MTC-Day Layouts

I thought I'd share a couple scrapbook pages that I did digitally (insert shameless plug here for Close to my Heart and Studio J Digital Scrapbooking because, well...they're the best.  LOL!).  It's important to document life experiences - life is precious, pictures and memories are important, and details WILL be forgotten if they aren't written down.

These are the two that I did for her drop-off day at the MTC.  The first is outside the Provo Temple, and the second is at the MTC.  These pictures just make me smile.  As of Wednesday, she is now in Washington, though we haven't heard from her yet because she hasn't had her weekly "P-Day" (Preparation Day for missionaries where they do laundry, grocery shop, write letters, etc.)  I believe that is Tuesday, so we should hear from her then and have another blog post next week, hopefully with more pictures!  We did get an email from Sis. Bonham, the mission President's wife, so we know she arrived safe and sound.

Janene

And She's Off!

Today is an exciting day!  Carina left the MTC early (like, up at 3am early) to head to the airport with those serving in her mission.  I'm sure they are all going to be just exhausted by the day's end, but it will be such an exciting day too.  We've been loving her mailed letters from the MTC and she continues to encourage everyone to contact her via 'DearElder.com'.  I'll post her mission address when I have it.

Sidenote...I was driving home from dropping all the kids at school and saw an 801 area code come through on my phone.  I thought for sure it must be Carina calling from the airport, and it was!  Woohoo!  I only got to talk to her for a few minutes, but it was beautiful to hear her voice.   She was waiting to use the airport pay phones but they were all full and she was getting worried that she wouldn't have time to call us.  Thankfully, a beautiful, wonderful stranger came up and saw a need and filled it.  He asked if she needed to use his phone to call home before leaving (she's wearing her nametag and if he's a church member, he probably knows this airport scene.  LOL!).  She said yes and was grateful.  I sent him a quick text of thanks afterward and his response was, "You're welcome.  May the Lord bless her and your family for her sacrifice at this time.  Glad to do my small part."  It was extremely heartwarming and hope that he is blessed for giving a simple service to someone in need today.

We are looking forward to her next round of pictures and info to share her, but I know her next few days are going to be quite crazy.  We are grateful for the love and support our family and friends are showing.  She has let us know about the emails and letters she's received, and they are highlights to get, so THANK YOU!  :)

Janene

First MTC Pictures

We got a handwritten letter from Carina over the weekend and that was AWESOME!  She had a really great first few days in the MTC.  Along with Carina's first email yesterday were some awesome pics!  We've been excited to see pictures of her with her official missionary nametag.  Doesn't she look great?  :)

One of her instructors at the MTC

 Her MTC Companion, Sister Simental

 Ran into her friend Sister Koontz from our Stake!

 Ran into another family friend from our last Stake in Lewisville, Sister Riding!

 Carina's district - unfortunately most are going to Iowa, so she won't be serving in Washington with them.

 The girls in her district - lovely bunch of ladies!

Carina's Very First Email! Woohoo!!

Tuesday is Carina's "P-Day", or Preparation Day, so it's laundry day, emails and writing letters, etc.  We haven't heard anything since she went in Wednesday of last week, so this was SUCH an exciting day for us.  The biggest thing she said was to PLEASE use www.DearElder.com to send mail.  You can type up a letter, pay the postage, and they will print, pack, and deliver it the same day (if sent before noon) or the next day.  So easy and truly better for her while in the MTC, since she has limited computer/email time.  Letters are a fun and tangible thing to get, and even more fun to get things the same day you send them.  You'll need to know that she's in Unit 170, and that your mail is going to the Provo, MTC when you're sending her a letter on the site (don't send it to her mission yet since she's not there).  She'll will LOVE getting mail in the next few days before leaving early on Tuesday the 27th for Washington.

Here's part of the letter she sent us today:
Okay so can I just say I love it here so much, seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its absolutely amazing. I love my district, which really stinks because they are all going to Iowa and we are really going to miss them.  3 of the elders are 18, one is 19, and one is 23. The girls are also pretty great! 3 of them I really connect with, it ends up being us four a lot of the time. We just laugh and laugh and laugh, which helps relieve stress, so that has been so good!

So the first day I was just like on a spiritual high. We had a giant group meeting which was awesome and they introduced us and we sang... its just been great. I feel like I have seriously been here at least a month, I honesty don´t even really remember the first couple of days if it weren´t for me writing in my journal which we have no time for! 

So a typical day starts off at 530 and we have breakfast at 630 then classes and devotionals all day which is AWESOME i really love it. Also study time and lunch and dinner is thrown in there. The hardest thing here is the food schedule, we eat SO early and so close together we are never hungry for the next meal! lunch is at 11 but the dinner at 4 is what kills me. I am just not ready for dinner at that time! And then by 930 when we get back to our residence, we are all starving! But its great, Im not complaining its just very weird to get used to.  The food here is alright some things are better then others. I love that there is always fruit, all kinds! unlñimited! that is the best `part (sorry my email is probably all over the place, Im in the TALL language lab and so first all the symbols dont match the keyboard because they are swtiched for spanish and second i have no time so Im jsut kind of rushing and not fixing the mistakes.) 

We just started teaching real investigators. Well kind of. They are either member volunteers, new converts, actual investigators, inactives, or non memebers. And we have no idea which they are, we arent allowed to ask and we will never know! So we have to teach them like they are investigators.  We are teaching this girl named victoria in 10th grade. I already love her so much.  She is an amazing girl. And our first lesson she teared up when we bore our testimony of the Savior and his love for us.  If that is what being a missionary is. I want to do this forever, it is the best feeling. I am just smiling and over joyed all the time. I love it here.


I laughed a little at the food part, because Carina is not a big eater and usually doesn't eat much breakfast, so 6:30am is crazy-early for her.  LOL!  She sounds like she's doing just awesome, though, and it was wonderful to get an email from her today.  I'll post some pics tomorrow that she sent.  Future posts won't be quite this long, but since I just started the blog today (or yesterday, now that it's after midnight), I had quite a bit to share.

And So It Begins...

It's hard to believe we have a child old enough to be a missionary, but yep...we sure do.  It has been a busy and exciting few months as we've packed and prepped, and all of it wonderful.  I promised Carina that I'd keep up a blog to share news as she passed it along to us, so that family and friends could get a peek into her life as a missionary and see how she's doing.  So here it is - enjoy!

In October 2012, the church announced an age change for missionaries.  This was HUGE!  The age was 19 for young men and 21 for young women; now it's 18 for young men and 19 for young women.  Serving a mission is something Carina wanted to do...she prayed about it and received multiple strong answers that this is where God wanted her at this time in her life.  So she acted on those feelings and made her own choice.  It has been awesome to watch her grow through this experience.  She is a beautiful, strong, capable young woman with a strong testimony of her Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  And most importantly, she's ready to share it.  She has been called to serve in the Everett, Washington mission, and she reported to the MTC in Provo, Utah (Missionary Training Center) on Wed., August 14th, 2013, at 2:15pm. 

The Sunday before she left - August 11th, her last Sunday in Texas - she gave a "Farewell" talk in church and it was beautiful.  The chapel was packed and so was the overflow seating into the gym.  We felt truly blessed to have so many family and friends here to support her and share this special day.  I felt it fitting to add the pic below of Carina holding her baby sister, Brittan, as August 11th is also Brit's birthday.  She graciously shared her birthday with her big sis' day!

 Here are just a few of our best friends who came to Carina's farewell at church.

My younger brother, Randy, called a few days before the farewell to say that he'd worked it out to come to Texas!  And an even bigger surprise was that he brought my dad, Carina's grandpa with him.  We knew, but she didn't, so it was fun seeing the look on her face when my dad walked into our house on Saturday. 

 My dad is 6'6", but don't let that fool you - he's a giant teddy bear with the biggest heart.

 This is probably my new favorite picture...grandpa's tender moment and Carina's face filled with genuine joy and happiness.  She's just beautiful (and check the outfit...adorable, people!).  Carina is the oldest grandchild on the Palmer side, and also the first grandchild to serve a mission, so it was even more awesome having her grandpa there.

 

Monday morning was a little tough at the airport.  Goodbyes are never easy, and even harder for a dad who loves his daughter fiercely. 

I was blessed to have a few days with Carina in Utah before dropping her off on Wednesday.  She reported at 2:15pm on Aug. 14th.  I'm so proud of this beautiful girl!