The Call Came!!!

I (April) drove home on Friday to open my mission call! I have been called to serve in the California San Jose, Spanish speaking mission! I am very excited, but also kind of nervous! I report to the MTC on January 12, 2011. It just feels completely right and I already have a testimony that it is where I am supposed to go. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to serve the Lord and teach people this Gospel. It is the TRUTH! I don't know what I did to deserve to be born into it, but I am thankful every day that I was. I only hope that I can do it justice and bring it to the people that are being prepared to hear it...and not mess up! :) I feel so incredibly blessed to have my supportive family behind me with every step I take. They let me make this decision on my own but are so excited for me and the choice I made to go. I am going to miss them SO much but I know this sacrifice will be worth it. I cannot wait to forget about myself and all my selfishness for 18 whole months! I am so excited to dive into the Gospel and learn so much more about this thing that I love and is such a big part of who I am. I am thrilled with the idea that I might be the tool used to bring it to someone else and then they can be as happy as I am! I am a bit intimidated by CALIFORNIA and SPANISH, but I know I can do it with the help I am going to have. I have already had so much help and encouragement and little tender mercies that have helped me get this far when the adversary tried to convince me that I can't do this or that I am not smart enough, spiritual enough, or strong enough to handle a mission. But I am with help! Anyway, I am rambling, but thank you for letting me get my thoughts out! Thanks so much for all your support! :)

Adios!-haha
April

What I've been up to...

Well...since nobody else posts, I figured I might as well update you to what has been going on at BYU lately...

MOAB!

This past weekend, our ward had a campout in Moab. We left on Friday afternoon and got back on Saturday night. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! It was hot, and I got burnt/tanned!

This is Delicate Arch, the one on Utah's lisence plates and every post card in the state. It was so amazing and the view was fantastic! Steph and I got up on Saturday morning and ran a few miles and then we trail ran up to and back down from a few of the arches. It felt great, although we were a bit sore the next day!

There was this cool slope with really soft dirt, so we ran down it and jumped and tried several times to get a good picture...this is the best we could do. Lindsay, Steph and me.

Me, by our beautiful campsite.


Campsite!

Dairy Farm!

For my early childhood education class, we were discussing the differences between a theme, project, and unit. Then, we had to plan a unit and a project investigation. For our project, my group and I decided to do MILK: From Cow to Carton! We planned the ideas, lessons, fieldtrips, etc. Then, we had to do one of our activites. So, we woke up early and went and toured a dairy farm about a half hour away from Provo. This Diary farm supplies welfare square and the bishop's storehouses! It was SO much fun!

All the cows walked into the milking barn single file, get hooked up and milked - 3 times a day! Each cow produces about 10 gallons of milk every day. With 4,500 cows - this dairy is busy!

The calves were so cute! When we arrived, one was being born. We got to get out of the truck and watch it, but it was coming out wrong so the guy had to hook up a metal chain and a pulley system to get the calf out. He finally got it out, but it was stillborn. While the guy was helping the cow give birth and trying to get the calf out, my friend (from California) asked our (gorgeous, but married) tour guide if it hurts the cow. I couldn't believe she actually asked that, but he responded hilariously. He said, "no, she really likes it, it actually feels really good to her." She asked, "really?" We all yelled, NO! and then laughed really hard. It was so funny.

Festival of Colors

Every year, there is an Indian Hindu festival of colors, and we have always wanted to go. We were determined to make it this year. It is at this temple thing they have and we throw colored chalk on eachother. We got covered, as you can see. We decided to leave before the big throwing-of-chalk - I guess you couldn't even breathe. We had fun, although we don't really care to go back again. Oh, and Steph's hair got dyed pink from the chalk - we had to have her friend open her salon and scrub it with a bleach solution for 20 minutes!

Thanks for letting me share! Hope everyone is doing great!

Pudding/Food Fight!

Some girls that we are really good friends with in the ward decided to throw a pudding fight last night. I had been working on homework really hard all day, so I got talked into joining, and I am glad I did! This is my very first food fight! Besides pudding, we used yogurt, oats and flour.

This is the before picture of the girls! Kristi, Mandy (my new roommate), Laura, Me, Lindsay, and Bonnie

This is our "fierce" photo.
All of us!

This is the girl's after shot.

All of us, after the fight was over. One of the boys snuck ketchup into the fight...and targeted me with it, I think I had at least 1/2 a bottle squeezed onto my head. I shampood a few times last night, so I think I smell okay now!

WooHoo for food fights! We are probably going to do it again sometime. :)

Hope everyone is doing well!