Mission President's Letter

Sorry, This Week has been crazy!!! Well Friday I got a letter from my mission president, that evidently got lost in the mail. I have to have sent a letter and all my driving stuff to him by the end of this week... I know right that's insane. So I have been thinking and thinking about all the stuff he wanted me to tell about myself. First what are your talents. Well I obviously couldnt put sleeping, eating raw cookie dough, and writing letters to my missionary. By the way that is what my life has consisted of for two weeks while I was home alone... I might have even forgotten to take a shower every day... I know right, you are thinking gross, how is this girl going to go on a mission.. When you dont have a life, it really doesnt matter what you do. I know that it was Satan working on me, but I seriously couldnt think of any talents I have. I am just a sarcastic, tom boy, who watches a lot of movies. I cant do anything well. So what do I do in times of need email my missionary begging for him to help me. However, Monday was Veteran's Day so no email... All  I could think of was now I have to figure out my talents on my own... So I thought and thought, there might have been some distractions with Facebook, and movies. Ok let's be honest I was very distracted, and  I might have gone on a hike/ 4 wheeling trip to Willard Peak, where there was no thought to the letter, or all the questions I have to get answered. By the way like a foot of snow up there and it was 60 degrees. It was amazing. Got some awesome pictures too that I will post. Finally I thought I would get an email today, he usually emails around 10. So what was I doing every 10 seconds until almost 11. Refreshing my email. Finally I decided to start writing the letter this is what I got.

November 12, 2013

Dear President Hobbs,

                I am so excited to be able to serve a mission with you and your sweet wife. I know that I will love you as I get to serve with you in the months to come. I have never felt so sure about a decision I have made until my decision to serve a mission. I know that all my experiences, and all the studying I have done has helped me to prepare to serve a mission. Each day I try to prepare myself even more by reading the Book of Mormon, reading A great and Marvelous Work by LeGrande Richards, reading the general conference talks, studying the lessons in  Preach my Gospel, memorizing scripture masteries, and going to the temple twice a week. I have also gone out with the missionaries here to teach lessons as well. Each time I go out with the missionaries I am overjoyed and cannot wait to be able to serve my own mission. I love the Spirit and the happiness it brings me to share my testimony and knowledge of the Gospel is true. I already have love for the people in Rancho Cucamonga and dray for them daily. I am preparing to take my endowments out very soon, so that I can have the knowledge and understanding about more of the covenants of the church. So I can have that excitement and the joy of going to the temple, and be able to share that with my future investigators. I truly love attending the temple. I know that one of the main reasons I moved to Utah was the Lord knew I needed to gain a greater testimony of the temple and temple work. I know how important families are in the church , and how temples help our families to become eternal. I have a wonderful family that I love very much, however, most of my family are either inactive or not members.  

                My parents were married in the Logan Temple. They had three children. I am the oldest and I am twenty, then my eighteen year old sister, and my seventeen year old brother. We were all raised in the church, however, when I turned eight my parents divorced. Divorce is hard for any family, but for a LDS family I think it is even harder. For a long time I felt like I would never have an eternal family. My Mom eventually moved out of Utah, and remarried. My mother and siblings fell away from the church, but my mom gave me a choice. I decided to keep going to church because I knew it was true. I knew that I could never give that up in my life. I learned sooner than most kids how to be independent, and not rely on the testimony of my parents. My mother remarried someone who was not a member, and I got two more siblings; my little sister who is five and my little brother who is four. My mother, step father, both my sister, my little brother, and my niece all live in Tennessee; where I have lived for eight years of my life. I moved back to Utah about a year and a half ago, I live with my maternal grandparents who are members of the church. Although, my Dad and most of his family life in Utah as well I hardly see them or talk to them. My Dad has been inactive for several years now, and has never really had a relationship with me. I have tried to include him in my life, and my decision to serve a mission. My aunts and uncles are all so excited and supportive of me, along with my maternal grandparents and mother. I know that by going on a mission and serving I will be an example to my family. I hope that with my example I will be able to bring my family closer to the gospel. I know that I have been given these trials and my family for a reason. It even says in my patriarchal blessing, “It is not by accident that you have been placed in the circumstances where you have had the opportunity here in this life to receive blessings of the gospel.” I have been blessed with the knowledge that this is the only true church upon the face of the earth. I have been blessed with the great opportunity to share this knowledge with all the people in Rancho Cucamonga California, and I cannot wait.

Jessica Bell

Side not I like the fact that today is 11 12 13. well finally it is 12 and guess what I missed an email from Josh. Actually I didnt miss it, we got to email back and forth for almost an hour. It is probably sad to say, but that was the best hour of my life since he left. Well besides the day I got my mission call. So he forgot to answer my question. So I was like answer my questions!!! Please. I love you. He cant get mad at me demanding answers if I say I love you. :) He told me he could picture my face saying that too. I laughed, considering I make a lot of faces, and he knows me all to well to know that I was making a face while emailing that to him. So I called him a dork and this is what i get in response, "i am right now. :) can I just say that it is wonderful to hear you say that.(Calling him a dork) :)  what are your talents? you are a great listener, you have a huge sense of duty and work. you are wonderful at sewing, cooking, this might be weird, but money management is a great strength.you have a great knowledge of the scriptures, you love to read. i don't remember all of you questions though. yeah, it is. It feels like you are so close, and I like that.(This is in response to me asking if he liked me calling him a dork.) I think that you were right, you would do great with trainer that will help you become that 4th missionary. and that is so awesome that you got that from mary! it's a wonderful talk. I love how detailed it is. to answer a question that you had in your letter, no you are not stopping me from being that 4th missionary. When I came out here I told you that I would do everything to stay focused, and I am. there are some days where that is harder, so I have to think, would Jess want me to be thinking about her or what I should be doing right now.Oh, I wanted to tell you, I'm grateful that you are so creative and awesome! I love that about you. does it ever bother you that I'm not very creative? that's great that my family is helping so much, I'm really glad that you've been able to be with them so much. I read a quote the other day "take a deep breath. smile. it's only a bad day, not a bad life" that is so awesome that you are going through the temple!!!( So I got my endowment day this week!!I am more nervous about it than anything, and I have had an anxiety attack because of it. I am so excited about it too. I love that I will be able to be that much closer to my Heavenly Father. I cannot wait to make another covenant with Him. I know how much it will bless my life, and how many questions it will help me answer.) I love the temple and I know that you will love it even more when you get your endowments. I love you!!!  so much Jessica. you are amazing and such a good example to me. thank you for everything. thank you so much!!!!!!!!!! :) ( So I asked him what he wanted for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and this is what he wrote.)  I loved the pictures that you sent as well, those were so great!!! and i liked you drawing, :) I don't need anything for thanksgiving. if you really want to give me something for Christmas though.... I do have a few things that I need. there a few books, I can't remember their names right now. also a tie bar. insoles for my shoes. piano music to listen to. you want to know what I have been really craving? that protein shake that you buy at sam's club. for some reason that sounds so good.( Apparently he thinks I am made of money. I however have a few other ideas for Christmas. I am making a book of us, and a blanket. Along with a missionary stocking that I am making.) I know that you love me. :) but I don't need that to make me happy I have you.( This was because I would send him that stuff for Christmas) You know one of the hardest things about being out here, is that I can't help you. or my family,. I know that the Lord will take care of you, but i wish that I could help you by sending you things. or by doing anything. because I want to make you happy. and yes, I am so sad about not having CFA... ;) really though, I crave it sometimes... ( We worked at CFA together) ( Well then he had to go, it is always sad when he says bye to me. I was happy that he was able to answer my question, and made my day. I got all of my letter done to my mission president from his help. And this is how he signs off. ) I LOVE YOU!!!!!! have a good week. Remember that I am there for you. and I know that you know that our Heavenly father is there for you. "

Remember that. You are never alone, you will always have someone to help you and be by your side. Just remember to ask. I hope all of you have a good week. I will be spending tomorrow at the DMV getting all of my driving records and a new license to send ... Yay!... Not really, but I am getting my mission pictures done tomorrow, that part is exciting. O and here is the pictures from my hike, and one of my sweet missionary out in the mission field. 

This is a mountain goat I saw, sorry for the crappy picture.