10 more days!!

At times I feel like this



while at other times I feel like this...


Or


but then I say a little prayer and I'm back to this.


and I just remember that this is how I really feel

They did!!! THEY CALLED ME ON A MISSION!!!

Alright so I have a small confession to make. I am EXTREMELY impatient. It's something that I'm working on, but lesbehonest. I am not a happy camper when I have to wait. I had all of my mission papers finished. I'd gone to the appointments, filled out the paperwork, had my interviews. All was well...as far as I knew! After an unexpected week long delay my papers finally made it to the mission office. If all went according to plan I should have my call by January 31st. However of course not much in my life ends up going according to plan...so after 3 days of my call being late I fasted for patience. I was so bummed. I just wanted to know where I was going. My dad even video taped the disappointing look on my face as I opened the mail box to another day without a mission call. I needed a little help.

Monday February 4th came around and I was scheduled to work allll day. I had a short break between shifts and so I sped home to check the mail. It was there. I wanted to scream for joy. I wanted to jump and shout. I did a happy little skip because I couldn't contain all of my excitement. The elderly man getting his mail a few feet away may or may not have been taken by surprise from the sudden movement, but whatever. I wasn't caring at all. The plan was to hide my call so my mom couldn't open it while I was at work. I was going to open it in front of friends and family the very next morning. That was the plan. I swear I wanted to wait. I couldn't though. I couldn't wait two seconds longer. I ran up stairs, slid a knife under the envelope flap and pulled it out with shaking hands. I didn't even really read it. "Dear sister Winsor...." And then I think I had a small heart attack. 

No way was that my mission call. I didn't even know where that was! "Is that in Russia? I'm speaking Russian must be in Russia. Is Ukraine its own country? How do I even pronounce kyiv?!" These were some of the thoughts racing through my mind. I was not expecting such an AWESOME mission call. I really had believed I'd be stuck in some crazy backwoods town in the middle of Thelma's way. (That's a book, "trust in Thelma's way" it's HILARIOUS) I for sure thought I'd be staying stateside at least. What a surprise! I wanted to scream and shout, I cried a bit, I wanted to tell the world.

BUT. There was that whole issue with me opening if before I was really supposed to. No one could know. I had to tell someone though or I was going to explode. I decided to write an email to my other half who happens to be on a mission in Oklahoma and she'd been out a month already. My mom came in and was standing there while I emailed her...so of course for fear of her reading it I typed a normal email. I'll go ahead and provide the email so I get my exact feelings across. 

"Sister Mele, 

I love you SO MUCH. I sent your surprise to the mission home because I had NO IDEA you'd be going to Arkansas first! So I'm sure it's made it there by now. I imagine you'll get it when you go to zone conference. I did send you a letter on Saturday though to your Arkansas address :) I miss you every single day. So i'm bummed you wont get to read this until next Monday but it's ok. I GOT MY CALL IN THE MAIL TODAY!!!! I'm so stinking excited. I'm opening it tomorrow in front of friends and family. I am super bummed that you can't be on the phone, but your family might be so that's almost close to... still not being the same thing... I miss your beautiful face. ooook my mom just left.

I OPENED IT ALREADY BECAUSE WE BOTH KNOW I'M AWFUL AT WAITING...I AM GOING TO RUSSIA!!!!!!! YOU ARE THE FIRST TO KNOW EVEN IF YOU CAN'T READ THIS UNTIL MONDAY. ELLE I'M FREAKING OUT!!!! I HAVE TO LEARN RUSSIAN. ITS REALLY COLD THERE. i want to cry but i can't cuz then everyone would know I peeked...I'm so freaking excited and scared at the same time. I can't even freak out about it!!!! I'm going to vomit. I wish you were here. OOOOOOOH MY GOSHHHHH Russian is sooo stinking hard. 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I don't even know what to do. I'm dying here. I just realized I didn't even look at the date. Crap. I don't even know when I leave. awww dang...I didn't reseal it yet. Maybe I'll have to go look. 

HOOLLY crap I don't even know what to do right now. I love you woman. I'll let you know when I leave later. I miss you times a million. I love you

k bye.

Freaking out. Love you. "

I did go back and look and I saw June 19 and my heart fell ever so slightly. That is 5 months away. I don't think I'll ever make it. I did fast for patience though. Nothing like a lesson hiding around the corner for you to make your day huh? 

I am so excited though. I was able to pull it off pretty well the next day. I was shaking and tearing up and I don't think anyone could tell that I already knew the contents of the glorious envelope. 

I can't wait to serve my Father in Heaven through serving the beautiful people of Ukraine.

133 days to go! 

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

So. I've made a huge decision. It's one that I'm very excited about and one that will definitely change my life for the best. As you all know, in October of 2012 President Thomas S Monson (head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) made an announcement that was truly wonderful and exciting. He lowered the age at which missions could be served. Instead of 19, boys will be able to leave on missions at 18. Instead of 21, women could serve at 19. It was a pretty huge deal! Many sisters put in their papers by the end of the next week. I on the other hand didn't think a mission would be in my plans. I had too much going on. I wanted to get through school, I wanted to get married, basically I didn't want to put my life on hold for 18 months because I didn't know what I would come back to. I was thinking selfishly. I didn't want to let my Father in Heaven down though. I did pray. I prayed that I would know if a mission was what I was supposed to do. I told myself that if I was supposed to serve a mission then I would. For weeks I didn't receive any answers. I still wasn't planning on a mission. I registered for classes at school. About a month passed and I attended a baptism for 5 kids in the ward. I'd been asked to play the piano, but the problem was is that I was scheduled to work that day. I called everyone. No one could cover. I worried I might have to back out of playing the piano. I really wanted to be at the baptism. A little girl I babysat was going to be baptized. I asked everyone at work and then I asked everyone again. No one was able to cover for me.  It may have been the day before or two days before when a miracle occurred. A girl that works int eh kitchen heard I needed someone to cover me. She was already scheduled at the same time, but she told me I could ask the kitchen staff if anyone could cover her shift in the kitchen and she would then cover mine. I found someone at the last second and it all worked out. I was able to go to the baptism.

I'm so grateful that I was.

I played the piano and all was fine. I sat and watched the kids as they were baptized. As I watched each one enter the waters of baptism I thought on my own baptism. How happy I was. I felt the spirit so strong and my prayer was answered at that moment. I needed to serve a mission. I wanted so badly to bring people to be baptized so that they could be as happy as I was. I sat there as a few tears escaped my eyes and knew I was going to serve a mission. I wasn't scared or nervous. I was extremely excited and happy. I felt at peace. 

I AM GOING ON A MISSION! 

That's the big news. I went straight home and told my dad who was of course extremely supportive. I will definitely keep you all updated on the mission front and Ill post here where I am to be called. 

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only church on this earth that contains the entire gospel as it was when Christ was on the earth. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is the word of God through the mouths of His prophets. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet called of God to restore the true church and to translate the Book of Mormon. He is a man I admire very much. I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lived on this earth and preformed many miracles. He died on the cross for me that I may be resurrected after my death and return to live with Him in His glory. I owe Him everything and I will serve my mission to the best of my ability. I am so excited!

Today I am feeling...

Even adult women need a time out!

I know I've already blogged two stories today, but I can't promise I'll be on again soon and I would like to make sure that this story is told. I'll be up front. This one isn't funny. It's just a recount of my weekend.

So I don't know if you've ever heard of the conference "Time Out for Women" it's a weekend thing for women. It's a time to get away and listen to wonderful talks given by wonderful people and the chance to hear lovely musical numbers. This was the first one I'd had the opportunity to go to. My mom asked if I wanted to go. I wasn't really looking forward to sitting still for hours on end to listen to people I didn't know talk about church stuff. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy going to church, but I feel like 3 hours on Sunday was enough church for a weekend, I didn't want to give up 3 hours on Friday and 6 on Saturday for it as well.

I'm SO glad I went. I usually have an extremely hard time paying attention to one person talking for more than 15 minutes. I swear I'm ADD. Even if it looks like I'm paying attention to someone chances are my mind is elsewhere. It's not a lack of interest. It's literally just a lack of focus. I really went so that I could have an excuse not to work for the weekend. I planned on snoozing through a talk or two and catching up on some sleep that I'd been lacking.

Here is the link to what our line up was for the weekend.

I don't know if you've heard of any of these people. (If you have it's most likely Hilary Weeks or Brad Wilcox) but they were all AMAZING speakers. They each had fantastic stories to tell. I cried. I'll be real I cried. I don't cry, and I cried. Just watch this video and you'll probably want to go too.



We had the opportunity to hear from this woman Mariama Kallon. She has an amazing and sad story. She inspires me.



She is also featured in this music video from Hilary Weeks who was another presenter. I fell in love with her music and she is also a very entertaining speaker. This song is fantastic and so sad yet spiritually edifying.




Anyway it was a GREAT weekend. I didn't fall asleep once and I paid attention to each and every speaker which I realize is a miracle in itself.

Lastly I want to thank my mom. I can't express in words how much I love my mom. She is an inspiration to me and a great example of the truth and love that comes with being a part of this wonderful gospel that she has raised me in. I know I wouldn't be the person I am today without her constant love and example of service and kindness that she has been. I know we don't always get along, but if we did then people would probably thing there was something wrong with us. Seriously she is the best. I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a great and steadfast mother who has never failed to stand up for truth and righteousness in my eyes. I love you mom.