MISSION PAPERS ACCOMPLISHED!

So it's done. 

After one month of praying, and waiting to meet with her bishop due to being out of the country, doctors, and dental appointments to get her wisdom teeth out, Sierra finally submitted her mission papers. Now all we have to do is wait for her stake president to officially submit them which should be any day now, and wait for her mission call. Any guesses?? You should have seen her the night she pressed send while we were facetiming. She asked me if the picture she submitted for her portfolio looked okay, and I said to her it was beautiful and perfect! She was giddy, and while inputting her photo kept smiling with a giggle in between making sure all her i's were dotted, and t's were crossed. When she pressed send on her laptop she emphatically uttered the words, "I did it!" It was a surreal moment for her. Nonetheless, she had such a glow on her face with the biggest ear to ear smile I've ever seen. I can tell that she is ready and anxious to engage in the work of the Lord, and to share the most precious gift that he has given us which is the plan of salvation. 

I am so pleased with Sierra in all that she has done, and has learned up to this point in her life with preparing for her future, but most of all praying to serve a mission. Deferring her college plans to serve the lord is a huge sacrifice, but the outcome of it all will bring forth many blessings especially after serving. I know this from experience because I've seen it with my husband. He sacrificed two years of his life to serve a mission, and no matter what obstacles we faced as a married couple with four children for the past 20 years the Lord has always managed to take care of us, and I know that he will continue to do so as long as we do our part in serving Him with all our might. 

Sierra has sure come a long way in her young life since graduating high school two years ago, and being away from home is evidence enough that she can endure hard things, and still manage to hang on to her testimony no matter what obstacles she faced. We all at one time in our life will face trials, but if we hang on to our faith, and remember what we were taught, and valued in what we were raised with, there is nothing in the world we can't handle, and the Lord will never leave our side.

And to know that He is there to help, and guide us along the way is not only the greatest comfort, but the greatest blessing of all. 

Have a wonderful weekend!