LYON

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I’ve been busy, busy, busy….Although I have been busy, busy, busy there are loads of exciting things happening here in Provo, Utah.

Drum roll please………….

I am serving a mission in Lyon, France!!

SURPRISE!

I had been thinking about a mission but never seriously but when they made the announcement of the lower age in General Conference it hit me in a way that I didn’t expect. Being at the conference center during that announcement way amazing. The reaction of the audience was priceless. Since I was on crutches (due to my knee surgery) I got to ride in the tunnel with my parents. I was able to talk to a lot of general authorities, general officers, etc. I got to talk to Sister Dalton and Sister Cook from the Young Woman’s Presidency after that session and I broke down in tears to them while expressing to them my wish this announcement would have been made a year ago. They both immediately put their arms around me, and Sister Cook looked me in the eyes and said, “Lauren, you can still go.”

 I knew it was something I needed to seriously ponder and pray about. I prayed, pondered, and studied while seeking for my answer. I was nervous, apprehensive, and excited to see what Heavenly Father had in store for me. I tried keeping an open heart and mind while I prayed, knowing that whatever my answer was I would follow it with all my heart.

Well I got my answer. I have a journal I keep and take impressions, thoughts, or good quotes in during sacrament meeting. I kept writing down things I heard, quotes that came to my mind, and impressions I had. When I reread what I had written my answer was clear as day, I had written a perfect paragraph addressing my questions and concerns. It was so powerful to me.

It read:

“Mission?? I have to put my faith in Christ that things will work out. “Look less with the eyes and more with the heart” –Uchtdorf. Am I thinking with worldly worries clouding my heart? I am worrying so much about school, future, marriage…everything! I need to set aside my worries. Should I serve a mission? Put God first in your life. If the Lord wants things to workout/happen, he will help them workout after a mission (Job, school, husband, etc. will workout accordingly). Trust, trust, trust. Don’t deny the feeling you had in the moment. The Lord never contradicts himself. GOD LOVES ME.”

This has been one of the hardest decisions in my life because I have every reason not to go but I have to! I have faith in my Savior and in my Heavenly Father and I know things will workout.

Ever since I began my papers miracle after miracle has happened to get my papers in and prepare me to leave. God loves me personally.

Life is crazy. Life is unexpected. Life goes in different directions than you expect. BUT TRUST. 

On a lighter note, I am obsessed with T-Swifts new CD Red. Repeat ALL DAY LONG.