New Adventure, New Blog

Hey anyone who still reads this.  If you do, I will send you an e-card or something because that's freaking awesome.  I was looking at my stats and I've reached over 1,700 people on this blog in 10 different countries.  How crazy is that?  It's cool to think that my silly teenage musings (is that a word?) have reached so many people across the world.  Granted, 1,700 isn't an incredible amount, I have more view than that on an embarrassing Barbie video I posted on YouTube 5 years ago, but still it's great.

Anyway, I have started another blog.  Not because I'm in college and now want to share my findings (like how to barely pass all your classes and still maintain your financial aid!), but because I'm embarking on a new adventure.  An adventure that will take up the next 18 months of my life.  I don't know if it's a secret on here, but I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or more commonly known as the Mormon church.  I have decided to serve a mission for my church.  This means that I will spend 18 months in an assigned area teaching others about Jesus Christ and this gospel.  I do this because this church has brought me so much peace and happiness in my life, especially in times of trouble, and I want others to experience it.

Since I last wrote this post (2 1/2 weeks after my last post actually), my dad decided to leave my mom.  He came into my room unexpectedly one day and told me he was leaving.  He then packed his bags and left.  They got divorced 3 months later, he got engaged 2 months later, he got married at the end of April, and now they are expecting their first child together.  And this child has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome.  It has been extremely hard for me.  I felt like giving up on life.  I didn't want to go to school or work or church.  I wanted to lay in my bed forever and forget about my life and the family I used to think was perfect.  Ever getting married was out of the question.  Quite frankly, I didn't feel like living anymore.  However, because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have learned to get through this trial.  I have learned that yes, crap happens and it sucks (that was so eloquent).  I have learned that even if you are a good person, bad things still happen.  I learned how to keep on going even when I wanted to drop and never get up again. I learned to trust in the Lord and have faith that things will turn out okay.  I learned how to love my dad even when I hated him for what he did to our family.  I learned how to be a stronger and better person.

I want others to be able to have the support that I've had and to realize that there is hope and happiness out there and that it's for everyone.  God will always love you.  He loved me when I was mad at Him.  He loved my dad even when he tore our family apart.  And He loves everyone regardless of who they are and what they've done.  He loves those who stray from the path, those who are hurt, those who hurt others, those who are gay, those who deny His existence.  He loves you even when you don't feel like you deserve it.  And I want everyone to know it.

So, without further ado, I have been called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to labor in the Washington, D.C. North Mission.  I leave January 29th of this month and will not return home until July of 2015.  During that time, I will devote all my time and energy to spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the good people of Washington, D.C.  I will only be allowed to call my family on Christmas and Mothers' Day.  Other than that, I can only email them or write them letters every week.  I can't watch TV, date, play video games, go to school, or sleep in for 18 months.  Yes, it's going to be hard.  Yes, I'm not exactly thrilled about sacrificing everything.  But I am thrilled to be able to serve the Lord and His people and I will gladly sacrifice all those things for 18 months so that others may have this gospel and be with their families forever.

I have created a blog for my mission.  I'll post on it a few times before I leave, and then my mom will post my weekly emails I send home to her so my family, friends, and anyone else including YOU can read about what I'm up to on my mission if you wish.  Even if you're not Mormon, you can still read it and hear about the service I'll be doing for others and how I'm trying to do what I think is best.  I just want to help people.  The address for my blog is http://celestialmission.blogspot.com/ so feel free to check it out.  I already have a post up with some pictures and a video!  Ooooh!  I love you all, even if I don't know you.  Thank you for reading my blog.  Be back in 2015!

xoxoxo