Only a Year Ago

Do you remember what I was doing this past week one year ago? If you forgot, THIS is what it was.



Can you believe it's been a year? I sure can't. It has flown by and we absolutely love it here. I know that the longer we're here, the more I'll love it. There is so much to do and it is just different. I used to hate different and anything with change. I have started to embrace it. I've changed a lot. I have truly adored VA. One of my friends, Melanie, posted some exact thoughts I had about moving out of the state of Utah (I would link to her blog, but it is private. So, I'll give you the gist of it, since I felt the same way). It is so different and so refreshing. I feel like I have grown immensly over the past year and become so much more independant. I feel like I have matured and grown up. Don't get me wrong, I still love Utah (especially the people there), but living in the mission field has given me such a different perspective. Probably half of our ward are converts and they are each so unique and individual. I love hearing their conversion stories. I have become much more tolerant, less judgmental, and a much better missionary because of it. I didn't think it would have been possible, but I have become more outgoing. I have come to love Visiting Teaching, wheras before, I only tolerated it. I really enjoy learning from people with such different life experiences than myself. Utah is so sheltered, and there is nothing wrong with that, by any means. But sometimes I feel that people live in their own little world there and kind of compare themselves to all the other mormons and try to be better than others instead of helping others become the best they can be. It all just seems kind of.... fake... sometimes and maybe insincere. I am so grateful for the opportunities I've had and for how much I've grown. I am grateful to have the experiences that I've had. They've made me a better and a more accepting person. I have a testimony of the gospel. I love it, it is so precious to me.