It’s hard to believe Hallie has completed almost two months of her mission service already. Oddly enough, the first two months went faster than I would have ever imagined. To be honest, I was a little worried with how the transition would be for both us. We went from running errands together and staying up ridiculously late every night talking about everything under the sun to only being able to communicate once a week on Mondays for a short amount of time. And yet we’re two months in and all is good. I asked her last week if she was experiencing any homesickness…she just spent her first Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home. And I was relieved to hear she hasn’t experienced anything like it…yet. She’s fully aware she’s not out of the woods of feeling those emotions but they haven’t hit yet.
Her MTC experience was awesome. One of the first pictures I saw of her after she left was this one:
She was insistent she take her cozy Minky blanket with her on the mission. It is large and takes up so much space in her limited luggage. But she was convinced she would rather have that blanket than another pair of shoes and a few more dresses. So we vacuumed packed it to save on space and sent it in her luggage. Her first night in the MTC she said she pulled that blanket out and had so much happiness on a night where many are tearful with the change. It’s a hug from home and she still claims it was the best thing she brought on the mission (next to her warm winter coat of course!)
She was fortunate to know several people in the MTC at the same time she was there. In fact two other girls from our church congregation were there the whole time she was there. And although they weren’t serving anywhere near her or even speaking the same language, it was fun to see a familiar face.
She even ran into her best friend who is going to school in Provo and signed up for an MTC tour before she turns in her mission papers. Hallie said she finished teaching a lesson with her companion when she saw the tour group and her bestie. They were all smiles.
We got this picture sent to us from a random number the day she landed in New York and it was a relief to know she had landed and was safely with her mission leaders.
As luck would have it (and truthfully it’s far better than luck – it’s divine intervention) Hallie was assigned a trainer from Utah. And as soon as they met they realized they had someone in common – she knew Hallie’s cousin from Utah. Not only did she know Hallie’s cousin, they went to high school and played club volleyball together.
Hallie was been with her now for over a month now and it’s been nothing but awesome. Missions can be hard and emotional and the work and service is way more fun when you enjoy who you’re serving with and I’m grateful Hallie got her out of the gate. It’s set a standard for what companionship can be – and they are proving it can be really fun. And at the same time Hallie has had exchanges (spending the day with another companion) and she’s realizing she’s not going to click with everyone this well. So she’s not taking this time for granted.
I have so many people ask how she is doing and I usually have the same response – she’s thriving…but she’s also freezing. She’s experiencing so many new things and a big part of that is experiencing a climate she’s not accustomed to. She’s learning how uncomfortable it is to live in an apartment that has the heat go out in the winter time. She’s learning the art of clearing snow off the car. She’s learned the joy of making snow angels in fresh snow. She’s learned the balance of walking on slippery surfaces. She’s learning. She’s growing. She’s thriving.
The best part is, she loves what she’s doing right now. She is finding joy where she’s at. She loves teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to others and she gets excited to share her testimony.
I enjoyed a quote from her last letter, “I love the scripture in D&C 88:63 that says, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”. I especially love where it says “seek me diligently and ye shall find me”. We find what we are looking for! When we look for the negatives in a situation, that’s what we’ll find. When we look for God, we’ll find Him all around us. As I’ve kept note of where I’ve seen God’s hand every day, I am able to clearly see His influence in my life! Look for Him this week and I promise you’ll be amazed at how present He is ❣️❣️
