In The Great Wide Somewhere: Sea + Sun Has My Heart

Sea + Sun Has My Heart

but especially the sea

Hi. This weeks email is going to be a little different than most.

it starts with this:

A tribute to Sister C.

In one sentence I can without hesitation say she knows what the word Charity means, and she lives it.

In many I will say this.

Kymmber Christiansen is one of the most selfless, knowledgeable, kind, Christ-like, Christ centered, passionate, talented people I have ever met.

More importantly she is one of my very best friends. ;)

She trained me how to

1. Mission

2. Life

She taught me what it feels like to depend on someone for everything, and be one hundred and ten percent satisfied with everything I got.

I literally relied on her for so much being the "greenie" I was (am) from the beginning, and I still rely on her and what she taught me so much.

Kymmber if you are reading this, just know that I love you.

Know that I may or may not be crying as I type this.

Know that I am definitely shedding tears rn.

(remember when I taught you what rn means?)

Thank you for allowing me to feel important in the role I have had as your personal "real world" guide as you went through your last two transfers with me.

I am so incredibly lucky to have you as my three month trainer, and eternity long friend.

(yes you're stuck with me five ever)

To say I miss you would be the understatement of the year, to say my heart hurts would be accurate, but to say I am beyond happy for the things you are experiencing as a returned missionary and all that that entails would be the truth. (mostly)

For everyone else. Just know that this last week I said goodbye to Sister Christiansen and I won't be able to say hello to Kymmber Christiansen for another year + but I am so lucky to have someone that made saying goodbye so

painful

because I love her.

I am eternally grateful for this amazing human being that I could literally talk to about anything under the sun and she would listen. She would listen to the spirit and tell me exactly what my older Brother would tell me if He had been sitting there Himself.

I LOVE YOU KYMMBER

(still not used to that name? Me neither. Might not ever be.)

another thing: I am about to be very honest.

#NOSUGARTOTHISCOAT

the fact that she got to see my family and Lindsey during her lay over on the way to Fresno, just about tears my heart to bits.

but the fact that my family and Lindsey got to spend time with this special human being in my life (who I have known much longer than three months btw) is JUST AS PAINFUL

I am so happy they got to see each other

but it hurts. I will be honest.

Something I did expect about being a missionary: Being away from fam that initial few weeks is hard.

Something I didn't expect: Having to go through that all over again with someone I have grown to love just as much.

(Sister C. I got you fam)

So that's the trip everyone.

As a missionary you never get used to painful goodbyes and unfortunately hellos are not as fulfilling until the hello develops into another goodbye.

"you never know what you've got until it's gone"

unless you do, but it takes time.

prepare for more mush.

unless you want to skip the parenthesis because this mushy parenthesis part is just for Kymmber.

(yes I sleep with your blanket and yes I have the dinosaur you gave me and it's one of my most prized possessions. Sorry the only thing I snuck into your suit case was that creepy statue of baby Jesus)

okay it wasn't that gushy. ;)

Now I know what some of ya'll are thinking. Hello. You are a missionary, buck up and whatnot.

yes. I am a missionary.

And I love for a living.

My living is not a temporal one it's a spiritual living and I earn it by loving people.

and I love Sister Christiansen.

change is hard

but so good.

Now to introduce my cute new companion whom I ALREADY love very much, and I'm sure will grow into a relationship that when we part will hurt my heart again.

#missionarylyfe

#drumrollforthegreenergreenie

SISTER PYPER

She is from Utah

She is taller than me by a mile

She is so cute

and one of the most soft spoken, kind people ever

She has already taught me how to be a kinder human, and what the word virtue means.

Sister Pyper is just pure.

Pure in heart and pure in spirit. Plus she has that MTC glow about her which I totally wish I still had.

More honesty. Being a trainer is hard. I would trade places with her. I also wish I could go back and tell myself that.

but I don't wish I could go back, why?

because being a trainer is so dang rewarding.

I have wanted to be a teacher since I was super young, and helping Sister Pyper figure everything out has shown me a few things

1. All my weaknesses. Literally all of them are on display now.

2. I love teaching. I love feeling Heavenly Fathers love and trust in me as her trainer and her as His daughter. I love being able to work my butt off all day because at this time she is truly trying to figure everything out and doing an amazing job, but I definitely go to bed EXHAUSTED.

(my appreciation for Sister Christiansen has increased ten fold)

It's hard work and it is so amazing. Sister Pyper is training me in a lot of ways.

God is good.

I love being a missionary.

Now for some amazing things that have also happened.

Sister P (not Pyper) is doing so amazing and her husband is seriously progressing so much. We had a church tour with them yesterday and the spirit was so strong! Her husband opened up and started asking questions and I know that he will be baptized very soon.

Church yesterday was an emotional roller coaster.

I haven't talked much about my mission theme I gave myself with the help of God, but part of it is a quote from President Monson "There are lives to brighten hearts to touch and souls to save" and someone in their talk said that. I can't even explain the overwhelming feeling of love I felt.

Such a simple thing, but it hit me hard.

During the plan of salvation lesson this past week with Sister P's husband, he had some concerns about the commandments and not killing, I can only imagine those concerns come from his job. He is in the military. I felt very prompted to quote the scripture "greater love hath no man than this except he layeth down his life for his friend" John 15:; 14 and I shared the story of Moses crashing the red sea waters on all of pharaohs army to save the people of God. An act of defense so the innocent wouldn't suffer.

Then in church yesterday one of the speakers spoke of just about the same thing. She was speaking on service and quoted that scripture, I believe it was just for him. He has been at church a month now and the light in him is growing.

My testimony of the relief society was strengthened yesterday as we found out Gulf Breeze's long time relief society president, Sister West, is finally at peace from her long time battle with cancer.

She fought a hard fight. And no one knew she passed until the bishop came in having just received the news himself. Everyone was in tears, everyone was comforting one another, and a spirit of love and unity was felt with a renewed appreciation for the plan of salvation and the peace of the Spirit.

After church we had back to back lessons until about 8 at night, luckily at one of those lessons we were fed otherwise we would have missed lunch. We ate dinner at 8! Some days are just more crazy than others and that whole "Sunday is a day of rest" thing does not apply to missionaries for the record. :)

But it felt good. God strengthened us.

My poor little sister Pyper probably wanted to kill me last night, but sweet as ever, she didn't and she is learning and growing so much!

Funny moment of the month.

So it's been a while since this happened but I can't postpone such an impactful moment of my mission. lol.

A couple weeks ago Sister C and I get a call from our buddy Brother Coslow

"Hey come do a service project today at four thirty. Other people will be there don't worry."

So we showed up to the church, walked in and he said

"Want to know what the service project is?"

"yes"

"I'm getting married.. Right now!! and we need a couple of witnesses."

whaaa....

Sure enough bishop is there with his wife and Laura, brother Coslows girlfriend was there as well. It was over in fifteen minutes, we snapped some pics, left and basically lost it because we couldn't handle what the fetch just happened.

Definitely a highlight of my mission: signing Florida state marriage papers as a witness to a four person wedding.

lol I sure love those two love birds. :)

LINDSSSSSSS GONGRATS ON RECEIVING YOUR ENDOWMENT

You are amazing. Also: Tell Grant congrats for me.

SHALAYLYN CONGRATS ON GETTING MARRIED but seriously ew. You two are so darn cute.

WALLI CONGRATS ON GETTING GRADUATED. Get ready, get set, go grow.

MADSWAGG CONGRATS ON KILLING IT IN TEXAS at DCC try-outs and just so you know I read the letter you gave me the other day. Thank you from the bottom of my <3

anyway. Read 2nd Nephi 31:20 for me

pray

and go to church on Sunday

Love ya'll sooo big.

Sister Kymmber, you're still a missionary.

You have been recommended as one worthy to serve the Lord. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of infinity years and you are presently called to serve in Fresno California speaking the Valley Girl language.

Roll Out <3

LOVE YOU ALL

make it a good one

then make it a good one again

love, me. A sister missiona(ry)