3 Years Ago

Click!

Three years ago today (March 25th), I clicked my seat belt (my VC sisters know what I'm talking about) and returned from serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For 18 months, I taught the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to the wonderful people of Oakland, California. I loved my mission because of the experiences I had, the people I met and taught and how much I grew to love them. My mission taught me more fully that I am a daughter of God, that He loves us, and that He has a plan for us. He calls prophets today to guide us and has restored His church through one of those prophets, Joseph Smith. Jesus Christ is our Savior, and through Him, we can return to God's presence and be with our loved ones forever. These things I know to be true. If you ever have any questions about any of these things, about what in the world a Mormon missionary does, or what Mormons believe, go ahead and ask me! :) I'd be happy to satisfy your curiosity!

I realize no one else may care that I served a mission or that I had these experiences, so I do apologize to anyone reading this for the plethora of photos to come. I tried to keep them in order, from beginning to end of my mission. :)

1st transfer, 1st Christmas, being silly at home on New Year's.

Full pros in Livermore and training a new missionary for the 1st time!
(Look how cute Pres. and Sis. Beck are!)

LOVING full pros and the people of Livermore!
(Please note the photo of the 4 Latinas with the "serious" face!)

Back to the VC... with poison oak. :( On the bottom: "scripture power" at
Pixar Studios plus one of my VC miracles! Oh, how I loved being a VC sister!

Back to San Leandro! Swapping flags, eating a lot, Gonzalito & Jenny, plus
an awesome finger-painting district activity. (Thank you, Curtis's!)

Oakland 6th! On the bottom: weekly planning at the ISC + decorating
wedding cakes (we were experts :D) .

Training Round 2, the end of the Angela Johnson sculptures exhibit,
Tongan New Year's (ie- LOTS of meat) and a wonderful baptism.

Departing Directors (the Pedersen's), Mario y Yesenia (y Karen, claro),
new Director's wife (Sis. Smith), VC sisters on St. Patty's Day.

The Curtis's! + departing sisters photo shoot

My two babies! New VC Directors (the Smith's!), dinner with the
Escobar's, and last zone activity with our awesome apparel.

The 3 departing VC sisters, the whole dying group, my VC sisters wore PINK
to our farewell breakfast bc it's my favorite color (almost made me cry!), and
this card Sister Beck made really DID make me cry!

If you're considering serving a mission... GO. My mission has been one of the greatest blessings of my life, and I will forever be grateful I went. I know I was supposed to go. I think of my investigators, converts, the members, those I taught, and those with whom I served often, and I love them all so very much. I pray that as I live my life today, I can continue to do so with the same spirit of service and love I tried to develop as a missionary, so that others can feel of God's love through me.