Single Digits

Well, the day has come. I have officially reached single digits and I'm FREAKING OUT!!! I'm so so excited!!

When I first got my call, that little countdown said 120 days. And today it says 9. How did that even happen?! If it's already been 4 months since I got my call, this mission is already practically over. Which is horrifying. It's gonna go too fast.

I remember asking a friend how she felt just 9 days before she left. I don't remember exactly what she said, but if she's anything like me (which she is) she felt something like this: 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Yep. That about sums it up.

Today I also finished 100% the Pre-MTC training, and got my final vaccinations for Brazil! What a day... dropped into single digits, completed training, and got yellow fever and meningitis. OY. Or as the Brazillians say: Oi! Which translates to: "I got yellow fever and meningitis today! Hello!" hahah Yeah... I've also been working on Duolingo. Almost to level 5 in Portuguese! hooray!

Off they go!

 This week Mom and Dad left to the MTC in Provo. 

I can't believe how quickly that day came!!

It was kind of fun because they were still in Provo so I got to stay with them while they were there. Senior missionaries get evenings free and they stayed in the Marriott, so we hung out in the evenings and it was wonderful. :) 

 Then on Monday the 17th they flew to Africa! 

They made it all safely after over 33 hours of travel.

Aren't they the most adorable parents ever?

To read more about their amazing adventures: click here and enjoy!

Farewell

Today was my mission farewell in the Sequim Bay Ward! I got to have my farewell at the same time as Mom and Dad, so it was a pretty special day.

We each gave our talks, then sang Called to Serve for the closing prayer as I held my mission plaque in my hands for the very first time. That was a feeling I'll never forget. I wish I got a better picture of my plaque, but I'll post what I've got.

 Right next to Mom and Dad!

How cool is that?!

I went inside today...

I love to see the temple. I went inside today. And it was more amazing than I ever could have imagined. (:

 So so blessed to be a part of this amazing family, and this glorious gospel.

 How incredible it was to be able to go through with my wonderful parents, and with most of my siblings. Mom was my escort, of course, and Tom and Shar were the couple. I can't tell you how happy it was to be there with them all.

I can honestly say I've never been happier in my entire life. I know I'm supposed to go on a mission, and I know I'm doing the right thing with my life now. What a relief it is to feel that reassurance! The Lord sure has a plan for my life, and I can't wait to find out more of what that plan is. I'm so incredibly grateful that plan includes a mission. Especially a mission to Brazil! I'm so grateful for the temple and for the blessings which are given therein. Everyone told me the temple would be overwhelming and maybe a little strange my first time through. But... I didn't feel any of that overwhelming, or strange-ness. All I felt was joy, and peace, and gratitude. If I could describe it in one word, I would say it was all so familiar. I'm so grateful I got to go through with my family, and I eagerly await the day I get to go through with everyone - all of us together in the House of the Lord.

After a day in the temple, all I can think about is - When can I go back? I can't wait to go back.

Shoes

Those shoes are stacked up 3 feet tall,

Not one of them will work at all.

But on we go to find the perfect pair,

so I don't have to go barefoot!

... okay... so I suck at poems. But I went shoe shopping today for mission shoes!! No love. It's fine tho. I'm one step (haha...) closer to knowing what I actually want! Shopping is hard.

Portuguese!

I can finally spell Portuguese! And today at work, someone gave me a Portuguese hymn book!! It's my first of anything in Portuguese, and I'm pretty stoked about it. I keep reading thru it pretending I know which hymn I'm singing and pretending I know how to pronounce things. Considering I just learned how to spell 'Portuguese' and I've had my call for over a month... I'm pretty stoked to have this hymn book so I can start practicing! Maybe if I sleep with it everyday, it'll be like that one time I slept with my math book and had dreams all night about studying math with Dad, then aced my test the next day. That seriously happened. Not even kidding. I vote to make that happen again.

VISA

So, I'm a few days late getting my visa stuff in... but there wasn't a whole lot I could do. This process was INSANITY. I'm lucky I'm only 2 days late!

 I felt so legit seeing that official seal! This was the authentication page on every document.

My visa pics, passport, authenticated materials, and online application page

First, I had to get two copies of my seminary transcripts and two copies of my seminary graduation certificates from the church. Which they sent to Sequim, so Mom had to FedEx them to me. I had to get those notarized, but in order to do that, I had to have a seminary teacher present at the notary to be able to say "Yes. These are actually official church documents. She did not make them up." haha! Cuz yeah... I'd definitely forge a church document. Anyway... Thank heavens for BYU who has kind of an on-call person ready to do that for students, and an on-campus notary!! She didn't actually have to come with me because the on-campus notary has approved her signature so many times. Anyways, it was wonderful. So I got those all notarized, and I also got my Indian letter notarized. That was basically a letter to the government of Brazil saying I wouldn't proselyte on reservations. Then I sent all five of these documents to the Secretary of State in Utah to get authenticated. And I had to pay $75!! Good grief. Anyways, while those were getting authenticated, I had to go to the police station to get a police report. That took forever. But I'm clean! YEEEAH! And I went to WALGREEEEENS! to get Visa pictures! That was super fast. I wanted more time in Walgreens. Then I had to get online and fill out a ton of online visa application stuff. Which was kinda cool, but I printed 3 copies of those and signed them all. Then I had to write a Curriculum Vitae basically explaining everything I've ever done in my life. I printed two copies of that.

SO - when my stuff finally came back from the authenticators, I took a picture (cuz I couldn't believe I had actually completed everything) and then sent it off to the church travel department!

o  Signed Passport

o  2 Passport-type photos

o  Police Clearance Letter

o  2 Notarized & Authenticated Seminary Transcripts w/Affidavit Statement

o  2 Notarized & Authenticated Certificates (Priesthood for Elders and Seminary for Sisters)                         w/Affidavit Statement

o  2 Curriculum Vitae

o  Notarized and authenticated Indian Letter

o  3 Signed Electronic Visa Application Forms

o  Information sheet with email address

Whoooooooo! Glad that's over!