So I'm assuming everyone wants an update and needs to know what is going on. Well, after about 16 months of interviews with LDS family services, multiple doctor appointments, countless fights, 44 credits and 4 semesters at BYUI, and the so many amazing friends that I have made at school, my mission papers are officially in. This has been such a long process for me and a tiring one too. I started my papers in June of 2016. At that time, I was just graduating high school and about ready to go to Peru. I later found out that LDS family services denied me and told me to wait. So I headed off to summer session which was my original plan.
During my summer session, I had a lot of rough times. I didn't always get along with my roommates and I fought with them a lot. However, I really enjoyed the semester. I got decent grades however I got a C in mission prep (go figure) because I forgot about a couple weekly quizzes once in a while. But I enjoyed it. That's where I met Katie and Dimani, two of my closest friends. They were always so much fun to be around and they were what made summer session so amazing and so much fun. I am always grateful their influence. Oh and shout out to Katie and Connor for getting engaged. As summer session came to an end, I knew that I was definitely not ready for a mission and I was happy to have the opportunity to continue my education. Which led me into fall semester 2016.
At this point, I was still a biology major and was taking a biology class which I failed. This was a rough semester, school wise. I ended up getting two low C's, a D, one B and an A. Not the best grades but I was determined to do better. However, that semester was a great semester friend wise. I ended up meeting Tara again after I had met her many years before. I became friends with Savanna Theobald, Eliza Griffen, Veronica Martinez (now Christiansen), Houston Christiansen, Travis Morgan, Fernando Nunez, Kennedy Lee, Angel Gonzales, Nefi Vasquez, and Bri Haroldsen. And I hung out with Ellen Logan a ton but I've known her for a long time. I made so many more friends but those are the ones that I still feel close to. Turned out to be a decent semester. Although, my roommates, Adam Smith, Matt Budden, David Shannon, Eric Keller, and Michael Pierce were super cool. So at the end of that semester, I decided to come home. I had a prompting to come home and I thought that prompting was to come home and serve my mission. So I was on my way home. Read my blog post from a year ago to get updates on some of those stories.
I met with LDS family services again, except this time it was up in Colton. I met with Sarah. I met with her and I explained the issues I had during summer session but how good I was during the fall, hoping that she would give me a good recommendation. She told me to come back the following week with my parents and we discussed our options. She explained that I should wait another year and to go when I was ready. I was 100% AGAINST that idea. I didn't want to go back to school and I wanted to serve the Lord but I came to accept it. I did yard work around the house and then in April I went back to school.
I arrive in April and I retake biology and a few foundations classes. I did so much better. I got a B- in biology, another 2 B's and 2 A's. I loved it. That semester was my best semester at that point and I loved everything about it. I ended up becoming friends with Brooklyn Dean, Jozelle, Lizzy Knebel, Gavin Brown, Anavey Dixon, Beth Arbon, Maia Hunter, Grace Myer, Salena (something), and so many more. I loved my roommates, Thomas. Fernando, Christian, Joseph, and Tyler. AMAZING SEMESTER. I loved everyone. Anyway, yeah nothing else happened that semester. I was there with my sister too and she lived across the street from me. Well, we were coming home at the end of the semester. I drove 14 hours all the way home on 3 1/2 hours of sleep. And my summer began.
We went on vacation to the east coast then I came home and met with LDS family services again. Sarah told me that things were looking good and that I should come back in December. So that was pretty much how my summer went. I didn't do much. Although, I did work for Studio 94 which was pretty fun. Then September hit and I headed back off to school.
BEST SEMESTER EVER!!!!!!!!! Jenna Harmon, who used to hate my guts, became my best friends. I became close friends with Valerie Shull. And so much more happened. I loved it all. BEST SEMESTER GRADE WISE. I had 2 high B's and 3 A's. I had a 3.7 GPA and I just thought it was amazing. My roommates, Sam Maxwell, Dakota Seymour, Ian Lindsey, Matt Wendt, and Braeden Lee. I LOVED ROOMING WITH THEM. Sure we had our ups and downs but we ended up having a great semester and they were so awesome. I had amazing professors that truly cared about my education and it was fun. The end of the semester came and I was headed home again.
In addition to this being a great semester. I also made a ton of new friends in my classes. I became friends with Whitney and Taylor, who are amazing people and I hung out with a bunch. And I met their friend Mallory, who also went to Peru the trip before me so we were technically in Peru at the same time. Cool beans dude!!! Then theres Katie Frye, Sara Oseen, Rachel McIntosh, Kye Ferguson, Johnny Lott, Austin Weaver, and few others that I became close with. In public speaking, I became friends with Greg Stapleton, Aubri Norris (oh my goodness I just forgot her husbands name), Cheick Fall, and a few others. Then let's not forget my ELED group which was Brenden, Katie, Rebecca, and Hannah. They were also amazing people. I love them. Anyway, I'm probably forgetting a bunch of people but it truly was a great semester.
Winter break was good. I met with LDS family services and had a good interview. I met with a different guy because Sarah wasn't available and I told him the whole backstory and how everything is good. He told me that he would give me a good recommendation to the church. We left that night and went to San Fransico. AMAZING VACATION!!!! We ended up going to Sacramento and surprised Bri at her mission farewell. Forevere grateful for her and her influence on me. It was so much fun and she was so happy. Then I headed back up to Rexburg to drop my sister off for winter semester. It was so amazing to see all of my friends and I was so happy. I hung out with Jenna and Beth like all night. Then Saturday evening, I worked at I-Night. While I was working, my friend Natalie, came over and was super happy to see me and that made me happy for her to be excited. I have another side story to share about her later. Anyway, then I hung out with her and our friend Dominique for the rest of the night. Then Sunday, I continued hanging out and saying goodbye to my friends. I said goodbye to my sister and her boyfriend Adam. Then I hung out with Natalie and her roommate Karli for the rest of the night. Fun fact: I knew Karli last semester from my public speaking class. She is an amazing singer and really good at giving speeches. But that was cool to run into her again. Then I came home Monday. And now I work on an avocado farm. Anyway, there is my update. Moving on from there, I want to share a few quick lessons I have learned from these 2 years and the trials I have gone through.
1. Humility- as I said in my last post, I really learned about being humble. I learned that I should be proud of wherever I serve and shouldn't be ashamed. Read my last post for more info
2. Patience- Oh man to the flippin heck!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have wanted to serve for the past 2 years and I have been told to wait. However, I realized that it is the Lord's will for me to wait and that he needed me to do other things. And now that patience is hopefully coming to an end and I will be able to serve. Stay tuned for when I get my mission call.
3. Friendship- Oh man I have learned a lot about friendship. I didn't really have many friends in high school so this has been amazing. I think the Lord purposely made me wait just so I could meet the people I did and make the friends that I made. I have some amazing friends and some amazing roommates. I love them all.
4. Apologizing and forgiveness- I realized that you need to apologize and forgive people for everything. I had another incident with Natalie that offended her but I apologized and she is slowly forgiving me. I think it's great though and everyone should apologize and forgive. Life's too short to make mistakes and hold grudges!!!!!!!!! Oh and in case this is misleading, I mean to make me look like the bad guy, not Natalie. She's an amazing human being.
5. Never mind. There's no number 5.
Anyway, I will definitely let everyone know on social media when I get my mission call. I am hoping to have it in a couple weeks if everything goes well with turning in my papers. I'm so happy for this long but awesome process. I'm excited for what this future holds and what will finally happen in my life. Thanks for reading and I love you all!!!!!
