Logans Mission

August 30, 2023

Well it's been a very long time since I have done any blogging. My purpose of this blog is to keep a copy of all Logan's Mission letters and pictures she sends throughout her mission so when she comes home we can create a printed book so she can look back at her mission experience.

So It was never Logan's intention to serve a mission. She felt it wasn't for her and she was going to apply for the nursing program and get her RN. Well... God had different plans for her.  She started getting promptings around Dec of last year and kept trying to dismiss them, but God kept knocking louder until she started listening. More and more things started happening (thoughts, talks, friends) that just kept confirming a decision to serve a mission. So she started the process of getting all the necessary things done to be able to submit her papers.

Getting the wisdom teeth out is never a fun ordeal.

She got her papers submitted in less then a week after talking to the bishop telling him her desire to serve. She got her call and it was to Columbus Ohio.  It was a rather funny story because when she submitted her papers she marked that she would be willing to serve foreign, and she had a good friend that said your gonna get called to Ohio and Logan was like no way I better not. And everyone was putting there guesses in and most were foreign but when she opened it up she almost thought it was a joke when she read ohio, because her friend who said she would be going to ohio had been the one to print off the email of her call and sealed it in the envelope so she had thought it was her playing a joke, but nope she was called to Ohio.

At first she was a little disappointed that it wasn't foreign, but then as time went on she came to realize she prob wouldn't have done very good in a foreign place, and that Ohio is where she was meant to go. She put Aug as her availability to go so she could have the summer to be with her family and go on our summer camping trips. 

She took her endowments out June 9th at the Ogden Temple. I love the date because it is the same month and day I took out my endowments out as well 28 years ago. And she was able to have her good friend Milaina (sp?) come to her endowment before she left on her mission the following week.

  

Next came the photo shoots

And then it got real! Summer was about over and it was time to get her set apart. She received a wonderful prayer by her father before the stake Pres. did the setting apart.

                                                                           

She started Home MTC on Aug 21st. She was so worried all the week before about what if her companion didnt like her or what if they didnt get along. The first day logan came up after meeting Sis Haylee Jacobson and she just started to cry saying she was so awesome, and that her story was exactly the same as hers and that they had so much stuff in common. She was able to see the Lord's hand in her mission all ready on the first day! We were so happy and excited for her. The rest of the week she had some pretty great High's and just a couple low's. She forgets that it is normal not to know everything and feel like you dont know what to say when teaching. That's what the MTC is for. Most of home MTC was awesome and went by way to fast for me. Sunday was her farewell in church. It went a little long, but oh my gosh was it a powerful talk and she did an incredible job. You could just feel the spirit and you knew she was ready.

We had some awesome friends come to show her support. Some that was a total surprise, and one was very special. One of our sweet residents who we get to serve, and love on at the Assisted Living home we  work at was brought by one of our co workers. It was such a wonderful surprise and you can clearly see on Logan's face how much we love love love our residents. And it was bittersweet knowing that it was probably the last time she will get to see our sweet Norma!

And then came leaving for the MTC day. We had a very close family friend who also was starting his mission at the same time, and would be entering the MTC the same day, so we were able to meet up with them for lunch before dropping our missionaries off. We met this family when we lived in Michigan and our kids hit it off with their kids, and our daughters are still best friends to this day. They now live in Colorado so it is in a days drive to go visit them so it has been so nice to get to see them more often. I wish I would have gotten a photo of our whole group at the restaurant.

We had some time to kill before it was drop off time so we went to the temple and walked around and get some photos. Jessie was doing a zoom class in the truck while we were doing photos so Steve was able to get one just as we were leaving with her so I will have to add her in a little later. Logans tummy was twisting and turning most likely due to nerves so she had to potty a few times and we were in a rush to find a bathroom real quick before we had to have her at the MTC. Thank heavens Dairy Queen was there to save the day!

I thought it might be a little better this time around where we had done this once before with our oldest daughter, but it wasn't.  This is my baby, and one of my best friends and it was so hard. I have been dreading this day all summer. I tried not to think about it much or I would just start crying. We had gotten pretty close over this past year, and getting to work with each other was just the best! My heart hurts so much, but I know she is exactly where she is supposed to be, and I know she is going to do amazing things in Ohio. And at least now the missionaries get to skype their family once a week so that will be so awesome to actually see her and not have to wait for the letter to come.

I am posting her first email of her mission.

Week one: 

Hey Family and Friends, 

I Have only been a missionary for one week now. Last monday was my first day of the home mtc. Although it has been a short time it has been impactful. I have two classes that are both three hours long. In between those I have a workshop that is one hour long. I have short breaks and am so exhausted by the end of the day but it’s so worth it already. 

Key points:

1. I have felt incredible peace and have been so calm and excited (this is miraculous because if you know me I am nervous about how new things are going to work out, I thought it was going to be like the first day of school all over again)
2. My companion has the same life story as me just in a different font. We will be best friends. I know that her being my companion is not a coincidence but truly a blessing. I needed her and I think she needed me. This was another confirmation I was where I was supposed to be. I love her and already think she is the coolest. 
3. There are so many people serving. The workshop was filled with 601 missionaries the first day  and there were two of these workshops. How cool is it to be surrounded with so many people having the same desires as you, serving the same lord. Truly the Lord is calling all to come and gather israel. He is sending so many disciples all around the world to gather his sheep and restore the truth
4. Brother in-laws are so cool. I listened to an amazing story that he recommended and it really brought me a sense of surety that I needed to serve a mission and that I was capable of doing it. It confirmed that I am going where I need to go and that there is someone that is waiting for me. I shared the story on my facebook and I recommend you go and listen to it. There is a lot to take away from it. I could go on and on but I hate long emails.
5. I went to the Little Mermaid play at the heritage theater and it was so good. Ayden Andrews my best friend was Eric and he did so good. Those of you in Perry I strongly recommend going and seeing it. 
6. I am constantly starving I don’t know if it’s because I wake up so early but all throughout the day I am thinking about what I am going to eat next

1. If you weren’t there my farwell talk went extra long. When I timed it that morning it was 20 minutes long but somehow turned into 30. The elder after me did tell me to take up as much time as needed due to the fact that he had 10 minutes of a talk prepared. Now 30 minutes wasn’t my intention, 20 minutes was. I was just going to take the extra 5 minutes from his 15 minutes but somehow time flew by. At least he was able to give his whole talk still. Best part of the day was that my greatest work friends brought one of our residents to hear me talk. I guess I can’t say one of our residents because I no longer work there so I will just say one of my beautiful grandmas got to visit me. Tender mercies I miss all my grandparents so much. 

Week two: day two 

 I leave for the Provo MTC tomorrow, wednesday. My bags are packed so full. Wish me luck and wish me strength enough to lift my giant bags.

 I taught a lesson last week with my companion. We got excellent scores/ feedback. I was so impressed that we did that well. I felt it wasn’t my best so I can’t wait to see what me and my companion get to do further down the road but I will say we were so prepared for whatever way the conversation went. We put in the work and it paid off. We will teach again this friday. 

Oh last thing, as of last week friends are supposed to email, I am only allowed to respond to family on messenger( Facebook). Next week's email should be super interesting, so much is happening this week at the Provo mtc. I also decided to steal my companions' idea and do a quick summary of each day in my emails. With all that being said, Love you all!! 

Photos: 

1. My awesome district. They are all amazing and so funny

2. Elder Bourret in one of my classes ( family friend that I think the world of) we started the same day and will be arriving at provo the same day

3. My dad and his brother Rich absolutely loving their nephew attacking them with 100 different nerf guns. I secretly think they want to go purchase their own nerf gun