Ernie.

Today is Ernie's birthday! He was one of my investigators who FINALLY chose to be baptized. I met him during my third transfer on the mission. I had just left my first area that was Spanish and I was sent to an ENGLISH area. Don't get me wrong, I was rather thrilled because I felt like I was finally able to teach people in a language I was confident in, but I had a feeling that it would be a long time until I went back to Spanish work (which ended up being true). 

The first real lesson I taught Ernie was on August 26th, 2012. I learned a lot about him that day. It was hard for me to love him at first because I felt like he was never letting us teach him. But, I had to learn how to listen out of love. And when I sincerely listened to him, I would know exactly how to connect it to the gospel - because anything can be connected to the gospel. Here's what I wrote in regards to my first real lesson with him,

"Before church we had a lesson with Ernie! It was my first lesson with him and haha he is so hard to stay on topic with. He's very skeptical which makes it hard for us to teach him. Sister Merciales was explaining the Book of Mormon and the Bible to him when he went off and said, "How do we know those events actually happened?" He then went off to explain the telephone game. It's where you whisper something into someones ear and by the time it gets to the very last person, the message that was once shared in the beginning isn't the same message anymore. He was laughing as he was explaining the game and I was getting frustrated. He paused for a moment and I jumped in to say, "The Book of Mormon and the Bible ARE the word of God! There is no mess up and there is no wondering whether it's true, because it is." He then was pretty silent the rest of the lesson."

I probably sounded like a mad woman when you read that but in all seriousness, I wasn't. I was finally getting to teach this guy and I felt like he needed to understand our purpose. Our relationship with Ernie grew and crumbled a few times, along with some tears, but it was so worth it. Towards the end of my time in Westwood (the area I was in while teaching him), I can remember writing in my journal every night, "All I want is to see him dressed up in white." Seeing Ernie being baptized was the one thing I wanted - not for myself, but for him. And I was fortunate to see it happen!

Ernie, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I hope you know how much I love you as a person and as a son of God. I hope you know that I would go back and teach you all over again if it meant you coming even closer to Christ. I hope you know that I enjoyed every single story you ever told me. I hope you know that I thoroughly enjoyed the last lesson I taught you at the laundry mat when you actually let me help you do your laundry :) I hope you know that Sister Merciales and I will NEVER forget the day you actually said, "I love you" back to us via phone. You are a one of a kind, and I'm so grateful that you have found the gospel for yourself and that you are embarking on this journey with all of us as we strive to return back to the presence of God again. Love you!! Happy Birthday!

love,
Liv

christmas.

Christmas is probably my favorite holiday - next to my birthday. The whole month of December, everyone is so joyful, loving, cheerful, and everybody wants to serve! There is a special spirit throughout the whole month and miracles happen. Last year, I was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and spent Christmas away from my family. Christmas day was a hard but great day for me:

"I got to call home and talk to my family which was awesome. We just talked about normal stuff. We had a blast and I didn't cry until the very end when I had to leave a message for Richie. I totally lost it. It took me a while to recover from it but it made me really realize that I wasn't crying because I missed my family...I was crying because I love my mission so much and I don't want to go back home. We got to serve Sharon by singing to her and I felt the spirit so strongly. It felt good to serve her. Tonight I helped Sister Merciales do a three way call with her family in the Philippines. I called her family from the TC and then added her to the line from the phone she was using out in her area. It felt good to serve her. I love my mission!"

That day was a huge day for me. I finally didn't want to go home. I know, it sounds weird...especially since I still had another 9 months on the mission. However, I realized that I loved being a representative of Christ and that I wanted to do that and be that every single day for the rest of my life. When I told my parents we were going to do service, they were shocked! But, to me, that's what the Savior would have done. To me...it was normal. A family came and gave each of the VC sisters presents. They are one of my favorite families from the mission. What an example of Christ-like love they are to me. They glow with the love of Savior every time I see them.

Christmas this year was wonderful, but not as special as the one on the mission. This year, I was able to reflect on why last year was so great. I have come to the conclusion that it's because last year, I was representing him 24/7 that day. In reality, I represented him 24/7 for a whole year and a half! But that Christmas it wasn't about the presents, family, friends, homemade tamales, and the endless amount of text messages from people dear to me. It was who I was representing that day - the Savior. It was a day where I reflected on the Savior all day long. It was a day where I was able to testify of Him to people I met. It was a day where I gave thanks to Him for all that I have and am. Isn't that what Christmas truly is all about?

love,
Liv

making some changes.

I'm not sure if it's because my brother is going to Skype with us tomorrow or if it's because transfers were just last week, but I can't get my mind off of the mission. As I was flipping through some old pictures of the beginning of the mission, I was reminded of how many life lessons I learned throughout those 18 months. I also felt impressed that I need to be doing a better job at this blog. So, I'm going to start working on the blog more and start making some changes on the things I write. Stay tuned!

love,
Liv

be an example.

Today I traveled back to California for Thanksgiving! I prepared myself by putting some pass along cards in my backpack in case I happened to sit by someone on the plane who could use one. Well, I was fortunate to have someone sitting right in front of us who was Catholic AND from Pleasanton! It was the first time ever meeting him but we had a mutual friend in common. His wife grew up in Utah which is why they decided to raise their family there (more specifically, Salt Lake City). The thought ran through my mind that this could be a great opportunity to give him a pass along card! However...it just didn't feel right.

After landing in California, we needed to make a trip to the Apple Store to get my computer fixed. My brother also wanted to get an upgrade on his iPhone which led to another unexpected opportunity to talk to someone about the church. The guy who was helping us ALSO used to live in Utah - more specifically, Cedar City. At that point my daddy had left to make a call to AT&T about a payment we needed to make before we could purchase the phone. I thought really hard who I knew from Cedar City and then it hit me..."you don't by chance know a Jazzy Barney do you?" Yup. He did. I told him that I served my mission with Sister Barney and he said how he was just thinking about her the other day because he noticed that she put some mission pictures up. He was super chill and asked some really great questions. I thought about giving him a pass along card as well but remembered how he made a comment about not liking "pushy" people. Again, it didn't feel right.

In both situations I wanted to give them a pass along card but I felt like the spirit was telling me to just be an example. Giving them a pass along card was a great thought but it wasn't the best approach for these two situations. I still can't explain it...but I'm grateful I followed the promptings I received and because I did, I tried even harder to be mindful of the words I used when talking to them. One asked me why I joined the church and instead of just pouring my testimony to him I felt like I just needed to come to his level to share it in a way that he would respond to. And, it worked.

love,
Liv

three months.

I seriously cannot believe that I have only been home for three months. It feels so much longer. Every time I see a new missionary coming home from my mission I feel older...and older...and older. Sadly my last companion won't come home until around my year mark...I miss her so much! As I think about the past three months, I'm happy with where I'm at. I feel like I've really taken the counsel of my two mission presidents on how to apply the mission to my every day life. They told me that the commitments I extended to people every day such as reading the scriptures, praying, attending the temple, going to church, living the Word of Wisdom, etc should all be the same commandments I'm committing myself to live when I go home. One thing that I know that I need to do better on is my scripture study. I do it every day out of habit but...I don't necessarily do it out of desire. That's my goal for this next month - study the scriptures, don't just read them!

Here is a video of some of my memories from the mission. My mission was seriously the best decision of and for my life. I cannot imagine my life without it. I cannot imagine raising a family without the knowledge I gained from my mission. I needed to go on a mission in order to learn all of those valuable lessons for myself. Missions are just an incredible experience to know and to learn the type of life our Heavenly Father wants us to live. You learn so much about the Gospel and how to relate it to everyday conversation. You learn and experience all of the Christlike attributes and your flaws are definitely shown through the process. But I think most importantly a stronger, indescribable relationship is established between you and the Savior, Jesus Christ. I loved my mission so much. Not a day goes by when I don't think about it. It has changed my life and it continues to bless my life. I love being able to be a member missionary and to help missionaries in their efforts!

love,

Liv

to go, or not to go. that is the question.

Whenever I talk to a girl who is preparing for her mission I get so excited for her! I always think back on when I heard the announcement of the age change and how that completely changed my entire mission. I assumed there would be so many more girls going on missions but I never imagined the impact it would make on all of the missions around the world! Of course, my opinion is that every girl should go on a mission! However, I also know that a mission isn't for every girl. So...how do you know if it's the right thing for you? I found this article and I invite you to read it if you are trying to find that answer for yourself!

https://www.lds.org/youth/article/for-young-women-making-the-mission-decision?cid=HPTU111913171&lang=eng

Sisters, make sure you pray about it. It's a big decision to serve a mission! It's incredibly hard but so rewarding at the same time. It's not the time to travel the world and feel like you're at EFY again - it's a lot of work. But, don't let that scare you either. Don't choose not to go on a mission because you feel like it would be too hard. You'd be surprised how much you can do when you're a servant of the Lord.

"The qualities that will help you be a successful missionary include following and teaching with the Spirit, loving others, obeying the commandments, developing Christlike attributes, working hard, and serving others. These qualities will not only bless you if you decide to serve a mission, but they'll also help you serve the Lord in your home and in the Church throughout your life. Remember that you'll have divine help to develop these gifts of the Spirit when you pray for them and work toward them."

love,
Liv

Elder Ortega.

Emilio!!! He FINALLY got his mission call! He is going to be serving in the California Long Beach Mission and reports March 12th! I AM SO EXCITED FOR HIM! He is an amazing example of someone who truly converted to the gospel. He goes out with the missionaries multiple times during the week, brings his non-member friends to church activities or baptisms, and a million other things! He is such an example to me and I cannot WAIT to read about his wonderful experiences from his mission. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father led us to Emilio and that I was able to watch him progress in the gospel. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

love,
Liv

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father.

I know that our Heavenly Father, God, loves us each individually in a capacity that is not comprehendible. He is mindful of our lives because He knows our plan during this time here on Earth. He may be far, but through prayer He can feel right next to you. Do you feel like you may not know who God is? Do you want to know who He is? Visit mormon.org where you can learn! Also, a good way to learn about God is by going to church. Visit here to find a chapel near your home! Whenever I am home in California, feel free to come with me! 

love,

Liv

happy day.

I'm almost certain that this will be the last warm Sunday until the end of winter semester. After a great session of stake conference, I really wanted to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather! So, Adam and I took a little adventure down to the Provo canon and went on a little walk. As we were strolling down the trail, Adam saw another trail that looked more "adventurous" and convinced me to ollow him. We had to be back by 5pm and it was already 4:15 but he insisted we'd get back home on time.

We walked up the hill and was able to discover a beautiful view. We continued up the path and that's when we realized that we couldn't see our original trail anymore. He told me not to worry and that the trail we were on would lead us right back to where we started... 

Well, we ended up sliding under a barb wire fence and climbing over another one. Once we were both on our feet again...we found our original trail :) and...we got home right at 5:00pm. 

Tonight we got to have the elders from our stake come over for dinner! I got their number from Kaylee to see if I could get the names of their investigators so I could pray for them. I mentioned how we could feed them and it turned out that they didn't have dinner tonight! It was such a treat to have the missionaries in our apartment. I now understand why members from my mission would always tell my companion and I that we would bring a special spirit into their home - it's so true! We are fortunate to feed them for the next two Sundays so we are excited! 

Later I got to goof around with Adam and we had a great time together laughing and being silly. I love Sunday's! Oh, and my recent convert received the Melchizedek priesthood today!!! I love how Sunday's are the days where I get to make my weekly contact with my recent converts. Just hearing how they are doing and how the gospel is continuing to bless their lives brings me pure joy. Man, I wish tomorrow wasn't Monday. 

love,

Liv

spiritually fed.

Adam and I went to our stake conference this afternoon. It's interesting to see my style of notetaking change since the mission. At the MTC we had the privilege to listen to a talk Elder Bednar gave a year prior at the MTC. He started his talk by telling the missionaries to not write everything he says because that was not the reason why he was there. He invited the missionaries to take notes on the things that impressed them. To only write what was personal revelation. His talk really made an impact on me and changed my way of listening and recording notes. I'm grateful that I keep a journal of notes from church because it's something that I'm able to look back to for guidance. One way we can show our Heavenly Father our gratitude for the revelation we receive is if we write it down and act upon it. 

love,

Liv 

conference weekend.

This weekend was amazing, both temporally and spiritually.

Temporally:

Friday night I went to my mission reunion and got to finally hug President Baker! I served all but my last eight weeks with him and he played a huge role in the type of missionary and daughter of God I ended up becoming. He's absolutely incredible and I'm grateful that God placed him and his wife into my life. Seeing other missionaries I served with was also fun. Being able to catch up on old memories and about the people we got to teach was a walk down memory lane. Man, being a missionary seriously was the best. 

Saturday I had lunch with Adam (different one...we'll call him Adam 2) before we watched the afternoon session of conference at his house together. Gotta love pizza and general conference! I started to feel sick and really tired because of all the lack of sleep I've been getting so when I finally got home, I just crashed on the couch for a few hours - so good! 

Afterward, I decided to make myself more "social" so I went to the ward dessert party...alone. Of course it was ice cream so I couldn't have any but I met a few new faces! I then stopped by Adam's before leaving and he said if I was still awake at midnight...he was planning on going on a bike ride and that I should join him. Although my sleep patterns had been absolutely horrible...I couldn't say no. He came by around 12:30ish and took me on a ride while I sat on his handle bars. Since I'm still so new to Provo, he showed me around campus. It was a cold yet rather enjoyable evening. 

For the Sunday afternoon session, I went with Kevin (formerly known as Elder Pack) to his dad's house so I could meet his dad for the first time! On my mission we had the opportunity to teach members, less actives and non-members over the phone and his dad was someone I would teach!! He was one of my favorites because he was so stubborn and I could totally call him out on things and he would think it was funny!! Finally meeting him was such a treat and he was everything I imagined him to be. I'm so glad I got to meet him!

Spiritually:
General Conference weekends are always my favorite. The week before General Conference I always prayerfully think of questions that I want/need to find answers to. I pray about those questions throughout the week and almost every time do all of my questions get answered. The reason why I love General Conference is because the speakers are never assigned topics to speak on! How cool is that? Each of them pray, fast, study the scriptures, attend the temple often, etc to know what exactly Heavenly Father wants them to speak on. I'm so grateful for that because whenever I do receive an answer, I know it's through the mouth of another person. Watching all four sessions of General Conference was so relaxing this time. I even got to watch the Sunday morning session alone which I loved because it was just me and the TV. I received the most revelation in that session.

Do you want to know what some of the talks from General Conference were? If you visit this website (lds.org) and here you will find the talks either on video or via print on the website! Here were some of my favorites:

1. "Strengthening Faith and Testimony" - Elder Robert D. Hales (Saturday Morning)
2. "Be Meek and Lowly of Heart" - Elder Ulissess Soares (Saturday Morning)
3. "Come, Join With Us" - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Saturday Morning)
4. "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" - Elder Richard G. Scott (Sunday Morning)
5. "Put Your Trust in the Lord" - Elder M. Russell Ballard (Saturday Afternoon)
6. "Power in the Priesthood" - Elder Neil L. Andersen (Sunday Afternoon)

love,
Liv

visiting teaching.

Today was the last day that I could go do my visiting teaching with my roommate. In Relief Society, we have something called Visiting Teaching where we are paired up with a "companion", another sister from Relief Society to be our partner. We are then assigned 1-2 other sisters to go visit and share a message with. We had visited one of the sisters last week but this past Sunday we were suppose to visit our second one. However, there were unexpected meetings that came up and my roommate went out of town so we were unable to do it on Sunday. The last day we could do it was today. With it being Family Home Evening and with both my roommate and I having late classes, the only option we had was to do it after Family Home Evening. We didn't finish till 9pm and the sister we wanted to visit wasn't available until around 10pm. So we were pretty much on call tonight haha and waited for when we could come over. The sister we visited was so grateful that we came by and that we were persistent. I almost wanted to give up and just blame it all on our "busy lives" but the voice of my mission president came to my mind on how he invited us to be 100% Home and Visiting Teachers and I knew that I needed to do it! Even though I was so sick last night, we still went over and it was a great mini lesson. 

I know that the time to serve usually comes at unexpected times when we are completely busy but if we put those service opportunities first and take the time to serve our brothers and sisters, the Lord will bless us. 

love,

Liv

only an hour difference.

I had the wonderful opportunity of talking to my second mission president today, President Weidman! I have been thinking about him and his wife and I wanted to let them know how I'm doing with adjusting back to "normal" life. When I heard his voice on the phone I immediately started to tear up. It was just so good to hear his voice! I could tell he was busy but one thing I loved about President Weidman was that he would always put you first before anything. We spoke on the phone for about 20 minutes and he was so interested in my life and how I was doing. He asked for advice and he even gave me "dirt" on what was going to happen this week for transfers. He reminded me of the type of man I should and need to marry and how to continue to live worthily. It was so fun! Even though he was only my Mission President for 8 weeks, I know that he was suppose to help finish my mission. I learned so much from him in that short amount of time and I am so grateful for it. Our conversation reminded me yet again that God puts certain people in our path for a reason! I can't wait for our next conversation!

love,
Liv

keep your promises.

This evening was the Relief Society broadcast for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Relief Society is the oldest and largest women's organization in the world! The purpose of Relief Society is to build faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need (visit mormon.org to learn more!). Once a year they have a broadcast the weekend before General Conference where women from all over the world, members of the church or not, can tune in and watch via television, internet, radio, etc. Lauren and I were the only ones home today and we decided to invite all the girls in our Relief Society to come to our apartment to watch it with us! We didn't think many would come but ten girls ended up coming to our apartment. It was a blast! We all munched on goodies and watched the broadcast intently. It was AMAZING!

Some of the counsel I received from it was this:
• covenant (a promise we make wish God) keeping is a way to show our love to Heavenly Father
• how much do we truly love the Savior?
• sometimes we don't realize we are keeping our covenants
• when we realize we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us
• Olivia, teach your children about the power of baptismal covenants
• do we recognize the ability of the Savior to "clean" us every week as we partake of the sacrament?
• the Lord allows us to be tried
• cling to your covenants
• listen more intently to the words being said in the temple
• seek the spirit during hard times and ask yourself, "Is this what Heavenly Father wants me to think of myself?"
• always remember the power of prayer
• how, when, and in what manner is what we can come to know through prayer
• reading and honoring the scriptures will lead us to eternal perfection
• as we take time for prayer and remember to turn to the scriptures, we will be blessed
• the love that Heavenly Father has for us never changes
• our testimony will be strong and deeply rooted as we continue to have daily prayer and scripture study

This weekend we have a special conference that is only given twice throughout the year. It's a weekend conference where the living prophet of God and his apostles and other general authorities will speak and counsel us on the things that God would want us to know. The speakers are not given a particular topic of any sort. They pray, fast, study, and pray some more to know what it is that they need to speak on that will help us. If you are interested in watching it, visit lds.org on Saturday morning at 10am (9am California time), Saturday afternoon at 2pm (1pm California time) and then the same times for Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon to view it live! I promise you that it will change your life. If you have any questions about your purpose in life, how to help strengthen the relationships within your family or anything completely out of the ordinary, I promise you that you will receive some sort of counsel next weekend. Go with a prayerful heart, listen intently, and act upon the answers you receive next weekend. Faith is nothing without action.

love,
Liv

now i know why.

it makes sense to me now why i love john mayer.

thanks for the song, appreciate it.

love,

Liv

today, i had a moment.

Since coming home from my mission, my perspective of my education has changed completely. I used to not give a single care in the world if I totally bombed a test. No emotion. I would look at that failing score on the digital board at the testing center, shrug and then text my roommate to see what the plans for the night were. I just didn't care! Well, I took my very first test in basically two years today and...I bombed it. Not an F but...basically an F haha. And I studied for this test for two and a half DAYS! No, not hours or minutes, days. I was devastated! I couldn't believe that I actually didn't get the grade I thought and felt I deserved. It didn't really hit me until I came home and Kaylee saw that I looked upset. I was looking through the fridge for some food and she asked me, "Liv, are you okay? You look sad." Here's a tip: never ask me how I'm doing when I look sad because you're asking for an automatic waterfall of tears streaming down my face. Yeah, I had a moment. I just told her how bad I felt for not doing good on my test and that sadly, it was an emotion that I had never felt in my entire life! Well, she tried to cheer me up but I knew that the only thing that would was my Ben & Jerry's ice cream (yes, I'm lactose intolerant but I didn't care at the moment), some Modern Family and an unexpected conversation with my best buddy.

I signed up for a program called the Best Buddy program through BYU and I get to be paired up with someone in the local community who has some sort of handicap disability and I basically get to serve her for the semester! I'm asked to visit with them at least twice a month and to attend activities with them. We finally talked for the first time today and she is a crack up! However, listening to her talk and just imagining the struggles she must have gone through in her life...I realized that I had no reason to cry over a test score. Absolutely no reason to be so low spirited. Talking to her on the phone healed me. Knowing that I was doing an act of service by just listening to her lifted my spirits up. I know that when we forget ourselves and serve others that we end up getting more out of it then the person we served. Isn't it funny how it always works out that way? I'm so grateful that I got to talk to her today.

So now, I'm off to the game! During my "moment" I told Kaylee that I wasn't going to go to the game because I wanted to stay home and study but that changed all because of Maureen, my best buddy :)

love,
Liv

love.

Do I think they are the best role models? Probably not. BUT! I read a post on facebook about what Brad did for Angelina while she was going through hard times. This is what he said...

"And then I realized one thing: the woman is the reflection of her man.

If you love her to the point of madness, she will become it."

-Brad Pitt

He knew how to heal her. Actually, he didn't know but figured that if he just tried to love her more and more that naturally she would be happier. It always amazes me how the little things a husband and wife can do for one another are so significant. Even when we are just in the beginning stages of dating someone, look to see if he opens the door for you, reaches out for your hand, shows you that he cares about you and just completely adores you. If he doesn't do it while you're dating, what's going to make him do it once you're married? Sure, people can change but don't always be so sure about that. Because we believe as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that marriage is for time and all eternity...it's up to us to make that relationship an eternal one. Marriage will not end at death like most people assume, it will last throughout the eternities. Good job, Brad.

love,

Liv

He's mindful.

As I was washing my hands in the sink just now, I had this sudden rush of emotion come over me. I had what was I guess a "glimpse of the future" and saw my brother walking out of the gates of the airport, coming home from his mission. I imagined myself hugging him and just telling him how proud I was of him. It felt so good to see him. When my vision came back to reality, tears formed in my eyes and dramatically fell down my cheeks. I really can't wait to see him again.

Me going on a mission was something my family already expected of me because I had talked about doing it even before I joined the church. However, Richie struggled a little and we were all unsure if he would actually serve a mission or not. When he finally made that decision on his own at age 20, my heart was full of gratitude for my Heavenly Father in awknowledging my prayers. I seriously am so proud of my brother. I miss him so much but I know what he's doing is the best thing for his life. He has changed in many ways and I can't wait to see what these next 11 months will bring him. We truly change and become more like the Savior when we serve others. 

"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." - Mosiah2:17, page 148 in the Book of Mormon

love,

Liv

one month.

I cannot believe that it has been a full month since I've been home from my mission. WHERE DID TIME GO??? A month ago I had a set bedtime for 10:30pm every single night. A month ago I had a companion who I was with 24/7. A month ago I said my goodbyes to the most amazing sisters, senior couples and to LA. So much has happened in this month...but seriously, it's ridiculous to think how much has happened! Don't get me wrong, I love being home. I love being able to communicate with my family whenever I want, to listen to country music, to sleep in on occasion - all are good things! I just feel like my mission was a complete dream. I can't believe that I actually spent 18 months of my life away from all of those things. I can't believe that I was literally with someone 24/7 for 18 straight months. I can't believe how much I've cried in 18 months and that it was even possible to cry that much! But overall, I think that's the best way to put it - it just feels like a dream. However, when my recent converts text me to see how I'm doing and when I hear of their success...I'm always reminded that one of many reasons why I did what I did...was because of them. I know that I was sent to Los Angeles, California just for them and that I needed to teach them because I needed to learn from them. God has a plan and this truly is His work.

love,
Liv

it's friiiiiday!

Fridays are my favorite days of the week. I get done with classes by 10:50 and then go straight to the library to work on homework that's due on Monday. Since coming home from my mission I have taken my education a lot more seriously to the point where the people in the library probably recognize me now.

I got to meet with my academic advisor which was a breathe of fresh air because all of my stressed was finally lifted! The major that I'm currently in (Early Childhood Education) is great but because I'm not in the program yet til next semester, I won't graduate until Winter 2016. Umm...yeah nope! It didn't make any sense to me because I figured since I had my associates that I would finish in 2015 as inticipated. Well, I randomly ran j to a girl that I knew back at BYUI and she too just recently got home from her mission (Salt Lake City VC!!). She mentioned how she changed her major to family studies and told me what it entailed. It got me curious and so after going to the orientation for it yesterday, I realized that this was the exact major I was taking at BYUI just different names! So today when I met with my advisor, she informed me that a lot of my credits from BYUI can replace my needed credits for this major and now my graduation goal is Winter 2015 :) I'm so grateful that I talked to my friend! 

My roommates and I all went to the temple tonight. We were suppose to do a session but one of the guys had an expired temple recommend so us girls went in to do something else. It was so awesome to see all of my roommates in the temple. To know that I am surrounded by good people, who have the same goals as me and is trying to be their best just makes the transitioning process a lot more easier. They just get me. I know that the temple is the house of the Lord and it is a place where the Spirit can be felt so strongly. It's where I've been able to go and receive answers to my prayers. It's where I've been able to learn more about the plan that God has for me. Watch this video to learn why it is that Mormon's build temples!

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=1198212594001

love,
Liv

a good sunday.

I woke up this morning with my mind feeling very heavy. Last night my thoughts were just all over the place and everything just felt like a dream. However, when I remembered that today was the Sabbath, I quickly fell to my knees with gratitude and could not wait to begin this day. Church was great. The lessons were all about service and how to be more unified. I'm grateful that my knowledge of the gospel has grown since my mission because I feel like I'm able to be more engaged in the lessons and the talks given. I was set apart today for a church calling, to be in the publicity committee. I was the last person to be set apart and I anticipated on the counsel I would receive for my calling. When the brethren laid their hands upon my head, I felt immediate love from my Heavenly Father. I was reminded of the talent/gift that the Lord has given me to love other people. It was actually mentioned about 4-5 times while I was being set apart. I was invited to continue setting appropriate priorities in my life which was something that stood out to me the most. When it was all done, I turned around with tears in my eyes, thanking them and telling them that the words in the setting apart were exactly what I needed to hear. I'm so grateful for worthy priesthood holders and to know that my Heavenly Father truly is mindful of me. 

When we came home, I decided to read my Old Testament readings that are due on Tuesday. I've set the goal that the only homework I would do on the Sabbath would be any sort of scripture readings/talks/church videos for my religion class. I got through the assigned readings in Genesis but before I knew it, I woke up to my face on my scriptures with drool on the verge of dripping on them (don't worry, my scriptures stayed in good condition!). I then merged over to my bedroom where I took my first, legit nap since being home. IT FELT SO GOOD! Later I made some phone calls to my recent converts and my mom (sister cole aka kiersten...) came to see me. She's seriously so amazing. I'm grateful that she's willing to drop whatever it is she's doing just to see me. 

In one of my readings that I had to do, I read this quote by Elder Bruce C. Hafen where he says, "Elder Maxwell once taught a group of people who lived with really hard daily challenges.  He had been watching the Olympic diving competition, where he had learned that the judges grade a dive not just by how graceful it looks to the public, but by how difficult the dive is—which only the judges can understand enough to measure. Elder Maxwell told this group that the Lord will judge their lives by the difficulty of their dive, which He understands in every detail." It brought such strength to me to be reminded that only Heavenly Father knows exactly the challenges we go through and only He will be able to "measure" them and "judge" them accordingly. As long as I face each challenge with hope, I know I can get through them. 

Tonight I decided to "socialize" more at ward prayer. I'm still pretty anti-social...I just like to be alone, people! Which is weird because I was with someone every single day 24/7 for 18 months but...maybe that's the exact reason why I like to be alone again :) I still miss my mission every day. I still haven't had my huge breakdown moment of missing it but there isn't a day that goes by where I am not reminded of the mission. Life is so good! God loves me ;)

love,

Liv

tender mercy.

I had the most awesome run in this week. Luke (Hermano Stoddard) was one of my MTC teachers and he was absolutely amazing! He taught us the importance of being obedient and it definitely prepared me for when I had my trainer and she too instilled that essential principle into my life. If you were to look through my Preach My Gospel, you would notice that everything that I write in there are basically things that he said to us in class. He was such a powerful teacher and made a huge impact on me and the type of missionary I wanted to be. Even though I didn't have the opportunity to teach the gospel in the Spanish language a lot on my mission but regardless of that, I know that he was meant to be my teacher which is one of many reasons why I was called Spanish speaking. Seeing him and just catching up on life was a huge tender mercy. I have such a firm testimony that Heavenly Father specifically puts certain people in our lives that will help us to return back to His presence on day and Luke, he is definitely one of those people in my life. 

love,

Liv 

vc reunion.

My guapa (Sister Davis) was in town for a few nights because she just came back from her trip in Europe! She stayed at my place tonight so I decided to get some VC sisters together so we could all see her. We went and got froyo (typical LA thing to do on pdays) and it was a blast! It didn't help that it was Monday today so naturally...it felt like we had night pday, just like the old days. It's crazy to think that we used to all serve together at some points on our missions. That we all had the exact same purpose: to invite others to come unto Christ. Even though these sisters don't have their badges on anymore, I can't look at them and not still see the missionary in them. The mission truly changes your life - for the better. How lucky are we to be return missionaries??

love,

Liv

i rocked the uggs today.

My entire mission I was anticipating the day that I would FINALLY meet my best friends little boy! He was born on my mission and I knew that me coming home only meant that he would be turning a year old! Well...I met this little boy today and my goodness, he stole my heart quicker then any boy I've ever known!

We became best friends instantly. I mean really, how could you deny such a face like that!? He's even adorable when he cries!!! I don't know how he does it. But it works. It was sooo good to see Sarah Peterson Reber again! She is one of my very very very best friends. She was there for me when I joined the church and was the most amazing fellow-shipper ever! I cannot imagine my first year of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without her! She was my rock. She was my example. She was just awesome people, okay? 

Since tomorrow is Sunday, Adam and I are going to make Sunday dinner again! We are going to try a recipe that I've never used...so I'll get to see how good his cooking skills really are. Actually, it's an incredibly easy recipe so we should be fine. I had to go to the store to get the ingredients and what not and yes...I totally rocked the uggs tonight. It was a complete rain storm earlier so obviously I grabbed my uggs so my feet could stay nice and warm :) It was worth it. 

Tonight I was well...a loser haha. But seriously. Everyone was at the BYU vs. Texas game and welp, this little girl was home. Since when do I choose to do homework over watching a football game? Clearly I'm still adjusting. Actually, my plan was to multi task (since that's what I do best) by doing my homework and watching the game at the same time but our cable wasn't working...so my plan majorly failed. But, it was a blessing because I had to opportunity to catch up with someone that I've actually known since I was in elementary school to come to think of it. We just randomly started talking on facebook, exchanged phone numbers and I had the chance to talk about the gospel with her! I invited her to read the family proclamation (which I hope she did!) and it felt so good to share my testimony to her!! I know, that as Elder Holland has said before, "I promise you that something in what they say will always highlight a truth of the gospel about which you can bear testimony and about which you can then offer more...If we listen with love we won't need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us - by the Spirit and by our friends." She's honestly a great friend and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to share a little bit of the gospel with her!

love,

Liv

date night.

so i've realized that coming home i've been...super lame. i don't like to do anything anymore! i just don't find anything...entertaining. so what did i do on a friday night? i started to do my homework. however...friday nights are date nights here in good ole Provo so Adam and I went on a double date with his roommate Jesse and another VC sister that I got to serve with! small world. we saw Monsters University (finalllllllly! only saw the billboard for it a billion times on my mission) and then got some froyo. afterward, we watched another movie (yes...another movie) at their apartment. Signs. last time i saw that was in theaters and i about peed my pants. remember the part when they show a video clip at some kids birthday party and the alien just walks across the screen? yeah...that part. hated it again the second time around. however, watching it this time wasn't as scary...i only got scared when adam would shake me at certain parts of the movie.

for some reason, i thought a lot about the second coming during the movie (Signs...not Monsters University). in the movie, everyone is just trippin out because well...aliens are invading the whole world! when i watch movies like it, it also brings me back to a mormon message by Elder Nelson. he was sharing a personal story where he was once on a small airplane when the engine on the wing caught fire. it exploded and burning oil was poured all over on the right side of the airplane and the plane started to spin down towards the earth. a lady on the plane was hysterical and Elder Nelson felt so sorry for that women because he was absolutely calm. even though he knew he was going down to his death, he was ready to meet his maker. the plane started to work again and no one died.

now, do i think if the world were to really be invaded by aliens that i wouldn't be scared? heck no i would be scared out of my mind! but...i hope that i too would have the same feeling that Elder Nelson had. that no matter what the outcome would be, i too would be ready to meet my maker. that i would even feel the same way Enos, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, felt when it was time for him to enter into the next life when he said, "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."

love,
Liv

vocal point.

I don't know why but I have been completely lazy/extremely exhausted all day today. I only had one class and took my sweet time getting ready this morning. I caught up with people after classes and FINALLY forced myself to take a nap which led to me starting my homework a lot later then originally planned. But in all honesty, it really wasn't a nap because I was stressed out the entire time. I don't know what it was but everything kind of just hit me hard today.

Usually when I'm stressed I grab my headphones and listen to music. As I did so this evening, the first thing that popped straight to my mind was "vocal point." Vocal Point is an acapella group of BYU men and the music that I have from them are hymns about the Savior, Jesus Christ. I followed that thought and I've noticed that my headache, anxiety and everything else that has been bothering me today all went away. I love how the hymns, sacred music of the Lord, are able to bring peace to ones soul. Where can we turn to peace? One way is by listening to spiritually uplifting music.

One thing that I've been stressed out about is my transition home from my mission. I feel like everyone around me has had these "major" struggles transitioning back but for me...ehh, I have my moments but it really hasn't been that bad. Since it's been a quick and easy adjustment for me, it just makes me feel like a horrible return missionary! But, I just need to remember that everyone goes at different paces just like everyone learns the gospel in different ways. As long as I am consistently reading my scriptures, saying my daily prayers, attending the temple as often as possible then I'm transitioning fine. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

I've thought a lot about persistence today and how if we want things in life...we need to be persistent! Here's a quote by Elder Richard G. Scott that I found, "The treasures of both secular and spiritual knowledge are hidden ones - but hidden from those who do not properly search and strive to find them. ...Spiritual knowledge is not available merely for the asking; even prayers are not enough. It takes persistence and dedication of one's life." Lesson of the day? Be persistent in all things.

Love,
Liv

funny boy.

Tonight I decided to make dinner (more like just throw in a frozen pizza and call it good) for Adam since he's been treating for me lately and I just wanted to say well...thanks! We decided that tonight would be the night for him to finally install my printer. You think it would be an easy process but...it wasn't. The spinning rainbow fire of death that my computer kept showing us was making him lose his patience just a tad bit... :) remember, patience is a virtue!

{almost 11pm and he we gave up}

Love,

Liv

my pday

Today was the first day of school. I remember caring how I looked on my first day but I totally rocked the "sister missionary" look wearing church clothes and my hair up for the simple fact that I was too lazy to wash it this morning. I got to have lunch with my trainer aka my mom aka sister cole aka kiersten cole...I don't think I could ever call her anything but "mom". It was so good to see her. Catching up on her life and the things that are occupying her mind made me grateful that amongst the struggles we had together...I can truly consider her as one of my dearest friends. We talked about the mission for a bit and transitioning and because she knows me so well...she could tell by the look I was giving that deep down I was struggling. I had a little breakdown with her because I just miss the mission so much. Monday's are the best because I get to hear from my old companions but at the same time it just makes me miss the work. Every time I look at the clock, I think about what my past companions could be doing. I just miss all of it. But seeing my mama and just getting advice from her helped me more then she probably thought.

Thankfully I only had one class today and it was Old Testament so I was pumped. I can tell it's going to be a hard course but I know that I'm going to be learning so much! After class I went to do a session at the temple. I love the temple so much and with it just be a few minutes away, how could I not go often?!? It was cool because I was able to do a session with a lot of missionaries from the MTC and that just brought back a flood of memories. 

Overall, today was great. I have decided that Tuesdays will be my "pdays" where I make sure to get everything done. You see, it's little things like that, choosing what day will be my pday that makes me so grateful for the decision I made to serve a mission. 

Love,

Liv

sunday's are the best.

I made the goal before my mission to make sure that on Sunday's I would try my absolute hardest to contact my recent converts, the people that I had the privilege to teach on my mission. I got to call/text a few of them today, one in particular being Dylan. Dylan was someone that I got to teach over the phone in the teaching center during my time serving in the Los Angeles Visitors Center. After knowing for himself that the church was indeed the only true church on the earth today, he made that decision to follow the example of Jesus Christ to be baptized. Before I left my mission, he was telling me how he was starting to help some sister missionaries in his ward by being a friend to one of their investigators. Well, today on the phone he told me that that investigator now has a baptismal date in November!! And if things go according to plan...he'll be the one to baptize him :)

Even though I'm home from the mission, I try so hard to keep it close to my heart. I think about my companions constantly, especially Sister Quinonez since she was my last one. I think of my recent converts and what I can do to help them continue to be converted in the gospel. I make sure that I have my daily scripture study and that my prayers are sincere and honest. But what seems to be helping the most is just reconnecting with everyone that I got to teach and help. Hearing of their success brings pure joy and only motivates me to try and be a better example for them.

Today at church I felt the spirit really strong for the first time in a while. The lessons were great and the testimonies were heartfelt. Going up there to share my testimony felt good - I miss doing that on a daily basis. I'm just grateful to know about the Plan of Salvation which is a perfect plan that God has for each one of us because He loves us. I'm grateful to know that one day, I truly can return back to the presence of my Heavenly Father again. I'm grateful to know that I don't have to be perfect in this life. All He expects of me is to follow His son, Jesus Christ and to be obedient in keeping His commandments.

Today was my first "test" (if you want to call it that) on how I would choose to keep the Sabbath day holy. Choosing to fast for a full two meals was hard, but I was able to do it. Then a walk to the temple and back with Adam just made it an even more perfect day. I really do love Sunday's and how it's suppose to be a day of rest where we can ponder on Jesus Christ and all that He truly has done for us.

Love,
Liv

pretty pretty.

This morning, Adam and I got up early to go hike the Y. This hike is "the hike" that every BYU student should and has to do at least once during their time here in good ole Provo. The hike was so much fun! However...it reminded me of how badly out of shape I really am ;) Because of my incapability to keep up...we took some breaks where I was able to just look at the beautiful scenery around me.

Isn't it amazing to think that Heavenly Father loves us so much that under His direction, Jesus Christ created the Earth for OUR benefit? So that we could come to Earth to receive a body, to gain earthly experience and then to ultimately make good, righteous choices that would lead us back to the presence of our Heavenly Father? I don't understand how people can look at nature and not know that there is a God. It's too beautiful and perfect.

Love,

Liv

a week later - Utah.

I can't believe that I am already in Utah. My transition back from my mission has been completely fast. About a week ago I was still a set apart missionary...it feels so much longer! But I know that Utah is where I'm suppose to be. I know that there are great things to come here and if I just continue to trust in the Lord, everything will go according to plan. I know it will. I got to see Adam today and he helped a lot with taking my daddy to the airport and just welcoming me back home. We grabbed some dinner and just caught up from the mission. I felt like I was breaking every single mission rule imaginable being in the car alone with him. I'll snap out of it soon. I'm so grateful for good friends!

Love,
Liv

Reminiscing.

Two things happened today:

1. I got an email from Sister Quinonez. She was my last companion on the mission and she was the only companion that I had where I was able to be myself 100% of the time. I could call her a loser and tell her how annoying she was and to her, she knew that that was me expressing my love for her. We never got in a single argument and although we were only together for 6 weeks, we became best friends out of it.

In her email today I could tell that she was struggling being a new trainer and trying to know what to do with the area but I KNOW that it is helping her grow. She's understanding the role of responsibility she know has and I have complete trust in her that she knows what she is doing. She isn't the type to tell me that she loves me so it was nice to hear that she really did actually miss me :) 

2. We had the Elders over for dinner. It was so weird playing the role of the member in our dinner appointment. Dinner appointments used to always stress me out because I always found it hard to leave exactly on time from their home. Just listening to them talk about their area and what they did for p-day was so hard for me to listen. One of the Elders who is very new in the mission asked me what I miss most about being a missionary. I told him that it was teaching. I had the best last teaching appointment in my mission and I hunger for that! I even asked the Elders if I could go with them as they went to visit some less actives but nothing were set appointments tonight so it just didn't work out. I didn't realize it till tonight that I really do  miss teaching people every single day. 

Love,

Liv

homecoming talk.

Today I gave my homecoming talk! I feel like it was just yesterday that I gave my farewell talk. My talk focused a lot on the importance of families and how we can have a successful family. In the Family Proclamation it says, "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord, Jesus Christ." Since my families baptism back in 2008, we have been able to see that promise fulfilled in our own home. By all means we do not have the perfect family because that's not what Heavenly Father expects from us. Actually, He knows that that isn't achievable in this life. However, what is achievable is success and that success comes from following the counsel from the prophets and apostles, obeying what the scriptures teaches us and having a home where the spirit can always be felt.

It was amazing to be able to see everyone that had supported me the whole 18 month journey. I felt so loved today. I know that my ward is truly my ward family. I know that Heavenly Father placed me in that ward for a specific reason and that reason was to help raise me in the gospel. I truly was born of goodly parents who raised me to the best of their abilities without the gospel and it was through their examples that when I was finally taught the true gospel of Jesus Christ, it was almost second nature to just automatically accept it into my life. I wish I had more time to say my hello's and goodbye's to everyone but...it's time for me to get ready for Utah.

{my welcome home sign from gracie girl and hunter}

Love,

Liv

It All Starts with a Seed.

Today has just felt like...a dream. I think coming home has just felt like a dream. I just can't believe that Monday night I was teaching the Gonzalez family. I was teaching as a set apart representative of Jesus Christ and now...here I am on my laptop on my bed. It just doesn't make sense to me how something could change so quickly. Today I thought a lot about my last companion. I wonder how she's doing with her new companion who is brand new to the mission. I wonder if she feels overwhelmed. I wonder if she realizes how amazing she is for doing everything that she's doing. Although today I was off doing what felt like a never ending to-do list, I couldn't get my mind off the mission.

I got an email from someone I went to EFY with while I wasn't a member of the church. I'm sharing this email that he sent me not because I'm trying to brag in any way, but because this email really lifted my spirits this evening:

"Hey Olivia, I don't know if you remember me from EFY or not I know it was a long time ago. I just wanted to share a cool story with you. I served my mission in the Canada Halifax Mission. It is on the East Coast right above Maine. In one of the areas I was serving, we were teaching a 17 year old girl named Anissa. She really wanted to be baptized however her parents wouldn't let her get baptized until she was 18 or out of the house. She came to a point where she wasn't sure she wanted to live the gospel anymore. Her logic was, well if I can't get baptized then what is the point in keeping other commandments. We were really struggling to keep her on track and coming to church. Our mission president, a month earlier, told us to start going on Mormon.org to find profiles that matched our investigators.We really needed to find someone that could relate to Anissa and her situation. That was when I saw your picture on mormon.org and I thought to myself, "I recognize this girl from somewhere." As I read your profile I realized who you were and that I knew you from EFY. If I remember right, you weren't baptized when you came to EFY. It was amazing to hear the rest of your story on Mormon.org! What you wrote on your profile really helped Anissa a lot. After we showed her your profile and taught her she started coming back to church again. The reason I wanted to share this story to you is because every day we do things that have the possibility to effect other peoples lives. Sometimes I wonder, do these things actually make a difference? Well, I want you to know that you unknowingly helped a girl all the way in Atlantic Canada gain a stronger testimony of Christ. Something I learned on my mission is that there is no such thing as a coincidence. I know that the spirit led us to your profile so that it could help Anissa."

Receiving that email this evening was such a tender mercy and a reminder to me that every seed we plant matters. That any opportunity we have to open our mouths to share our testimonies, seeds are being planted in their hearts. It may not grow straight into a tree the next day but, the seed is there and with the Lord's timing, it will begin to grow. I'm so grateful that I was able to actually hear about a seed that I was able to help plant. I know, just like my friend said, that the spirit was indeed the one to lead him to see my profile to help his investigator. Heavenly Father is aware of us and our needs, that I can promise you with all of my heart.

Love,
Liv

first day - letter to me.

Dear Olivia,
Right now, you are anxious about the next chapter of your life. You are at the airport, hesitant to talk to people because you're too busy being nervous about the future. You see everyone with their technology and reflect on how that used to be you. By all means it's not a bad thing but it's so easy to get distracted by worldly matters. It seems like since you've been a missionary that you've seen people rely even more on the letters on their keyboard to communicate rather then verbal communication.

In the city of Los Angeles, you have seen so many different walks of life. I wish you kept record of how many people you met from around the world. One thing you did do was look at everyone as a child of God. How can you continue to do that even after your mission? Never forget your purpose. As you continue to invite others unto Christ, you will be reminded that they too have been taught the gospel and they just need us to simply remind them of it.

You got to witness a small group of missionaries walk through the busy aisles of the airport. As they walked together, there was a sense of unity and power about them. Each of them have been waiting for this day to get to their mission. Some were nervous while others were excited but they really have no idea what's in store for them. They think they know how to do missionary work but what's about to happen will blow them away. As you greeted them, you told them that they were about to serve in the best mission in the world! It was something one of the departing missionaries told you when you stepped off the plane and entered Los Angeles. Eighteen months or two years probably sounds long but if only they knew how quickly it's going to go.

It is during this time where you not only invited people to come unto Christ but you yourself came to know Him more. You would worry at times about not testifying of Him as much as you wished. However, just know that through your actions and example, you testified of Him. Follow the counsel that President Baker and Weidman have given you and if you do, you will continue to progress into a strong, righteous disciple of Jesus Christ.

Love,
Sister Baeza