Is it here yet?

Well, I am MORE than ready to leave for Miami and the cruise in the morning. And tonight just topped off my readiness...really, it did! I can't wait to be in the GORGEOUS Caribbean just soakin' up the sun...ahhh! Gotta love it!

7-week break...{Part one}

JACKSON HOLE!!!

Opal and I left Rexburg the Saturday after school got out to head to Driggs, Idaho. I was so excited to head out and CAMP...I had never camped with just friends so I was ready to have some serious fun! We met up with our friend Sara and her roommate Heather, went on a small walk in the Targhee National Forest and this is the beauty that we saw.

It was July 25th and the city of Driggs welcomed us with a parade (it reminded me of the Cedar Hills parade back in the day!), a picnic with fried chicken, rolls, water and watermelon. And finally we saw John Schmidt in concert...FANTASTIC!

We camped at the Mike Harris Camp ground on the way to Jackson with Opal, Heather, Sara, Shawn and Mike. It was a complete downpour during the concert so of course...the wood was wet. Hence the smokey little fire...thanks Shawn for building it!

So cute...I am the only smart one that brought a camping chair...it was well used!

Finally, this is how we slept...under the stars, well mostly under the tarp...cause it rained! But it was sure fun! Thanks Mike for making Opal and I into a cocoon! We definately stayed warm!

I would dare say that these are my favorite mountains...I love the Tetons! This was on our way up to a hike...it was an adventure!

WE HAVE ARRIVED! This is Phelps Lake behind us...so beautiful!

Looking happy...even though we got lost! Yeah...we got lost, and then it started raining on us...oh, it was so great!

Ahh! We made it back to the bottom and on our way down I met a lady from the Philippines. Opal teases me saying that where ever I go I can find someone who is Filipino...what can I say?

Such a great camping trip even though it was only 2 nights! Thanks for playing friends!

It's official!

I am going to Vegas! I recieved an email today from BYU-Idaho and I will be student teaching in Las Vegas come January 2010! I am super excited to go there and experience something new...yay!

Oh to reminisce!!

Well, some of you may think that I talk about my mission a lot...and I might. But if you went and spent a year an a half with certain people that would be a large part of your life too, right? Well...lately I have been talking with A LOT of people from my mission and it has been so wonderful! Oh, how I love the Philippines!


This is from my 1st area with a family that we were teaching! Such cute girls. If you can imagine, tehy were a family with 6 children and one on the way and they lived in a little hut just off of a river. The hut was about 10 feet by 10 feet and I couldn't even stand straight up in it. Yup, what a humble people! I loved it!

Ate RubyAnne and the kids. She is one of the ones that I recently spoke with. I was teaching her older brother (Kuya Bryan) when I was in my 2nd area. Kuya had cancer with large tumors on his face and collar bone. He went through radiation and the tumors were getting littler but nothing more could be done for him to recover and he never accepted the gospel while I was there. When my parents came to pick me up this was one of the families that we got to visit and Bryan was humble enough to ask my dad to give him a blessing. I just found out from RubyAnne that he passed away about a month after we left the Philippines. What a sweet memory it was to visit there because I got to have a conversation with Bryan and I even asked him if he would accept and be willing to allow his mother to take his name to the temple for him. He agreed. I definatley think that his heart softened and he is now ready and waiting to recieve the full blessings of the gospel! (I found out as well that Nanay, Bryan's mom, is preparing his name so that when the Cebu Temple is finished he will be able to have those blessings!)

Finally, this is my last area. I just spoke with Malou, a girl that I taught who was baptized after I left (that happened more often than I liked...but at least it happend!) She is still strong in the gospel along with her older brother and younger sister. Oh, what a blessing it all is!

I LOVE THE PHILIPPINES!

Temple Worker and Temple Blessings

Is it not a beautiful sight? Well, this is what I can see from my window each morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed. When I am on campus this is what I walk towards and it really gives me a sense of gratitude for the many blessings that we have as members of the church. I have been a temple worker, working every Saturday this summer, since the end of April. It has been such a blessing to help those on the other side of the veil recieve the blessings of the gospel and temple. It has also been such a powerful experience to help those patrons who come in and do the work for the dead. Try memorizing all of those ordinances (especially initiatory) it takes time, but what a spiritual experience! One particular experience that I had was watching a few young children be sealed to their parents for Time and All Eternity. There is nothing quite like it. I just happend to be on the 3 level where the Sealing rooms are and I was invited to witness this sealing. How precious it was and such a tender mercy for me at the time. I know that the Lord knows each of us and our individual needs. Working at the temple has strengthened my testimony and I have seen an increase of love from the Lord poured out upon me. I know that this is the true and living gospel and can bring us everlasting peace as we choose to follow the Lord's plan.