Farewell talk

I don't give this talk until tomorrow and it may go differently but here's what I have written for my farewell talk.

Well, I have 17 days until I actually report but with our primary program next week and Conference the next, you all get to hear me early!

Speaking of conference though…in two weeks marks the 1 year anniversary of an amazing announcement. President Monson started the October general conference of 2012 by announcing the age of young men and women being eligible to serve a mission was lowered. Now, that was an exciting announcement across the world but let me tell you what the impact was at BYU-Idaho. 3 out of 5 of my roommates decided almost immediately to go talk to their bishops about serving. My mom called me shortly after conference and all the girls in my apartment complex could be heard running back and forth from rooms to talk about it with friends. In classes the next day, more and more girls I talked to were already positive they were going to serve as soon as possible. Guys jokingly complained that now they would have no one to date since everyone was leaving. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how I felt about everything and I knew other women would be in my position too. Deciding to go on a mission for a woman can be difficult. While sisters in the church are not required to go on a mission, they are needed. I knew from reading both of my brothers and other friends letters home that a mission was hard and there was a lot of work to be done but they could see how it was letting them grow and learn and change for the better. Of course I knew that it would be an amazing experience but I was also just finishing my freshman year of college and not even sure about the major I was in anymore. Even after getting home, I struggled a lot with the idea of a mission. I had doubts about putting my life on hold for 18 months. My brother was getting married soon. Another brother was coming home from a mission. Another brother was starting senior year and my last brother was going into freshman year. I wanted to be there with my family. I also had always assumed that if I wasn’t married by the time I was 21, I would go on a mission. I felt too young and inexperienced to take on the responsibilities of a missionary. Shortly after getting home, Sister Bishop was speaking in this ward. She and her husband were senior missionaries assigned to help with property and maintenance and that Sunday, had been asked to speak about serving as senior missionaries. She was encouraging those eligible to serve as senior missionaries and right when I was thinking what she said didn’t apply to me, she said something profound. If you are deciding to serve a mission, you have to let go of all doubt and just serve. Sure she was talking about senior missionaries but I realized that my personal doubts were the only things keeping me from starting my paperwork. In that moment I was so grateful for having the gift of the Holy Ghost  affirm to me the correctness of her words and of the choice to serve a mission.

Now after that rambling story, I started my mission paperwork, ran into a lot of discouraging obstacles but finally got my call to the Oregon Portland mission. I’d been spending the last couple of weeks preparing to leave physically and spiritually when the bishop reminded me that I would need to give a farewell talk. Needless to say, I was not as excited as I should have been. The topic I was given was preparing for revelatory experiences and I spent about 3 days totally stumped on what to say. While praying about it, my experience with Sister Bishop came to me and I realized that that had been a revelatory experience. Other moments kept coming to my mind of difficult decisions I’ve had to make or even just questions I had that I had found guidance and answers to through the Spirit of revelation. So now I would like to share with you what Elder Bednar told us in the April conference of 2011.

First, Elder Bednar explained what the Spirit of Revelation is and how we can have it. He said “Revelation is communication from God to His children on the earth and one of the great blessings associated with the gift and constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “The Holy Ghost is a revelator,” and “no man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations”

The spirit of revelation is available to every person who receives by proper priesthood authority the saving ordinances of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost—and who is acting in faith to fulfill the priesthood injunction to “receive the Holy Ghost.” This blessing is not restricted to the presiding authorities of the Church; rather, it belongs to and should be operative in the life of every man, woman, and child who reaches the age of accountability and enters into sacred covenants. Sincere desire and worthiness invite the spirit of revelation into our lives.”

Everyone in this room who has been baptized and is striving to keep the commandments has the Spirit of Revelation available to them as a tool and gift. Our job is to learn recognize when the Spirit is speaking to us and to act on what we are told.

 

There is a variety of ways that we can receive revelation including visions, dreams, conversations with heavenly messengers and inspiration. Some happen immediately and intensely while others are gradual and subtle. I’ve found the most common form of revelation I receive is inspiration and it is quiet and subtle which is also a trial of my patience. Elder Bednar even said, “We as members of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and may even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work. The very “simpleness of the way” of receiving small and incremental spiritual impressions that over time and in totality constitute a desired answer or the direction we need may cause us to look “beyond the mark.” There are many times that I am not even expecting inspiration or maybe not even prepared to receive it but things happen in the Lord’s time and it is important for us to try and be prepared for that.

 

Elder Bednar explains “In many of the uncertainties and challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act and not be acted upon, and to trust in Him. We may not see angels, hear heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps. And we can speak with the assurance that God will inspire our utterances. This is in part the meaning of the scripture that declares, “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.” In preparing for revelation, part of the process is just to continue enduring to the end and trust that the Lord will reveal things to us in His time as we need it.

Another story I would like to share actually happened recently to me. While waiting for my mission call, I decided that I needed to find a job and begin saving more money for my mission. I thought with the beginning of summer, a nanny job would be best to get. I spent hours online looking for and applying to positions in the area. After a few weeks, a woman began contacting me about a well-paying position in Council Bluffs. For a month and a half, we emailed back and forth attempting to figure out details. She claimed she was in the middle of moving and her children were with her grandparents in Cyprus. The story got stranger as her son became ill and she had to go to Cyprus. She was wanting me to pick up her stuff that was being shipped from another state and have it ready in their apartment when they got back. I was so focused on trying to figure out how to help that I didn’t realize that her story was getting shadier and shadier. By the end, she sent me a check for $3500 to pay off the movers and get my first week of pay. Thankfully, my mom and I were both in tune with the strong feeling from the spirit to NOT cash that check or send any money on. We were able to get in contact with our bank and the one the check came from and discover that it was a fake check and I had almost been scammed out of a lot of money that I didn’t have. I was so angry at first. I had to spend the day after my temple endowment talking to police about the details. I had wasted a month and a half not earning money. I had been taken advantage of and left in a rut. My mom kept telling me to be grateful that we had caught it and that it could have definitely been worse. I knew that but it was still a prick in my side that I needed to let go of. As I prayed about it in the days after, I asked why I had been so led on and why I couldn’t have known sooner that I was falling into a trap. Gradually, I began to feel the answer. It was a trial that I had to come through to understand the Lord better. I had been driven partially by the want of money and other than praying about the job initially, I hadn’t been asking for direct guidance through the rest of the process. I wasn’t being open to listening to the Spirit. I realized that the Lord always wants to help us but he can only do that if we let him. D&C 88:63 tell us to “ask, and we shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto us.”

 

Looking back on the experience, I had also learned about blessings in disguise. I had learned a great lesson and a few weeks after, had a job offer land in my lap that I took and that already understood I would only have a little over a month to work for them. I have felt Christ’s love for me so strongly recently and been blessed to be able to go to the temple often and feel it more strongly.

I testify to you today that as we keep the commandments and live in harmony with the teachings of our prophets, apostles and most importantly our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we will always have the Spirit of Revelation available to us, to guide us and protect us. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to serve the people of Oregon and for the knowledge I have of loving friends and family here in this ward that will support me and pray for me. I thank you for that support. I pray that we can all feel our Savior’s love every moment of our lives.

A Mission Update

Well first of all, Ben and Sarah are married! A month later, we had two receptions to host in Omaha and the above picture was my sister and I as bridesmaids with some good friends from Germany! All the occasions were lovely but hectic and now that they're done, it's my turn to slightly panic as my mission is 22 days away!

Now, I realize I haven't posted much of my actual mission preparation but there is a lot that isn't physical that has to be done (if that makes any sense.) As far as clothing, luggage, hygiene products, etc. I think I mostly have what I need. Some items are last minute things I need to get or things I can buy cheaper at the MTC or on my mission. At the same time, after trying on most of my clothes I currently own, I think I have a relatively color-coordinated wardrobe to bring but there is a mixture of mission clothes and clothes I have to wear in the meantime that is making it difficult to really officially pack anything yet. I've also realized I have a lot of clothes that either don't fit me, don't work with garments or I just won't be wearing anymore. I don't want to give it all away to goodwill either because there are some nice things in there! I suppose I can figure out what to do in 22 days. That day is quite stuck in my head if you didn't notice.

Aside from the material things that I'll need to get through the next 18 months of my life, there are many spiritual preparations that one must go through before leaving for the MTC. I had set a goal for myself to read the whole Book of Mormon cover to cover before then as well as starting the other books that are allowed on missions. I try to stick to a mission schedule including when scripture study times are but it's very easy to slip into the "worldly" ways of college-kid sleep schedules and laziness. I am trying to at least walk more every day!

My biggest struggle has been with doubt. During the few quite moments at work or before I fall asleep at night, thoughts butt into my head about how hard it will be to walk so much every day, to talk to random strangers, to have doors slammed in my face or to have past medical problems affect my mood and strength again. I understand that most of these thoughts are Satan trying to scare me and stop me from going. I know with all my heart that going on this mission is the right thing to do but it is hard to fight your own mind. Being at home for the last 9 months hasn't helped much either. It's been a constant struggle trying to find the balance between daughter/sister/teenager-at-home and independent/woman/college-student. There are many times I feel alone in my personal struggle and I often forget that there is always my Savior, Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit waiting to listen to my problems and comfort me. It is a fight every day to focus on my mission ahead and make myself mentally, physically, emotionally and especially spiritually ready, but a fight that must be fought constantly because Satan tries hardest to take us down when we are doing our best.

Now that I've got that all out, I'll mention that I am giving a farewell talk in the Rockbrook Ward this coming Sunday and I have almost no idea what to say. I have a topic and everything but I know I am not a strong speaker when it comes to needing to fill 20 minutes with spiritual insight. I'll likely get side-tracked with personal stories and not even make it 10 minutes (like last time I gave a talk :p). I also have my flight itinerary already and will be flying out the morning of October 9th. I have already given my blog account information to my brother Matt and have asked him to share parts of emails I send home on here so anyone actually reading this can stay updated that way. For now, signing off!

Pirate Fest and more

Here's another picture from the side. I had just finished that side and was already getting excited for the final look but for some reason, the camera on my phone turns my hair purple....so that's not the real color!

And....just since I had a pretty good day yesterday, here's the picture I'll share of me making the world a little funnier or making walmart a little more chaotic:

****I did the middle row there ;)

Goose Part 2

****Before reading the following post, be sure to read the previous post about my goose encounter!!*****



So I was getting into my dad's car to drive down to the gardens for our portrait session. I was in a gorgeous bridesmaid dress, pretty new jewelry, adorable blue shoes and my hair actually looking good for once! But I was in a hurry and didn't want to be late. As soon as I stepped outside though, I froze. The geese were back. And the male goose must have just had it out for me. There was pure evil hatred in his eyes and he didn't move except to keep staring into my soul as I half jogged-half tripped to the car. Good thing he didn't attack but it was sure as heck scary!!!

The Goose

I didn't want to give away too much with the title but I had a funny story to share and I will type it with all my usual flair and slight exaggeration of typical Bip-story-telling.

The whole family came out of the Rexburg Temple yesterday afternoon and it had been a wonderful experience but everyone was hungry. It was time to pick up the pizza! People shuffled into various vehicles but I was left driving the 12-passenger van with mom and dad. We drove to Pizza Hut (I knew where it was!)* and picked up our 5 piping hot pizza's then I drove us back to Grandma's house. I attempted to park the van in the street but was too far away from the curb. Dad jumped out with the pizza and ran inside while mom helped me correct the parking job. I turned off the engine, opened my door and was stepping down into the street when I noticed two geese across the street sitting in the neighbor's yard. One looked normal but the other was pitch black. I've never seen a black goose and I was pretty fascinated. Then is started walking towards me. You have to understand that I can be pretty naive sometimes. I was frozen staring at the goose not wanting to scare it away as it got closer  and closer to me. Mom was standing on the other side of the car and I was telling her to see how black the goose was when she started yelling.

"Bip! That's the attack goose! It's going to come bite you!"

By that point, it was so close that I couldn't really go anywhere so I pulled my feet back into the van and closed the door mostly. The goose was right under me. It was really pretty but mom kept telling me that it would attack me if it got close enough.
I yelled back, "Well I'm stuck in the car now. What am I supposed to do?!"

I watched to goose through a crack in the door as it waddled under the car. I peeked out a little more and finally decided to make a run for it. I jumped out of the van, slammed the door and ran halfway across the street before arching back and getting in the driveway. Good thing too because Ben was just pulling up in his car. The goose kept coming for me though and I was the closest exposed person to it. By now it's neck was stretched as tall as my waist and it had a look of evil in it's eyes. I ran to the other side of Ben's car, wondering why it was targeting only me! Ben got out and stomped at it. Sarah got out and started honking at it. It honked back but started to turn around. Sarah continued honking (she's really good a that, surprisingly!) and Jon jumped out and waved his arms and yelled and chased it all the way across the street. Needless to say, we all looked a little ridiculous. I ran in the house and decided I would never be fascinated with a large bird again. Unless it was in a zoo behind a fence. Then I'll look but still keep my distance!

*that's such a cool note because I haven't lived in Rexburg for awhile but I still remembered ;)

Whirlwind Summer

Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to start. I guess with last weekend.

My mom couldn't resist going to Nauvoo again this summer and there was only a tiny window that we could squeeze the trip in. On Friday, Chris, Matt and I all worked really hard to get stuff done and we all got to drive to Nauvoo. We didn't even arrive until 10 pm and the pageant was just ending. We ran through the fairgrounds as everyone else was leaving and started looking for the cast members we had known from before. The welcome was astounding. We even ran into friends from cast's past and even if names weren't always remembered, faces, love and friendship was. By Saturday, we had 2 other shows we had been invited personally to see and we were told that "Our Story Goes On" would be done in the evening even though it hadn't originally been scheduled for that day. If you haven't seen it, find a time to. I was crying before most of the songs could even be started. It was amazing. The only sad part was that all our Brits were gone! The British Pageant was just done for the first time this summer and of course, they would want to be involved with their own country's show! It is still so amazing the spirit you can feel just by driving into the city limits.

After we got back from Nauvoo, we had two days to be ready for Jon to be home. The panic will make sense when you hear about my upcoming week. But back to Jon. He got taller! And he's way too tan. I guess that's what you get serving in hickville and fixing everyone's cars! Jon has the mission fire. He didn't want to take off his suit and he's still not quite comfortable being home. He did have a date with his girlfriend right after he got released though! Wednesday was crazy because we realized we had 3 days left to get Jon ready for college, and he needed a whole new wardrobe. He was also getting released that night and right after, I would have my final temple interview with the stake president. That was about the only time we would have been able to do all that before the wedding!

Thursday morning, Jon and Chris woke me up while they were teaching each other "self-defense" AKA slamming doors and yelling at each other like they were in hostage situations. Oh what joy to have so many boys back in the house. Mom had to take him shopping and I had to get stuff done. I've finally mostly organized my room and set aside the things for my garage sale (coming soon!) which will help fund my mission-and good thing too cuz my job fell through! loooong story that I'll get to soon.

Friday was commissary day. The commissary is basically a giant grocery store with everything a gazillion times cheaper than anywhere else you can shop. And it's only for people with military ID cards. So we try to go every once in awhile and restock our food storage etc. This trip, mom had one cart for Jon's stuff (she wanted his college food stocked so he only needs to buy milk, bread, fresh produce etc), 2 for the wedding reception we are catering, 2 for the luncheon right after the wedding, and 2 for just Gill food in general. We hadn't shopped there in about 3 months so I guess 7 carts is about right! Then we had to rush home, wrap and freeze all the meat that would need to be brought to Idaho, and organize the rest of the food. Friday night, I was emailing the person who I was supposed to nanny for--they had been stringing me a story for about a month and a half and were getting more vague about when and what I needed to do for them before they moved to Council Bluffs. Last thing I heard Friday night was to expect a check in the mail that I would deposit in my bank account, take out my first week's pay and wire the rest to an address of the person's so-called shipping company. When googled, there was a vacant lot at the address.....fishier and fishier.

Saturday morning, I woke up so excited. I was finally able to go to the temple and receive my endowment! The morning started off shaky though. The check had come and we weren't sure if it would clear. We were NOT about to wire $2500 to a random address if the check hadn't cleared yet. We were waiting for banks to open too so we could call and ask. Mom and I had to be at the temple early though so we left dad to try and call the bank. I had to let everything go for a few hours as I entered the temple with my family and experienced the most amazing things. Think of the happiest time from your teenage life and multiply it by a million. (I only say teenage because my wedding day could be the only thing that trumps this day). And to have my mom, dad and brother with me was just fantastic. Now I get to go through again only this time with Ben and Sarah too!!!

While the temple was amazing, I had to go home eventually and the banks had confirmed that the check was fake. I was involved in a huge scam that kept me from accepting any other job offers for two months. We were told to contact the police so we tried to keep packing and organizing things for the wedding while waiting for cops to show up at our door. The officer who did come was actually very nice and helpful and proud that we had caught the fake check and impressed that I had already printed off all my correspondence with the scam person. Too bad I didn't get a job though! If you need a nanny, I have a few months before my mission!

Today was a little crazy too because Saturday night, I got to invite a dear friend to church the next day. She's still in high school though so I decided to take her to the family ward which starts and 9:30 am. I got up early to pick her up and stayed through all three hours of that ward then had to rush home and attempt to start packing then rush back for Sunday school in my ward! Since I don't have a job anymore, I will be leaving tomorrow morning with my mom, Jon and Matt to get to Idaho early. Ben and Sarah will be married Saturday and we will likely not return until next Monday. However, my mom also wants us to take a scenic route home and stop by Mount Rushmore and Carhenge so that's exciting! But there is a lot to do and more coming up. I will be very grateful when the month is over but still feel so blessed that all these amazing things are happening. Even the scam was amazing because the Lord is protecting me and helped my parents and me realize we needed to look into everything deeper and uncover the scam.

So that was a lot of typing and I'm still not packed but I've had a good rest now and will get back to it!

The Call

It has been a whirlwind weekend! First of all, apologies for not posting for awhile. I've have a tough couple of weeks waiting for my mission call. I had a lot of doubts and negative thoughts creeping into my mind and I definitely felt Satan working on me, trying to discourage me about my life. But finally, it came! Four weeks after submitting my papers...and here is the story:

I had taken to heading to the front door everyday between 3 and 4 PM to ask if anyone had checked the mail yet. It was actually after four but I had been out with my sister earlier and asked my mom and brothers anyway. They hadn't so I walked down the front lawn, not excited or anything; I was getting used to disappointment. I opened the mailbox without fanfare, saw a larger package for my dad and a folded senior portrait ad with the rest of our mail inside. I took the whole bundle inside to expectant eyes. Unfolding the mail to sort through, my mom and I simultaneously noticed another large envelope between the picture ad and the rest of the mail. It was white. I dropped the other mail and turned it over. It was addressed to me, from the Office of the First Presidency. I grabbed my cell phone and called my dad. He was at Kanesville rehearsal (you should all go see him perform!) and his phone went to voicemail. I looked at my mom in panic. She jumped on the computer saying she could find the emergency phone number for rehearsals. Meanwhile, Chris was calling Liesel and everyone was calling Kate from upstairs. She rushed down and grabbed the camera. I called the emergency number and stuttered out that I needed to talk to David Gill. Kate and the boys were trying to collect bets about where I would go and I was telling them to stop because I didn't want to wait for everyone to bet! Mom called Ben and I had already ripped the top of the envelope open while we were still trying to get three different people on speakerphone. Finally everyone quieted down. I was so excited I could barely pull the letter out. I also knew that if I wasn't careful, I might skip down and glimpse where I was going without even reading the first few lines! I covered everything except for the first line. I started to read with a grin spread across my face as I moved my hand down, line by line. And there it was. "Oregon Portland Mission." I stopped and just laughed! I hadn't been knowing what to expect but it wasn't that! I scanned the rest of the letter looking for the date I was to report to the MTC. I couldn't find it. A flutter of activity happened all at once; hugs, saying goodbye to my dad who had to go back to rehearsal, searching frantically for a date and trying to call my Bishop to see if he knew anything! While my call to the bishop was connecting, mom found the date in the middle of a random page. October 9, 2013. I was relieved to know I had a lot of time to get things done, but I finished calling my bishop so I could set up my temple interview. The rest of the day was crazy because I was trying to call or contact various family and friends and help run my little brother's birthday party.

Sunday was just as busy and exciting. I got to church early to see Matt set apart but had to see anyone and everyone who knows me and tell them where I got called. I was on cloud nine all day only able to say "Portland, Oregon. I'm so excited!" and giggle a lot. I had my interview after church and am now waiting on a call from my stake president so I can have another interview with him and be ready to go to the temple. Unfortunately, I still need to set my temple date (I have a 3-day period that I can do it with my parents and Jon before Ben's wedding) but they are closed Sunday and Monday so I can't even set it up until Tuesday! I sat down and made a list of all the things I need to do in preparation for the trip mom just planned to Nauvoo next weekend, Ben's wedding, the receptions, and my mission! Add to all of that a possible nanny job that has been very confusing and I really hope I will even be in town the days I am needed!

Now that all that is out, I feel peaceful. I know what I'll be doing for approxamitely the next two years of my life and that is a wonderful feeling. I also am so excited to go to Portland and meet the people that the Lord needs me to see. Did I mention the Portland temple is gorgeous? And I finally get to go shopping! I will try to update more as I go through the process of preparing for various things but for now, I need to get some sleep!

P.S. A video of me opening my call is on Facebook but I wanted to write everything out here. If you care haha!

Benadryl and the long month.

Well I haven't written anything in awhile! I guess I should get around to uploading the glitter shoes pics (which turned out fantastic by the way!). In the meantime, I'm up late and kinda loopy on benadryl and decided I needed to get some things out.

First of all, you may have heard about my grandma Gill passing away. We will be going to Texas on Tuesday to attend her funeral and see some extended family. I am really excited. If you're not a mormon, you may wonder why. Here's the deal. My grandma was almost 88 and suffered from dementia. She was living in a nursing home and usually sick and very forgetful. I know without a doubt that she is now in heaven, spending time with loved ones and meeting the people who's genealogy she strove diligently to complete. I also know she is done with her pain and problems and looking out for us still on this earth. I know some of my family members don't understand this and will have a lot of heartache and grief to come but I am excited to see them again (it's been ages!) and share the love of Christ with them.

This last week though has been pretty tough. I've shared interesting stories of Taco Bell (which isn't a terrible place to work) but, alas, I've quit there. The main reason is medical. I suffer from eczema and washing dishes, wearing gloves that hold sweat against my skin and dipping my hands in sanitizer buckets all day just doesn't cooperate well with my body. I've had rash spots popping up all over my hands and arms and it has been very painful. I also finally had an interview with my stake president and was excited to almost be ready to turn in my papers when another obstacle popped up. Apparently, you are not supposed to leave for a mission until a year after your last panic attack (for those of us who have those). Unfortunately, my last was in December. I had explained that I was on the wrong medication at the time and we may be able to cut that wait time down but I still have to have another interview with someone a 50 minute drive away on Monday and try to have a successful nanny interview earlier that day! It's been stressful and I've felt like I can't catch a break.

Now that I've got the complaints out, I wanted to share the miracle. Last night, I was up past 4 a.m. with my arms and hands hurting ridiculous amounts. I couldn't sleep or clear my head and I knew I really needed to feel the Spirit. I went downstairs to wake up my dad and ask for a blessing. I needed my hands to be better and to be able to sleep so I could get all the things done that I need to. He took a few minutes to dress and prepare himself mentally and spiritually then we sat in the living room. We talked about what I really needed then my dad laid his hands on my head and gave me an unforgettable blessing. I can't share everything but it addressed every issue in my life that's been bothering me and I haven't even seen my dad long enough to tell him all of that! As he addressed specific ways that the Lord would comfort me, I felt my hands relaxing and my breathing slow. It then sped up as I felt the Spirit so strongly that I cried. It's hard to describe the exact feelings but I knew in that moment that my Heavenly Father knew everything I've been going through and was extending his great love and mercy to me. It was such a wonderful moment that really strengthened my testimony in priesthood power and the love Heavenly Father has for all his children. My dad shared a scripture with me after the blessing and the words were about Heavenly Father's power being with you and making you untouchable to Satan. I felt so wonderful because every step closer to a mission, I feel that Satan tries a little harder to stop me.

I'm not sure how to end this post but I hope that if you have questions about anything I've talked about, I would love to explain more, especially if it's at a normal time during the day. I would also like to request you to pray for me and continue being the wonderful person that you are and that you have the potential to be.

Pinterest 2

First of all, I would be doing a mission preparation update but I'm still waiting on my interview with the stake president...so that'll come later

So I decided I wanted to try another pinterest DIY and settled on GLITTER SHOES!!! I had an old pair of black 5-inch heels that I don't wear that often anyway and figured if I mess up, it wouldn't be too bad. The first problem I encountered was the various posts for the same walkthrough. Some people would use a lot nicer products and glitter to make the shoes etc and I just didn't want to spend a lot on this. So I finally settled on Mod Podge and chunky blue glitter. I also had a makeup sponge (unused!) and I grabbed some cute black bows to hot-glue on later (may or may not do still). The next problem is that you have to wait for the mod podge to dry....and it can take awhile.

Basically, I poured some mod podge into a paper bowl and dumped a lot of glitter in. I stirred it around with the sponge and used that to start dabbing on the shoes. I did a few coats that way and had to leave them over-night so I could see how it would look totally dried. For those of you who don't know, the mod podge will go on white but dry clear so I had to see which spots needed more glitter. Unfortunately, I left for Chicago the next day and only just got back to them today! They looked pretty darn good and I'll post some pictures later. The next problem was the fact that you could still see spots of black through the glitter so it was time for more layers! I've done another thick coat of glitter/mod podge and am currently waiting on that to dry. When I have the finished product, I'll write the rest of the review and include pictures!

Proposal

Well friends, I've officially been proposed to! (minus the ring and the sincerity...)

It all started that night at Taco Bell. I was workin' the late shift as usual when he sauntered in the door. Of all the locations in Omaha, he had to walk into mine. Alright I lied, he pulled up to the drive-thru microphone. But anywho, I greeted him with the usual "Hi, how are you?"

Him: "Oh hi! I'm looking for a wife!"
Awkward pause from everyone in the store. Manager looks at me and raises an eyebrow.
As cooly as I can: "Sorry, I don't think I'll be able to help you with that."
He laughs. "Aw that's ok. I'll just get..........(I forgot what he ordered.)

He drove up to the window and was a middle aged man with a nine year old girl in the seat next to him. My manager joked after he left, "he totally looks your type!"
"Oh yeah!" I replied. "I always wanted to marry a guy and have a daughter 10 years younger than me!"

Taco Bell is so entertaining to work at.

Finally, some concrete progress!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the page for my mission paper checklist. Next to each task is a check mark that was either not there or was only gray -- signifying that the task was incomplete. As you can see.....THEY ARE ALL CHECKED OFF!!!!! And as the bottom says, I have officially finished my paperwork for my mission papers and now it's time to get an interview with my Bishop and Stake President to complete the process and begin the wait for my call!!!

If you can't tell, I am extremely excited for my mission. It's probably funny to read my blog from earlier in the year when the age change was first announced and I had no idea what I was doing with my life. I am so happy that I have made this concrete decision and am preparing to devote 18 months to doing work that I love! So much better than Taco Bell....haha don't tell my boss.

In other news, I've also updated my pictures for my LDS casting page. If my look is still liked and needed, I could spend another part of the summer back in Utah with my dad filming for the LDS New Testament videos! Here's a link to some of the current ones that are out. I'm not in any that are out yet but if you see a Moses looking guy, yup! that's my dad! Oh yeah, and he was in a picture in the Ensign! Us Gill's are getting famous ;)

One other note, tomorrow will be the first of hopefully many weekly Sunday Singing's at our house! My mom decided we could invite all our friends over to partake in some awesome nerd-music time and share treats and good times! So I am currently making a ton of cookies and if you are reading this before tomorrow, you are welcome to come as well!

Car next door and April fools

Just had to share another funny story. I was coming home from visit-teaching with Kate and we were stopped in the left turn lane next to a white car. Kate talks with her hands a lot and the guys in the car next door thought she was waving at them. They started waving ferociously and Kate rolled down the window.
Kate: "Hey, how are you?"
Guys: "Hey! We're gay but you're cute!"
Kate: "Thanks, we're happy too!"
Then the light turned green and we drove away. I love that girl.

Also, a funny snippet from work. A guy placed his order and his total was $6.66. He pulled up to the window. He was a ginger.....coincidence??

On the mission progress....today is April Fools day so I decided to pretend that I've actually gotten my call. I posted that I got called to Fiji on Facebook and my Uncle Joel of all people was the first to comment, a minute after I posted. It's nice to know I've got so much support even though some people are disappointed now. But hey! I am almost done with the paperwork so it could be soon!!!!

Sani-Mom, Milk-Mom and Pot Smoke

Yes you read that last part correctly. I have a few stories to share today from work. As some of you know, I'm working at Taco Bell and while it's not the most exciting, best paying or even decent job, it is helping me save up for my mission (which I'm still trying to get paperwork done for!!! *frustration*). So anywho, today was interesting, like most days but had some particular moments that I would like to share.

Sani-Mom
Some moms really care about there kids. All should. This one was what I like to call a helicopter parent. Up to the front counter comes a mom and three young kids, all rather pale, straight hair and skeletal frames. They order their food in a pretty normal fashion but are then all sent to the bathroom to wash there hands. Still pretty normal; I don't trust the germs in that place. As soon as they come back, mom takes out what must have been an industrial-sized bottle of hand-sanitizer (and mind you, it's not the cute, yummy stuff from Bath and Body Works) and squirts what must have been 3 tablespoons-worth of sani into each kids' palms. Poor kids couldn't even wipe extra on their siblings hands because those were doused as well! *note: some parts of this story were slightly exaggerated for the sake of humor*

Milk-Mom
Dang, now that I get to writing this one, I can't seem to find the funny spin on in that I had in work. So I'll just vent. If you are going to order milk for your children, watch me go all the way back in the store to the walk-in refrigerator, come all the way back with your carton of milk and then decide you want another for your other kid.......just.....don't.

Pot Smoke
So this one is also more of a story about the annoying habits of Taco Bell customers. I was in the drive-thru this afternoon and as much as I hate it, I'm getting used to people blowing cigarette smoke in my face. Today however, I opened the window and told the customer her total when a huge gust of wind blasted through their rolled down windows and into my face. Now, I know the smell of pot-smoke from meeting obviously high people before and walking into some places that just reek of it, and as I closed the window, I realized this was definitely not cigarette smell. The other girl with me noticed something wasn't right too and just as we tried to talk, I felt the smoke reach my lungs. I started coughing so bad I had to go to the store office and gulp some water. I got wonderfully nauseous feeling just as everyone else in the kitchen started to smell the smoke. We were all a bit shocked and when I went to hand the food out to the very relaxed looking customers, I was told to "hold my breath." That worked until I ducked back inside and the wind followed me.

Suffice it to say, I think I am having experiences that are actually preparing me for my mission more, whether it be for the situations I may find myself or the people I will meet. I am getting a bit frustrated as more and more people post on Facebook that they have already received their call (especially since I'm asked 20 times a day where I'm going) but I'm still working at it and getting so much more excited to serve the Lord!

Pinterest Review.

Well, I've wanted to post more about how my mission paper progress is going but it's basically at a standstill right now. I have started attending the mission prep course for my stake but I'm the closest to actually leaving so I feel a little old! On top of that, I have been working at Taco Bell, looking for a better job (T-Bell is ok but I need more income!), and being the Head of hair and makeup for my old high school's musical! It's exciting but again, makes me feel old every second I spend with those kids.

So that's the big update on my life. I got an idea the other night whilst attempting some pinterest ideas with my brother and friend. Why not review the tutorials for things that people put on pinterest?! So here is my review on the EGG MASKS. I decided to do both that I had found since one required the egg yolk and one, the egg white. Look at me being resourceful ;)

Egg White Face Mask
According to a pin my former roommate tried from the following link: http://pinterest.com/source/beautydivaindia.blogspot.com/
The picture does not do the actual mask justice. All you need is some egg white and tissue or toilet paper. The pin instructs you to wipe egg white on your face, cover with bits of tissue and add more egg white. I found it easier to dip the bits of tissue in my egg white and then plaster it to my face. It was tricky sometimes because a piece would be too wet and I would have egg embryo dripping down my neck or it would be too little and I would have to find a way to get more on with my fingers but not rip the tissue. I would suggest doing this with a friend who can help you! In the end, I left it on while assisting my brother in his mask and then I showered it off and let it go down the drain. You can't take too hot of a shower though or egg will cook in your pipes! The pin said to let the whole thing dry but I had already had it on for 20-something minutes and the end result was still a fresh, smooth feeling on my face. It's also supposed to help with blackheads but I currently have none (yay me!) to tell you if it worked or not!

Now the trick was that I used two eggs total and had to do both tutorials at the same time so I wouldn't waste any. I had enough egg white for three people and enough egg yolk mixture for two girls and two boys. Keep that in mind if trying these!

Egg Yolk Mixture Hair Mask
This mask claims to make you hair softer, shinier, silkier and grow faster! Every girls dream! Ok, most girls. The picture accompanying this pin shows a girl with smooth hair down to her waist but didn't mention how long she had been doing it. http://pinterest.com/pin/128071183125319843/
The mixture called for in the pin is:

• Two egg yolks
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One cup of water

The water is to dilute the mixture but again, that much covered four heads. If trying on yourself for the first time, I would suggest halving the ingredients. I mixed them all in a measuring cup and actually used a cooking brush that looks like the brushes hair stylists use to do a root-dye job. I started brushing the mix onto my roots but again, this works better as a two person job. I actually ended up spreading the mixture through all my hair, from root to tip, and clipping it on top of my head to be out of the way. It did NOT smell so great. The pin says to leave in for 15-20 minutes but mine was in for about half an hour. When I washed it all out in the shower and used my regular shampoo and conditioner, I blowdryed my hair and noticed it was a lot smoother than ever before. So some of the claims work! I will try again probably and see how it really affects hair growth.

All right, so my general take on these pinterest tutorials is that they work-if you like the idea of having your head covered in raw egg. It does start to smell after a bit so you don't want to try this if you have a sensitive nose or weak stomach. Below is me, Kate, and Chris with both masks on!

As per usual...

As per usual, plans never seem to work out the way I want them to. I finally got a hold of my new bishop and told him I'd like to go on a mission so he could get me into the system. Turns out the world wide web wants to mess with me and change it's mind about whether it sent my membership records to my new ward or not. Finally, yesterday, my bishop called to ask where my records should be sent when I leave. Now that that's figured out, I should be able to start my papers sometime this week. Just like I should've got a call from OPS schools...oh wait, I did, just too late and with the worst possible answer. I'm now the newest Gill working for Taco Bell for the next nine months and STILL not even able to start my doctor's appointments for mission paperwork.

So now that I'm done ranting, I have had a wonderful opportunity to start my own personal mission preparation through the LDS.org website. There is an amazing series the church put together called "The District" (there are actually 2 seasons!) that follow various missionaries on their journey of teaching and baptizing. It's so powerful to watch people change in front of your eyes and the experience I've already had with converting one of my good friends and being the the Nauvoo pageant and teaching people there has greatly prepared me to answer hard questions. I still have lots to learn but if you're looking at going on a mission too, check it out. https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/the-district?lang=enghttp://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/the-district?lang=eng

Home Again

Well I realized that I only really update here when I'm at school which makes sense because it seems my mom is the only one who reads it and when I'm home, I tell her everything anyway. I figured though that as I prepare to go on a mission, I can record stuff here about the pre-mission and then later, have mom update with how my mission is going.

I feel like I also have repeated my plans a bazillion times to people so here is my official plan. I normally wouldn't go back to school until April but since I've got a job now (officially tomorrow) at an OPS preschool, I have to stay in town until May for their school year. Luckily, the girl who got me the job also happens to live with us and work at the same place, so the Lord has set me up very nicely to earn mission funds! I'm doing an online course on my off track and will probably sign up for a few in April so I can keep up with some school work and still be enrolled. Although I was an elementary education major, I will likely change that when I get back. My brother Jon will be home from his mission shortly before my brother Ben gets married so I will still be home to see all that in August. I'm very excited for the chance to go to the temple for Ben and Sarah's wedding. When I finally get my mission papers turned in, I will request to not leave until September 3rd, so I will have about 9 months home. When I leave, I will be gone for 18 months, serving the Lord wherever he needs me.

Plans do change and if I'm needed somewhere sooner, I could be leaving much earlier than anticipated. But for now, it's so nice to have my life figured out!