Choosing to Serve in a Different Capacity

Since I'm LDS, I get a lot of questions on whether or not I'm going to serve a mission. A few years ago the missionary age for young women changed from 21 to 19 which caused a HUGE increase in the number of sister missionaries. Because of this incredible opportunity for young women, it has become more of a social norm within our church to serve as a sister missionary. 

Growing up, serving a mission was never in my plans. I had always wanted to go to college, get married in the temple, and start my own family right away. But as the idea of serving a mission became more popular, I questioned my future plans. Did I want to serve a mission? I prayed for a very long time about what my true desires were. I emailed my friends on missions and talked to friends who had been recently called to serve and asked for their advice. I prayed for a very, very long time...

I received the answer to my prayers over a course of time, I kept getting the answer to just relax, let things happen and let the Lord handle it. But you know me... Impatient is my middle name. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. Then, as if out of nowhere, after one of my morning prayers, I heard very clearly that this is not the path in which I was to take but that I was to focus on my schooling and look elsewhere for my calling. Elsewhere?! What?! Where else am I suppose to look for something that could even come close to a mission?

As my high school chapter was coming to a close, a highly respectable teacher gave us his final lecture and told us that before we settle down, before we decide on what we want to do in our life, and before anything else, we should travel. I kinda just laughed and was like... Alright, just get me out of here and I'll do what I want. Traveling was also not in my future plans so I disregarded that bit of advice..but this part of my story will come back a little bit farther down the road.. 

So once again, I prayed about what I should do to fulfill this purpose of mine. And once again, after a very long morning prayer, pleading with the Lord and asking in sincerity about what it is that I should do, I got the answer. A humanitarian trip.... What. The. If you know me, that's really not my kind of deal... I was shocked. But the feeling of happiness and joy that filled me was unlike anything else. 

I immediately told my mom about the revelation that I had received and her face was just about as shocked as mine... Like I said, this is really unlike me. But after the fact, all she said was "that's great, let's start researching!" So after a bit of research, one of my moms friends suggested we look into an organization named OSSO. So I did, and found it to be exactly what I was looking for.

OSSO stands for Orphanage Support Services Organization. You can chose to serve in Ecuador, Thailand, or Mexico but in my case I chose Quito, Ecuador. The program follows all the LDS standards and is actually less than a mile from my college campus! In Quito I will be serving for a month and a half during my summer break after my first year at BYUI. There are many tasks that come with working in the orphanage but I know that it will all be worth it due to that fact that I will be working with the most adorable children. I have always had a special love for children and I'm so blessed to have come across this humbling opportunity. 

I am very thankful to be able to serve in this capacity and for the time that I will be able to spend with these wonderful children. This experience is something that I've prayed for a very long time about and I know it is exactly what I need to do. I am looking forward to travel, to serve, and to fulfill my calling. Even though most everything I'm about to do is typically out of my comfort zone, I feel so at peace and I am beyond excited for this adventure. I am truly honored to be able to have found this opportunity and I'm looking forward to all that I can do to help these children.  

Much love, 

Hai 

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." -Mosiah 2:17 

Where I've been, What I'm doing & Where I'm going

Long time, no see! My life has been crazy hectic these past few months because I FINALLY finished high school! Yipee! So, I will begin with where I have been... I have been working five days a week at my job as a hostess which I absolutely love. My job is my home away from home. I graduated high school on June 9th, 2015. I also graduated seminary (morning church class) with 100% attendance all four years, which is a goal I set my freshman year and I did it!

What am I doing now? For awhile I was thinking of taking a second job once summer rolled around, but I had not yet made a plan of action. I was blessed with an amazing job opportunity that rolled into my lap, I am now a nanny! I love children and the girl I nanny is fantastic and beyond adorable! I do still work as a hostess and am grateful that schedule wise, I am able to do both.

A question I often receive is if I am still with Devon and the answer is yes. He has been gone for almost five months and I have loved every minute of waiting for him. It feels almost impossible that it has been five months already because it feels like he left last week. Our love has only grown because of the diligent service he is doing and for our faith in the Lord. We've learned so much about each other that I don't believe we could have learned without this experience. People say I'm crazy because I always am saying how I don't miss him, but I just believe we are in the places we need to be and we are both as busy as ever. Ohio has one sweet missionary.

Where am I going? I am over the moon because I start college in two and a half months with my best friend as my roommate. I will be attending BYUI with the fall/spring track. Last week, I registered for classes and will be taking seventeen credits..that's right... Seventeen credits in my first semester of college. I am preparing for sleepless study nights already. My first two years of college my major will be a general studies of science major, until I can apply for the nursing program. If accepted into the nursing program, I will be specializing in labor and delivery, which has been my dream since the seventh grade.

I will have a period of time in the winter semester at BYUI that I will be home because I am not "on track" at that time. This will be from January to April of 2016. My managers at my job as a hostess said they will hire me back and it is promising that I will be trained as a waitress, which I am stoked about.

The summer after my first year of college, I will be going to Ecuador for a month and a half to help in an orphanage. I am so lucky to have come across this humbling opportunity to work with children, outside of my comfort zone. I will leave July 19th and come home August 30th, all in 2016.

In Closing... I have been blessed, I am blessed and will forever be blessed with so many amazing opportunities in my life and although I have everything pretty much planned, at any moment, Heavenly Father could have a different plan and things could change. I can't wait to see what He has planned for me and to work hard to achieve my dreams. I am so grateful for this beautiful life I have been given.

 I am planning on blogging every Saturday night from here on out and if you have any questions or blog topic suggestions I can write about I would love to hear them!

                                                                Much love,
                                                                       Hai

March care package!

March is just around the corner and that means care package time! This month I got really lucky because Elder Graves just started his service in Ohio and St. Pattys day is just in a few weeks, which means a completely green package! I've decide to send my "greenie" and St. Pattys day package all in one! (A greenie is a new missionary who just entered the field). Anyways, this package took a lot of time and of course was inspired by Pinterest! 

Not the best photo quality. (Sorry) But, these are the green things I included in his package. He asked me to send little to no sweets. Due to the lack of time he has to excersize, he wants to watch his figure;)

Next I sent a few fun things. Elder Graves requested mango juice, so of course I got him some. I sent him a Valentine's sign in the MTC and he and his roommates hung it up so I thought it would be a good idea to send another one. Who doesn't like a little festivity? The lucky charms marshmallows are actually a joke of ours because we always would say "you're worth picking out all the marshmallows from lucky charms", because let's admit it, they're the best part. But it's harder than you think to pick them all out! We also discussed sending disposable cameras before he left. This actually is quite smart because he doesn't want to waste his email time trying to figure out sending pictures, so until he does, he can just send the disposables back to me and I will get them processed for him. Of course I included all the money and the box to send them back because I would hate for him to waste his mission money on something so small.

BUTTT, my most favorite part of the whole package is the flaps! I love being able to decoarte every part of the package, it's way more fun! And yes, I did come up with the saying myself. Sometimes I can be a lil clever. Anyways, I will be sending it off within the week and I know I'm not the only one who is excited! Every letter I receive talks about how awesome my Valentine's package was and how he cannot wait for my next one! I hope he thinks this one is just as great:) 

                 XOXO, 

                     Hailey 

Week número uno

Hey guys! So my week has been pretty interesting... Devon was set apart as a missionary last Saturday and it was so exciting knowing that everything was officially on its way. He checked into the MTC on Wednesday. I also started my last semester of high school, in which my classes rock!!! I am taking independent living which is a senior class for everything you need to know to get you on your feet after high school. I'm taking family matters which revolves around the family and learning about our own, others, and our future families. I'm also taking a course called Early Chilhood Education which plans activities and lessons for preschool-aged children. Half the class is executing our lessons at an actual preschool within our school. Let's just say, I'm really prepping myself for motherhood! I joined a gym this week and have gone on the days I don't work and it has felt so good getting into shape! Anyways, I've been feeling super good about Devon's departure. It's been a week since we've talked and it's been the weirdest feeling and of course I miss him, but then again, my excitement just takes over that fact that he's gone. It's been a week of total peace and comfort. I sent his first package the day after he left so he would get it within his first week there. I've found a new way to express my creativity! I haven't expected to talk to him until next week when he will be on his first pday (email day!!!) but I was happily surprised with a letter from him on Thursday! Best. Surprise. Ever. It's easy knowing he's gone because he's doing something so wonderful. I am so blessed to have him in my life and to see the desire he has to serve the Lord. I'm most excited to hear his stories and how much his testimony will grow. Wishing you all the best! 

                     Much love, 

                            Hailey

Waiting

Growing up I thought "missionary girlfriends" who waited two years for their dream man to return with honor were crazy. Yes, their Instagram posts of their endless amounts of letters and care packages were cute but two years?! That's a long time. I swore that would never be me. I was the girl who everyone knew could not wait to grow up and wanted to get married as soon as possible. But, times change, feelings change, and sometimes Heavenly Father gives you people who change your plan, but help you on the course to following his. August twenty second is when I met my best friend's cousin, Devon.

Devon and I hit it off but there was a bit of a barrier, he was about to turn eighteen which meant he was preparing to serve a mission. I had decided beforehand that the "missionary girlfriend" life was not for me, so I tried to avoid catching feelings for him. Well, I tried for the longest time to convince myself otherwise but sometimes people are just far too kind for the feelings not to be caught. Four months later, we're the happiest we could ever be.

Devon has been called to serve in the Cleveland, Ohio mission, speaking the English language, and serving for a period of two years. Yes, that's right, two years. A loooonnnggg time. Skip back to Devon and my second date and you'd find two people who said that waiting was not an option for either. Fast forward to today where both would say that is more than possible. What changed my mind? Faith. Faith in knowing that if this was Heavenly Father's plan, then it will be. If not, it won't be. The last thing I would want to do is hold Devon back from the greatest journey of his life and I know the last thing he would want is holding me back from living my own. So, we're waiting on our own terms. We have both agreed to love one another but give all our trust to The Lord and forget ourselves and go to work, with the knowledge that anything is possible. We both are starting spiritual journeys of our own and it is so great to be able to grow in the gospel together. Mine, at a church school and his on a mission. I will also never refer to myself as a "missionary girlfriend" because that's silly, missionaries don't have girlfriends.

Having less than a month before he leaves, our goodbyes came early and they were tough, I am a crier but all the tears that were shed were happy. The Lord has blessed me with feelings of peace. I feel great joy when I think about the lives Devon is about to change. He is a wonderful example of The Lord's love. Devon has already strengthened my own testimony and has made me want to become a better person. Most girls would be devastated knowing they couldn't see their boyfriend for two years but I'm not. Knowing our goodbyes are only until next time brings me the greatest comfort. Girls, when you find a hard working, handsome, selfless, intelligent, man who loves and serves The Lord diligently, don't be afraid to wait. 

                        XOXO, 

                            Hailey 

New Year, New Blog!

So I've decided to make a new blog since my last blog failed miserably! I have a very eventful life at the moment and thought it would be one for the books, so, here I am, writing another (hopefully more successful) blog! This being my first post, I believe it is a right of passage to tell you a little about myself...

I am a senior in high school and will be attending Brigham Young University Idaho in the fall!There's nothing I am more excited for than to go to college! It's such a bittersweet moment knowing that this is my last year at home.

I am a big sister to my best friend, Hayden. He's my number one and I love him to death. We have the greatest relationship and I'm so thankful for his hilarious personality to make life a little easier.

I have danced competitively for the past six years, it has led me to some of my best memories and life-long friends. 

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it. If you have any questions or just want to see what I believe visit lds.org !

I have a super adorable boyfriend, Devon, who is leaving for Cleveland, Ohio to serve a two-year mission in less than a month. I am so proud of him and am soooo excited for this new chapter in his life.

I work at a local Mexican restaurant as a hostess and it's the best job ever! I could not have asked for better coworkers and managers! It's so crazy to think that I've been working there for a year now, time flies when you love what you do.

Lastly, I LOVEEE cats! They're just the cutest!

Anyways, that's just a tad bit about me. I'm super excited to be blogging again and can't wait to share my experiences with you all!

XOXO,

Hailey