Anyways, I still work part time at doTERRA and I enjoy work and the people there. People I talk to about my current situation are always surprised that I only work part time... "What else do you do all day?!" Let me tell you, I have just as much going on now as I did while I was in school, if not more. I have some things that I would like to accomplish before I leave and I spend my time doing things like:
- Learning Spanish. My big Christmas present this year was a three-month membership/subscription to Rosetta Stone. Some things are coming back to me, but I still need to hustle if I want to be able to communicate at all when I reach the Lima MTC (Missionary Training Center). So for right now, no habla mucho Espanol. The Lord is already giving me a good dose of humility...
- Studying Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon. My awesome ward is doing another 99 day Book of Mormon challenge and I am really really trying to keep up-- some days end up being catch-up days, but that's okay. I hope to finish the entire book again by my first or second week in the MTC. I am a huge fan of the Book of Mormon and it has made such a difference in my life. Reading it again is not only a good refresher, but gets me excited to share it with the people I wil meet in Peru. I've also learned that Preach My Gospel is very important, which has been stressed to me by every RM ever. I am doing the Pre-MTC training online that is set up by the church that requires you to study PMG and do things like create a pedigree chart, read the white handbook, create a mormon.org profile, and watch all the episodes of "The District." So check me out on mormon.org! ;)
- Mission Prep. Right now I am taking advantage of being right next to BYU and am sitting in on a mission prep class taught by the one and only BRAD WILCOX. Hey, I'm pretty stoked about it, Jack! So far I am just eating it all up. We have to read his book, "The Continuous Atonement" for the class and it's my favorite. There are things in that book that make me think about the atonement in ways that I never had before, and the message is just so hopeful. I encourage everyone to check it out or you can ask me about it sometime, I seriously L-O-V-E it!
- Working on my piano skillz. I have been wanting to get better at accompanying and figured that this is as good of a time as any to improve so I can have a talent to offer on the mission. I realized that playing piano is probably the only time I'll get to play music on my mission, which I know I will need for my sanity! Also, church music helps me so so much to feel the Spirit. It's the best way I know for me personally to change my mindset and focus on the Savior.
- Attending the Temple. A few days after Christmas, I had the opportunity to receive my endowments in the Oakland, California Temple with my parents. It was a great experience that I will never forget. It was also my parents' 22nd wedding anniversary, so it was an all-around special day. My former Stake President gave me the advice to attend the temple as much as possible before my mission because he says it is the best way to prepare for a mission. Since I have been back in Provo, I have made it a goal to attend an endowment session once a week, which has been amazing thus far. It's still a little weird not to be going straight downstairs to do baptisms and confirmations, but I love doing this work. I am learning so much already and I leave every time feeling spiritually refreshed. I know I won't be able to attend the Lima Temple very often throughout my mission, so I'm grateful to be able to take advantage of having the Provo Temple only a mile away while I'm here.
- SHOPPING! (or dreaming of shopping) I don't quite have the money yet, but I have been putting a lot of thought into what I should take with me to Peru. I know I definitely don't own a single midi or maxi skirt, so there's a start! I have been referencing blogs I have found that give more of an idea of what being a sister missionary is like and also what Peru is like. Two that I found very helpful are: http://perumissionmoms.blogspot.com/ AND http://bellainberlin.blogspot.com/. I'm sure that there are many more out there, but these gave me a good start. The "Peru Mission Moms" one is cool because (even though it hasn't been updated in about two years,) it gives information specific to Peru and even specific to the Lima East Mission. I learned things like carrying a "Dog Dazer" will keep you safe from feral dogs that bite and that missionaries down there love to get cookie and cake mixes from home because there aren't a whole lot of sweets in Peruvian cuisine (PLEASE HELP A SISTA OUT!). I like Bella in Berlin because she gives a lot of good suggestions of things to bring on a mission from a sister's perspective: a lot of things that you would only think of if you've already been on a mission. I also really like reading her blog because she doesn't sugar coat the experience and you can tell that she is a great missionary without losing who she is. I love that she says that she teaches her German comps things like sarcasm, American slang (i.e. YOLO) and she uses hashtags in her letters (#swaginthesisterhood). People obviously change when they serve a mission, but I think it's important to be true to yourself and not become some missionary robot. You can still be funny and cute and everything without being irreverent or breaking mission rules. Everyone is blessed with certain character traits and the Lord knows what he is doing when he sends someone to a specific place because that person can touch the lives of others in such a unique way. Stay you. I know that I want to be the kind of missionary who works hard, but I also want to show the people that I care about them by sharing myself along with the message.
So besides enjoying the time I have left with loved ones, this is what I'm up to as of late... I report to the MTC in 65 days and the more I prepare, the more excited I get. It will be a huge, HUGE change in my life, but I'm so eager to serve. There will definitely be hard times, but I know that great blessings will come if I stay close to my Heavenly Father and do my best every day. I love this gospel and I know that it can change lives. The atonement is AMAZING and I am grateful for it every day. I hope that all of my friends and my future friends will someday come to know this to be true because I promise that it makes life better. Not necessarily easier, but so much better.
Peace and Blessin's!
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