Well, everyone, I have so much to say so brace yourselves! This week has been so hard, but honestly the best growing experience of my life! There is no growth in the comfort zone and little comfort with growth, though. I have never had such sincere prayers and been able to recognize God's hand in my life as much as I do now. I just feel like a whole new person!
We'll start with the basics, though. I love the workout classes here! Every morning we're supposed to wake up at 6:30, but us sisters have the option of going to a 6:00-6:45 girls-only workout class in addition to our gym time later in the day. One day the class was a cardio kick boxing routine and honestly I think it's been my favorite so far. Also, my companion is so sweet and supportive. She's always willing to come to the classes/gym with me and says she promises she doesn't feel pressured to, but I'm sure she wouldn't want to go if she honestly didn't know if I wanted to or not.
Onto my companion, Sister Jacobs: we are honestly like night and day in our personalities and interests, but I just love her to death! We work so well together and I think it's honestly because we're so different. Our strengths and weaknesses kind of fit together almost like a perfect puzzle piece. I know that God put her in my life specifically because she has helped me to grow so much and has made this an even better experience for me.
Thank you so much for the packages!!! I was struggling at first because I missed having familiar people in my life and I was getting used to everything, but then I was just flooded with love and I feel like I'm on top of the world now! All of my packages came on the same day, Monday, and I'm still living off of the high. My mommy/grandparents sent me Krispy Kremes with hats (which my district LOVEEEDDDDD). Good ole Shari got me this cute package with various things I was honestly just saying I needed right before I got the package - ask my companion. Collin sent me 4.05 pounds of fudge brownies, which my roommates and everyone who passes by our room is so grateful for. We're still not even half-way done with them and we've had a lot of visitors come in for some! Also, my feet have had a hard time adjusting to wearing flats all the time and one day I came back to class and was told that Davi stopped by and dropped off a present for me! It was super comfy/thick no-show socks and a journal! I am so sad I missed seeing Davi and I hope I can see her again before I leave, but I am sooo grateful for those dang wonderful socks!
At the gym the other day, I saw some people signing to eachother and so I asked them in ASL if they were Deaf. They told me they're not, but they're being trained to serve ASL missions. Anyways, we just kept signing and signing (for so long that I used up like half of my gym time just with that) and more and more of their ASL friends would come up and join the convo. They ended up inviting my companion and I to sit at "the cool table" with their ASL friends (my companion took a semester of ASL at BYU and loved it btw) at meals, but I went to the table they told me about and it was full. :( Today, however, I saw them again and told them the table was full and they said to try again for dinner tonight and they'll try to save two seats. I just love ASL and I want to sign everywhere I go so wish me luck in sitting with them tonight.
Now for my roommates: I live in a dorm with three other girls - my companion who's going to Vancouver with me and another companionship of sisters going to North Dakota. I honestly couldn't love them more. They are such a crack up and it is so hard to go to bed on time because we all just want to talk and laugh and catch up on our lives when we're in the room together every night. Sister Shutt is just like me it's weird. We're like the same person and we've had such similar experiences in life. Sister Robinson is just like Collin in almost every way (weird haha ik) and we always joke around that she was called to be in the same room as me bc God knew I would still need Collin here, but just a white girl version of him. All four of us get along so well and I couldn't be more grateful for our conversations.
Ok, time for me to get deep and all spiritual: Here are some various thoughts and experiences I've had.
I came across Moroni 7:45 the other day and I just love it. I was focusing on the "envieth not" part and you can apply that in so many different ways. I shouldn't be envious of ASL missionaries because I know this mission is perfect for me and God has prepared me specifically for my life experiences, not anyone else's. There was a lot of other thoughts I had on that, but I need to speed this up because it's almost time for me to do laundry.
We listened to a talk from Elder Steve Allen on Sunday and he said, "When your heart aches it stretches to make room for somethings more." That is real. I spent the first couple of days missing everyone, but I also spent the first couple of days growing more than I ever have before. Later that night I read Alma 32:28 and it just reaffirmed that thought. We can't grow without pain, and I am so thankful for the opportunities we have to grow even with the pain it can bring.
Another time during our personal study time, I was reading about Christ's love for us and I just know that God know us each individually. I know He wants the best for us so He is always there weeping for us when we suffer and rejoicing for us when we make the right decisions and find a greater happiness. While there's nobody else on Earth that knows exactly what we've been though/what we will go through, God knows every pain of ours and we can go to Him to find answer to questions or solutions to problems for SERIOUSLY ANYTHING!!
Ok I need to go, but send me letters everyone! I have limited time on my email, so emails aren't the best but letters/packages are the greatest. I love you all and I love this experience and I love God and I know He loves us all on an individual level. Now I'm rambling, but I'm just so full of love! Sorry if my emotions are overwhelming. I don't even know what to do with all of them sometimes.
Also, I'll be sending lots of pics after this. Byeee, love you all!
