Learning new things about myself

     I am learning new things about myself,  Some are a little bit hard to swallow.  I never realized how much my self-esteem, depends on what ever calling I have in the church.  I have no calling here at camp, except to be a missionary.  As I have watched others be called to serve as team leaders, Relief Society Presidency, Sunday School teachers, district leaders, etc, I have had feelings of not being good enough.  Now I know those kind of feelings are from Satan, but I still hurt.
      Some things happened last summer, that made it really hard for me to come back to serve this summer.  I was hurt deeply, by several people, and left with a lot of hurt in the fall. As we have come back, I have had those hurts brought to the surface again, and others added to it. I have been looking at myself and my service and struggling.
     Now I know it does not matter what your calling is in the church, as long as you do your best, but I am finding that, especially, as I get older when I don't have a calling I somehow feel that I have let the Lord down in someway.
     I have been reading a wonderful book called " The Continuous Conversion" and I read exactly what I needed today.  Basically it said that when we feel like that, we are saying that we don't trust what the Lord is preparing us for. That we must go through all kinds of experiences, for us to continue to grow.
     As I have pondered that, I discovered something that I did not like very much about myself.  I have become prideful, and I have a need to repent.  The Lord needs me to be humbled and since I have not chosen to be humble on my own, He is humbling  me. Seeing if I will still serve Him with all my heart, even when I don't have a calling and am kind of a nobody.
     After feeling so hurt at the end of the season last year, the Lord blessed me so much.  He called me to serve as the Laurel Adviser for the winter.  Oh how I love my Laurels. they accepted me, and gave me so much love, I know I was not called because they needed me, I was called because the Lord, in His tender mercies for me, knew that I needed them. What a blessing they were to me this winter. The Lord is so good to me, I need to focus on how good He is and how much I love Him and He loves me, not on what calling I have.
      I am learning you don't need to be called to be a missionary, to be a missionary,  you don't need to be called to be the Relief Society President to serve one of my sisters, you don't have to be called to something to serve the Lord. JUST SERVE, WITH ALL YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM, and that is all He asked of us.
      I am changing my attitude, I am going to be the best missionary I can be here on this mountain.

MTC Week

      We started our "Mini" MTC,  We have had classes and speakers and training all week, On Friday we find out what are assignment is.  Here are the pictures from the MTC.

Dr. Kemp and his medical team, teaching us our medical training

Sis. Greenhalgh

Sis. Hyde, Sis. Lithgoe, Sis. Johannson

Sis. Nelson  -  Public Safety

Elder Nelson

Elder and Sister Streeter  -   Camp Host

Elder & Sister Adams  -  Grounds Maintenance

Sis. Asey  -  Challenge Course

Elder Asey

The FM Group, that take care of the camp

Elder Powell  -  Maintenance

Sis Powell

Elder & Sister Andrus  -  Legacy Lake

We are Back

The Beautiful Snowy Mountain

Our Moose, right after we spotted her

It snowed a little

     We are finally back on the Mountain for the Summer.  It is still winter up here, but so beautiful.  We have a new cabin,  we are down by the Lake now, so we have this beautiful view out our window.  Enjoy the pictures.

Getting everything ready to go

The Lake is still Frozen

2 New Peddle Boats to play with this summer

The Lake is starting to melt a little around the edges

The Moose were just waiting for us to return, this one was right next to the road
laying down in the snow

Winter Assignments

        So I know you all think we are sitting at home, watching soap operas, and eating bonbons, all winter, but we have actually been working up at the camp on Fridays.  We love it.  It is so cold, but to be back on the Mountain, is worth the cold.  We have been helping with scout winter camps, winter youth conferences, winter family reunions, whoever comes, we help with getting them parked and in the right place.
     Even in the cold winter, it is beautiful, and the spirit on the mountain is strong.  It is so good to be working along side fellow missionaries each week and feeling of their spirit and hearing what has been going on with them.
      We love our winter assignments, enjoy the pictures.

Like coming Home

Some of the snow on the ride up the road, from the Church at the bottom

More Snow

Welcome back to Heber Valley Camp, winter version

For all you missionaries out there, this is the Haul Road Gate

Look at those Happy Faces, so good to be back on the Mountain among the missionaries,
we have missed them and the mountain

Working hard?  NOT

So I told them all to look like they were working

Our fearless leader, Elder Terry, woops, I woke him up

Sweet Sister Terry

Soup anyone? Yuuuuummy

More Happy Missionaries

And to end a yummy meal of soup and rolls, Dunford Donots, what else

   

End of the summer

     We are finished at the camp for the summer, we will now go home for the winter and then, again next spring, we will go up and serve.
     We are tired, it was a lot of hard work, but we are stronger now then we were when we got there in April. We have both lost some weight, and we have both learned a lot of lessons.
      I have learned that it is o.k. for someone to not really like you much, we can't all be everyone's cup of tea.  I have learned that there are things I need to change in my life. I am grateful for all the experiences we had this last summer, both the hard one's and the great one's.
     The hard one's, because we are suppose to  continue to grow and progress, I learned a lot about myself, and some of the things I did not like much, Heavenly Father has shown me what I lack at this time in my life and I am going to change those things, so I can continue to progress.
    The Great one's because my spirit has grown and I have learned I can do hard things, and I can push myself and accomplice what ever the Lord needs me to.
      To me, that is one of the great things about going on missions,  I continually learn and grow closer to the Lord, and as I am obedient

One last ride

The Heaton Brothers, both serving at the same time with their wives

Almost, as if, she were saying goodbye

and Faithful, He blesses me to learn more and continue to progress.

Our cabin neighbors, the Migual's,  we really love them,
 they were out for one last ride also.

     I will miss the Mountain this winter, I am grateful we get to go up several times and help with winter projects. I can't wait to go again next summer and do a better job then I did this summer, and then I will learn and grow more, and be better prepared for our next mission.  Who knows where we will end up then.