.
First off, for some great mood music, and a REALLY cute video:
So. I have wanted to serve a mission for as long as I can remember. Then, when this happened
my sophomore year of high school, I was SO STOKED. I'm old for my class, an I will turn 19 this August, right after I graduate in June. I can leave with the guys, basically! This option, it seemed, took away any debates about other things interfering, or maybe not going. It was perfect!
Then, as this year progressed, and I went through senior year, I began to seriously ponder my future. I've been debating and weighing pros and cons all year, and I've had such a tough time. I eventually decided that, the option is open at 19, but that doesn't mean you must go then, and I have some really amazing college opportunities available.... So, I planned to go to college, maybe do two years or all four, and then serve. I felt okay about that choice, although no real firm answer seemed to be settled on.
But while I was debating, I talked to my mom about it, I talked to my bishop, and they both told me that either choice is good, it's up to me, it's what I need to do. And my wonderful Bishop B. gave me some inspired advice, telling me that it's okay to go or not. I can work on papers, and see what happens. And he said that sometimes, it's frustrating to try to get answers. Sometimes, the Lord lets us struggle, so that when we decide we are sure we are in the right place. And sometimes, it's because either choice is fine- the Lord could use me as a missionary in the field or at college. Bishop B. said that, either way, it will work out. If I go to college, that's great. And if I go on a mission, college will work out- money will work out. And he told me it might be hard, deciding...
But, I really settled last week on what I'd do. I accepted one of my college admission, one that came with a pretty scholarship and amazing benefits that I felt really good about. However, as I started to set up orientation plans and other things, I just felt unsettled- like I was making the wrong choice. I started praying, hard, and I was fasting....
Then, this Sunday. The Sacrament meeting talks were about doing hard things through Christ. And during the meeting, my mom told me she felt prompted to tell me to look up the "Good, Better, Best" talk from a few years ago. Our Sunday School and Young Women's lessons were both about Joseph Smith and the First Vision and how we can discern truth for ourselves. Mission prep was incredibly spiritual. And we had a bishop's youth night, and our former stake president, President S., spoke to us about missionary work, and preparing, and serving... He read the announcement on the age change, and urged our young men to continue to prepare. We have one senior boy in our ward, and he has his call already- he's an amazing example. Then, President S. talked to the girls, about how we can serve- and he talked about his five daughters. Four have passed mission age, two went, and two didn't, and he talked about how both choices are fine, how both situations benefitted his daughters. And I felt the Spirit so strongly, confirming that. But, I was still confused about what this all meant for me- Am I making the right choice, postponing my mission for college? What do I need to be doing?
Then, President S. talked about how the most important focus we should have, mission or not, is the temple. And we read the Message from the First Presidency, focusing on a few points:
"OUR DEAR YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN, we have great confidence in you.
You are beloved sons and daughters of God and He is mindful of you. You
have come to earth at a time of great opportunities and also of great
challenges. The standards in this booklet will help you with the
important choices you are making now and will yet make in the future. We
promise that as you keep the covenants you have made and these
standards, you will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost,
your faith and testimony will grow stronger, and you will enjoy
increasing happiness. In all that you do, stay focused
on the temple. In the temple you will receive the greatest of all the
Lord’s blessings, including marriage for time and all eternity. Keeping
the standards in this booklet will help you be worthy to attend the
temple, where you can perform sacred ordinances for your ancestors now
and make essential covenants for yourself in the future. Our Father in Heaven has placed
great trust in you. He has a work for you to do. Seek His guidance in
prayer, and counsel with your parents and leaders. The decisions you
make now will set the course for much of what will follow during your
mortal life and throughout eternity. We testify that God lives. It is
our fervent prayer that you will remain steadfast and valiant
throughout your lives and that you will trust in the Savior and His
promises. As you do this, you will be an influence for good in helping
to build the kingdom of God and prepare the world for the Second Coming
of the Savior." President S. especially pointed out two lines: "You are beloved sons and daughters of God and He is mindful of you." and "In all you do, stay focused on the temple." And oh, my word, I felt the Spirit, so strongly, testifying to me that God knows me and my struggles and that He cares about me, and that I matter. And that the temple is the ultimate goal! It was an amazing meeting. So I went home and I thought and I prayed some more. And I looked up "Good, Better, Best." It's by Dallin H. Oaks, and it's from the October 2007 General Conference (which surprised me, because I remember it, and I was eleven. Wow.). I read through the whole thing, but I kept coming back to the first few paragraphs.
Most of us have more things expected of us than we can possibly
do. As breadwinners, as parents, as Church workers and members, we face
many choices on what we will do with our time and other resources.
I.
We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good
is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we
can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things
are better than good, and these are the things that should command
priority attention in our lives.
Jesus taught this principle in the home of Martha. While she was “cumbered about much serving” (Luke 10:40), her sister, Mary, “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (v. 39). When Martha complained that her sister had left her to serve alone, Jesus commended Martha for what she was doing (v. 41) but taught her that “one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (v. 42). It was praiseworthy for Martha to be “careful and troubled about many things” (v. 41),
but learning the gospel from the Master Teacher was more “needful.” The
scriptures contain other teachings that some things are more blessed
than others (see Acts 20:35; Alma 32:14–15).
A
childhood experience introduced me to the idea that some choices are
good but others are better. I lived for two years on a farm. We rarely
went to town. Our Christmas shopping was done in the Sears, Roebuck
catalog. I spent hours poring over its pages. For the rural families of
that day, catalog pages were like the shopping mall or the Internet of
our time.
Something
about some displays of merchandise in the catalog fixed itself in my
mind. There were three degrees of quality: good, better, and best. For
example, some men’s shoes were labeled good ($1.84), some better ($2.98), and some best ($3.45).1
As
we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough
that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are
best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater
value may make it the best choice of all.
Consider
how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television,
playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or
magazines. Of course it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to
obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth
the portion of our life we give to obtain it. Some things are better,
and others are best. When the Lord told us to seek learning, He said,
“Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom” (D&C 88:118; emphasis added).
"It is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best." And I just sat there, staring at my computer, praying and pondering about what choice is good, better, best, for me. And I looked over the mission application. And I fasted again the next day. And I came to the conclusion, that, lovely scholarships don't matter. All will be well. And I need to go on a mission. I'm back on my original plan, to serve right away. And I'm hoping to have my papers done within the next few weeks, before school ends. And I feel so good about this decision.
Wellza. This weekend we got to meet our new missionaries (People Moving On? Jan. 8). We had all the missionaries over for dinner on Sunday night, which is always super fun! Elder Miller's new companion is Elder Brito. He's cool- a little quiet, but then, English is his second language and my family is really loud and moves fast in a conversation... I think he'll warm up to us. :) But he's excited about missionary work and I'm excited to have him here! I get all upset when missionaries leave, because I just love them so much... But then I love the new missionaries! So I guess it all works out! And Sister Messervy's new companion is Sister Purcell- she's already graduated from college and worked a couple of years, so she's a bit older than most missionaries, but she's AWESOME. She thinks our family is great, and we had a bonding moment over the movie Frozen, which she saw right before she left on her mission- she's also the second child, and Frozen is a movie for us! (I'm gonna have to write a post about Frozen... XD) And she loves the Church and the Gospel. Great. I love our new missionaries! Umm... That was short. I thought I'd say more. Other things. Nope. Missionaries are AWESOME! :)
Today's post is full of random. Fair warning. Yesterday was the birthday of two of my dearest friends, Spo and Tri. I've been close to Spo since the fifth grade, back in Podunk- and random things I remember, the first real conversation we had was about cancer; her uncle had it and so did my grandma. And so that's what a pair of eleven year-old girls bonded over. Great, right? She's amazing, and hilarious, and funny, and she's been one of the things that has kept me sane. She's listened to me vent and cry and tell funny stories and I've done the same for her, and I love her a ton! Since I moved away from Podunk two and a half years ago, she's one of the only people I still talk to. Talking to her always makes my week- I kid you not when I tell you that sometimes we crack jokes that are five years old and still laugh hysterically. She's just fantastic. (Also, just for the record, we talk on the phone. Like, not texting. That's right, teenagers still know how to do that!) And then there's Tri. I met her a few months after I moved out here to Myneton, when she moved here too. She was in my ward, and I spent the first few moths she moved here trying to get her to come to seminary, come to Mutual, get involved. She was being home schooled. I was actually super obnoxious, but she told me later that my efforts to reach out to her meant a lot to her. She's helped me through some hard stuff, and I've been there for her, and I am very glad I know her, even though she moved away less than a year after she got here. Tragic. So I talked to both of them yesterday, and I just think they are fantastic and you all need to know that! I say you all but I seriously doubt anyone actually reads this blog. Ha. ;) On the subject of birthdays, later this week is Rle's birthday, which I'm excited about, because I just love her! I'll probably devote a whole post to her later. There is a LOT I could say. And! Next Monday is my big brother's birthday! He's currently on a mission in Mexico, and just for the record, he writes THE COOLEST letters home! But I've been working on a letter for him, and it's kind of a huge one. Ok, so all of my letters to him are super long. But this one's a really big deal. My older brother is one of the best people on the planet. He's a role model to me, and I really look up to him and I love him a lot. So. Yeah. Birthday letter? Big deal! Also, two of my cousins have birthdays this month, and my dad and my aunt. Crazy busy, right? And the last thing for today is band. Our region's honour band is this week, and I'm in it- I play bassoon actually. If you don't know what a bassoon is, here:
Anyhow. Best instrument ever! I've been playing since the sixth grade. Love it! But! Honour band. All the best instrumentalists from the surrounding schools get to come patrticipate- it's sorta a big deal. Except that Myneton is the biggest city in the area and our high school has an enrollment of about 1300. The other schools are even smaller, and super spread out, because we live in the rural middle of nowhere. But that's ok! So there's about 100 band geeks on a stage, and we rehearse all day today and all day tomorrow and then we do a concert and everyone goes home. It's super cool. And our guest conductor is from a high school in the next state over that has one of the best bands ever- it's marching band has won the Bands of America competition under his direction multiple times, and the concert band is better than many college ensembles. And he's a crazy good director, so it's basically a blast. Except for that today, I had a tragic occurrence. I broke the bocal of my bassoon, snapped right in two. BAD. BADBADBADBADBADBADBADBADBAD! Thankfully, I have an extra bocal, but I'm going to have to replace the other one-and it's actually my school's instrument. So. There's that. I'm super upset about it, though, because it was so STUPID and AWFUL. I've been playing since sixth grade. SIXTH GRADE. And I've never damaged my instrument like that. Ugh. I felt so bad about it. Miserable. Ok, also. This is the third year I've been playing this particular bassoon and I've named it Phillippe. You don't get that attached to an instrument and not get upset if you damage it. I kid you not. At our lunch break, I went and got ice cream, and I was eating it like I'd gone through a bad breakup. Chocolate, with cookie dough and brownie bites and chocolate chips and hot fudge and caramel and whipped cream. I'm upset. Really upset. It's not fun. I mean, it hasn't rendered my bassoon unplayable... But I still feel AWFUL. I was at lunch with Rle and my little sister. I think they were concerned for me. But then, we had this idea... So I texted Tak and Mec: Eating ice cream like I just went through a bad breakup.... Tak responded first: Oh boy. What kind? Me: A really painful unexpected one. Unless you're asking about the ice cream, then it's chocolate. Tak: The ice cream actually, but if you want to talk about the other I'm cool with that too Me: Haha... Actually, I'm just super upset because I broke my bassoon. Tak: That'll do it Me: Eeyupp. And it's just the first day of honour band, no big deal.... Tak: Isn't the concert tomorrow night? Me: Eeyupp. Tak: Shoot. Tak: Is it fixable? Me: Yeah... Already taken care of, actually. I just snapped the bocal in half and I have two... But they're different and I have to pay for the new one, and it was such a stupid thing to happen. I'm just really upset about it. Felt the need to complain. Tak: Feel better? Me: Totally. Ice cream and complaining fix everything. Tak: Totes ***I could not believe he said that. Super out of character for him!*** Then the conversation went other directions. Mec replied a few minutes later: Ice cream is awesome. Me: Yep. Mec: Is everything ok Me: I just broke Phillippe, is all. Rather upsetting. Mec: Aww Me: Yeah. It's fixable. And not gonna ruin honour band for me. But upsetting. Mec: I know the feels Me: Yeah... Then that conversation went other directions too. And then I had the afternoon rehearsal session for honour band. So yeah. That was my day today. I'm super bummed about my Phillippe. But it's fixable. But still. This week is adventurous. :P
So, I just have to talk about the missionaries. I talked about them in my Christmas post, but I have to say more, because they are very dear to me. First, we have Elder Miller and Elder Hayes. Elder Miller has been here forever (like, eight months or some crazy thing like that) and Elder Hayes has been here for about four. We've had them over for dinner quite a few times, and they're just awesome people. And then there's Sister Messervy and Sister Flores. Sister Messervy has been here just longer than Elder Hayes, and Sister Flores has only been here for one transfer. We've had them over a bunch too... Actually, we usually have all the missionaries over at once, because it's just more fun that way! And the sisters are fantastic people too. Tragically, however, it's time for another transfer, and Elder Hayes and Sister Flores are being relocated. It makes me sad, because I honestly love these missionaries- but at the same time, I know they'll be where the Lord needs them to be, and whoever gets transferred over here... Well, I'll end up loving them too.
But I just want to talk about the missionaries.
Elder Miller is quiet, a little more willing to let his companion talk, but his testimony is so strong and so inspiring. Like, the other day, we had the missionaries over for dinner and family home evening, and we read 1 Nephi 11:8-22, and then he made a comment about wanting to read verse 17. So we worked it out so he could. This section is talking about God, and verse 17 says, "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." Elder Miller is like that- the little moments, like a verse of scripture that he really likes, are what stand out about him. But at that moment, that scripture pierced my soul. What an incredible thought, that even if we don't know all things, we know that God loves his children. He loves us! We are that important! And, the more times we've had the Elders over, the more comfortable Elder Miller has gotten around us... We tease and joke and laugh and play games, tell stories and just have a good time. But it's his testimony that just stands out to me so much. He's been here pretty much since I realised I didn't really have a testimony anymore and set out to find if the Church was true for myself. Of course, I've never told him, but as we've had the missionaries around, he's helped me find my faith and my testimony again. He's so fired up about the Gospel, about missionary work, and his testimony is inspiring. In fact, this is slated to be his last transfer, six more weeks and then he's home, but he's made comments that he'd like to extend. Elder Miller is a pretty cool dude. Elder Hayes is also a pretty cool dude, but in a different way. He's loud and outspoken, with a bit of a brash sense of humour. But he's super into missionary work, and very excited about the Gospel. Fact: every conversation with Elder Hayes ends up being about Jesus. It doesn't matter what you're talking about-it could be popsicles- and Elder Hayes will say, "And here's how that relates to Jesus:" and then he'll tell you. Sometimes maybe it's a bit of a stretch, but when we tease him about it, he just says that everything really does relate to Jesus. That's what it's all about. And he's right. We're here to learn and grow, to make mistakes and become better... And we can do all of that because of Heavenly Father and Jesus, and the Plan of Salvation, and the atonement. It all leads back to Jesus, every time. Elder Haye's testimony has been inspiring to me, in my journey back to finding my faith. So I'm super bummed out that he's getting transferred. And, of course, there's the sisters. I love them, dearly! Sister Messervy has been such a pillar for me to lean on, as I was finding my way back to the light. The one incident that stands out the most with her was one time when we had the missionaries over for dinner, and then we were having a mock discussion... I was teaching it. And at this point, I was still a little shaky in my testimony, not on solid ground at all. But then Sister Messervy asked if I could go out with them, to visit a few people, because, she said, "You know things!" She was so excited about what I knew about the Gospel... And I realised that I was excited about it too! And I knew it was true! There's so much more I could say about her... She's super sweet, very funny, open and caring... And, again, she's so pumped to be a missionary and to share the Gospel. I just love it! Last, but not least, Sister Flores. She's only been here for one transfer, since just before Thanksgiving, which is really not long enough, so I'm super bummed out that she's getting transferred too... :( Sister Flores is quiet and peaceful, content to kinda just watch everyone else make the noise and participate in the conversation... But her testimony is so strong, and I can tell that she knows who she is. And even though I'm mostly on solid ground with my faith now, have been pretty much the whole time she's been here, here testimony is still an inspiration to me, and she's such an amazing example to me. I'm going to miss her. I just, love the missionaries a LOT. I'm so grateful we've gotten to know them and to spend time with them! Because, you know, I look at the missionaries, and they're young people, not much older than me, and they're so on fire with the Gospel, and their testimonies just light up their lives. And I love that about them, and I love being around them because it rubs off! It's so easy to get excited about the Gospel and about sharing it when you spend a lot of time with the missionaries! And I want to be like that! I want to just radiate light the way that they do! They've been such a huge force in helping me get back on the right track and honestly I don't like to think of where I'd be if they weren't so heavily involved in my family's life since this last summer. Missionaries are the best people! Speaking of missions... 20 months until I can go on mine. So yeah! :D
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I guess that means it's time for the mandatory looking-back-on-the-old-year-post, so here it is. For me, 2013 was... Crazy. Ha. January -The first real tragedy in my life, when a friend of mine committed suicide on the 2. He was 16. -I received a poem and a confession and because of that... -I took a big chance, opening up my heart to Tak, really putting myself out there. And then for the whole month of January, he was on-again-off-again-so-confusing-I-didn't-know-what-was-happening, and that hurt a lot... -I was sick the whole month. In addition to the emotional crap going down. February -I stopped wanting to cry all the time. -Things were looking up, as far as Tak was concerned -I got asked to Prom -I got my first bouquet of roses -Trips to Reno and Vegas with my friends, because we played in the pep band for our basketball team, that were absolutely amazing... Also the first time Tak and I held hands... But it triggered -The first real fight I've ever gotten in... Rle and I didn't speak for a week. And it took us months to work out the resulting backlash. March -Started out awesomely with Tak, less awesomely with Rle and my sister because I was dumb -Went to Prom, had a blast -Figured myself and Rle out... Sorta. April -Trip with our choir to San Francisco for a competition, we kicked butt and had a blast... Partied it up with some friends and my big brother! -My big bro and Rle went to All-State Choir.... I didn't make it, so I hung out that weekend with Mec and Tak and my sister -School musical, lots of FUN! Tak bought me flowers.... May -The beginning of the end... Or how I viewed it. -Band festival, choir festival, band concert, choir concert, jazz band concert... Eating out after jazz band, Tak and me... Big brother? Not happy. Eek. -Me and Tak and Ael went and saw the Great Gatsby, Tak and me made it official- my first boyfriend, and then he kissed me! Another first... :) I still owe Ael dinner coz she's the best friend/3rd wheel/crazy matchmaker EVER. June -Graduation. Yikes. I have WAYYY too many senior friends. -Went to dinner with Tak's family... Met his grandparents... Intimidating. -Girls' Camp. Which was a huge deal for me this year, because it's when I realised I didn't know anymore, didn't have a testimony, didn't ever feel the Spirit anymore.... Somewhere along the line, I'd fallen off the wayside. So I decided to figure out if the Church was true or not, for SURE. -Started running, training for XC in the fall July -Youth Conference! I knew I had a testimony of temple work and the Book of Mormon. Just those two things. But I knew the rest would come. -BOM the Summer! I read twelve pages in the Book of Mormon every day. It was intense. And incredible. I found my faith again. -Hanging out with my dad's side of the family, which is always a blast -Adventures with Tak, Ael, my sister, Rle, Mec, Rag... It's summer, and it's lovely! -Somewhere in there he kissed me again... August -BAND. CAMP. -Got to spend a week with my best friend since I was three, Sav. And that was way better than anything else! It was AWESOME! -Hanging with Mec and Tak before they left for college... I was still in denial. -The last two times he kissed me. -And finally, my first breakup. Because we didn't want to kill ourselves and our friendship trying to make distance work, didn't want to put that kind of pressure on each other. Not gonna lie- I cried. But he didn't see it. September -School's in full swing again! -I have to do paper routes every day, and it's exhausting... -So much that I can't run cross country... Which is maybe even more depressing than breaking up with Tak, because at least I knew the breakup was the most likely outcome. Not running made me SAD. -It's been five years this month since my grandma died of pancreatic cancer. Still not easy to deal with, really. -But! Thanks to my newly refound testimony, I know I'll see her again. And it'll be ok. :] October -I'm still bummed about him... But trying to hide it. -Band competitions! -I figure out that I never should have let go of the Gospel. I know it's true. And I LOVE IT! November -We took state in marching band! Best thing, EVER! -The odd realisation that Tak and I talk more that Mec, even though she's one of my best friends too... And I'm not even talking to Tak all that often. Weird.... -Honour Choir! -Taking my big brother to the MTC, where he'll be learning Spanish before heading to Mexico City for his mission! -We have the missionaries over, all the time, through the whole year, starting in the summer. And at this point, I'm realising exactly how instrumental they've all been in helping me find my faith again, and how much I love them for that! -The only thing that's wrong, is the feeling that I've lost all the people closest to me... My big brother was one of my best friends, until the beginning of this year, then I let our relationship fall apart, coz I sorta stopped talking to him, didn't fill him in... Mec and Tak went to college. There was Syb, but she sorta went crazy in about February, Marchish, and hated me for no good reason. Which was sad.... And it just feels like Rle, Ael, and Rag always have at least two other people they'd rather talk to before me, or hang out with, or anything, really. I feel so alone. And it's AWFUL. December -I love the Christmas Season! -Still haven't figured out what to do about my friends... Rle noticed and we talked about it... But it's not really getting better... -I love the Gospel, also. I KNOW it's true! -My brother leaves the MTC and is now in Mexico! -I organise a Starbucks adventure with Tak, Mec, Buc, Anc, and Rle... And it's so freeing for me to realise that I really don't feel that way about Tak anymore! -Christmas is AMAZING. -I hang out with my family and get ready for the new year! Wow. So there we are. It's a lot. It's kinda been a crappy year, honestly. There were some amazing parts, and some that were downright HORRID. So here's hoping that 2014 is all sorts of better! :]
Well. Today is Christmas. And I could say a whole lot about that... But. Well. I'm a Christian-actually a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Which, I understand, is sort of a mouthful. But that's who we are, it's who I am. But people usually just call us Mormons. That's not important here. What matters today is that I was born and raised in the Church, and that it's always been extremely important to me. Until this last year, something sorta... Slipped. Broke. Got away. I'm not sure, exactly. The thing is about faith, if you don't use it, you lose it. And I guess I... Sorta stopped using mine. And I'm not sure why. But it scared me, when I realised it. And I've been trying to get back to where I was before. And I'm on my way. And today, I am thankful for Christ and I am thankful for Christmas and I am rejoicing because I have found my faith and myself again! And I am thankful for missionaries. We got to spend a lot of time with the missionaries assigned to our ward today, in addition to Skyping with my brother who is on a mission. And I am so thankful for the missionaries. Who are basically the coolest people EVER. I guess it started this summer with Elders Ramos and Bahr.... And then, when they got transferred, there were Elders Fillmore and Miller and Sisters Fellman and Catlett. And, for me, struggling with my testimony, meeting these super cool people who were so on fire with the Gospel meant the world to me; it still does. They knew what they were talking about, they meant what they said, and I could feel it. Their testimonies were so influential to me. Missionary work is seriously inspired. Then Sister Catlett got transferred, and we got Sister Messervy. Elder Bahr got transferred and we got Elder Hayes. And then Sister Fellman got transferred and we got Sister Grigley, she got transferred and Sister Flores was the next missionary sent our way. So now, today, I was hanging out and soaking in the light and the testimony of Elders Miller (yeah, he's still here, it's been a while... XD) and Hayes, and Sisters Messervy and Flores. And I honestly don't think I'd be where I am if I had not been able to spend so much time with all the missionaries named here.... We've had them for dinners at our home, had discussions with them, spent time with them... And they're like family to me. I love them. I don't know if the missionaries know how much they mean to me, but even if they didn't convert any other person in their whole mission, they converted me, brought me back to everything I know and love. So today. I am very glad that we got to spend time with the missionaries, who are what helped get me back on track with remembering what Christmas is all about- Christ. How much He loves me. How much I love Him. This year, was an excellent Christmas.
