Monday, December 20, 2010

Thursday, November 18, 2010

What makes a good day?


"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it."



I agree with this. I feel the most satisfied when I've really accomplished something. Then I can climb into bed feeling good about myself.

I think for the most part, we have control over whether a day is good or not, depending on our attitude. My bookbinding teacher shared a quote with us from her mentally handicapped nephew, Jay, who passed away two weeks ago
at the a
ge of 24. He would always say
"This is the best day ever!"

no matter how horrible the day may have seemed to someone else.

What makes a good day for you?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Embrace Life

This is my form of procrastination for the night. So, enjoy it!
My mission president showed us this video to illustrate how we can be there for others in their time of need. I loved it.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Continue in Patience

Here's another one. :)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Good Things to Come

I love these little videos! They're so good. It was hard for me to pick which one to post.

I liked this one because it relates to some thoughts I've been having lately. I tend to get a little impatient, sometimes, wishing I could have certain things right now rather than having to wait indefinitely for them. But, as I have feelings like that, I keep realizing that I am so blessed right now and I need to enjoy every minute and not wish it away! I need to be patient and realize that those things will come eventually. And they do come! So, it's important not to get too impatient or unhappy while waiting for them.

God's timing for us is always best and there's always a reason things happen when they do.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Greatness

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
Mark Twain

Sunday, October 17, 2010

The last year and a half


I figure there should be some kind of explanation about what I did the last year and a half. But, the task intimidates me, so that's why I've put it off for so long. I just don't think a single blog post could do it justice, so that's why until now I haven't attempted.

Anyway, here goes my attempt at the impossible...

February 2009, Missionary Training Center. I spent two months there learning Indonesian.

May - July 2009 in the cleanest city on earth: Singapore.

I spent the next nine months in Sibu, East Malaysia.

In Sibu I became acquainted with sitting on the floor, riding a bike in a skirt, in the rain, mud and floods and also had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people and to see how the gospel changed their lives.

(Pictured above is a family we taught. They were pretty young and had four kids. Precela and Vijay are bouncing their two youngest children in these slings attached to springs hooked up to the ceiling. Pretty much everyone uses these nifty devices.)

This is Rose, a tiny thirty-something-year-old mother and her shirtless, deaf, five-year-old daughter and their nine-year-old neighbor. Rose is illiterate, but was able to feel peaceful about what we taught her and felt comforted when she prayed at night. She impressed us by going against her mother's wishes and continuing to learn from us and eventually being baptized.

This is Senia, one of the women we taught who was baptized. She cooked this monitor lizard for us to eat. It was actually pretty good.

She also cooked us cuttlefish, dog, and snake.

I spent my last three months in Miri, East Malaysia.

This is how they barbecue chicken: feathers, bones and all.
They pluck the feathers while it cooks.

So, there's the super condensed version! I had other pictures I wanted to upload, but I didn't plan this post very well and it's too hard to rearrange pictures in these posts, so... oh well! It was a great year and a half. I learned a lot and met a lot of amazing people. They didn't have much, but they were happy. And those who accepted the gospel had what was most important.

If you are curious about what we taught people, or even why someone in their right mind would want to go half way around the world to only communicate with their family once a week via email and twice a year via telephone go here. It was definitely one of the hardest things I've done, but also one of the best.

I wouldn't have done it had I not known the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true and had I not seen the blessings in my life that have come from accepting the gospel and living it.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The House on Mango StreetThe House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a pretty fast read. It only took me about a total of four or five hours to read. Sandra Cisneros is a talented writer with a unique way of describing things.



View all my reviews