Second letter in two days!

Hola mi familia:

Our Branch President's wife told us to write tonight so you get another letter.  After this I will probably only write on P-day which will be Wednesday.

Today has been so tiring and overwhelming but also really good.  I love my companion.  Did I tell you she is from Reno?  She's only 19 but she is so strong! She is way good at Spanish and so obedient.

Tomorrow we teach our 1st lesson in Spanish for 30 minutes!  Can you believe it?  I had this awesome confirmation today, just as I was getting discouraged with the language, that I'll be able to do it.  My host, who you met, said right away, "The gift of tongues is real.  Believe in it."  I really want to have the faith to make it real for me.

I was cold last night and the blanket is itchy and scratchy.  The pillow isn't great either.  Needles to say, I didn't sleep very well last night.  Hopefully I'll do better tonight.

I miss you and love you but I've totally been blessed to be able to cope so far.  Thank you for your prayers! I'll write again Wednesday.

Love,
Jennifer

First Letter!

Hola Familia!

Today has been really good.  I missed you at first and was really sad, but then they whisked me away and it's been a crazy whirlwind all day.  At first they had us drop our stuff off, get materials and then go straight to class (all in Spanish - the teacher had to talk REALLY slow for me to catch anything) then I did a quick tutorial thing on the computer, then back to more class.

There are 10 in my district, 8 of which are going to Buenos Aries West, including my companion and the other companionship of sisters (our roommates).  My companion is Hermana Gardner.  She has red auburn hair and is tall - a basketball player.  She is 19 and went to BYU Idaho.  I really like her.  I'm pretty sure from far away we look exactly the same.  I think we'll get along great.

Later we had a cute welcome where they explained what to wear on Sunday for the historic worldwide broadcast for mission presidents.  I get to go, but not be in the choir. Sad!  Dinner was OK, chicken fried steak which I didn't eat a lot of, but I had a salad and fruit.  I also skipped the cookies and ice cream.  Aren't you proud of me?

After dinner we unpacked and then had this awesome teaching experience.  There were about 50 of us and one investigator.  This super awesome sister teacher led a discussion/scenario and we raised our hands and basically handled the whole lesson as a group.  It was SO COOL!  It made me so excited to get out there and start teaching.  The spirit was so strong.  Then we met our DL and STL (Sister Training Leaders).  I really like them.

That is about it.  Tomorrow we're waking up to do Yoga at 6:00 so we can have more than 20 minutes to get ready.  Spanish is hard, but I'm trying.  Pray for me to have the gift of tongues. Running out of time, sorry!  P-day Wednesday!  Email then.

I love you all so much!

Love, Jen aka Hermana Millet :)

P.S. No more crying so far. :)

Dropped off at the MTC.

Last night Jen was set apart by our Stake President.  She was given a wonderful blessing where she was officially set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and made an ambassador for Jesus Christ.  She was blessed to have the holy spirit with her to help her during her mission.  After which our family went to Leatherby's for Jen's favorite hot fudge.  When we returned home Rich was able to give her a father's blessing and he blessed her to be safe and to be able to learn the Spanish language,

Today was a bitter sweet day.  We didn't need to be to the MTC until 1:15, so we had some time to chill at the house for a little while.  We then went to Zupas in Orem for lunch which is one of Jen's favorite restaurants.  We weren't the only ones with that idea as the restaurant was crowded and many were missionaries reporting to the MTC today as well.  

We had a little time to kill after eating lunch and so we went to the Provo temple and took some pictures there. Jen's sister-in-law, Katie was not able to make it today because of some class conflicts, but they were able to say their good bye's last night.

It was difficult to say goodbye, but we know Jen will be a wonderful missionary and will touch the lives of many while she is gone.  After all...18 months is not really that long anyway, right?

The Call

Remember this? I can't believe it was 104 days ago. Tomorrow's the day!

So Long, Farewell

Over the past few years I have been to dozens of farewells and homecomings for my missionary friends. Today, I attended my own. It was an incredibly surreal experience. It seems so final now.

I've been on an emotional roller coaster over the past week. Yesterday, I broke down after a batch of cookies didn't turn out quite right, for heavens sake. So it's no surprise that as we began the meeting this morning and I looked out at a sea of faces that I loved and admired, I was overwhelmed with love and the emotions again began to flow. For the rest of the day I have been constantly working to hold back tears. Tears of stress, and sadness, and fear, but most of all, happiness.

Today was wonderful. I was able to bear my testimony to all those most important in my life. What could be better than that? Much of my talk was based on this speech by Elder Bednar. You should read it. It's life changing. 

As an almost missionary I now understand how much this day means. I am so grateful for all those that made time to be there to support me on such a busy day.  I don't know how to adequately thank everyone who needs to know of my sincere appreciation but here is my lame attempt:

Thank you to my ward family. I have been affected by primary teachers, young women leaders, sunday school teachers, relief society sisters, primary children, bishopric members and friends as you have taught through lessons, testimonies, and most of all example.

Thank you to family friends. From old ward members, to the parents of my friends, and more. You had no obligation to be there today, yet you were, thank you. 

Thank you to my wonderful Kindergarten families. I have absolutely loved getting know you and your children and it brightened my whole day to see some of you today and to be able to share my testimony with you.

Thank you to my extended family. I have watched and learned from all you as I ave grown up. The older I get the more I am able to relate to you and become your friend, but I still look up to you as my examples. I am so grateful for the time I get to spend with you. Thank you for your continued support, generosity and love. 

Thank you to my friends. How did I get so lucky to call you my friends? How do I explain how much you all mean to me? Every single one of you inspires me to be a better person. Every time I am with you I am uplifted and feel better about myself. And along the way I laugh like crazy. I will miss you so much, especially as I leave knowing things will probably never be the same as they are now, but I will be so happy to see you progress and move on in life. The tears are flowing again now thinking of how much I love each of you. Thank you for being the people you are.

And finally, thank you to my family. Thank you for all your hard work to make today happen. Thank you for putting up with me and all my stress. Thank you...for everything. You are my everything.

Looking Forward

Less than a week people. I had a slight nervous break down yesterday...nbd. Everyone expects asks if I'm excited at this point, and I am. I totally am. But I'm also, maybe even a little more so, completely terrified. It's such a surreal, abstract concept to think about going to a place I've never seen, to do something I've never done, with people I've never met. So to counteract the nervousness I wanted to find and share a few awesome things about Buenos Aires that I'm totally stoked for. There are six attractions for each of the six days I have left before I leave.

1. Going here:

Isn't it pretty?! This is the Buenos Aires temple which I'm pretty sure is in my area. I'm hoping I get to go at least once on my mission.

2. Petting lions and tigers like this:

Thanks to my good friend Eric Schwaar for letting me raid his Facebook to find this awesome picture. The rational, logical side of me says this is stupid and I could die or have my arm ripped off (I have a 2nd cousin or some other sort of distant relative whose arm actually was torn off by a wild cat at a zoo on his mission) but the once in a lifetime, adventurous side of me says do it and tell the Grandparents about it later never. 

3. Living in this city: 

Isn't it beautiful! And HUGE! I can't wait to live somewhere new, especially a somewhere new that looks like this!

4. Seeing artwork on the street like this: 

Apparently Argentina has a pretty welcoming attitude toward graffiti so lots of famous artists come to display their talent. Isn't it awesome!? Maybe I'll come home and decide to become a graffiti artist.

5. Meeting these two:

I've been following my mission blog: buenosaireswest.blogspot.com. You should check it out. Sister Hermana Carter sounds awesome! I can't wait to meet her! I can only imagine how awesome Presidente Carter must be too. 

6. La Boca:

I'm not quite sure what this place is...ask me in 18 months. I hear it's pretty awesome though and it's super colorful and full of culture. 

The End and Beginning of the Best Year of My Life

According to my iphone app I now have 18 days, 14 hours, 34 minutes and 3 seconds left until I enter the MTC. As excited as I am to serve the Lord and begin this new adventure in my life, I am extremely just a little nervous about the unknown. A new language, a new culture, a new way of life.

Nine months ago I had a similar feeling about another life changing idea...

A week before I was to start my student teaching I was called by the principal of an elementary school asking if I wanted to interview for a kindergarten teaching position. I informed her that I wasn't technically graduated yet, but that I would love to come interview. I met with her an hour later and the next morning I was officially hired.

I had three days from the time I saw my classroom until Back to School Night when all 50 of my students and their parents would come walking in expecting a welcoming, organized classroom and a similarly welcoming and organized woman as their child's first teacher.

I was completely overwhelmed.

With the help of family, friends, coworkers, and my Heavenly Father I pulled it off. I think some of the parents even believed I knew what I was doing.

This week I welcomed those families into my classroom again for their last day of Kindergarten. That feeling of inadequacy still welled inside me as I spoke to the parents but this time it was accompanied by gratitude for their help, support and patience, memories and friendships, and most of all love and adoration for each and every one of their children, my beloved students.

This year has been one of the hardest of my life, but it has also been the most rewarding. I have been tried and tested as a teacher and as an individual but I have a grown and learned so much in return. Looking back on this school year, I am most grateful for the relationships I was able to form with my students and their families. Reading their notes of thanks is worth every late night and moment of frustration.

Now looking toward my next adventure I know that these feelings of fear and trepidation will also be rewarded with personal growth and lifelong relationships. I will be able to make an eternal difference in the lives of those whom I teach and help them to find happiness in this life and the next. Although worries will still consume me until I leave, I will remember the end result will be far worth any hard times to come.

My nearly empty classroom is boxed away in my parent's basement. It doesn't look near as intimidating as it did that first day. It looks like home. In 18 months I hope Argentina will look the same way to my eyes.

I am ending the best year of my life in exchange for what I know will prove to be the new best year. Bring it on Argentina.