i hope they call me on a mission!

i wasn't one of those kids that spent their whole growing up years planning and hoping to go on a mission.

in fact, my plan was to get married to a RM by the time i was 19 (naive, right?)

well, my 19th birthday came and went and now that i'm the big 2-0 i can see that is a blessing in disguise.

i have learned more about myself since i graduated high school then i did all the years leading up to then. 

i have learned that i can overcome trials, however hard they may be, when i have trust in Heavenly Father. i have learned to be happy to be myself. that's not always easy, i definitely have days where its hard to see my self-worth, but i'm not worried about trying to impress people. i have learned that while make-up, clothes, and hairstyles can make you feel good about yourself and accentuate your beauty they do not define you. i have come to realize some talents i have and am working to improve them. i have realized that sometimes love just comes softly and that it happens when you least expect. i have also realized just how vital my family is in my life and how many people out there that love and support me. i've realized its ok to be silly and goofy because that's part of me. i have realized that i can be tough and work hard and that crying is acceptable. 

above all, i have realized that i can change lives.

i didn't really get that growing up. but i know that now.

i have always had a testimony but my shy introverted self prefers to keep it to myself and not draw attention to myself. and guess what guys?

this girl is going on a mission.

even with my mission call the thought is still slightly overwhelming and midly terrifying.

but i decided to not put myself first. i decided that i wasn't born to sit on the back bench of church my whole life and not say a peep. no sir, i want everyone to know that i have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that it can change and bless lives. i want to attest to the happiness, comfort, and peace that living the gospel brings. i want to help people to be with their loved ones forever. i want to show others a better way of life. i want to become a better example and learn more charity, i want to learn how to be a teacher and a leader. i am out to be a better person.

in august i'll still be a servant of the Lord, but i'll have a name tag.

i'm going to Kentucky y'all!

(little fun fact, generations ago my grandpa's family lived there and i guess there are still some distant relatives that live there)

i am pretty excited! 

some days i doubt myself, but i know that Heavenly Father will help me as long as i put forth my best effort.

yep, in a couple months i'll be in the midst of horse racing, nascar, hillbillies, bluegrass, tobacco, and southern cuisine. guaranteed to be like nowhere i've ever been before. but i have no doubt it is where i am supposed to be. i am needed in that mission and i'll do my best to prepare.