As Sisters in Zion

One of my favorite things is to read emails from my sister missionary friends because, as I sit here with feelings of inadequacy, wondering if I'll ever be able to know enough {not if I'll know all of the things that the gospel teaches, because I already know I won't be able to learn it all before or even during my mission} but just enough to answer someone's burning curiosity, it brings me great comfort to see what they are doing and how they are relying on the Lord to pull them through. These girls were already amazing, but I can see small changes in them through their emails. They are so happy and bright and cheerful. Things may be tough, but I can tell that they know that things will all work out in the end. I take great comfort in their scriptures and words of wisdom that they send, unknowingly helping me through this tough time of waiting and preparing to serve. Here are some that they have sent that might bring you comfort as well.
From Sister Albrechtsen, still in the MTC, but called to serve in the Independence Missouri Visitors' Center:

I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had to grow through my struggles and trials. I know that in every trial there is something that I can grow from. We just need to endure it well. After everything happened last week, it was really hard. When we got to go to the temple last Thursday I came across these scriptures. They are when Joseph Smith is in Liberty Jail and he was asking the Lord:

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

In response he received this: (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-9)

 7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

 8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high;thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

Remember that no matter what we are going through, we are never alone and that we can get through anything that we are facing. Whenever we are facing anything, remember that our trials will pass and that we can make it through! Remember to rely on the Lord, and stay positive. If we do so, the Lord will bless us!

From Sister Hunt serving in Cleveland, Ohio:

• Before we can 'hasten the work' we MUST hasten ourselves.
• Your mission should be the template of your life, if it isn't, that is a call to repentance.
• "Kick when you don't want to kick, and stroke when you don't want to stroke."
• This is Real Life. Capital R capitol L. Don't treat right now ( on or off your mission ) as some kind of game. This is Real.
• We must teach with POWER and AUTHORITY.
• ASTONISH people by the way you live your life.
• This church is true. Elder Holland wouldn't be dedicating his life to some cunningly devised fable or a fairytale. This is the way the truth and the light.

I hope these Sisters' words can bring you as much comfort as they did for me. I know that the Lord forgives my inadequacy, knowing that I am striving for perfection but won't be able to reach it on my own. This is why He gave us the Savior and the Atonement, to be able to repent and become perfect through Him. We can only become better if we turn to the Lord. He is waiting, but He cannot help us if we don't first seek His help.

I found this picture on Instagram and set it as my background because it brings me comfort whenever I look at it. It's a great reminder that I need to stop worrying so much and put my faith in the Lord. 

Box of Sunshine

I'm so excited for tomorrow because, according to the post office worker, that is when Sister Hunt will be receiving her Sunshine Package! Sister Hunt and I have been friends since she moved into my ward a few years ago. She is very sweet and we always have a great time whenever we get together, which used to be quite often before she entered the mission field. Sister Hunt left for the Ohio Cleveland mission in January, while I was still at college, so I missed out on her farewell, which I was bummed about. I've written her once, so I decided it would be nice to send her a package to let her know we loved her. Four friends joined me in putting together Sister Hunt's sunshine package, which I was grateful for because it meant we could send her more without it being too expensive for me or any other person, and we got lots of variety in what was sent to her.
I bet you're thinking, "What on Earth is this sunshine package she keeps talking about??" It's simply a package full of fun yellow things. I'll admit, I didn't come up with this awesome idea by myself, but I took it off of....you guessed it, Pinterest. {Gosh I love that site} I just took the general idea and ran with whatever yellow things the girls brought me. So if you're hoping to send a sunshine package to someone you love, just grab all the yellow things you can and pack them up!

Here's a list of the things we put into our box of sunshine. It contained:
Wheat thins
Lays Stax
Fiber One bars
Juicy Fruit gum
Crystal Light
Yellow Cake Mix
Jello mix
Popcorn
Lemonheads
Lemonade packets
Butterscotch candy
Mac n' cheese

A Little Ball
Kleenex
Balloons
Journal
Facial wipes
Hand sanitizer
Post it notes
Note cards
Cupcake liners
Goldfish container
Spongebob Stickers
Butterfly spatula
Glow sticks
Bubble necklace
Tooth brush {it's orange, but still works}
Straws
Head band
Silly string
Hair bows
Earrings
Sun stickers

The finished product

We love our Brookie-poo and this was a really fun way to show her. I hope this gives you some fun ideas that you can adapt for yourself!

The Wonders of God's World

Every summer, Mom's side of the family gets together and goes camping for a few days up in the woods out of the heat. Since my report date is fast approaching, we did our trip earlier this year than we have in the past and went the last weekend in May. We didn't have everyone there, but it was still a great time.
As we all got ready for bed that first night, I couldn't help but notice the stars. I pulled my sleeping bag out of the tent, wrapped up in my cozy blanket, and just gazed at the sky in all directions. While I was at college, I always missed being able to see all the stars I could see from my backyard, which I thought was a lot. I was wrong. At home, I just stared straight up into the night sky. In the woods that night, I could turn my head left and right and see stars all the way down to the horizon. It was so breathtaking to me.
Our second day, we all piled into cars and journeyed to a fire watch tower, where rangers have a good view of the forest to watch for forest fires. It was a long climb, but we all made it, even my 78 year old grandfather! {But my grandmother did stay below.} The tower was well over the trees and you could see for miles and miles. Seeing all those trees was marvelous because there were so many!
The ranger on duty had some hummingbird feeders placed out to attract the fleeting little birds. I could have sat out there for hours, listening and watching all of the hummingbirds zip around, land to sip, than take off again. They were so fast, I couldn't really see them unless they landed to drink from the feeders. But I still loved it.
Maybe it was the fact that I was surrounded by God's creations and away from the noise of everyday life with television, Internet and daily mundane tasks that I feel have to be done, but I have a greater appreciation for this beautiful world. People wonder if there really is a God, but I wonder how they could even question it. Some say that all of this was an accident, some mysterious big bang, and that there is no purpose to our lives. If people were to step away from their computers, their Ipods, their shopping, their cars and any other worldly possessions that they hold high that really have no importance and look closely at the things around them, "stop and smell the flowers" so to speak, they would see that our world is no accident. It is so complex the way it is organized, with so many plants animals just growing and taking care of themselves, knowing what it is that they must do to survive. When people say there is no God, I just want to show them
the petals of a rose,

or the waves breaking against the shore,

look into a baby's eyes,

or even just have them feel the wind rushing by.

All these things are evidence to me that there is a loving Heavenly Father who created this world for us that we might be able to grow and become like Him. There are so many small, everyday miracles mixed into the grand scale of things. I personally think that we as a human race need to slow down our fast paced life that we have tricked ourselves into thinking we need to live and realize that there is a bigger picture that we are living.

On another note, I have exactly one week until I report to the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center. I am so excited for this wonderful opportunity that I have to serve the Lord and the people of Alabama. Ready or not, here I come!!