1 Week

Hello everyone! In 7 days I will report to the greatest training center in the world, the MTC! I am filled with various emotions; a little scared, a little nervous, a little sad to say goodbye to my family, but a lot excited to begin this new chapter. Really, this is still like a dream to me, for I never thought I would choose to serve a mission for my church. But, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and through different experiences and nudges, I know that this is what I need to do to progress. More importantly, this is what the Lord wants and needs me to do.

About 6 years ago, my family and I moved from Riverside, CA to Richland, WA, and I thought that I was done with CA for the rest of my life. Little did I know that I would be called to go back and serve the people of San Bernandino. It was shocking when I received the call, and I was a little disappointed. I thought for sure since I had lived in Riverside for 15 1/2 years, I would NEVER go there! But, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and called to California I was. I took the advice of a dear friend, Mercedes Kurtz, who is currently serving in North Carolina, that I needed to trust God and know my call was not just a practical joke.

A month after receiving and accepting the call, I went to go visit my cousin and grandparents in Oceanside, CA, which is about an hour from where my mission headquarters is. While there in sunny and beautiful California, a feeling of peace enveloped me, and I knew that this was the place the Lord wanted me to be for the next 18 months. Amazing how I wasn't even in my mission zone, and I knew that California was right.

Happy July 4th, the birth of our amazing nation. I'm so glad I was born in this land of freedom.