Heading Out: Part 2
Tomorrow begins the next chapter of this year long deployment (a.k.a. an opportunity for me to grow and to be strengthened). As I set out on this 7-month long journey, I am both excited and nervous, eager and apprehensive. I am excited and eager for adventure, for the open road, to see new places, to immerse in new cultures, to discover new things about my ancestors and to connect with them as I stand where they once stood. I am nervous and apprehensive about not knowing everything in advance, hoping that I don't end up with a flat tire out in the middle of nowhere, the feeling that I'm running out of time to research and prepare all the details for each leg of the journey, and getting antsy as I pack and hoping that I don't forget anything crucial.
I found some time yesterday to attend the temple one last time before I leave. I got up early in the morning and drove across town to the beautiful House of the Lord. The temperature showed a mere 7 degrees outside. I chose to do initiatory work this time, due to time constraints, and I was not disappointed. I had a most glorious experience! I not only felt gratitude and connectedness from the first person I did the ordinances for, but I felt very strongly that I was being blessed simultaneously in that very moment! It was as though all the dots connected right in front of my eyes, understanding that YES, as we perform sacred service in the temple for our deceased family members, WE are blessed in our present life too. I knew this on paper, but had never connected to the idea so fully before.
Thoughts flowed into my mind, telling me that I will be blessed and protected in my travels, that I will be blessed as I seek out my ancestors in cities and countries all over the world, and that my Father in Heaven will be with me every step of the way because He loves me and because I am His child. I was weeping in front of the sweet sister helping me, so she reached out to hug me and looked at me with love in her eyes, whispering, "You are so sweet. Thank you for coming here today." I felt as if I had been draped with a Heavenly Blanket of comfort, protection, and love. I felt cherished and encouraged. I felt FULL. Now I feel ready to hit the open road of awaiting adventures, knowing that as long as I am wise and prudent, prayerful and obedient, Heaven is on my side.
We got a LOT of snow this past week! A good 4 inches or so. The weather report said up to one inch of accumulation, but that's not what happened. It piled up on the same day that Benson and Kylie were headed up to Island Park for some honeymoon fun for a couple days, along with some snowmobiling. We checked all the road reports and it was decided to forge ahead with the plans. But we made sure to pack them up with all the preparedness we could muster: blankets, food, shovel, kitty litter (for traction), etc. And off they went! They had a wonderful time together and made it safely there and back.
Scott is getting SO GOOD with Arabic! Part of his assignment each day is to interpret a document from Arabic into English, and to help him to be more successful he built himself a spreadsheet. The columns show each letter, its pronunciation, what it looks like written in Arabic, what it looks like in the middle of a word, etc. He's pretty brilliant to put this all together!
On one of our video chats, he was explaining to me the dynamics of the spreadsheet he built, reading aloud the pronunciations to me.
Also in our texts, he was explaining to me that they only use 2 vowels ("a" and "i" ) because the sound of most letters has a vowel sound connected to it already. For example, the letters that spell "Harmon" seen in this next photo, if you isolate each letter you come up with "hrmn". But when pronounced, it is said "Harmon".
I'm so blessed to be able to talk to him every day. It is truly the highlight of my day! I especially love when he looks at me with love in his eyes. That's my favorite.
Scott is safe where he is. This week, with the US airstrike in Baghdad that targeted the top Iranian military commander and successfully took him out, a lot of people have been asking me if Scott is okay. He most definitely is. He said there was celebration over there in the Middle East that the airstrike was successful because Soleimani was a very bad guy.
So this little respite over Christmas and New Year's has come to a close. I am scrambling to see all the people that I still haven't seen, to play as many games with the kids as I can, to get enough sleep, and to get organized for the next SEVEN months of my life. Thank goodness I still have until about 4:00 tomorrow afternoon to finish getting ready! I will need it!
Farewell, beautiful Idaho Falls. My home sweet home.
Let the adventures begin!!
I found some time yesterday to attend the temple one last time before I leave. I got up early in the morning and drove across town to the beautiful House of the Lord. The temperature showed a mere 7 degrees outside. I chose to do initiatory work this time, due to time constraints, and I was not disappointed. I had a most glorious experience! I not only felt gratitude and connectedness from the first person I did the ordinances for, but I felt very strongly that I was being blessed simultaneously in that very moment! It was as though all the dots connected right in front of my eyes, understanding that YES, as we perform sacred service in the temple for our deceased family members, WE are blessed in our present life too. I knew this on paper, but had never connected to the idea so fully before.
Thoughts flowed into my mind, telling me that I will be blessed and protected in my travels, that I will be blessed as I seek out my ancestors in cities and countries all over the world, and that my Father in Heaven will be with me every step of the way because He loves me and because I am His child. I was weeping in front of the sweet sister helping me, so she reached out to hug me and looked at me with love in her eyes, whispering, "You are so sweet. Thank you for coming here today." I felt as if I had been draped with a Heavenly Blanket of comfort, protection, and love. I felt cherished and encouraged. I felt FULL. Now I feel ready to hit the open road of awaiting adventures, knowing that as long as I am wise and prudent, prayerful and obedient, Heaven is on my side.
Scott is getting SO GOOD with Arabic! Part of his assignment each day is to interpret a document from Arabic into English, and to help him to be more successful he built himself a spreadsheet. The columns show each letter, its pronunciation, what it looks like written in Arabic, what it looks like in the middle of a word, etc. He's pretty brilliant to put this all together!
On one of our video chats, he was explaining to me the dynamics of the spreadsheet he built, reading aloud the pronunciations to me.
Also in our texts, he was explaining to me that they only use 2 vowels ("a" and "i" ) because the sound of most letters has a vowel sound connected to it already. For example, the letters that spell "Harmon" seen in this next photo, if you isolate each letter you come up with "hrmn". But when pronounced, it is said "Harmon".
I'm so blessed to be able to talk to him every day. It is truly the highlight of my day! I especially love when he looks at me with love in his eyes. That's my favorite.
Scott is safe where he is. This week, with the US airstrike in Baghdad that targeted the top Iranian military commander and successfully took him out, a lot of people have been asking me if Scott is okay. He most definitely is. He said there was celebration over there in the Middle East that the airstrike was successful because Soleimani was a very bad guy.
So this little respite over Christmas and New Year's has come to a close. I am scrambling to see all the people that I still haven't seen, to play as many games with the kids as I can, to get enough sleep, and to get organized for the next SEVEN months of my life. Thank goodness I still have until about 4:00 tomorrow afternoon to finish getting ready! I will need it!
Farewell, beautiful Idaho Falls. My home sweet home.
Let the adventures begin!!
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