The Year Mark

Exactly one year ago today, I wrote this entry in my bright pink mission journal as I was preparing for bed:
                This marks the end of my first day in the MTC {Missionary Training Center}. Last night I was stressing out over coming in because I wasn't quite prepared. I didn't have all the things done that I needed. I really shouldn't have worried as much as I did. Today has been great.

I've come to realize that this is my learning process: to have things repeated over and over and over and over and over again. Those first few sentences capture the biggest lesson I learned on my mission, and the lesson that I am still learning in life. The whole moral of my life story is don't stress. God has it all under control. Worrying and stressing about it only makes it worse, and the result is always the same. The result is always His ending.

One of my little quirks is that I like to have control of everything that I can. I want things to go according to my plan, and if they don't, my little world sorta falls apart. As I write this, I'm reaching the conclusion that that is why Heavenly Father sent me on a mission. Serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was never part of my plan. Yet He planted the desire in my heart so that He could help me learn to trust His plan and His timing. I'm a long ways away from completely "putting off the natural man" {Mosiah chapter 3, verse 19, Book of Mormon} but, because of my mission, I am two steps closer to aligning my will to His.

Once I made the decision to serve the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind and strength, {Doctrine and Covenants section 4, verse 2} I thought that, in order to serve with all my heart, might, mind strength, I would need to serve the whole 18 months. But the Lord's timing is different for everyone. My 9 month mission was something that I did with all of my everything. I can say with a clear conscience that I gave the Lord my everything in Alabama. There may have been days that weren't as good as others, but it was a learning experience and I was a little bit better each day. I am eternally grateful for ALL the experiences, good and bad, that I had in Alabama. I am grateful for the people I met and the way that they individually shaped my life. If I had not served a mission, I would not be the woman I am today, and I would not be as close as I am to being the woman God would have me be.

With my AMAZING parents, being dropped off at the MTC.

 All of the missionaries flying to Alabama.