Spotlight #1

I promised I would spotlight missionaries on this blog (fellas that means you too). If you want to be spotlighted, just let me know! Leave a comment in the box below. Here is our first wonderful sister missionary. I chose this particular sister because she spotlights missionaries on her blog as well, and I thought it would be fun to spotlight the missionary who usually does the spotlighting (if that makes sense). 

 Kira Lynn Anjewierden:

Going to the Belgium/Netherlands mission! She reports March 20th to the Provo MTC, and will be speaking Dutch!

1. Did the mission age change affect you?
The age change did affect me! I turned 19 a month after the announcement. It didn't affect my desire to go - I've always wanted to go - but it made it so that I could serve sooner!

2. What do you know about your mission?
That's an interesting question, actually! My dad's family is from the Netherlands, so I know quite a bit! I even knew a few words of Dutch even before I got my call. Anyway, there are the obvious things (windmills, wooden shoes, dikes, tulips, bikes, and the absolute sketchiness of Amsterdam, haha), but I know a lot of the old Dutch traditions. For instance, they celebrate Christmas on December 5th, and Santa Claus is Sinterklaas, who comes with his assistant Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) in a horse-drawn sleigh! You leave carrots for his horses in your wooden shoes and he leaves you treats.  
Geographically, I know that my mission is pretty tiny! It's about 21,925 sq miles (~35,285 km²) - to put that in perspective, Utah is 84,900 sq miles (219,900 km²)! Crazy, right?! If I were to drive straight down from the top of the Netherlands to the end of my mission, halfway into Belgium, it'd probably take 2 - 3 hours. It takes longer than that to get to St. George from where I live in Bountiful!

3. Why did you decide to serve a mission?
I decided to serve a mission for several reasons. Honestly, I've wanted to serve ever since I can remember, but I'm sure it started out as "oh, that sounds like an adventure!"
As I grew up, different experiences shaped me, my testimony, and with them, my desire to serve. One big thing was an older friend I had who I always really looked up to. She got her call when I was 12 or 13 to the Spain Madrid Mission. We wrote back and forth a couple of times, and the testimony that she bore to me of missionary work really strengthened my own.
In the end, the reason I'm serving is this - I am so grateful for Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, and I cannot bear to think that there are people out there who cannot partake in its blessings simply because they don't know about them! I may not know the people I will serve in Belgium and the Netherlands, but I feel this great love for them already - it makes me feel like maybe I'm feeling some of what our Father in Heaven and our Savior feel for them. I'm serving to help the work move along, and to bring the most important message there is to others!

4. What have you been doing to prepare for your mission?

Well, in some ways I've been preparing my whole life - striving to keep God's commandments and follow Jesus' example, which always lead to me gaining a stronger testimony that what I'm doing is right. But right now, I'm preparing by working a temp job to get some money so I can buy the things on my suuuper extensive packing list (haha), sharing my testimony as often as possible, reading Preach My Gospel (I need to be better at that, really. I don't read it often enough!), praying for help in preparation, serving those around me (mostly my family), and reading from the Book of Mormon at least 30 minutes daily!

Learn more about Sister Anjewierden by visiting her blog: http://zusterkira.blogspot.com/2013/01/why-im-serving.html 

Am I Prepared To Go?

Call in hand, taking a stand

Am I prepared to go?

No.

Acceptance letter sent, money's being spent

Hundred eight days left, not excited yet

Am I prepared to go?

No.

Found good walking shoes, scriptures are in use

Mission prep commission, leave that special 'friend' a wishin

Six-thirty a.m. arise, Ten-Thirty p.m's a time you despise

Am I prepared to go?

No. 

You've been congratulated, starting to feel elated

Fifty days are coming fast, how many days have really past?

Teach a lesson here or there, praying almost everywhere

Meet the Bishop and Stake President, now you're feeling somewhat spent

Am I prepared to go?

No.

Holding the recommend gold and white, going through the temple tonight

Look around the gorgeous room, family beaming up at you

Fifteen days are around the corner, you have your stuff all in order

Suitcases are being packed, three sets of scriptures are being stacked 

Last night in your own bed, a thousand thoughts running through your head

Am I prepared to go?

Almost.

You crawl out of bed onto the ground, and do your best not to make a sound

You bow your head and close your eyes, but in the next room your mother cries

For while you pray she prays also, to Heavenly Father whom you will follow

"Lord protect my child and let them know, that we will love them no matter where they go

Days will be hard but they'll feel our love, and know you're watching from above"

Up the next morning saying goodbyes, take one last look into your mother's eyes

You ask the question you've asked before, Mother, am I finally prepared to go?

Yes. 

This is just a little poem I came up with today. It's just to show how much our mothers' love us and will miss us, and also how much they are rooting for us. 

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

I was recently called as a primary teacher for the Valiant 10 class. I love the kids I teach, but sometimes they can be quit a handful. Today in Primary during singing time, we began learning this song: My Heavenly Father Loves Me. When the music started playing, and the conductor started singing, all the primary children became very reverent and started singing along. There is something about this primary song that I love. Maybe it's the slow melody, or the words, or the Spirit I feel when the children sing it. Whatever the reason, I do know that my Heavenly Father loves me. He loves not only me, but also everyone else. The great thing about it is that He loves us all equally. He doesn't stop loving someone because they have done wrong either. Heavenly Father has shown His loves for us by allowing us to live in this beautiful world. He loves us so much that He has created a plan for us that we can return and live with Him again. Valentine's Day was a couple days ago. I hope you each took the time to let all your loved ones know how much you love them, but I also hope you thought about your Heavenly Father and how much love He has for you. 

The Life of A Sister Missionary

I found this cute video on YouTube and thought I would share. Obviously this video is for entertainment, but it still holds some truth. Opposition is ALWAYS waiting for you. You may have defeated opposition for today, but there is still tomorrow. I leave for England in 65 days. It seems like just yesterday I was excited because I had 100 days left! Time is flying by quickly and I'm loving it. I am so ready to see what England holds for me. I know it will be a blast, but opposition will be there waiting.

Many of us sisters (and some brethren) have heard of the website Pinterest. I rarely get on, but last night's boredom brought me to it. I found this quote and had to share it:

It's a quote we have probably all heard at least once, but it never gets old. Be the kid of woman (or man) that when your feet hits the floor each morning the devil says, "oh crap, she's (he's) up!" I hope you all have  great Sunday! Soon I will be spotlighting missionaries on my blog. Stay tuned!

Little Brother Campinas, Brazil...Say What?!

My little brother just received his mission call to Campinas, Brazil.  He reports to the Sau Paulo, Brazil MTC June 5th. What's even cooler than that, is that I guessed his city and country of where he would be serving! I actually guessed Sau Paulo, but the MTC is there so I say it counts. I am so excited for him and that we will be serving together. This may embarrass him, but the first time I told him I was serious about serving a mission he told me I couldn't go. When I asked why not, he told me he didn't want to come home from serving his mission and me not be there. Luckily for him, the Lord works in mysterious ways and I can now serve a mission as a 20 year old. I will be there to welcome him home. Congrats Elder Scott!

You Are Called to Serve

Dear Sister Scott:

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 England Leeds Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months. You should report to the England Missionary Training Center on Thursday, April 18, 2013. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language. 

Five sentences that determines your life for the next year and a half. I read those five sentences the Friday before Christmas...Merry Christmas Alisha. I feel the reaction I had was different compared to others that open their mission calls. I didn't cry or laugh or even scream. I wasn't excited or disappointed. I was numb...in complete shock. I had more of an internal reaction than an outward one. My two best friends said I was calm and seemed happy. Calm? Calm? I was most certainly not calm. Sure I gave hugs, said my thank-yous, and smiled till my face hurt...but inside was more like:

"Are you insane?!"

"What the heck were you thinking Alisha...going on a mission?"

"You want school...yes, school is good...school is safe"

"Friends are here, they aren't leaving, why should you?"

"No...friends are leaving, you're going to England...they are going places to!"

"Look at the people...make sure to smile, you're going to England!"

"What's England?"

Eventually, I came to accept that I was going on a mission. After all, I'm the one that made the decision to go...I should be excited, and I am excited now. Things have changed since I first opened that letter. My attitude is different and I'm no longer "numb". It still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving in 74 days to a country I've never been to, to a place where they speak an English I won't understand. But when does it really hit you; as you're packing your bags, or when you're finally on the plane? Each missionary is different, and I guess I will have to find out for myself.