I'm happy to report that I no longer feel the need for an RMTC. (sorry Spenc...) Seeing as my life has taken a turn for the busy. I am really glad about this because it means I don't have to sit around doing nothing. In fact, it means I don't really have time to sit at all...
Monday through Friday, 7 am to 3:30 pm, I mow lawns for Davis County School District. I did this before my mission, but this year is going to be a little different. One reason is this VERY wet May. We still mow the lawns by the way. Well, we do what we can. If you can imagine riding a lawn mower through a car wash, you have an idea of how my last few weeks have gone. Don't forget the frozen fingers and toes... I'm surprised I still have all of my phalanges. I also work with different people than I did before. (no biggie, really, since I did the whole change thing for my entire mission...) So, this is what takes up the bulk of my waking hours...
Then, I am involved in a musical. It's called Hello, Dolly! and I'm SUPER excited for it. Lots of energetic dancing, and fun singing. I haven't seen the costumes yet, but I'm pretty excited to see what I get to dress up in. I have rehearsals for this every week. They are a little inconsistent still, but soon I will be at rehearsal every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night, AND Saturday mornings. It's a WAY cute show, so everyone should come. It's at the Clearfield Amphitheater (right behind the Clearfield library), we open June 30 and run through July 9 with now show on Sunday or the 5th or 6th of July (meaning you have 7 chances to come!) Tickets will be somewhere in the $5 to $8 range. If you want more details, contact me.
On top of that, in all my spare time, I work on my 2 online summer classes. "Balancing work and family" is ironically name of one of them. The other is English. I am having a blast trying to remember how in the world to do this school thing. It's making me feel like the rusty tin man in the Wizard of Oz... ya know how Dorothy has to oil him so he can move? I feel like my student self has gotten rusty, and I have forgotten how to play that role. It's a remember-as-you-go process, and I'm tripping over my feet (so to speak) trying to run and catch up so I don't end up failing these classes (which, by the way, I've already taken... and failed... hence I'm taking them now... online).
I'm doing well, I'm happy, and I'm busy. That's something I would recommend to any RM, get busy. School, work, your favorite hobby. Just jump right back into life. I figured out that it was just waiting for me (almost exactly the way I left it) and all I had to do was join back in the fun to feel normal again. At least, I think this is normal...?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
The RMTC
There needs to be one of these. Why?
I'll tell you why:
When you leave on a mission, there's all this preparation going on; you get the Call, you go to the temple, you buy clothes, you get passports, you stalk your destination in any way possible (i.e. Google, talk to anyone with any connection, look at maps... you get the idea)...
Then when the big day comes, you get dropped off at the curb of the MTC, feeling a little nervous, but prepared. Sad to leave your family, but completely excited to start your new adventure. Not really having a clue what you're getting yourself into.
And then, there at the MTC, you get information drilled into your head about the gospel, the language, the culture. You get used to being a missionary. You get used to being called "Sister" or "Elder," and sooner or later they ship you off to that place you found out SO MUCH about (which means you find out that you found out nothing at all...) and you learn from experience.
You get used to this strange way of life. Purely spiritual. You never listen to, watch, or do anything that isn't connected to your purpose as a missionary. You find, and teach, and get accepted, and get rejected, and completely get enveloped with what the gospel of Jesus Christ REALLY is. You learn to love people you don't even know. You learn things that would never be learned otherwise... you meet people, do things (eat things?), you would never experience otherwise. It's like a little time machine for your spirit. Time does a weird warp-thing while your spirit soaks in all it can.
Now, you're used to the schedule. You're comfortable with change. You know the drill, every 6 weeks, something could change: companion, area, leader... but you all have the same purpose, so it's all good. You're a missionary, change is your business. It's what you do. You expect it and sometimes you pray for it...
And all of a sudden, one of those 6 week cycles is over and they say those startling words to you: "You're going home!" Everyone is so excited for you! And you are too! I mean... You know you left a family and friends... you communicate with them once in a while (especially family). You want to see them. But a certain sadness sort of sets in your heart. You look around and wonder if you will ever see these people in this life again. Your hand instinctively goes over your heart, and you try to remember when that little black piece of plastic felt so normal there, and wonder how it will feel when you have to take it off.
You knew this day was coming. Sometimes, you've been tempted to dwell on this day because it seems much more pleasant than the current situation. But mostly, it was just a distant sort of... dream I guess. It's almost like you never believed the day would really come.
But come it does. Almost like a slap in the face. Or, more accurately, a tear at your heart, because you've put that entire organ, along with your soul, into the last 18 months.
And all of a sudden, you're getting on your last plane, your head swimming a little. Kind of like, "what in the world just happened?"
You aren't prepared. There was no "Google" for your life. There was no buying clothes, getting passports or researching about your destination. You didn't really think about this day until this day, because you were busy with more important matters.
Eventually, I would assume, things get figured out.
Eventually, I hope, you come out of the daze induced by the last whirlwind of an 18 months.
Eventually, you stop looking for that little black piece of plastic.
Eventually, I think, you get to figure out your normal.
I'm gonna make it. I know I will. But for now, I just feel... lost. A little lonely. Slightly... off.
I just wish that there was some sort of... RMTC.
I'll tell you why:
When you leave on a mission, there's all this preparation going on; you get the Call, you go to the temple, you buy clothes, you get passports, you stalk your destination in any way possible (i.e. Google, talk to anyone with any connection, look at maps... you get the idea)...
Then when the big day comes, you get dropped off at the curb of the MTC, feeling a little nervous, but prepared. Sad to leave your family, but completely excited to start your new adventure. Not really having a clue what you're getting yourself into.
And then, there at the MTC, you get information drilled into your head about the gospel, the language, the culture. You get used to being a missionary. You get used to being called "Sister" or "Elder," and sooner or later they ship you off to that place you found out SO MUCH about (which means you find out that you found out nothing at all...) and you learn from experience.
You get used to this strange way of life. Purely spiritual. You never listen to, watch, or do anything that isn't connected to your purpose as a missionary. You find, and teach, and get accepted, and get rejected, and completely get enveloped with what the gospel of Jesus Christ REALLY is. You learn to love people you don't even know. You learn things that would never be learned otherwise... you meet people, do things (eat things?), you would never experience otherwise. It's like a little time machine for your spirit. Time does a weird warp-thing while your spirit soaks in all it can.
Now, you're used to the schedule. You're comfortable with change. You know the drill, every 6 weeks, something could change: companion, area, leader... but you all have the same purpose, so it's all good. You're a missionary, change is your business. It's what you do. You expect it and sometimes you pray for it...
And all of a sudden, one of those 6 week cycles is over and they say those startling words to you: "You're going home!" Everyone is so excited for you! And you are too! I mean... You know you left a family and friends... you communicate with them once in a while (especially family). You want to see them. But a certain sadness sort of sets in your heart. You look around and wonder if you will ever see these people in this life again. Your hand instinctively goes over your heart, and you try to remember when that little black piece of plastic felt so normal there, and wonder how it will feel when you have to take it off.
You knew this day was coming. Sometimes, you've been tempted to dwell on this day because it seems much more pleasant than the current situation. But mostly, it was just a distant sort of... dream I guess. It's almost like you never believed the day would really come.
But come it does. Almost like a slap in the face. Or, more accurately, a tear at your heart, because you've put that entire organ, along with your soul, into the last 18 months.
And all of a sudden, you're getting on your last plane, your head swimming a little. Kind of like, "what in the world just happened?"
You aren't prepared. There was no "Google" for your life. There was no buying clothes, getting passports or researching about your destination. You didn't really think about this day until this day, because you were busy with more important matters.
Eventually, I would assume, things get figured out.
Eventually, I hope, you come out of the daze induced by the last whirlwind of an 18 months.
Eventually, you stop looking for that little black piece of plastic.
Eventually, I think, you get to figure out your normal.
I'm gonna make it. I know I will. But for now, I just feel... lost. A little lonely. Slightly... off.
I just wish that there was some sort of... RMTC.
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