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!

Officially Heck Yes

Today I sent my official acceptance letter for my mission call!!!! I fell short on words as I tried to express how insanely excited I was to have this call from the Lord. If I didn't worry so much about sounding like someone who could competently represent the church, my acceptance letter would have been a huge "HECK YES I'LL GO!! ARE YOU KIDDING?" with approximately 1,000 exclamation marks. Don't worry - I used a few more words and a few less marks... 

Anyway - here was the final product. What an awesome moment. I sent a letter to the First Presidency!! haha! Ahhhhh this is so cool!!!!

Tucanos is Joy

Mom and Dad took Aaron and I out to dinner at Tucanos last night when they were in town for Luau. Here we were in this amazing restaurant and Aaron showed me how to fix a typical Brazilian meal. He was talking all about Brazil - the food, people, beauty - and then we started talking about the increase in missionary numbers of the last few months. At this point, I completely lost it. I was so incredibly excited I couldn't hold it in anymore. I cried longer than 8 seconds and though I was slightly mortified to be crying in a restaurant where servers are constantly coming by - the joy I felt in that moment was immeasurable. It was almost like the Lord was letting me feel a glimpse of Brazil. Almost like I was there. And I can't even explain that kind of joy. 

Maybe I was just a bit overjoyed to be eating real food again too. Either way - pure joy.

The journey it's been in learning more about Porto Alegre and Brazil and truly learning for myself that Brazil is where the Lord needs me has been an incredible one. The joy I've felt in knowing for myself that my mission call is a call from the Lord has been unlike any other joy. It's been incredible and like I said, I can't imagine how I could have thought it could be anywhere else. I am SO excited for Brazil. I'm already so in love with it. 

Who could ask for more?

Brazil Porto Alegre North

Dear Sister King:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Brazil Porto Alegre North Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months. 

You should report to the Brazil Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Portuguese language

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

 Opening the mailbox

 So so happy it was there!

So happy!! But so nervous!!!

Em and Amy and Bear came down, and Aaron and Paigey and the Hills came over!!

And of course my roommies were there. So great. And the whole family, including Katelyn, was on a Google Hangout!

Opening that call was SO scary. It took me forever to actually open it, I was SO nervous! I hadn't eaten all day cuz my nerves were so bad... ahhh! Those were the hardest two weeks of my life.

I was really in shock for a while. I wasn't expecting Brazil at all, which was weird because so many people from Sequim have gone to Brazil, and most of all, Aaron went to Brazil!! He was SO excited and I definitely was too - I just was in a bit of shock. haha PORTUGUESE!!! 

After everyone went home, Aaron took me out to dinner which was so nice. We got Chinese food. Duh... what else after a call to Brazil? hahah it was Panda Express which is both of our favorites. Or, one of them. Anyways, we talked about Brazil all night long. Not literally. But I got SO excited! Now that it's been a while, I can't even believe I didn't know all along it was Brazil. It's always been Brazil. Brazil is right, and I cannot wait to get there! I am so excited to learn Portuguese and I am so lucky to have a brother who served there and can answer all my questions! Almost exactly 4 months until I leave! I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

Tomorrow it Comes

Whelp - I'd just like to say that I'm probably the least patient person on the face of the planet. haha I mean, I haven't exactly had any choice but to wait. But it has been SO HARD. It's honestly been some of my hardest weeks ever - just waiting and waiting. It's only been two and a half weeks but it feels like a century has passed. Though, we all know I exaggerate.

My call comes tomorrow. I can't even believe the day has almost come! I began to wonder if my call would ever make it. Pathetic - I know. Some girls wait months for these calls!! I don't know how they do it. I'm so glad I've only had to wait two and a half weeks. But now that the day is almost here, I can't really figure out how to react! 

I'm SO beyond excited I can't even express it. But, I'm also slightly terrified. Tomorrow, I will hold in my hands the document which will tell me where I will spend the next 18 months of my life... Big deal much? ...Chyeah... I guess it's just weird lying here knowing that tomorrow will be a day which will ultimately change my life. It will be a day I remember for the rest of my life. And... it's the day I've been waiting for for my whole life.

I know that the Lord has my best interest at heart and that he won't send me somewhere that I wont fall in love with. In fact, I know I'll be instantly in love with wherever I'm sent. So, why is it still so scary? I am more scared right now than I think I've ever been in my life. But, with faith in the Lord, I'll be okay. With faith in the Lord, the most unexpected mission call will be the happiest call in the world.

Next time I blog, I'll have my call. I can stop being scared and let myself be fully excited because I know this is where I'm supposed to be in my life. I know I'm supposed to serve a mission and I know the Lord has directed my call. It's scary because it's unknown - but it's not scary because the Lord knows what he's doing. 

Now think of your elephants and let yourself sleep.