For Good

Yesterday while I was tutoring, one of my students used this song, For Good, from Wicked in her paper. It fit perfectly with how I've been feeling about my friends so I wanted to include it and introduce my little project that I'll be doing before I leave on my mission. I want to interview and write about some of the people who have touched my life and post it here.

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you:Like a comet pulled from orbit

As it passes a sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder

Halfway through the wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you

I have been changed for good



It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend:Like a ship blown from its mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you:

I have been changed for good

My Cowboy Boots

I like to think of myself as a chameleon. At least in part. Growing up, whatever culture I lived in, I would adopt parts of their lifestyle to my own. The clothes, language, holidays and mannerisms became a part of me. (So maybe that's why I'm so confused? :) So when I came to Idaho I did the same thing I had always done wherever I moved- immersed myself in the culture. Thanks to Rachel, I started listening to country music and finally found something that resonated with me. The twangy tunes about their family, blue jeans, God and tractors were addicting. Listening soon led to a need to own cowboy boots and while shopping in Idaho Falls I saw a pair and had to try them on. With the light brown leather, the pointy toes, the white embroidery, the square heel, (and the killer price), I bought them. Thus opening a new obsession.
Every Wednesday from eight to ten I'd put on my cowboy boots and make my way to the MC. For a dollar and an icard you can two-step, spin, triple step, line dance and dip. Every single week I swear I'm going to bring a water bottle but I never do. We get sweaty and the water fountain lines are long. There are plenty of girls standing on the sides and even more people jammed packed on the dance floor. It's a beautiful feeling gliding around the dance floor, around the circle, passed all the other dancers. It's fun to stomp your boots on the wooden dance floor with the disco ball going around when line dancing. But the best feeling has to be teaching. It's so fun to find a couple who is new to country dancing and to go over with your partner and teach them something. It's a blast teaching the country cha cha or a line dance. It feels so good to have them get it and watch them have fun.
Then when ten hits and we've said the closing prayer I (eventually) make it home and kick off the boots. They usually don't stay idle for the whole week; I have to wear them throughout the week too. I wear them with jeans and slacks, but the best is with a skirt cause then everyone can see them. I love the pointed toe. I love the way I just want to swagger when I wear them. I love what I can do and the memories made from them.

Sometimes I think about this girl I met in Nepal while we lived there. She was the niece of one of the members in our small branch I think. A couple of Sundays she came to church with them. She was my age, my height- we were the same except I was a Caucasian American and she was Nepali. We were instant friends(how is that always the case when you're young?) and we wrote letters for a little while. I remember I would receive her letters on notebook paper with her neat cursive that was like all other Nepali's. (It's interesting to notice handwriting, especially cursive and how different countries teach it. By looking at the style of cursive you can often tell which country or at least what part of the world they are from.) It was written in pencil. It was exciting to be her pen pal. But after we moved away from Nepal I can't remember writing her.

I really don't even remember her face, it's blurry in my mind. I know she had short black hair, just like I had short brown hair. But her big eyes and face are gone from my mind. I'll sporadically think back to her and wonder what her life is like. I wonder if she's still in Nepal, if the political unrest has upset her life. I wonder how much education she's been able to receive and if she went abroad for any of it. I wonder if she's married or if she has a boyfriend. I wonder if she's ever learned more about the gospel.

I wonder if she's happy.

My Call

Yesterday, Thursday, March 20, I kept telling myself my mission call wouldn't be here. It had only been in nine days. I went to check the mail just to make sure it wasn't there but secretly wishing, maybe feeling that it would be here. I opened the mailbox and there was one letter and behind it was a large white envelop. I immediately knew what it was and my heart got nervous right away. I quickly grabbed it out of the mailbox and ripped it open right there. Holding the letter in my hand I didn't even read it but scanned down to see where I'd be going and it said, "Fiji Suva Mission" and I scanned down a little further and it said French speaking. I'm not sure if I was just so surprised and/or shocked but I read and reread it as my hands shook. I think because it was so unexpected I was just kind of stunned. I kept thinking, is this my call? Are you sure?

Later that night after lots of phone calls, visits and making a really big sign that said 'VIVE LE FIJI!' on it, I thought a little more about my mission call. I was so happy! I felt so privileged and honored to be called as a representative of Christ and to be trusted in this calling. To know that the Lord has that much faith in you and knows you can do this with His help is very inspiring and humbling. Seeing the prophets signature at the bottom of my call was amazing as well. Knowing that this call came from the Lord and was inspired touched me. I felt then, as I do now, that President Monson is the true and living prophet today. I also felt wary about learning a language on top of being a missionary. But this call is just one more witness to me of how perfectly my Father in Heaven knows me and what I need to learn and grow and how I can bless the lives of His children.

Now that it is the day after and I've had a little time to think about it I'm still amazed and I think I'm starting to wrap my mind around it. I'M SO EXCITED!!! It is such a blessing that I have the time in my life and my amazing family has the means to send me on a mission. To experience a new culture, to work with such good people and share something that is of greatest value-the true gospel of Jesus Christ...

I'M SO EXCITED!