I will never forget as President Monson got up in General Conference and announced the age change for the missionary program. Two of my guy friends were watching film after a Friday night game. I texted them and they didn't believe it till they got home and heard for themselves. I always had planned and knew that my guy friends would go on missions, but I felt like we would go to college first and have a year just like future generations before us. That was not the Lord's plan. Mission call openings started to happen. It was crazy! Every Wednesday and sometimes even Thursday starting around December I would be at one of my friends house as they opened their precious white envelope and announce where they would be headed! In my seminary building we had a "who went to Fremont and now serving a mission wall" and then due to the age change we started "who has their call wall". The "call wall" was filling up fast it. It was so exciting. I had 4 guy friends that were honestly some of my best friends. Once the age change, something clicked in them. They started to mature and well simply be the boys that I knew they would be. They have been officially now out a year!! To think that next summer I'll have them home makes me excited. Yes, they and I have grown up and we are on our own paths now but I feel as though we still have some memories to make with each other. Saying goodbye to these 4 were some of the hardest goodbyes I had. I am so proud of them though! I love reading their emails and letters. Hearing about their experiences and seeing the spiritual growth inside of them inspires me to draw closer to the Savior and gain a stronger testimony. I love them and they will always be my boys!
The age change wasn't just for boys, but for girls as well. I thought saying goodbye to my guy friends was hard...little did I know that saying "see you soon" to my girls would be a lot harder. I was blessed my first year in college, so extremely blessed. My apartment well we were perfect, PV 24 for life. The next door over PV 23 well lets just say they were perfect as well. The Lord knew that I would become best of friends with those girls. Over the course of the school year I watched four girls, two of which I lived with, but four girls whose testimonies changed my life. One is my best friend and I love her. Another one is Maisie Ellen, this woman gets me. She has the biggest heart as well. She always knew just what and when to say things, plus is my partner when we are "crazy" (crazy maisie and crazy jess haha) Kira, she may be small but she has a huge testimony. I'll never forget the late night talks about life and her Relief Society lessons she gave. Aubree Ann, I don't think I have ever been with her and not laughed or smiled. She honestly always made my day better. These now sister missionaries (Aub leaves next Wednesday!) are blessing the lives of people in France, Mexico, Argentina, and Virginia. Yet they still take care of me. Not being able to come home to your best friends and tell the about life, is really hard. Letters and emails me the world to me. So what if I cry at work in my little cubical right?
Yesterday being a Monday and all meant--PDAY! Goodness, I honestly never use my phone any more, except Monday. I had emails flowing in from 9:00-1:00 of emails from everybody. I have a lot of other friends on missions (I just don't have pictures) but I get their emails as well. All of them are so.. h a p p y. They are serving with all they have.
"two years is a time for me (or 18 months), to give back for each breath that i breathe. i know its a small thing compared to eternity.." I love my missionaries. I love this gospel. I love Mondays (only for the fact of these cuties emails though) I love the Lord and I know that he loves me.
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