4 Months Down!

It's crazy how much has happened. Gabe is now in Fiji and he's loving it! He was able to call me from the airport on his way over, it was so great to hear from him. It's so weird how after not talking to him for so long he actually seemed like a real person when we were on the phone. His first companion, Elder Cordner and him are having a great time "We tend to get distracted a lot". He said that the Fijians are some of the nicest people he has ever met.

I thought I would forget all the little things about him, but I feel like I remember everything! Sometimes it feels like he was a dream, like I'm here thinking about someone who doesn't actually exist, but then Sunday night rolls around (Monday morning in Fiji) and I get to email him for a few hours. 

First baptism

Elder Cordner

Service/Babysitting

I finished my first fall season of soccer and I'm in finals week for my classes. I've struggled a lot this first semester of college, especially with Gabriel being gone. I miss being able to talk to him about what I'm struggling with. I guess it's all part of the experience though. 

During soccer season I almost went three months without going to church. It was so hard for me not taking the sacrament every week. His thoughts and experiences helped to keep my testimony strong and I know that this is all happening for a reason. It's so hard being without him, but I'm trying to stay as positive as I can. I know he's growing spiritually and I need to as well. 

2 weeks down

To go from texting, talking on the phone or being together 24/7 to 4 letters and 1 e-mail in two weeks has been ROUGH. This is probably a lot more than I will get when he's actually out in Fiji though so I'm still counting my blessings!
I have a game on Saturday that my parents are coming down to watch, so I will definitely have a package ready for them to take back and deliver to him! Inside the package I have a couple letters and cards, and then I wrote to his companions thanking them for putting up with him :)
MTC life:
"I'm known as Mr. Popular in my district because of all the letters you and your family have been sending."
"I joined the MTC choir" (YAY!)
"I've learned how to pray, bear my testimony, give a lesson and so many more things in Fijian."
"They keep us busy 24/7 but it's good."
"I'm not really supposed to be writing cause it's "personal study" time right now... #REBEL"
"So everything is just swell here at the MTC."
"It's tradition to say "Hello Elders, welcome to the MTC" to all the new missionaries, So I said "Bula, au via kidavaki iko kina MTC" to all the incoming elders."
"Au via wasea na noqu ivakavakadinadina. Au ivakakadinadinataka ni vakalesuya mai na kosipeli o Jisu Karisito. Au kila ni dina na parofita o Thomas S. Monson. Au kila ni vosa Na Kalou ni dina. Au ivakadinadinataka ni e na nona tawamudu matavuvale. E na yaca: Jisu Karisito, emeni. So that's pretty much saying that I testify that the gospel is restored, that I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet, and that I know that families can be together forever."
"I used to wonder how the missionaries in the MTC picked up the language so fast, but now I see why, it's cause we constantly study, like more than half of my day consists of studying, but that's not it, it feels like I have someone right by my side helping me through each word, and it's an indescribable feeling."
"I'm auditioning to do a musical number to play in front of the whole MTC for one of the meetings. So, wish me luck :)"
It seems like he's doing quite alright to me. I could not be happier for him! Also, his companions are both 6'4" and he's about 5'8" so I'm enjoying that I still get to make fun of him from a distance. :)

The First Letter... Finally!

By three o'clock in the afternoon I had already checked the mailbox twice, but as we were leaving to go see the end of the "Tour of Utah" bike race I thought I would give it one more try.

 

There it was. I felt like a three year old jumping up and down and screaming! I don't think I have ever been so excited in my entire life!! It's here though and I have only read it four... maybe five... maybe ten times. I am so happy to hear that he's doing well. Maybe I'm being a little obnoxious since it's only been 6 days, but what can I say? I miss him!

"The letters you write me mean the world to me!!!"

"Apparently I'm the popular one in my room cause I've been receiving the most mail ;) (Thanks to the Jones Fam)"

"Your missionary loves you so much!"

It was like he knew exactly what I needed to hear from him! I am so happy that he's doing so well and I can't wait for more letters. I won't have Wifi in St. George this week so hopefully I can figure out a different way to send him letters over dear elder, which probably means I'll be texting my mom what to write to him.

Today I found that I WANTED to read my scriptures instead of it just being another thing on my list of things to do before I go to bed. I'm starting to be thankful for the little things! 

The first Sunday

I have heard that the first four days in the MTC are the hardest for missionaries. That gives me hope that everything will start to get better for Gabe pretty soon here. I still haven't heard a word or seen a picture or gotten any news that he is ok, I'm sure he's fine and I'm just being a baby, but I REALLY would love to hear from him.
My mom came down to visit me yesterday and she stayed the night to comfort me about him being gone. It helped more than I even hoped, we looked at missionary blogs all morning and we put together a package that she is going to have delivered to him tomorrow hopefully. I gave him a stuffed lion and some candy with a few letters and some pictures, I think he'll like it.

I sure do love my missionary

 My mom and I in my apartment

 Kisses for his lion

Just in case he forgets!

 

With it being Fast Sunday, I had no choice but to fast for him and pray that everything will work out how it's supposed to over the next month. It seems like every missionaries "P day" is on Thursday in the MTC so if I don't get an e-mail by then I might go crazy. I'll be in St. George this weekend for soccer, and I might die waiting to go back to see if I get an actual hand written letter in my mailbox from him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that, cause it may just be the best day of my life.

Well with my boy being gone, I feel like I am growing closer to Heavenly Father. I pray more often, I read my scriptures more and I study the words instead of just skimming through everything. This really has blessed my life already and it has only been four days!







July 31st - The day we thought would never come..

Welcome to what had to be the hardest day of my life. I was not prepared in any way, shape, or form for what was about to happen to me.

The sad thing is, it didn't hit me when I said goodbye, it didn't hit me when I was driving for three hours back to Cedar City to start training for soccer again, it hit me when I took a nap in my little twin bed in my apartment and I woke up and thought... What? I can't call Gabe? He's not going to text me within the hour? I don't get to hug the love of my life for 2 WHOLE YEARS?
That had to be the hardest three minutes of my life, because right after that my roommate, who is also my teammate, was telling me we had to go to our team dinner. I had to suck it up and go attempt to socialize with girls I barely knew for two hours when all I really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. 
I have prayed more since he left then I have ever prayed before, I just hope my boy is ok.