Funny Friday

Missionary Gem

In an April 1997 general conference address given by Pres. Boyd K. Packer, there is a wonderful peom about the atonement titled "Washed Clean".

 

In ancient times the cry "Unclean!"
Would warn of lepers near.
"Unclean! Unclean!" the words rang out;
Then all drew back in fear,

Lest by the touch of lepers' hands
They, too, would lepers be.
There was no cure in ancient times,
Just hopeless agony.

No soap, no balm, no medicine
Could stay disease or pain.
There was no salve, no cleansing bath,
To make them well again.

But there was one, the record shows,
Whose touch could make them pure;
Could ease their awful suffering,
Their rotting flesh restore.

His coming long had been foretold.
Signs would precede His birth.
A Son of God to woman born,
With power to cleanse the earth.

The day He made ten lepers whole,
The day He made them clean,
Well symbolized His ministry,
And what His life would mean.

However great that miracle,
This was not why He came.
He came to rescue every soul
From death, from sin, from shame.

For greater miracles, He said,
His servants yet would do,
To recue every living soul,
Not just heal up the few.

Though we're redeemed from mortal death,
We still can't enter in
Unless we're clean, every whit,
From every mortal sin.

What must be done to make us clean,
We cannot do alone.
The law, to be a law, requires
A pure one must atone.

He taught that justice will be stayed
Till mercy's claim be heard
If we repent and are baptized
And live by every word...

If we could only understand
All we have heard and seen.
We'd know there is no greater gift
Than those two words- "Washed Clean!"

Funny Friday

Missionary Gem

Twin brothers from Fiji serve as missionary companions. <<read full story here>>

Funny Friday

If you're feeling discouraged at all, it's time to get some life coaching from Edna Mode...

 

What Your Mission Packet Doesn't Tell You

When you receive a mission call, chances are you are flooded with a myriad of emotions--excitement, anticipation, joy, etc. I know when I received my call, I was SO EXCITED. For about two weeks all I could do was bounce up and down and tell EVERYONE I knew (and even people I didn't know) where I was going and what I would be doing. This picture was taken shortly after I received my call, and can be summed up by "OHMYGOSHI'MGOINGONAMISSIONANDITWILLBESOTOTALLYCOOLANDI'MGOINGTOBRAZILLIKEWOAH."

Something like that :D

But here's the thing.

Missions are a big deal, and while I am still very excited to go, there are several things that I have learned that are NOT included in the mission packet.

1. Your days will fly by. What was once four and a half months will suddenly transform until your final countdown.

2. As those days zip past you, you get desperate to "make them count." Sometimes you can't fit everything in that you would like. It's okay. Life doesn't end after a mission.

3. When you're feeling uncertain, go to the temple. When you're feeling unqualified, go to the temple. When you're wondering how the heck you can leave everything behind, go to the temple. Go to the temple often, you will be blessed and comforted! (read about Mormon temples here!)

4. If you have to apply for a Brazilian Visa, the application includes like 20,303,430 papers to fill out, and they're written in legislative jargon. Be realllllly nice to your mom during this time :D

5. The time between getting your call and leaving on your mission is filled with a roller coaster of emotion. It's a lot like this:

6. About a month out (where I am right now), you may start to feel sad and anxious about leaving your family, journeying to a different country, learning another language, teaching the gospel adequately, but remember:

-Sister Colvin

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

Little missionary gem of  the day: 

-Sister Colvin

Missionary Humor

 Missionary Work: 

What people think:

Reality:

-Sister Colvin

Called to Serve

 After a month of waiting for our mission calls to come, my brother Garrison and I found out on February 8th that our assignments had officially been made, and that our calls would be coming within the next week! We know that mission calls almost always come on Thursdays, so we had the opening all planned out so that our family could be there. So here's how that Thursday went down: 

First off, it was Valentine's Day. I HATE being single on Valentine's Day, especially at a campus where couples go all-out and walk around with roses and hand-holding and chocolate hearts and matching dog sweaters and ridiculous grins on their twitterpated deliriously happy faces.

After four hours of dissecting a dead cat (biology major), I went to my parent's house to wait for the mailman to come with my call! I waited and waited. and waited. And then the mailman came!!!! 

  


WITH NO MISSION CALL.

uggh. Soooo, in order to mend my anxious and disappointed heart, I decided to blow off studying and ride Sophie pony. She was really good for the first few minutes, then she decided that the neighbor boys playing cowboys and indians were a REALLY good excuse to act like an idiot. Needless to say, my "relaxing" and "therapeutic" ride just turned into an impressive display of aerial acrobatics. 

 AND THEN that evening Garrison and I went to the stake center to have our final temple recommend interviews with the stake president since we were trying to get our endowments out before my sister's wedding.....but the stake president had left early. And then I cried. And ate some Froyo. And camped out in the library until midnight.

So yeah. That happened.

Then Friday rolled around. At 11:48 on Friday, February 15th, 2013, my mom sent me this picture: 

I about peed my pants. 

After a month of anxiously awaiting the call....it was here! I skipped my last class, and soon was at home with that white envelope staring back at me....but we STILL had to wait for my Dad to get home from work...nervous pre-opening pictures ensued.

I can't quite describe the feelings leading up to opening a mission call. It is utterly overwhelming to realize that in just a few short months you will be GONE for a year and a half, and that location is concealed in a plain white envelope in front of you. I know some future missionaries feel a lot of peace prior to opening their calls, but for me the anxiety of not knowing for over a month was really hard!

 So we waited and waited for my dad to come, and then we opened the calls.

My reaction to Garrison's call!

SO nervous!

Reading, "you are assigned to labor in the Brazil, Rio de Janeiro mission." Such a touching and special moment.

 As soon as I read "Dear Sister Colvin, you are hereby assigned to labor as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," I felt an immense amount of reassurance and peace--and guess what?! 

I'M GOING TO BRAZIL! 

JULY 10th!

WITH MY BROTHER! 

AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!

After the call opening, I was in a state of shock and excitement! That excitement still hasn't faded! Every time I get worn down or discouraged, I remember that moment of opening my call, feeling so loved by my Heavenly Father, and knowing that this is right. 

I'm going on a mission to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!!! 

-Sister Colvin