Holy Guacamole

Pretty much sums it up.

Every few minutes, I think, "Holy guacamole, I am going to Peru in a week."  or "Dang Gina! In a week from this very moment, I will be in a different hemisphere."  or "I should probably eat all of the American food I can, because in 157 hours I will only get to eat guinea pig for 18 months."

And to top off my excitement level for the past two days, I got my mission travel plans yesterday!  I was walking outside to take a missionary letter out to the mail, and a FedEx envelope was under my doormat. Totally didn't realize what it was until I was halfway down the front walkway. I flipped and ran back up to my house to open it with my mom.

I am going straight to Peru!! Not Provo!!  I am leaving on the morning of September 11th from OKC to Atlanta.  Then I am supposed to meet up with other missionaries in Atlanta and fly from there to Lima.  I am pretty sure my Visa hasn't gone through yet, because my paperwork says that I'll be entering Peru as a tourist..and there wasn't a Visa included in my travel packet.  Hopefully it goes through soonish so I am not deported.

Things are getting real.

  

Single Digits and Miracles

First of all, can we please just take a few minutes to acknowledge that I am finally in the single digits of my mission count down? 9 days, people!  NINE!  Hallelujah!  I feel like I have been waiting forever!  I'm pretty sure the last 22 days have been the longest days of my life.  But I have finally made it into the single digits, and I am one happy girl.

Next I want to share a little miracle that has been happening in my life.  It started about a month ago when the missionaries texted me to ask me to meet them for an appointment.  I drove to the address that they gave me and rang the doorbell.  A Hispanic woman opened the door and started talking to me in Spanish.  Haha the missionaries were so excited that they found a Spanish speaking investigator for me.  I was able to return with them a couple times to teach this sweet lady.  I didn't spend much time with her, but over the next couple weeks I grew to love her so, so much.  She is an absolutely incredible woman and the light of Christ shines from her.  She has such a strong spirit.  I am beginning to understand what missionaries mean when they say they love the people they teach.

She agreed to come to Church this week, and I was praying that she would feel the Spirit and have a desire to return.  It was Fast and Testimony Meeting, and she sat with me and my family.  The Spirit was so, so strong.  Tears were running down her cheeks.  I know that Heavenly Father inspired certain individuals to say things that would touch her heart, and testify to her that the Church is true.  It was an amazing experience.  As I was sitting next to her, I realized that another of my prayers had been answered.  I had also been praying that my testimony could be strengthened, because lately I have been feeling a little bogged down with all of the things that I have to do before I leave on my mission, that I sometimes forget why I am going on a mission.  This testimony meeting reminded me of the why.

This experience strengthened my testimony so much, and made me even more excited to serve. (If that's even possible.)  I love this Church and I know that God loves each of His children and does answer prayers.

Phillip

This is Phillip. He is my first missionary companion. And he is adorable.

For my 18th birthday, Libby promised to take me to Build a Bear because I was an eighteen-year-old who had never been to Build a Bear. How pathetic is that?  Phillip came over a year and a half late, but he was worth the wait. While we were in Utah, Lib and I hit up Build a Bear and guess what...They have missionary bears! Phillip's outfit is the whole shebang with dress socks, shoes, missionary tag, tie, and Book of Mormon. My life is complete.

I chose the softest, most cuddly bear they had. Then I got to choose Phillip's heart, make a wish on it, rub it on my nose for good luck, and kiss it. I filled him with stuffing until he was just the right amount of huggable. Lib and I chose all of his clothes, got him dressed, made his birth certificate, and decided on his name. The name Phillip was Libby's idea, and it is perfect. Phillip is perfect and I have the best little sister in the world.  Now when I am in Peru and I need a hug from my little sister, I will hug Phillip, and it will be like getting a hug from her across eleven countries and two oceans.  

Because We Follow Jesus Christ

This past week I have been back in Utah and I was able to visit my friends from my old ward, which was fabulous!  President Jack Christiansen and his amazing wife Melanie lived in my old ward, and they recently returned from The Rochestor New York Mission where he served as mission president.  

As I was visiting a friend, she told me of some advice about how to share the Gospel that President Christiansen taught those preparing to serve missions from our ward.  He taught that when answering any question that you may not know how to answer, or when an individual you are trying to teach is becoming contentious, always begin with "Because we follow Jesus Christ." 

"Because we follow Jesus Christ, we believe in keeping the Sabbath Day holy." or "Because we follow Jesus Christ, we accept trials as learning experiences that help us to become more like our Heavenly Father." or "Because we follow Jesus Christ, we know that the Atonement can wash away our wrongs and we can be clean and pure again."

This statement is the essence of everything we do in this Church. We don't keep the commandments because it makes the prophet happy, we don't build temples because they are good publicity for the Church, and we don't go on missions because we want to stay busy while the boy of our dreams is on his mission. We do all of these things, and everything else, because we follow Jesus Christ. 

It is impossible to reverently speak the name of Christ without bringing the Spirit, and as you invite the Spirit through speaking of Christ, you will be impressed what to say to touch the individual.  Heavenly Father knows each of His children and exactly what they need, and it is our job as missionaries, to be tuned into what He wants us to say and do.  What better way to stay in touch with the Spirit than testifying of Christ?

I love this doctrine and cannot wait to put it to the test while teaching the beautiful people of Peru.  Only 32 days to go!!

Shots. Shots. Shots.

It turns out that there are a lot of diseases in Peru that they don't have in Duncan, Oklahoma, so I have to get a seemingly eternal number of shots before I head out.  All of my friends living in Utah can just go to their local health clinic to get all of their foreign shots like yellow fever, meningitis, etc.  I called my health clinic and they told me that I have to go to a travel health clinic for those shots.  Excuse me..a what?  I didn't even know there was such a thing.  So I found the closest travel health clinic (which happens to be an hour and a half away from my house) and called to find that the total cost for my shots would be over $500.  Holy guacamole.

My mama and I decided instead to have them done at the Army base 30 minutes away from my house...for free--having military base privileges can be so convenient.  We had to separate my shots into four trips.  I have done two so far.  Only two to go.  The first time I went, they gave me Brother Bear stickers and a lollipop.  Pretty much made my day. :)  Definitely felt like I was six again, but it was so worth it.

The second time I went, after they gave me my three shots for that week, they had me sit out in the lobby for fifteen minutes to make sure that I didn't pass out...hmm sketchy.. I was fine so I left after just a few minutes. I was okay until about 4:00 when I started getting really sick.  Stupid yellow fever.  At least now I won't get the real thing because just the after effects of the vaccine were pretty miserable.  

Now I just have to hold out for two more trips to the base so I don't die of a deadly disease when I go to Peru...in only 38 MORE DAYS!!    

           

No Hablo Espanol

One of the main things I have focused on in my mission preparation is practicing Spanish.  A couple weeks ago, I asked a friend who is on his mission for mission prep tips.  He told me to PRACTICE SPANISH! As a missionary, it doesn't matter how well you know the Gospel if you don't have the ability to teach it.

I want to be the best possible missionary, so everyday I listen to at least three Spanish podcasts, which have helped my Spanish take leaps and bounds.  This past week, I flew to and from Utah, and while i was flying i spent the whole time listening to Spanish podcasts.  I was pretty proud of myself.  :)  Also, sometimes when I am volunteering at the hospital, and I don't have a lot to think about, I'll try to only think in Spanish, and translate what others say into Spanish in my head.  My friend told me to think of everything that I want to say in Spanish, before I say it in English when I am having a conversation. I am not quite to that point yet..everyone would be wondering why it always takes me at least two minutes to respond..but I'm working on it.

Even though I have struggled with Spanish in the past, I have faith that Heavenly Father can turn my weaknesses into strengths and bless me with the gift of tongues.

Throwback Thursday

Well there are officially 55 days until I leave on my mission...in 42 seconds it will be 54 days.  That is less than two months. In fact, it is exactly 1.7741935483871 months. Crazy! I am so excited, but so not ready.

I realized that I never copied my call letter here, so I thought we would throwback tonight and revisit it.

Dear Sister Ritchie:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Peru Lima North Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Peru Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.

The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.

You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president. Please send your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your bishop.

Sincerely,
Thomas S. Monson
President

If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear...At Least Not As Much

From the time I got my mission call, my life has been a flurry of mission prep.  Growing up, my mom would remind me regularly that "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."  I heard this before tests, interviews, and church talks, but its importance really hit me when I got my mission call. I realized that this is crunch time to learn all I can about the Gospel and prepare myself spiritually to teach others.  I have been working hard to do everything I can so that I am well prepared for my mission.

Up until this past week I had been reading two chapters of the Book of Mormon everyday since I have been asked to read the entire book at least once from the time I got my call to the time I leave.  This last week I decided that since I will be serving many people who are Catholic and greatly value the Bible, I should prolly freshen up a little on my knowledge of the New Testament before I leave.  So instead of reading two chapters per day, I started reading three or more so that I can read at least parts of the New Testament before my mission.  It has been an amazing experience to read the Book of Mormon over again with the eyes of someone who is preparing to teach others about it.

I have attended the temple as often as I could, and am hoping to attend once a week from now until I leave.  This will be a little tricky since I live an hour and a half away, but going to the temple is always worth the sacrifice.

On my online missionary portal, I have a To Do list of items that need to be completed before I leave.  I am 70% done with them.  A few days ago I finished watching the last episode of The District--missionary training videos that track the progress of real missionaries and their investigators.  Watching those episodes and learning more about the realities of missionary work has been such a great experience, and has made me so much more excited to go on my mission.  They helped me to understand what missionary work is actually like, and the kinds of things I can do to be more prepared.  And it didn't hurt that episodes 4-6 took place in San Diego, which is where I'm from. :)

Through the preparation process, I have realized that I have been preparing to serve a mission for my entire life--even though I didn't know that I was going to serve, Heavenly Father did, and he put opportunities in my way that would help me prepare to teach the people of Peru.  For example, as I already mentioned, I attended a mission prep class taught by Jack Christiansen when I was in 9th grade.  Although I wasn't planning to serve a mission at the time, I learned so many valuable things that will help me to be a better missionary.  I took Spanish all through Junior High and High School, which will be a huge benefit to me when I get out in the mission field.  When I first got to BYU, even before I knew that I would be serving a mission, I made it a goal to take advantage of all the opportunities that I had there.  I attended every fireside, talk, meeting, and activity that I could.  All of those things that I participated in helped me to prepare spiritually for my mission.  It's crazy to me how well Heavenly Father knows me and how to prepare me for what is coming in my life.  All of the experiences that I have had up until this point have brought me to the place where I am today: preparing to teach the people of Peru.

Even though I will never feel that I am completely ready, I know that the more I prepare, the more effective I will be as a missionary.  And though I am still a little nervous to go to a foreign country where they speak another language and have different beliefs, I know that if I am prepared, I have no need to fear.

Dallas Temple Trip

I got to go back to the temple!  My mom and I took a trip to Dallas this weekend to drop off my nieces  after they visited us in Oklahoma for a few days.  After we got them home, my mom and I headed to the Dallas temple.  It is very similar to the Lima, Peru temple (at least on the outside) and I can't wait to be able to compare them.  I was also excited to be able to attend another temple since I had never been to the Dallas temple.

We arrived early so we took photos outside and then were able to do Initiatories before the next session started.  Going through the temple for the first time for someone else was an amazing experience.  I loved knowing that I was bringing someone the happiness that I was able to receive only ten days ago.  I realized that when I went to the temple for the first time after turning 12 to do baptisms for the dead, I had been baptized four years earlier.  Of course I still felt strongly about my baptism and remembered the covenants that I made during that ordinance, but it was years ago, and I didn't clearly remember how I felt.  In contrast, yesterday as I went through the temple for someone else, I remembered exactly how I felt as I received those ordinances for myself, and I was so happy that someone else would be able to feel the same way that I did on that special day.  It was a wonderful experience.

It was so good to be there with my mama.  It is a beautiful temple and the spirit was beautiful.  I can't wait to go back!

I Love to See the Temple

I finally was able to go through the temple for the first time this weekend.  It was an amazing experience.  I chose to go to the Kansas City Missouri temple.  I had never been to this temple before, so it gave me the opportunity to visit a new city with my family.  I felt strongly about this temple because the Church history of the site is incredible and the temple itself is so, so beautiful.

We left to drive to Kansas City early on Friday morning.  It is about a 7 hour drive from my house to Kansas City, so we got there in the late afternoon and spent the evening going to historic church sites.  First we went to Liberty Jail where Brandon Ogletree's sister was our tour guide, which was pretty cool.  The Spirit there was amazing.  It is one of the places that I grew up learning about in Primary and Sunday School, but going there made it so much more real to me.  Then we went to the Visitor's Center, which was also a great experience.

The next morning we had to be at the temple at 7:00 AM.  Sleeping the night before was like trying to sleep on Christmas Eve..it was impossible.  I woke up at least five times between 4:00 and 5:00 when I finally got up.   We got ready and drove the six minutes from our hotel to the temple.

The temple was beautiful, and everyone was kind and helpful.  I felt so loved and special.  My hostess kept telling me that she wanted me to feel "just like a princess today."  I loved the spirit of the temple.  It was so strong and makes me want to be better.  I want to keep the feeling that I had on that day with me always.  I am so happy that I was able to make covenants and learn more about the Gospel.  I love the temple!

   

The Studly Sons of Mosiah

Over the past week I have been reading about the missions of the Sons of Mosiah in Alma 17-26. Holy guacamole they were such studs!  They are exactly like the missionary I want to be. (And the kind of returned missionary I want to eventually marry. :)  Even though I have read these chapters many times before, preparing for a mission has shed a whole new light on the example they set.  In my scripture journal I made a list of the qualities that made them such excellent missionaries.  Here's my list:  

1.  They fasted and prayed

2.  They had the spirit of prophesy

3.  They taught with power and authority from God

4.  They were worthy

5.  They let their faith cast out their fears

6.  They were humble

7.  They searched the scriptures diligently

8.  They had a solid understanding of the Gospel

9.  They had the constant companionship of the Spirit

10.  They were patient

11.  They were good examples to those they taught

12.  They trusted in the Lord

13.  They served those they taught

14.  They used the scriptures to teach

15.  They gave their missions their all

16.  As they taught, they invited the Spirit to testify to those they were teaching

17.  They attributed their success to God

18.  They took advantage of every opportunity to share the Gospel

19.  They followed the promptings of the Spirit

20.  They were well prepared

21.  They deeply and sincerely loved those they taught 

Even though it is unlikely that while I am on my mission I will guard sheep or chop off anyone's arms, I can work to develop the qualities which brought the Sons of Mosiah such success and joy.  I want to make the most of the Lord's time while I am on my mission, and working to be like the Sons of Mosiah is my first step in that direction.       

The Missionary Broadcast

Tonight my family watched the Missionary Broadcast for new mission presidents, missionaries, and anyone else who loves missionary work.  The broadcast was held in the Marriott Center at BYU, and the choir was made up of missionaries who are currently in the Provo MTC.  It was so fun to see people in the choir that I know.  It was an amazing fireside.  It made me remember how important missionary work really is, and it got me so excited to serve.  And it didn't hurt that during the broadcast President Holland skyped with a Stake President and a few members of a stake in Lima.  So cool!

I will be in the MTC in Lima, Peru in 80 days!  Crazy!  I can't wait!

Visas and Passports--Holy Cow!

Before I can go to Peru for a year and a half I need a passport and a visa.  Sounds easy, right?  Wrong!  My mom and I have learned the hard way that when it comes to traveling outside the country, nothing is easy.

The first thing I had to do was to get a passport since I hadn't traveled outside of the U.S. before (besides kayaking to Canada, but that doesn't count).  We went to Walmart to have my photo taken.  They only have one person working at Walmart who knows how to take passport photos, and she was gone, so we tried to have them done at Walgreens--the only other place in Duncan, Oklahoma that does passport photos.  Their printer was broken, so we ended up having to wait until the next day.  No big deal.

The next day we went back to Walmart to have my pictures taken.  Success! Then we took all the other documents we needed (or so we thought) to the courthouse to submit them and apply for my passport.  It turns out that since I have a Utah driver's license instead of an Oklahoma license, they wouldn't accept my license as photo ID--I'm not sure why that makes it invalid, but whatever floats their goat.  I had to go home and get my BYU ID to prove my identity, and come back.  When they were satisfied that I'm not an impostor, they looked over my paperwork.  I was missing a couple things, so we left, got everything else, and came back.  Finally everything was ready to submit.  A couple weeks later my passport came.

Once I got my passport I had to apply for my visa.  I needed to submit some paperwork to my secretary of state to get apostilles for my power of attorney and passport before I could send everything to Salt Lake.  I sent everything to my state, just like I was told to do, but it came back saying that my power of attorney had to have a translation in English--the power of attorney I was given was in Spanish.  So I did my best to translate it (with a lot of help from the Internet) and sent it back.  I finally got my apostilles and sent them to Salt Lake. Hallelujah!  Now hopefully my visa is processed in enough time for me to go straight to Peru!    

100 Days

Only 100 days until I report to the Peru MTC!  Only 100 more days until I get to put on a name tag that says I am officially a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Only 100 more days of sleeping in and spending time with my family.  Only 100 more days of listening to music and texting.  Only 100 more days until I begin the best 548 days of my life.

Guinea Pigs, Alpacas and Tarantulas

Of course the first thing that everyone does after they receive their mission call is look up everything there is to know about the place that they are serving--and I was no exception.  After finding out that I am going to Lima, Peru, I spent the next 48 hours learning everything about Lima from the climate to the dialect of Spanish spoken there.

I discovered that my mission is in the same time zone as Oklahoma, so I will be in the same time zone as my family..kinda cool.  I found out that I will never be cold on my mission, but I will also never be dry--the humidity is always between 85-100%.  I also learned about the kinds of things that I will be eating for the next year and a half: guinea pigs, alpacas, bugs, rice, and beans.  Since when are guinea pigs, alpacas, and bugs edible?!  Blegh.  

A few days ago I was in a hippie store at the mall with my family, and we found this beauty.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Peruvian tarantula.  Looks like it's a good thing I sleep with my mouth closed.  

But the good news is that Peru is gorgeous.  The people seem wonderful and the church is true.  It will all be worth it..even if I have to eat guinea pigs and fight off tarantulas.

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

As I was preparing to turn in my mission papers, I couldn't have been more excited.  I was caught up in trying to guess where I would be going and the preparation of submiting my papers.  After I got back to Oklahoma and had my call sitting on my counter for days before I could open it, the anxiety set in.  I thought that I was mostly scared about finding out where I was going to be called.  I thought that once I opened my call, the fear would leave.  I was wrong.  It didn't.  It got worse.

After opening my call I realized that I would be traveling to a place far away from my family where people live very differently from the way I live.  I would be speaking a language that I struggle with and I wouldn't know anyone.  I felt completely inadequate and I was so scared.  I felt like maybe serving a mission wasn't the right thing for me to be doing.  I desperately wanted to serve a mission so I put my trust in the Lord and his call for me to serve.

A quote from Elder Holland kept coming to mind which says, "If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted in it and lived for it, it is right now."

I knew that I had received answers to my prayers about serving a mission, so I decided to just keep moving forward.  I continued my mission preparation hoping that my fears would subside--and they did.

Splits!

Today I went on splits with the missionaries serving in my ward.  I had never done this before since there aren't a lot of opportunities to serve with the missionaries growing up in Utah.  It was such a great experience!  I went with the two elders to an investigator's house in Marlow, the tiny town north of Duncan, Oklahoma where I live.

The investigator was an older Baptist woman who is interested in the Church. She has been reading the Book of Mormon and has a strong belief in God.  At the beginning of the visit, the elders asked her if she had any questions about the Church.  She said that she had told some neighbors and family members that she was meeting with Mormon missionaries, and they told her their perceptions about some of our beliefs.  She wanted to know if we actually have lots of wives and if we worship Joseph Smith.  Of course neither of these things are true, and the elders taught her what we really believe.  It blows my mind how many rumors there are about our Church that must keep so many people from finding the truth.

Our investigator was very open minded and said that she will keep reading the Book of Mormon until she has finished.  The elders asked me to bare my testimony of the Book of Mormon, which was a great opportunity for me.  Too bad I couldn't have done it in Spanish--it would have been better practice.  The elders left her with a pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation and are meeting again with her on Thursday.

Missionary work is so exciting!  The Church is true!      

Where in the World am I going? Billings, Montana?

On the day that they announced the age change for sister missionaries, my initial reaction was, "No way..that's not in my plans. I'm not going."  Then as I continued to watch General Conference, it didn't take more than ten minutes for my mind to start to change.  By the end of the first day of General Conference I was texting my mom to tell her that I wanted to serve.  As I was watching the rest of conference the next two days, I had a very strong feeling about a certain place that I felt that I would be called to if I chose to serve a mission.  Later that week, one of my close friends was called to the place that I felt that I would be called.  I hoped I wouldn't be serving in the same place as him, but I trusted in the Lord.

As short-sighted and immature as this is, I really really wanted to be called to a foreign mission.  I knew that I would be called to the place that I was needed, and that wherever I was called would be right--both for me and the people I served, but I wanted desperately to be called out of the U.S.  I am embarrassed to admit this, but my family and I made many jokes about my call being to Billings, Montana. (Mostly because I hate pine trees, mountains, and the cold.) Side note: I wrote a letter to one of my friends who is on his mission to tell him where I was serving, and I wrote about how scared I was to be called to Montana.  As soon as he saw that my letter was about my mission call he scanned the rest of it to find a place, and the first name he saw was Billings, Montana.  He thought that was where I was called. He got excited and told his companion about it before he realized that I was actually going to Peru. Haha oops.

During the process of completing my mission papers, submitting them, and waiting to open my call, I continued to have a strong feeling about the place where I initially thought I would be called, and the surrounding areas.  (I have no idea why, because I was completely off.)  I had a few thoughts about a couple other places, although no matter what, I was 100% convinced that I wouldn't be called to South America even though I had taken five years of Spanish.  Haha goes to show you how much I know.

After seeing the amount of postage on my mission call, and being certain that I was going stateside (stateside calls require less postage because there is less paperwork), I began to really analyze why I was going on a mission.  Was I going so that I could see the world, or have a study abroad experience?  No way!  I was going because I know this church is true, and I want others to be able to experience the happiness that I feel everyday because of my knowledge of the restored Gospel.  This realization helped me to recognize that I trust that wherever I go will be right, even if it is Billings, Montana.          

I'm Goin' to Peru!

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Today was the big day!  I had to wait exactly one week from the time my call arrived at my house, to the time I opened it.  It nearly killed me!

I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to get ready to go to the Oklahoma City temple to open my call.  It was really important to me to open it at the temple, otherwise I could have opened it two days ago when my mom and I got to Oklahoma.  The Oklahoma City temple is about an hour and a half from our house, so we had to leave by 6:00 AM.  Our ward just happened to have a temple trip today, so my family went early to open my call so we could then meet up with them afterwards.

The whole way to the temple I felt sick.  I was so scared about where I would be going.  I knew I would be called to the right place, but I also wanted to be excited about where I would be spending the next year and a half.

When we got to the temple, we sat down on the steps outside.  I opened my call and started to read, trying really hard not to glace ahead.  When I got to my mission assignment, I realized that it was definitely not a stateside mission like I thought it would be.  I am going to the Peru Lima North Mission!! I am so excited!  It is the perfect mission for me.  I can't believe none of us even considered it when we were trying to guess where I was going.  I thought I was going to either Billings, Montana or Russia haha.  My mom kept saying, "It's so obvious!  That's why we didn't think of it."

Libby is Peruvian, and some of her birth family still lives in Peru.  And as silly as this is, she and I were obsessed with Peru and llamas when The Emperor's New Groove first came out.  We even tried to get a llama after that, but our backyard wasn't big enough.  When we were moving to Oklahoma, my step dad wanted to get me a llama, but my mom wouldn't let him. :)  Now I will be surrounded by llamas for a year and a half!  Plus, my mission is right on the beach, so there will also be palm trees, which is pretty much the greatest thing in the world for me.  And I think I will be in the jungle because my packing list emphasizes that I need rubber boots and an umbrella haha.  So excited!

I am leaving on September 11th (the same day as my roommate/best friend Amy is leaving for Argentina on her mission).  I report to the Peru MTC, which makes me a little nervous, but I'm so excited.  I expected to go to the Provo MTC and travel to my mission with a group of other missionaries.  Instead I think I will be getting to my mission alone.  It will be an adventure!  I am so happy that I will be able to become fluent in Spanish!  Peru is the perfect place for me!

Shop til' you Drop!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Holy cow today was a crazy day.  Mom flew out and we went shopping ALLL day.  We bought temple clothes for me so I can go through the temple for the first time.  I am so excited!  I still can't believe this is happening.

Then we shopped for mission clothes for me.  I bought lots of skirts and shoes and shirts.  We found lots of cute stuff.  Who knew Sister Missionary Mall has things that I would actually wear that don't make me look like an 80 year old grandma?!  I sure didn't!  Life is good!  We have bought almost all the clothes that we think I'll need.  Hallelujah!  We bought clothes that will work for a climate similar to Utah's..we are just going to assume that I won't be called to the tropics.  Plus I got a mini Preach My Gospel, which pretty much made my day.

My mission call is sitting on my counter in Oklahoma.  It is just waiting to be opened.  It will have to wait until next Saturday.  I don't know if I can wait that long to find out my fate.  Ed sent me a picture of it..it's driving me crazy.

Going to the Temple

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

I went to the Timpanogos temple today.  I realized that when I get back to Provo to go to school, I will be endowed, so I won't really get to do baptisms anymore.  I wanted to do baptisms there one last time before leaving to go home.  It was beautiful.  

The Timpanogos temple is so special to me.  It is where I went to do baptisms for the dead for the first time after turning 12, and where I went regularly throughout junior high and high school.  My roommate Amy and I used to go there once a month during 7th and 8th grade, and my chica Reika who is leaving on her mission to Japan in a couple weeks has been my temple buddy for the past couple of years.  I have received so much inspiration and peace there.

Going to the temple has been such an important part of this last year at BYU for me.  It has been the best, most amazing year, but there have also been many challenges, and I needed the guidance of the Spirit everyday.  When I needed help or peace, the Provo temple was my go-to place.  I even navigated my daily run so that I could be near the Provo temple everyday.  It is so beautiful, and I always felt separated from the world when I went there.  I went there regularly, sometimes more than once a week, which made all the difference this past year.  It makes me so happy to be there. It keeps me excited about missionary work, and I can't wait to receive the blessings of going through the temple for myself.  I love the temple so much.  It is going to be really hard to not live so close to the temple when I go home.  

Which one?

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Today I read the list of all the missions.  I will be going to one of them.  Crazy.  There are a lot.  We'll just have to wait and see.

My Fate Has Been Decided

Friday, April, 19, 2013

My call was assigned today!!!

This afternoon I was in the library on campus wondering if my call had been assigned, and about two minutes later my bishop texted me to say that it had been assigned and should arrive this next Wednesday.  That means it will be sitting at my house in Oklahoma while I am still at BYU for about a week and a half before I get to open it.  Oh well.

I still can't believe it's actually happening!  I am so excited!

Submitted

Sunday, April, 14, 2013

My mission papers are in!!  I am so happy!  It feels soooo good!  I had a great interview and the stake president let me press the "submit" button on my papers at the end.  It was probably the best feeling in the world.  My papers are officially in Salt Lake.  I love life and I can't wait to serve a mission.  I can't believe that I am so blessed to have this opportunity.  My call should be assigned this week, and it should get to my house in 2-3 weeks.  Holy cow.  Crazy.

So, So Good

Thursday, April 11, 2013

I had my interview, and the Bishop submitted my mission papers to my stake president.  I should get an appointment with him for Sunday, and then my papers will be in.  Crazy!  But so, so good.

Almost There

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I had my doctor's appointment and my interview with the Bishop today.  Now I just need to talk to the Stake President and my papers will be in!  I am so happy and so excited!! :)

Only the Begining

Monday, April 8, 2013

Dang..life is so crazy.  So, so good, but crazy.  I can't believe all of this is happening.  I got my blood-work and all of my paperwork for the dentist done today.  I will have my doctor's physical and final bishop's interview on Wednesday.  I am so close to having my papers submitted.  I am sooo excited and I feel so good about everything.

Six Months Ago Today

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Today was General Conference.  It is so crazy to think that at General Conference six months ago my life was turned upside down in the most amazing way.  My life today is so different as a result of that announcement six months ago.

After watching General Conference, I come home to skype with my family and tell them about my decision.  I am officially going home and going on a mission!  I am so excited and feel so good about it.  Up until yesterday I knew that I wanted to serve a mission, but the timing didn't feel right.  It still seemed like something that was in the future--coming up soon, but not quite yet.  Now it feels perfect.

My papers will be done tomorrow. :)

The Answer--Finally

Friday, April 5, 2013

Today was amazing!  I have been so so stressed the last few days.  I have been questioning almost every important decision that I have to make in the next couple of weeks, and time is running out.  I thought I knew that I should change my major. I prayed about it and felt good, but then I fasted and felt like it was the wrong choice.  Since I don't know about my major, I had no idea what classes I should take over the spring and summer semesters, and I needed to sign up ASAP. I didn't know where I should live during the summer, and I needed to find a job, since the job I thought I would have fell through.  Things just weren't falling into place.

This morning I was talking to my mama about all these things that were weighing down my heart, and how I just didn't know what to do.  I had been trying so hard to listen to the Spirit, but I was still confused.  I am happy to do whatever Heavenly Father wants me to do, I just need to know what it is!

Lately I have been thinking how nice it would be to just go home for a little while, and then go on my mission, instead of staying at BYU for spring and summer before heading out.  That way I wouldn't have to worry about all the things that had been stressing me out.  I thought that staying at BYU for another semester was my only option so I could have time to save money and finish more school since I will lose my scholarship if I serve a mission.  While I was talking to my mama, I told her that all I want to do right now is come home for a month or two, and then go on my mission.  She suggested that I do that.  As soon as she said that, I had such a strong feeling that that was exactly what I needed to do--the weight was immediately lifted off my shoulders.  She told me not to worry about the money for either school or my mission, because it will be taken care of.  This feels so good and right.

I was planning to go to the temple tonight, so she told me to go to the temple, think and pray about it, and make my decision.  I felt so good at the temple.  I absolutely love it there.  I wish I could go everyday.  I received my answer.  I think I was feeling so confused so that I would just go on my mission instead of doing spring/summer.  I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me.  Now I just have to work like crazy to get my papers in.  I want them in by next week.

Life is so amazing.  I can't believe how incredibly blessed I am.  Life is so good. :)

I'M GOING ON A MISSION!! :)

Prospective Missionary Fireside

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Tonight, Amy and I went to the prospective missionary fireside.  Of course, it was awesome.  President Samuelson spoke.  I can't wait to be a missionary! :)

The Right Decision

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

After classes tonight, I went to the Provo temple with some girls from Relief Society.  It was the best experience.  I felt the Spirit so strongly, and I felt peace about some things I have been concerned about.  It was really busy, so we were there for about three hours.  We spent a long time signing hymns in the chapel, which was amazing. Then I had a lot of time to read the scriptures while we were waiting to be baptized and confirmed.  Every time I am unsure about serving a mission, I go to the temple and randomly open the scriptures while I am waiting.  Since my decision to serve, almost every single scripture that I have opened to has been about missionary work.  It confirms to me that a mission is what I need to be doing right now and it makes me so excited to serve the Lord.  It gives me such peace and joy to know that I am on the right track, and that I have the amazing blessing to serve a mission.  I can't believe how lucky I am.  It was so good to be in the temple, and I am so happy and so excited for my mission.

Let's get this Show on the Road

Sunday, February 3, 2013

I had my interview with the Bishop and my mission papers are started.  I am so stinkin' excited!

At least I'm not going to Oklahoma

Monday, January 28, 2013

I am so excited about serving a mission!  I texted my mama today to tell her that I had my interview with the Bishop scheduled.  The only thing she said was that I could thank her for ensuring that I don't get called to Oklahoma.  (Missionaries can't be called to the place where their family lives.)  Haha I love my mama.

Starting my Papers

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Today was an absolutely amazing day.  I have an appointment with the Bishop to start my mission papers next Sunday.  I am so excited.  I can't imagine a better way to spend 18 months.  I just want to go out and share the Gospel right now.  I'll have to wait a little while, but it will be worth the wait.
I AM GOING ON A MISSION!! A week from now my papers will be started!

I'm Goin' on a Mission!

Friday, January 25, 2013

I have decided to serve a mission.  I love my Savior and the Gospel so much, and I just want to share it.  I don't know how everything will work out, but I know if if it Heavenly Father's will that I serve, everything will work out and be ok.

Mission Age Change: The Beginning of my Journey

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Today was an absolutely incredible day.  It was the first day of General Conference.  President Monson made a life-altering announcement this morning that young men can now serve missions at age 18 and young women can serve at age 19.  This is such a blessing!  BYU is going crazy.  Almost everyone's plans for the next three years just got turned upside down.  I have never really planned on serving a mission because I hoped to be working towards getting married by the time I was 21.  It always felt like being 21 was so far off that I didn't have to worry about it yet.  I always thought that I would think about serving a mission once I got that far.  Now all of a sudden I will be 19 in less than three months--this makes serving a mission a real possibility for me.  It blows my mind.  I am thinking about putting in my papers this year and leaving over the summer to serve the Lord for a year and a half.  I'm not sure what will happen yet.  I need to pray to find out if that is what my Heavenly Father wants for me.  I would be so happy if it is in His plan for me.  I really want to serve a mission.

My Mission Blog!

Hey y'all!  Welcome to my mission blog!  I wanted to start my mission blog before I leave on my mission so that I can share the experiences I have in preparing to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints rather than just the experiences I have after I leave.  While I am gone, I will be able to write emails home every week, and my mom will post them here.

I'll start out by explaining my blog title "The White Fields of Peru."  Libby and I spent a long time trying to think of a good blog title, and this is the best we came up with.  It comes from Doctrine and Covenants section 4.  Verses 3-4 say, "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;"  

This scripture is all about missionary work!  When I was in 9th grade, my mom and I attended a mission prep class taught by Jack Christiansen.  I wasn't intentionally preparing to serve a mission at the time, but President Christiansen is an amazing teacher, and I loved going to class.  At the beginning of every class we recited section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants, so this scripture became an important part of who I am and what I believe.  It gets me excited about missionary work, and reminds me that there are individuals waiting to hear the message of the Gospel-- it is up to me to share it with them.  I feel like it is speaking directly to me, since I definitely have desires to serve God.  

If I would have known all of the amazing experiences that would bring me to where I am today in serving a mission, I would have began this blog a long time ago.  I would have started it on October 6, 2012 when this journey all really began.  Since I didn't start it back then, I will copy journal entries instead from those days that impacted where I am now: waiting to serve the people of Peru!

Happy reading!