Adversity

A lot of people told me "once you get your mission call all the boys will be proposing to you and wanting to take you out on dates and marry you. It will be the biggest adversity before your mission." It's false...don't listen to people when they tell you that. I mean yeah I've gone on more dates then usual, but my desire to learn spanish (in Argentina not through Rosetta Stone) is much greater then my desire to get married.

Anyway, the reason I brought that up is because I don't feel like "marriage" is going to my adversity before my mission. The hardest thing for me right now is thinking of how I won't be near my family. They mean the world to me and to think that I'll have to leave them for 18 months kind of scares me. At the same time, they are the reason why I'm actually going on a mission, so there are very mixed emotions about this whole thing right now. I figure it's not fair that I get to receive all the blessings of having an eternal family when so many families out in the world have no idea that that kind of a thing actually exists. It's been hard for me now just thinking about it and I know it will be hard during it, but I also know that they will be my biggest strength during my mission.

One of my neighbors and friends Cammie Nelson, just returned from her mission in Croatia. She had her homecoming talk today and did such an incredible job. I couldn't even sing the closing hymn, because every time I tried to sing, tears would come out instead of words. In her talk she mentions how her family was such a huge support for her and their encouragement and letters were what helped her be a better missionary and complete the full 18 months. A few years ago her older sister Whitney passed away. Cammie told us that she made a conscious effort to make Whitney a part of her mission. She said it was one of her biggest comforts, knowing that Whitney was right there along side her not only comforting her while she was on her mission but on the other side of the veil doing missionary work as well.

I'm so grateful for the temple covenants that can seal families together forever. Families are incredible and I can't wait to share the love I have for my family with the families in Argentina. It's going to be the hardest thing to leave my family here in Provo, but since I get to have them for eternity, I can't wait to leave them here in Provo and travel to Argentina to share the message of eternal families to the people in Cordoba.