lessons about self worth, dating & boys

Sitting in the window nook in my apartment staring out at the beautiful view of the mountains, I am reminded that I am blessed. I know #blessed is just one of the many catch phrases lately but I truly feel it.

I love what I can do when I put my mind to something. It is only nine days into the third month of this year but I have accomplished and done so much. My life is not perfect by any means but I have learned that we can find those perfect moments. Its in the day to day process that have made me stronger. Since I moved to Provo last August I have seen my fair share of trials. Most of them were inward struggles. Battles within myself. Starting this new year I knew that I needed to make a change. That doesn't mean that things fell into place a little bit or even at all but it means that I had to make the change in myself. I am in control of my life. I am in control of how I feel. I know its stating the obvious but for someone who was fighting against everything that was happening to her, it meant a lot. I've learned this lesson time and time again and each time I re-learn it, I'm in different phases of my life so that meaning changes. New light is shed on me and I learn about myself, others and life each time. I guess what I am getting at is wanting to share the lessons that I have learned in these three months. 

*Disclaimer* Most of what I will be talking about has to do with dating. Provo life, you know? ;)

January:

SAY WHAT YOU MEAN & MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.

I don't even know where I heard this but as long as I can remember, I have been living by this principle. I had a crush on a boy that was my friend, in my ward ANNNNDDD in my FHE group. Brilliant, right? We would hang out, talk, text and flirt. I thought it was great. One night after FHE at my Bishop's house, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to tell him how I felt. I had to ask him on a date. So I did. My roommates got out of the car and I remained in the front seat. I just started to talk. It wasn't word vomit at all. It was clear and straight to the point. He said he would go out with me and I was beaming. Look at me now! I came into my apartment screaming knowing that I had done something that terrified most people (I surprisingly was very calm despite how attractive he was). A week went by and then another and no call from him. We ignored each other at church, FHE and institute. COOOOOOLLL. I was pretty upset. I was angry. I didn't understand. I was like "oh heck no is he doing this to me!" I tried to justify what he did. I gave myself countless pep talks: "You are beautiful." You are worth it." "Who wouldn't want to go out with you?" And while I believe all of these things, I allowed (key word) Satan to creep into my thoughts and feed me these lies. How stupid!! I confronted this boy at institute and said that he was rude and to stop acting immature but that we could just be friends. He didn't know what to say. How often do people actually speak their minds? Especially when it comes to matters of the heart? Its hard. I'm not saying that I always do it and that no one else does. I am just trying to get the point across of how scary it was. I was still nervous and wanted throw up but I did it! And I want other girls to know that they can do it too! You can speak your mind. You are worth it. People want to hear what you have to say. Whether you get the boy or not, it doesn't matter. How you feel about yourself is what matters. 

February:

PATIENCE MEANS TRYING.

I realized for the 4302584298 time that I just couldn't sit on my couch and not date. I couldn't just cry about not getting asked out if I wasn't even going out and being social! Or if all I did was "hang out" with guys all of the time. I needed to try new things. I was open to go on dates with anyone. I had to actually live by my own personal rule: always say yes to a first date. Despite my pride, I got a Tinder account. A little something about me- I was one of the those people that made fun of Tinder. I thought that I was "above" it and that I was cute enough for guys to ask me out in person. So imagine my surprise when that didn't happen all of the time like I thought it would. I felt like I was doing ALL the chasing with boys and I was getting so tired of it. I would cry about nothing (Note: I'm not much of a crier) and feel so worthless. Nothing anyone said to me made me feel better. I didn't know what to do. Each day brought its new set of challenges.

 I was shocked and giddy over how many matches or messages I got from random guys on Tinder. It made me feel good. I talked to so many cute guys. I went on so many dates. I got so many free meals (what's good!). I was feeling HOT. I had never dated that much in my life. But still nothing was clicking. I started to become frustrated wondering what I was doing wrong again. Then there was one boy that changed it all. 

March:

TRUE HAPPINESS COMES FROM ACCEPTANCE.

I met a boy. A cute boy. And we had an instant connection. Funny story: I served in Manassa, Colorado my last transfer (six weeks) of my mission. I was there from January 2015-February 2015. That is where I met the Fringer family. Manassa is where J is from. My companion, Sister Bush, and I would always hear stories about their son, J, on his mission in Wisconsin. He sounded cool but I didn't think much about it because hello I was a sis mish. One P-day I got an email from an Elder Fringer. I turned to Sister Bush and was like "dude I just got an email from E. Fringer?? What the heck??" We were both cracking up laughing wondering 1. How he got my email and 2. What he could possibly be emailing me about. It was about missionary work and it was very cordial, nothing really. We emailed back and forth maybe twice and then I stopped because I was going home and could barely concentrate on my emails every Monday. I went home and honestly forgot all about him. Until Tinder (thank you tinder. Never thought I would say that) He had super liked me (another fun fact: Janaylee, his sister who I knew from my mission was with him when he saw my pictures. He didn't know how to pronounce my name so he asked her. She screamed out "That's Sister Peterson!") I could see the super like so I swiped right on him too because I recognized him. We started talking and I was like "hey I know your family!!!" He got my number and we texted all. the. time. We went on our first date a week later on a Wednesday (2.10.16) and had a really really good time. We just connected so well. Unlike anyone that I have ever met before. The coolest thing is that when he talked about home and the people there, I knew who he was talking about! We kept going on dates and haven't stopped. 

I wanted to write this mostly for myself. I want to remind myself to never, ever, ever, give up. On myself and on others. There is always hope and happiness. We just have to be the ones to seek it out sometimes. Faith is an action word. Take control of your life. Do what you want to do. Ask out the person who you've been eyeing. Tell someone how you really feel. I needed this reminder. I still have trials. I still am struggling but things just got a little bit better when I met someone that likes me for me. I know that I needed to learn these lessons & I know that I have many more to learn. 

xoxo

ONE YEAR

One year. Three hundred and sixty five days. That is how long I have been home from my eighteen month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I served in the Colorado Colorado Springs Mission. I can't believe how fast this past year has flown by but at the same time I have done and accomplished so much in my life. I went back to school, I moved to Idaho and then Utah, I traveled, I tried new things, I decided on a new major, I made new friends and connected with old ones. I made resolutions to change and better myself over and over again. Life after the mission hasn't been easy by any means or even anything that I thought it would be but its my life and I love it.

Happy One Year, Sister Peterson!

EMPOWER

When I was home for Christmas break I was having a late night conversation with two of my main girls, Casey & Nicole. With the new year approaching naturally we were talking about new years resolutions and what we wanted to improve on. Casey told us about this blog that she had seen that suggested on just picking one word for the new year and to then base your resolutions/goals around that word. Brilliant right?! She told us that her word was:listen. I immediately knew what my word would be.

EMPOWER.

1. Empower myself

2. Empower others

3. Empower my testimony

Over the past few months, I have come to love that word and grow a deeper appreciation for what it really means. Once it clicked that I can do anything, literally anything, that I put my mind to, I knew that I could soar. I started looking up scriptures and quotes to coincide with my word choice for the year. That led me to find my quote of the year.

"Correct knowledge of and faith in the Lord empower us to hush our fears because Jesus Christ is the only source of enduring peace. He declared, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23). -Elder David A. Bednar 

I LOVE that. I know that Jesus Christ is my only true source of peace. I know that everything He has done for me and continues to do for me empowers me to BECOME. I heard this quote so many times on my mission... "It's about becoming," God doesn't care so much as where we are now but as where we are going. We shouldn't forget that. 

Because of this I searched out ways to serve. Yesterday, I started this mentor-ship program through BYU. Girls Empowered. Its a ten week program where college aged girls go to a nearby middle school to help troubled young girls realize their potential and live up to it. Finding this flyer was heaven sent. I know that God gave me this opportunity to help me work on my goals. We were all paired off with our own girl that we will mentor for the ten weeks. We played a fun get to know you game that involved skittles which of course the girls were all about. I fell in love with my fourteen year old girl as I listened to her talk to me about her hopes and dreams. After the girls left the counselor who has worked with them for awhile now talked to us about how hard their lives are and what they are going through. Our hearts broke for those cute little girls. How could anyone their age be going through things like that? Its not right. Our hearts also rejoiced when the counselor told us that we are going to make a huge impact in these girls lives. It will be something they will never forget. And I have a feeling neither will we.

A Merry Peterson Christmas

Oh, hey there. Soooo...whoops. Sorry its been so long y'all! I'm mostly writing on here again for three reasons...

1. One of my New Years Resolutions is to blog more because I like pictures and writing so why not, right?
2. I need to be better about writing in my journal so I figured that this works basically the same. Can I get an amen?!
3. My RSP (relief society president), L. Flo (Lauren Flores), reaaaalllyyyy wants me to and I love her so here I am. This is for you boo!

So many things have happened since I last blogged but here are just a few Christmas updates with cute pictures! Yesterday was December 25th, 2015 otherwise known as Christmas as some of you may know... It was the first Christmas that my whole family has been together in about four years. So that was pretty monumental in itself. It was also my first Christmas home from my mission and it felt so good to be around family again for the most wonderful time of the year. 

Me, Jenna holding baby G, Jessyka & Oma Vest

  OKAY baby overload time. #sorrynotsorry #auntielife

Claire & Autumn in their Christmas Outfits

Leah

Claire & Autumn

I was able to meet my two month old nephew, Gordon (Baby G), for the first time. What a squish.

Claire, Me & Autumn 

For our Christmas Eve dinner we eat all sorts of appetizers like chips and homemade salsa (thanks dad!), taquitos, shrimp, mozzarella sticks and homemade sushi (thanks dad!)

Every Christmas Eve we watch Albert Finney's "Scrooge" per my father's request. This kid/line is a classic inside joke with my family.

Back in the 90's when my family lived in California my parent's friends hosted an annual Christmas breakfast where they had an open house type deal. When we moved to Pennsylvania in November of '97 my parents thought that it would be a great way to meet new people so they decided to start their own Christmas breakfast. 2015 marks the eighteenth year!

Christmas Dinner

Mmm Christmas Dinner: Prime Rib, Cheesy rolls (not pictured because I had already eaten it. See that little plate with crumbs on it?), Garlic mashed potatoes, Asparagus and salad (also not pictured because.. hunger.)

"As the Christmas season envelops us with all its glory, may we, as did the Wise Men, seek a bright, particular star to guide us to our Christmas opportunity in service to our fellowman. May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift to the Savior. And may one and all have a joy-filled Christmas." -President Thomas S. Monson

Merry Christmas! xoxo

Family Matters

For my family foundations ( I like to refer to it as marriage and family 101 plus a million) class at BYU-Idaho this semester we have a final project (yesssssss the end is in sight) called the family citizenship capstone project. Basically it’s just a wrap up project of the things that you took away from that semester. You could either pick one of the teacher's suggestions of projects or you could come up with your own idea. Pretty obvious decision. I came up with my own idea for this project. I decided to interview different people like a single person, an engaged couple, a newly-wed couple and a couple that's been married for basically ever (thanks mom!). I asked them questions about their children (future and now), their goals, dreams, advice and what's so great about being married and having a family with the one that you love most in this world. WHY do we get married? WHY is family so important? Being an LDS woman (in Rexburg Idaho, of all places) these two things have come to mean so much more to me over the last couple of years. I wanted to find out what they mean to others. I believe that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. And I believe that that law will never change. Don’t forget what your family means to you. The family you have now and the one that you someday will have. Prepare now to be the kind of person that God knows you can become. If you're not married, work on being the person that your future companion/children need and the right person will come along. Just remember to be happy! If you are married, resolve to work on being a better wife/husband, father/mother. There is always time for improvement within the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

                                                                       THE SINGLE LIFE: MEET MEG (watch out boys;))

  

1. What are your goals for your future family? Have you thought about any?

Yes, I want to establish spiritual patterns early on in my family so that we can continue to build off of that foundation throughout our lives. I want to establish a home where the spirit can dwell and where evil influences won’t be allowed to enter.

2.What goals do you want for you and your future husband?

 I want to strive to ALWAYS have open communication with my husband, I want us each to encourage us to be better in all aspects of our lives, I really want us to be a team (equally yoked), TRUST, always put God first.

3. Is it important to you to have regular family home evening? Why?

 I remember in my family growing up we weren’t always amazing at having family home evening but I do remember that we had it enough that I was this pattern and I want that. I feel like sometimes the littlest things can give the greatest spiritual strength. It’s something I want to start even when it’s just me and my husband even before we have kids because then it will already be a habit.

4. What are some family traditions that you want to have?

I think it would be fun to go on a road trip together once a year. In our family we would have family movie night every Friday so growing up that would be something we would look forward to so that's something that I want to implement in my future family because it’s something really simple but it’s a great way to bond and create memories.

5. Growing up, what have you experienced that would help your family? What wouldn’t work?

I’ve always believed very strongly that the best thing a mother and father can give their children is to love each other. Taking the time to talk about hard things is a worthy investment otherwise problems just get shoved under the rug and are never dealt with and that allows things to fester. You can’t be afraid of communication.

6. Family dinners? Yes or no and why?

YES. Some of my favorite memories were Sunday dinners. We would go around the table and share the best part of our day with each other.  It was a way that we could let steam off and laugh. I look forward to making those memories with my family someday.

7. How do you want to raise your future family? Discipline your children?

I’ve heard it say that “the best teachers let their students teach themselves.” So in my future family I really want to instill gospel principles in children’s lives but as they grow grant them freedom in increments to make their own decisions and learn from those consequences, whether they be good or bad. I also want my children to know that they can come to for anything. I want to be the first person that they go to when they are hurt or confused or alone. I want to teach them about the royal heritage that they come from.

8. What do you look for in an eternal companion?

I want him to put God before anything else (and then me… ha ha!) I think you can tell a lot about a guy by the way he treats his mother and I would hope that he knows his standards and never justifies lowering them under any circumstances. This is important. I want someone that can make me laugh. I feel like laughter keeps you young. I’m a sucker for guys who love children. That’s a huge deal breaker for me.

9. What do you look forward to most in your eternal marriage?

Sex! (just being honest), living with my best friend, experiencing pregnancy, the ups and downs of motherhood, seeing my posterity prosper, flirting in old age *I think that’s cute ;)

10. Why is obtaining an eternal marriage important to you?

It’s everything that I’ve looked forward to since I was five years old, I remember doing the temple in a can activity in young women’s just dreaming about the day that I could find someone who would be mine forever. I love the concept of forever I don’t think that there’s anything more divine. I think that level of commitment scares a lot of people in the world but for me I think the idea of being able to spend eternity with someone that I love is everything that I’ve ever wanted. There’s nothing more romantic. 

                                                                                          THE ENGAGED COUPLE: MEET KYLE & VAL

1. What are your goals for your future family?

I want to be a stay at home mother for the first couple years for my child’s life because Kyle and I realized that’s important. Give my children what I didn’t have. Make sure they get to go to every activity, they are part of clubs. I have a goal of being sealed in the temple so that my children can be born in the covenant.

2. Do you have any goals for you and your future husband?

We want to travel. We have a goal of scripture study together every night. Listen to each other more. Making communication a priority. Be as a debt free as possible.

3. What are some family traditions that you want to have?

Mother goose tradition that Kyle’s family does. You give each other gifts on New Year’s Day. It’s unique to his family so I want to keep that going. Since being best friends our sophomore year in high school we have gone to warehouse beach in Oregon. In my family growing up we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve and then open our stockings on Christmas day.

4. Is it important to you to have regular family home evening? Why?

It’s extremely important to me and mainly for the fact that I didn’t have it. I really enjoyed doing family home evening with others on my mission and I thought “I want to do this with my family”.

5. Growing up, what have you experienced that would help you with your future family? What things did you see that you don’t want to do?

I don’t want to get divorced! Definitely not. I really like how my grandparents have always, always been loyal to each other. I heard in life that you should always be loyal to your spouse first. Even when my grandpa was wrong, my grandma would back him up and of course apologize later… haha.

I want to be affectionate in front of my children. My family is not like that but Kyle’s family is and I really like that.

6. Family dinners? Yes or no and why?

Oh! Definitely! That was one thing that was constant when I was at my grandparents and they were the best!

7. How do you want to raise your future family? Discipline your children?

I want to raise them a home where they can be totally honest. I want to raise them where they are not afraid to say them wrong thing. I want them to feel safe and loved.

I would never hit my kids but I want to explain why things are wrong. I want my kids to understand why they are in trouble and not just tell them they are in trouble because that happened to me growing up.

8. What do you most look forward to for your marriage together?

Can I answer that honestly?  … Sex!

Having a best friend forever. Someone that I will see every day. I will always have a shoulder to cry on, someone to laugh with, to watch movies with. I don’t have to worry about “Oh what if we break up or what are we going to do next year” I’m just excited to have a companion… a forever companion.

9.  How’d you know that you wanted to be together forever?

He’s been my best friend since sophomore year. We have known each other since seventh grade and I’ve always wanted to marry my best friend. We were sitting in the temple and he and I just knew. He had called me up and said “Hey I want to marry you!” and I was a little skeptical and he and I just knew that next weekend that it was right.

10.   What’s the best advice that anyone has given you as you prepare for marriage?

Sacrifice and compromise. My grandma told me that and I was like that’s so right!

                THE NEWLYWEDS: MEET CJ & CORTNEY (Fun fact: They got married on my birthday. How perfect.)

                                                    

1. What are your goals for your future family?

To have all of our children endowed and in the temple with us at least once! (And to have children!)

2. What are some goals that you two have together as a couple? 
Currently, we attend the temple weekly. We rotate through the ordinances. 

We pray and read scriptures together daily. We also try to always eat dinner together and go for a walk or something together at night. 

We also want to go on as many missions as we can later in life (especially CoCo ;))

3. Is it important to you to have regular family home evening? Why?

It is super important! It's also really hard as a married couple because you kind of just stare at each other. We have used it as a tool to get to know others in our ward. But we know it will be an important tool in our future family because it will be where our children learn the foundations of the gospel.

4. What are some family traditions that you want to have? Or that you have already started. 

We definitely want to have family prayer every morning. 

Cortney- I was from a family where my mom would wake up the older kids (high school started later) to make sure we always had family prayer. I always appreciated that. 

Of course we have other traditions for Christmas and stuff that I love as well.

5. Growing up, what have you experienced that would help your family to be better? What wouldn’t work? 

I loved that my parents instilled the knowledge of who I was. I knew I was a daughter of God my whole life. That defined every choice I made and gave me confidence before the Lord and the world. I want to continue that. 

More individualized parenting for each child

6. Family dinners? Yes or no and why?

We love family dinners and both came from a home where they were important! It was great and is great to reconnect at the end of each day. It's also important for us to have the opportunity to remember Heavenly Father. It's not a coincidence that we pray over food.

7. How do you want to raise your future family? Discipline your children?

Come back to us in a few years Hahahahaha. We have no idea. 

8. How would you describe “the honeymoon phase”? Myth or reality? 

Cortney- We were both trying to be realists before we got married, but we still had a slight honeymoon phase where we were totally obsessed with one another. It's a special time, but its better when you're out of it. That's when you really get to choose to love each other. And you stop thinking "Ohhh they're so perfect". You get to have a real shot at a real marriage and getting better together. 

 CJ- I think its truth. It's a period of time where you have no worries. All of your attention is focused on your spouse. 

9. What surprised you the most about being married?

CJ- All of it!  

Cortney- I think just how different it is living with a boy who isn't your brother haha.

10. What’s the best part about marriage?

Cortney- going to bed and waking up with your best buddy. 

CJ- getting to wake up next to Cortney every morning. 

Cortney- that's what I said!!!!! 

THE BEEN TOGETHER FOR THIRTY TWO YEARS COUPLE: MEET JORDAN & ADRIENNE (The greatest parents that ever existed... do I get money for saying that?)

                                   

1.  What were some of your goals for your family when you were newly married?

Raise children in the church, my husband to have good paying jobs to provide for our children, my children to have a good education, live in a good neighborhood, and be raised in a happy family, good experiences with family.

2. Why is family so important?

Side note: *started singing families can be together forever*(more like an outburst). “We need people in our lives that love us and that we can love”

3. What were goals that you had for you and your husband together as a couple?

Be financially stable, Stay healthy (exercise and eat healthy), always stay close and stay friends through communication and living the gospel.

4. What’s the importance of family home evening to you?

Time to spend together as a family. Night set aside specifically to us. I remember when one of my daughters was older, she moved out and came home every Monday night for family night and that is when I really realized how important it is.

5. What are some family traditions that you had when your children were growing up?

Christmas breakfast for neighbors/friends and watching Scrooge on Christmas Eve, visiting family every year (we don't mess around with family reunions), watch general conference together, Christmas time in Philly, fourth of July fireworks at a park.

6. Why are traditions important?

It brings us closer together. They are HAPPY TIMES (for the most part). 

7. Family dinners? Yes or no and why?

YES. Expectation to sit down and eat together. A chance to talk and communicate every night. 

8. How did you discipline your children?

Sometimes we did time-outs but not really

Jordan would take our children into the den and talk to them one on one, lose privileges; we didn't ground our kids (I had to remind her that that is totally false because I was grounded all.the.time. OOPS)

9. What advice would you give about the married life?

Make sure you pray together, have family home evening, and go to church together. Have common values and morals, communicate- talk to each other often, be best friends. Put that person first. Think about what would make that person happy. Do things together. Talk (its super important) look at them as your family. “Don’t look at them like oh, I can get rid of them someday” they are family.

10.   What’s the best part about being married?

You have someone to be with. You’re not alone. You have someone to talk to, cry with, do things with, and raise your children with. When your babies are crying you have someone when you can’t do it anymore hehe.

                                                                                  

                                                                                  REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS MOST

Motherhood: God's Gift to All

Meet Adrienne Jo.

She is a daughter, wife, cousin, niece, aunt, sister, convert to the church. Side note: Hearing her conversion story is the coolest. Y'all should ask her about it sometime if you haven't heard it yet. (seriously guys..get on that!) She is also a role model, an inspiration to all but most importantly she is MY mother. I can't imagine my life without her. As I've grown up, I've realized how much she truly means to me and how much she has done for me and how much she has sacrificed for me throughout my life. She's basically the coolest person ever and if you don't know her, you probably should. She's loyal, caring, trustworthy and fierce (she passed that one onto me ) She inspired me to serve a mission because she set that example by serving one herself. I remember asking her one day before I left on my mission why she decided to serve. At the time she had been a convert to the church for less than two years. Can you even begin to imagine what that would have been like?! She told me that when she had daughters of her own (little did she know that she would have SIX!) and they asked her why she did or didn't serve a mission when she had the opportunity to she wanted to be able to look them in the eyes and tell them that she served a mission because she loves God. She was my biggest support system while I was on my mission. She never missed a single week of emailing me and always spoiled me with letters and packages. I love our mommy daughter dates which mostly... usually... okay let's be real always consisted of Costco runs (trying all the samples.. YOLO. Its a must okay! Hey ma, remember that time you told me to get the strawberries so I was searching high and low for the perfect box of strawberries for you and finally found them but there was only one slight problem... so I made the classic mistake of grabbing the box that was underneath like a million other boxes just to watch the other boxes fall all over the floor and all you did was laugh at me? Real nice. Real classy. And Costco didn't even kick us out guys! What nice people. Let's keep in mind that this was the summer before my mission haha) This woman makes me laugh. All of my friends tell me how hilarious my mom is and its true! Especially on social media.. that woman writes some hilarious posts. Add her on Facebook! You'll see what I mean :) 
I know that no one could have raised (and handled me) as well as my mother has. That's because she is the perfect mom for me. I'll always be your brown eyed baby girl. 
Happy Mother's Day! 
I love you mommy!!  ‪

RM LIFE

The Philly airport @ 1am.
That's a normal time to be at the airport, right?
Friday, February 27th 2015

Welp. I'm home. I'm a Returned Missionary... That's crazy to say. But also so so so awesome.

This is week two of being home.

It's weird.

But a happy weird.

<---Here's proof

I love reconnecting with family, old friends, mission companions/friends. Its been super fun. But I do miss my mission a ton. I miss Colorado. I miss wearing a nametag. I miss teaching the gospel. And I even miss having a companion... did I just say that? Totally kidding but that alone time thing though...

RM life is a tad bit awkward. Even though I didn't learn a new language on my mission. I feel like I did! (mission lingo for the win) I keep mixing up words and phrases, stumbling over my words. I think the universe just likes the fact that RM's are super awkward. I'm sure that its charming, right?

Enough about my awkwardness, lets get to the spiritual aspect of this post...

I LOVE my mission for several reasons but just to name a few:

It changed me. You can't learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and teach it every day and NOT become more fully converted to the gospel.

It strengthened me.

It made me think about my life and how I needed to change to be who Heavenly Father knows I could be.

It gave me hope. The kind of hope that helped me to know that I can get through anything with God.

My relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ is so much stronger because I was allowed to feel just a sliver (probably smaller.. so maybe a speck? or a dot?) of how he felt while he was on the earth.

It helped me understand the scriptures/doctrine better.

It helped me to gain a better eternal perspective.

It was the best thing for my life.

It helped me make better goals for myself.

It helped me to know where I want to go after this life.

It helped me to know who I am and to act accordingly.

I was able to feel Godly love for those around me. You just learn to love people when you see  them through God's eyes.

The people that I met. (Probably one of my favorite things about the mission)

 The laughs, inside jokes, awkward funny moments AND the hard trials, the heartache, and the  disappointment. I know that there must be opposition in all things. And that's okay.

I just like to look at it as: I'm Kyra 2.0 ;)

I couldn't have asked for a better experience and I thank my Father in Heaven every day that I was able to serve a mission. It may not have been part of my life plans a few years ago but I KNOW with all my heart that I needed to serve a mission. There are people that I met on my mission that I know that I needed to find and teach. We can have such powerful influences on others lives whether we realize it or not. I learned that its important to share the gospel at. all. times. We can do that by our words or actions. Choose to do both!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. It changes people. It saves their lives. I know this because that's exactly what it did for me.

                                            Happy Monday y'all!