Life is good.

Look at us, almost halfway through April! Wowzers, I'm not very good at the whole up-to-date sort of thing, sorry. But these last couple months have been quite the wild ride, accepting scholarships, college decisions, singing, Exec... and it's been so fun! I seriously have loved these past few months because everything is starting to fit into place for my future. So yay!!! I'm also seeing some of present coming to a close. Not so yay, but hey, that's life for ya. So here have been some of the big moments.

...I'm a Huntsman Scholar (well kinda)!!!

So through January and February, I focused a fair amount of my time on applying for the USU Ambassador Scholarship. Ambassadors are a leadership position and are known for going to their assigned high schools and try to recruit students to join their college or university. One of our friends in the ward who works in the business department at USU recommended I try out for the positions, and I thought it sounded like fun (and like some free $$$) so I went for it. During this time the same friend recommended I apply for a position as a Huntsman Scholar, which is the Honors Program for the  Huntsman School of Business. I was not as enthusiastic about this to begin with, but I completed the application anyways after lot's of pressuring from the parentals (tip: listen to your parents; they know best most of the time).
I got called back for interviews for both scholarships, and it was exciting! I thought the stars were really aligning for the Ambassadors, but one day I got home from school and I was received my rejection letter from the Ambassador's team. I felt pretty chapped, I'm not gonna lie. But later that night I received an email congratulating me on becoming a Huntsman Scholar! I really don't know how qualified I am to be one, but when one door closed another one opened. My plan has been to major in business (specifics not yet figured out), and the more I find out about the program the more excited I get to be a part of it.
Technically I'm just a Huntsman Scholar Candidate; you're not considered a Scholar until you get reaccepted your junior year. BUT LISTEN TO THIS. Once you get in your junior year, you get to do a half a semester abroad with the other scholars! Isn't that so cool?! Yeah, I'm pretty pumped.

...I'm a Sterling Scholar!!!

Sterling Scholars is an organization that's intention is to bring more attention to scholarship, leadership, and service in high school rather than just to athletics. I participated in the Vocal Performance category, and it was seriously whales of fun. And that is a lot of fun.

Preparing for Sterling Scholar was a LOT of work. After getting the receiving the award on the school level, I had to create a portfolio with LOTS of essays which took LOTS of time to complete. Shout-out to Aunt Laurie for being my personal editor:) After completing my portfolio I submitted it to the committee and was advance to the semi final interviews! And after that I advanced to the finals for the Wasatch Region! I'm sooo grateful for this new talent of singing I've found these past few years. It's brought so much joy to me already and I can't wait to see where it has yet to lead me.

PS: I'm third from the left if you're trying to find me in the picture:)

 

New Exec, Old Exec

On March 28th, the Mountain Crest Executive Council announced who will be taking over their positions for the 2015-16 school year. I still remember the day I was sworn in last year and given the position of Student Executive.

 

Exec has been one of the best parts of my senior year. I have such admiration for my fellow members and our advisor. They are all so great, and it will be hard to part with them come graduation. It was a bittersweet moment to be sure, but the school is in good hands next year, I'll tell ya that.

Who would have thought that a group of such different individuals would become one crazy cohesive team of leaders? Not me. But we did, and I sure do love them lots.

Leaning on Faith

Last Friday, I opened my mission call. I have been assigned to labor in the Buenos Aires North Mission. I will be speaking Spanish (my two years of German are really paying off haha), and leave for the Provo MTC June 17. Holy cats, Batman!! Is this even real? Never in my mind did I ever think I was going to Argentina! I don't think I ever even considered South America, really. But it's so cool. The more information I look up about the area, the more a perfect fit it seems for me. Minus the crime and stuff, but lets just ignore that for now, yeah?

My very good friend Tiffany Lemon recently posted on her blog the process she went through as she decided to serve a mission (it's super good. read it here), and it has inspired me to do the same. Well kinda. So here it goes...

I was met with opposition very shortly after I began preparing to start my mission papers clear back during the end November. A few days after getting my wisdom teeth out, I was hit quite strongly with feelings of doubt and confusion regarding my testimony. How did I know this was the true church? Was I just following blindly because I had grown up learning the gospel? How can I believe in something that seems so impossible? These thoughts hit me VERY suddenly and VERY deeply. I had never really received a "lightning strike" or an overwhelming burning in my bosom confirming what I had been taught was the truth... so did this mean that what I had been brought up being taught was wrong?
No, it did not. What I've learned in the months since then is the beauty of faith. Through a lot of struggling, frustration, pleading, searching, and blessings from a wonderful father, I have gained a deeper understanding of what faith is. Let me share.
1- FAITH IS NOT PERFECT KNOWLEDGE
Just as it states in Alma 32:21, faith is not a perfect knowledge. It is a hope for things which are not seen, which are true. In Romans 8:6-7, it says hope that is seen is not hope. That's a witness. (And from accounts from scriptures, a witness does not always guarantee strong members of the Gospel. Remember Laman and Lemuel?) In verse 7 it states, "But if we hope for that we see not, then we with patience wait for it" We are not going to receive a testimony simply because we want one, which bring me to my next point...
2- FAITH IS FOLLOWED BY ACTIONS
Faith without works is dead, it says so in James 2:17. How do we show our faith? Simple. By living the commandments we have been asked to follow. By going to church, paying tithing, visiting the temple, and living righteously. (Don't you just love the Primary answers? They're so plain yet so true.) We also show faith by experimenting on the word (see Alma 32:27). God does not want people to just blindly follow; if that were the case He wouldn't have given so many rather large books of scripture. So, are you already doing these things? Congratulations, you are acting on your faith. Go you.
3- PATIENTLY WAIT
This is so hard, especially when we live in a world where so many questions can be answered by a Google search. But I like to think of it this way: In the school of life, right now I'm about a third grader. Third graders don't know all that much. I just have to keep on living by the Gospel standards and experimenting on the word. Keep Calm and Morm-On.
4- RECOGNIZE HOW THE SPIRIT COMMUNICATES WITH YOU
I really like this article from the New Era. As much as I would like to, I do not feel the prompting of the Holy Ghost like a lightning bolt of spiritual goodness. And that is okay. Peace after going to the Temple, a moment of understanding in Seminary, a quick thought encouraging my to do something, those are often ways I feel the Spirit. Nothing big and grandiose. It's small and simple.
5- DON'T UNDERESTIMATE YOUR TESTIMONY
Don't let the adversary tempt you to doubt what you already know to be true. Remember the work you have put in. Write stuff down so you're less likely to forget.  You won't regret it.

While there is lot in this Church that is hard for me to grasp, I believe it speaks truth. Through following its principles it has made he happy. It has kept me safe. I don't know how I will be able to share the Gospel with the Argentine people when I'm so young and unseasoned, but I have the faith to go out and share what I know. And I am so excited.