Missionary for an hour

So last night I get a phone call from the missionaries in our ward. They wanted to me help them teach a discussion (or I guess they call them lessons now) today. I hesitated. I thought of all the things I was planning on doing today and this just cut right into those plans. I thought about it for a few seconds and reluctantly agreed. I am so glad I did.

Honestly, I didn't think this lesson would happen. The family was supposed to come to the church for the lesson and they live a good 25 minutes away. When I got there a few minutes late and they weren't there I just knew they weren't going to show. To my surprise however they did show (45 minutes late but they showed). We had a wonderful lesson and this family is amazing. It was so wonderful to participate in missionary work again after so long. I was able to share my testimony with them, in Spanish mind you, and it was awesome. Who knows what will happen with this family but one thing is for sure, the spirit was there and it was testifying to all of us of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am so thankful that I didn't let the mundane things of the world prevent me from having one of the best experiences I've had in a long time. I love missionary work. I miss being a missionary and I had forgotten really how much I love the Latino people. I'm just wondering....what was your last missionary experience?

To be 5 again.

Sometimes I really wish I was five again. Life was pretty simple then and making friends was so much easier. I watch my little five year old show up at the park and make an instant best friend with a random kid on the playground. How does she do that? There are no clicks or circles to break into. Just a simple hi and a "do you want to play" and that's it, they are buddies, at least for an hour or 2 at the park. I'm really envious that little kids can do that.

I don't know why it has been so hard for me to make friends here. At first it seemed like I would make some good friends and that life would be great but lately I've been feeling, well, friendless. Maybe I ask too much in a friend or maybe I am over analyzing everything that is done by said "would be" friends. All I know is that it really stinks to be the new person.

I still feel like that new person, no, actually, I feel worse than the new person because I have been here 8 months and technically I'm not new anymore. When I was the "new" person everyone was nice and tried to include me and talk to me. Now, I have just been forgotten about.
And now I definitely see and feel the friend groups and the exclusivity of them.

I wonder about people who make friends so easily. What's their secret? I thought that I made friends easily but I think I am mistaken. It used to be easy in college anyway. I think it's that I long for friends who love me for who I am and who accept me as is. For friends that I have things in common with, things that are important to me. So far I have yet to find anyone who is into homeschooling, home birthing, healthy eating and alternative medicine. That's not to say I couldn't be friends with someone who wasn't into any of that stuff, just that all of that is a big part of who I am and I don't feel like anyone accepts that about me.

I suppose a five year old is not as complicated as us adults are and perhaps that is their secret to making friends in an instant. That, and they are OK with making a friend for an hour and then saying goodbye. I am not. When I make a friend, a true friend, I want that friend for life.

The first day......

Today marks the beginning. The beginning of a new chapter in my life. No excuses anymore, I have to start what I've been putting off. Yes, this is definitely the first day of the rest of my life. Sure it's an old cliche but it is one that fits me right now.

For as long as I can remember I've had a love hate relationship with food. I love it, everything about it. OK, I don't love liver but most everything else yes. Who doesn't? Food is something that makes me feel good. It's something to drown sorrows in and something to celebrate with. Ahhh...yes...glorious yummy food. I hate it because well...not all of it makes me feel good and even worse, it's making me fat. So it's time now for me to take control of what has been controlling me for the past few years. Of course I'd like to think that it was me who has been doing the controlling but no, it's definitely the other way around.

So today marks the day. My new regimen. My new way of looking at and thinking of food. I've done it before and can do it again however difficult it will be. This is not all about food though. It's about me feeling good. Feeling good about myself on the inside and out. I truly believe the old adage "you are what you eat". Right now I am a pint of ice cream and a Hershey bar. I hope to turn into a nice head of broccoli instead.

Thus far I have embarked on my daily doses of supplements and my lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs (mmm....protein!) This also includes my daily helping of green drink which I have yet to muster up enough courage to take. The only sad part will be not being able to eat all the yummy melons I've planted in my garden (I can't have sugar...of any kind, long story for another blog entry).

So I'm off. Wish me luck, I'm gonna need it. Now, to go down that spectacular green drink.