Am I too cliche?‏

New Year, new me, new places right?

This week is transfers, which is why my P day is on Tuesday. 

So. The results. 

Sister Hunter is staying in Covington. 

Sister Belnap is getting transferred to..

 nowhere!! We're staying together! But we are losing and gaining two elders. New blood in our district! It'll be pretty fun. :)

Did I get you??? ;))

Anyyyyywayyyyys. 

Dang I feel like all we do is celebrate holidays! 

So New Years was this week and that is the cause for lots of celebrations. And Mardi Gras is coming up the first week of February. Wowza. Ever since I came on the mission it is party after party, holiday after holiday. 

Right after Christmas all the tree farms went down and the firework stands came up everywhere! I never realized this but since we live in the west where it is dry and everything and anything will catch fire, New Years fireworks are not a big deal. But wow you come to the south and New Years is a HUGE holiday! Fireworks everywhere!! The days leading up, days following.. They're still going on! Its a pretty exciting time :) 

Now New Years is calming down and Mardi Gras is popping up EVERYWHERE. 

Everyone asking what our plans are, what parades we're going to. Green, gold, and purple decorations everywhere, shirts, masks, King Cake crazes. Even Relief Society Enrichment activity of learn how to make your own King Cake. Its quite the party celebration state here :)

NEW YEARS PARTY AT THE WINDSOR! a retirement home

This was Miss Lyllan's first involvement in a selfie ever. #accomplished

This is Miss Cecile and Danny. Some of my favorite people. 

Less active and Investigator

They cooked for us fried catfish, hushpuppies, crab cakes, boiled brussel sprouts, potato salad... etc.

DELICIOUS AND I LOVE THEM

Anyways. New Years, as always, has me thinking about new goals and new growth and what I was doing a year ago and what I will be doing in one year. Here are my thoughts from this week.

A year ago I was a senior in high school, hadn't even started second semester yet. I did not know what was coming. 

Mav Factor preparation will be starting soon as well as senior project. Mav Factor will help me meet even more people, get more involved, and get even more out of my comfort zone. This helped me prepare for my mission by helping me take changes, mishaps, and switch-ups, like a champ.

I would have just started to get over the making new friends bump and get into the groove of being okay with doing things solo and not needing that constant desire to know what's going on. This helped me so much in the future as I went to Hawaii alone and here. Knowing that I can do hard things and do it alone (as in no family here in person)

I will quit my job to focus more on studies and school. This helped me figure out which was more important for me and get my priorities straightened. 

Some of my closest friends will move in with us to make it party central. woot woot. This helped me learn from two more amazing and inspired individuals and have the greatest funnest relationship deepen with every one of my family members. Learning from example and from the fun and serious and casual conversations we have as a family and one on one. 

Mr MVHS would come up and rock the earth. This changed the way I dealt with, thought about, and helped others. This helped me learn to deal with many different kinds of people and how to react to situations. This helped me make lots and lots of different friends and taught me how and who to rely on. This helped define the person I wanted to be, how I wanted to work, and it defined the way I treated others. I'm so grateful for this experience. 

These little flashbacks only go until April! and so much more happened after that! Dream summer job, best summer ever, college in Hawai'i, the whole Hawai'i experience, being a temple worker, people I met, and now the mission!

Dang. Such a time of reflection. 

But now where will I be in a year? 

Still on a mission, still somewhere in Louisiana. Pretty much everything is the same as now except different place and different companion. 

Buuuuuuuut. 

Hopefully I will completely different. 

Hopefully I will be changed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His Grace.

Hopefully I will have experiences that will change me for the better. 

Hopefully I will be more Christ-like in all that I do and say. 

Hopefully I will have the love of Christ so that I may help and love everyone the way Christ does.

Hopefully I will be able to share my passion for the gospel with everyone I meet so that they can have an excitement and love and knowledge of their SAVIOR.

Hopefully I can give up my will to God in everything that I do.

Hopefully I can open my mouth to everyone that I meet.

Hopefully I can be the consecrated missionary I want to be. 

This sounds a little wishy washy doesn't it. 

I promise its not! 

You're looking at my goals for 2016. INCLUDING the HOPEFULLY's

I love this definition of hope from True to the Faith. 

The word hope is sometimes misunderstood. In our everyday language, the word often has a hint of uncertainty. For example, we may say that we hope for a change in the weather or a visit from a friend. In the language of the gospel, however, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active. Prophets speak of having a “firm hope” (Alma 34:41) and a “lively hope” (1 Peter 1:3). The prophet Moroni taught, “Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4).

DANNNG right! Man I know this is going to be a grueling and hard year but one of the best ones ever! I'm so grateful for yall and the examples and support you have shown to me in 2015 and MY LIFE! 

What are your goals?? 

Listen to the Hardest Thing I've Ever Loved To Do by Nashville Tribute Band

This is literally the summation of any mission ever. I'm at the beginning of this song right now and I just cannot wait to get to the end. Not because of its the end of the mission but because of the people, experiences, feelings, and especially the changing and growth. Man. Such a powerful song.

Also this is so true and a great reminder for me and what I have been learning. #goals

you cannot let things out of your control bother you. And on the mission, there are a million things we can't control. Weather, other missionaries, companions, investigators, the ward, and so much more. There are only two things we can control: our attitude, and our obedience. Nobody has the power to make us disobedient, and nobody can force us to be sad and negative. We have absolute 100% control of those two things. So when we get discouraged, we need to make sure we're doing everything we can to be obedient and positive, and then leave everything else to the Lord

I LOVE YALL SO SO SO MUCH.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Sister Sades