Five years! It’s been five years since I’ve come home from my mission and I don’t know where the time has gone!
Five years ago today when I arrived at the airport and saw my parents at the bottom of the escalator and I
remember I just started bawling 😭 Not because I was excited to be home but because when I saw my family it hit
me that my mission was over and I wasn’t ready for that. I stayed at the top of those stairs for 15 minutes trying
to get myself together as I saw other missionaries reunite with their families. I finally made it down the stairs and
hugged my mom and I started crying all over again because I was so sad to be home. (Please tell me I’m not the only one!)
My mission was an unforgettable 18 months where I deeply connected with my God and his Son. That year and
My mission was an unforgettable 18 months where I deeply connected with my God and his Son. That year and
a half is where I greater understood how important it is to act on the things I believe. When I acted my faith grew.
When I acted, my love for others around me grew. When I acted, I grew.
The Anaheim, California area will always have a very special place in my heart and it will always be a piece of my home. ❤️🏠
(And yes, I cried writing this. My memories of my mission are so special, that it’s impossible not to reflect on
The Anaheim, California area will always have a very special place in my heart and it will always be a piece of my home. ❤️🏠
(And yes, I cried writing this. My memories of my mission are so special, that it’s impossible not to reflect on
those experiences with with so much joy. And sometimes I want more of that 24/7 missionary work back in
my life because it sure created some unforgettable moments.)
Life 5 Years Later
Enjoying:
Being done with school! No more homework. It's beautiful!
Living:
Utah
Looking Forward To:
Walking for graduation in May
Reading:
Not really anything right now. Loosely, Harry Potter #1
Job:
Special Education Teacher!
Working On:
Putting my classroom together.
Compassionate Service Leader
How My Testimony Has Grown:
One thing that I have really grown to realize more this past year is how much God cares about me and my life plans. When I started my first year of college, special education was not on my radar. A friend had suggested it to me and I said, "Not happening." I don't know how but before fall semester ended, I was full speed ahead with special ed, and I felt very strongly that it was the correct career choice for me. Many obstacles came into my life that made it difficult to pursue my major, but time after time, my Heavenly Father was there to make sure I could overcome the barriers, or in some cases they would be completely removed. I prayed so many times for things to work out.
One major thing that I prayed for was to pass my Praxis test in Math and Science- my two worst subjects. I had avoided taking it because I was so stressed about it, I didn't even want to think about it. But the time came where I needed to take both sections of the test if I wanted to student teach that fall. Without passing them, I would not be able to move forward in my schooling and would have to hold of student teaching. I know it was my fault, and my poor planning. I studied so much for those sections and poured over study guides the praxis test provided. I spent hours a day studying and tears came. I finally booked my test dates at the beginning of August (student teaching started 3 weeks later) and it came to the point where the only thing I could do was pray. I went to my first test, science. I looked at the first question, and I was like, "How in the world does this even relate to what I studied for?" And that is how it was for the majority of the test. I was simply guessing. The next day, I took the math test. Same thing. I had not even done some of that stuff in college. It was not even close to the elementary math that they gave on the study material. Some answers were fill in the blank and I had no idea, so I could not even guess. When I walked out I knew I did the best I could and I hoped it would be enough. When I got my results back I found out that I had passed both sections on my test and not just barely, but well over the minimum mark! There is NO WAY I could have done that on my own. Prayer is real! God listens. I was able to student teach, get my degree, and find a job. Miracles happen!
There have been a few times during the year with other things where I prayed for something to happen. These were things that were completely out of my control. I could do nothing to make it happen. In that week, my prayer was not answered once, but twice! And it happened a few other times through out the year as well. Prayer is real! God listens.
I know that every time I pray, things won't always happen the way I wish. I just feel with the first experience I shared with special education, my want was aligned with God and He fought with me to make it happen. With my second experience, I feel it was something that was simple and not too life altering, but just a simple desire that was hard for me to not receive. I still struggle with it to this day, and I do all I can to make it better, but usually it's out of my own power and I just have to hope everything works out. But what I do know is that prayer is real. God listens to me and He loves me more than I understand. And miracles happen daily.
And here's past blog posts about marking my return home:
