A Day In Provo And Chasing Trains

Today has been a crazy day so this is going to be rather short so that I can be well rested because I go through the temple. More thoughts on that in another post though. What happened today was that I went Provo. Honestly as we drove through Orem I felt like I was coming home. I can't imagine how its going to feel when I come back from my mission. There are great things ahead and I am so excited.

Things started off great today from practically the moment I woke up. I was standing in the lobby waiting for my family to be ready to go when a gentleman approached my grandma and I and asked us where we were from. We made small talk with him for a while and then he asked why we were here. We told him that we were here in Salt Lake because I was getting ready to go on my mission and going through the temple this weekend. We talked for a little while longer and then the man reached into his back pocket, pulled out a $5 bill and handed to me saying he wanted to contribute to my mission fund. I was adamant that he didn't have to do that but he assured me that he was choosing too. I know he will be best for his sacrifice and I am grateful for it. I am saving the $5, hopefully it will help me when I am actually out on my mission

When we made it to Orem we stopped at Beehive clothing to get what I need for tomorrow. I told the lady that was helping us that I was going on a mission to Panama and then she handed us over to someone else to check us out. As we were purchasing our stuff the lady that had helped us earlier said loudly. "We have two people going to Panama!" This was very surprising because Panama isn't one of those missions you hear people getting called to every day. I was partly hoping it would be an elder because I haven't found any elders serving down there yet. However, Hermana Rebecca Dawson was a pleasant surprise. We had talked on Facebook some and it was simply through the hand of God that we saw each other that day. She was just passing through and we had decided to stop here instead of in Salt Lake. It was wonderful tender mercy

We got to Provo and I picked up some stuff for my mom then trekked around campus hoping  to catch a former professor or two but alas, no luck! I returned to the FLSR (we had gone to pick up some thing I had left when I'd move out in December) and had lunch with a dear friend named Katherine (I always called her Chava, which means Eve in Hebrew). We met in HEB 101, became study buddies and have been good friends ever since. She has always called me Chana (like the English Hannah, which is my Hebrew name). She is going to Harvard this Fall and this was the last time I would actually see her until God decides to bring us back together. We talked for a while and reminisced about our experiences together. Talked about the perspective missions and what is required for their preparation adds. I talked about how over the past year I had come to love my independence and the strength that God had become to me as I'd realized that while I yearned for the loves of my fellow man, with the love of God, I can be sustained if it is His will that it must be that way.

(Chava and I!)

After that I went and sat on the grass in front of the FLSR. My friend Molly (who is singing at my farewell) met me and we sat on the grass together enjoying the weather. As we sat there many people I knew came up and hugged me and asked me when I was entering. Almost without exception the guys asked me if I had been set apart yet, not wanting to hug me if I had been. I assured them that I was still huggable and I was happy to receive love from all the people I had grown so close to over the Fall semester.

Then Jeff showed up. Jeff is a very dear friend who I have grown to in a way that I can't quiet describe. We are very similar. In the summer we worked 18 hour shifts together and we really got to know each other. I am happy that I can keep in touch with him through email while I'm gone and if he still around when I come home I look forward to seeing and hanging out with him again. 

We sat on the grass for a good two hours before we all decided we were hungry and made the decision to walk down to J-Dawgs. It was a good last meal to have in Provo before I left and I greatly enjoyed it. After we ate we went back up to Jeff's apartment and played Scrabble. Jeff won. Only because he put down the word "equip"

(Jeff and I at J-Dawgs)

My friend Cameron (I call him Zoar which means "light" in Hebrew). He truly has been a wonderful friend and hometeacher. Came to take Molly and I to the station where we would catch the Frontrunner train. We talked in Hebrew for a while and he figured out just how much I had forgotten while studying Spanish. As we were driving down to the train station Cameron's car ran out of gas! Like, stopped working out of gas! We were about a quarter of a mile from the station and Cameron told us we would have to run to catch it because we only had about five minutes. Cameron was kind and carried Molly's bag and we took off as fast as we could. (If we hadn't caught it we would have had to wait a whole hour to catch the next one and with an hour ride we needed to catch this train). Needless to say we made it! I hugged Cameron goodbye and told him to bring sand form the Sea of Galilee (he's studying in Israel this summer like I plan to do when I come back).

Overall it was a wonderful adventure full of people that I love and memories that will last a long time. Thought I didn't get to see everyone, being around all my friends again made me grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the opportunity that we all have to be together forever in the presence of our Father in Heaven someday. I have only about 16 days until I enter the MTC and I feel God helping me along the way. May He bless you, my dear reader, until you read again.