Good morning y’all!! ! It’s been a long time!! i almost feel like i need to reintroduce myself to everyone unless you are following my mom and than you already know how my year went. but for those not following haha i’ll give yall the recap.
The end of July 2021 i got to pack up my car along with my parents and move across the country to Richmond Kentucky to attend eastern kentucky university. While in Kentucky I got to enjoy cheering, and classes usually, new friends, a new ysa, and what a tornado is like, to be exact what 3 tornados are like, and so much more. Kentucky taught me more than i could have ever known leaving last summer. June 2021 madisyn would be amazed at all we learned. living in kentucky taught me what loving one another as Jesus does truly is like, it taught me I'm very lucky to have a temple dedicated to my city instead of one temple for the whole state. It taught me that having a church within walking distance is unheard of haha!! and most importantly it taught me that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me more than i could have ever known or imagined.
While in Kentucky I got to face what felt like a whole new world in a good way. knowing heavenly father had my back as i followed through with my callings given to me, the many talks asked of me and the many service opportunities. i learned how much sacrifice the lord can ask of us. There was many nights spending long hours planning lessons, checking calendars for temple appointments, rewatching conference talks, and dreaming of when I could finally serve a mission. during these long nights or busy sundays full of talks and lessons i was overwhelmed with the help heavenly father gave me to full fill all that was asked of me as I prayed for help and followed through in completing the preparation needed. Through the struggle always came so much happiness and many rewards from heaven. Through all the struggle I could only think about a mission.
For a while i’m more than positive my roomates thought i was crazy because i think mission came out of my mouth every 10 seconds. We were all always thinking about where i would be called, when i could put my papers in, when i would be home, would i be learning a language, will i get to have facebook or instagram?! and so many more questions we spent too many night thinking over haha Through it all i could see heavenly father and jesus christ show to me how special these roommates were!! how blessed i was to have them!! and how much they loved them just as i did. my first talk rolled around quickly in my new ysa but ultimately was the coolest experience. I was able to speak not only to my ysa but to my roomates, to my best friend from home visiting and my sweet elizabeth.
Elizabeth had been looking into the church for awhile but had no cat while at The university of kentucky which made it a 20 ish minute drive to the church building. she was just starting to feel like coming again when the missionaries of my ward asked me to take her to a few activities. she was simply sent to me from heaven. she was the best friend i needed and the one to prepare me for my mission!! she has been through what felt like 50 sets of missionary companions already just not knowing if she was ready or wanting to take the leap into joining a new faith as well as not knowing if she was welcome or accepted and especially not knowing how it would align with her life. after many long nights and the best conversations and question and answers about prayer, repentance, baptism, prophets, leaders, family and community in the ward and the gospel of jesus christ one special night i was reorganizing my room around 1 am as one does in college and got a call from her. this call started out with “madisyn i am going to be baptized on march 26” and ended with the most tears i have ever experienced in my life. So much joy and happiness was burning through my heart knowing she finally found her answer!! she finally saw how amazing our father in heaven is and how much he loves her!! everything i got to already see when i first met her.
During this prime time of my year in Kentucky I was able to finally receive my call to Houston texas!! I saw one of my closest friends baptized and confirmed a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints and felt a spirit and love in that room unlike any other. And was finally able to call home and express how amazing Kentucky is instead of how lonely it is haha. i had the best of the best friends showing me love and happiness like no other. During this time i also learned how much more i learned when having christ by my side!! as happy and easy as this semester was over the previous one, this one was full of more experiences where i was able to say this was christ’s hand in my life. So many wonderful miracles showed up in the last few months in kentucky than ever before. or i just learned how to finally see that is was christ and heavenly father all along but either way. my eyes felt opened this last semester as i was seeing many miracles happening in the growth of my relief society class!! the ease i felt teaching lessons finally!! the opportunities where i was able to go on splits with our missionaries and learn to teach from them. The comfortability i felt sharing my testimony!! and the ease i had in answering the common questions that would arise.
Christ was truly training me to see his work and his hand in my life and the lives around me. I have never felt so close to christ than in the last few weeks in kentucky!! Seeing how special those around me were and how much i love them all!! I was able to reflect on how far i had come individually!! seeing that as life seemed to be MUCH EASIER i was changing small actions or tendencies and ultimately becoming shaped and formed into a grown and matured madisyn. i was able to study and learn and remember how christ ministered and taught, and how chirst served and how chirst had no complaints and how chirst always found the happiness in life not the sorrow. Ultimately i learned that as i was taking this step in my life and embarking on a new adventure that as i do as chirst does it seems to lighten the load.
This past week i was able to attend my sisters recital and listened to a beautiful song titled footprints that brought me to tears. It made me think of being the oldest and getting to set the path for my siblings and how i will make the mistakes and learn the lessons so they will be able to have something to follow on what not to do and what to do haha. while relistning to the song after i was brought to tears again thinking of my older brother. The lyrics said
You can follow my footprints
But you don't have to fill my shoes
It's just a path for you to follow
If you so choose
You can take the road less travelled
But if you're lost and feeling broken
Through and through
You can follow the footprints I left for you
chirst has left footprints for us to follow while we are enduring this life where sadly there are times we will feel lost and broken. but chirst has already walked the path waiting for us to follow along if we choose to.
the lyrics continue with
And if one day you run right past me
Chasing down your dreams
I hope that I can look ahead
And you'd turn and say to me
You can follow my footprints
But you don't have to fill my shoes
It's just a path for you to follow
If you so choose
my dreams are truly coming true. the opportunity to serve in such an amazing mission which feels truly made for me has been the ultimate testifying miracle from heavenly father and my big brother jesus chirst that they know me, and they know you! and as we are chasing our dreams with chirst by our side don’t forget to look back and remember where you started and where chirst was able to take you. I am beyond grateful that heavenly father and jesus chirst knew where i have needed to be my whole life. from my first ward family in herriman to my ward family in draper and now my family in kentucky i have needed every single one of you to lead and guide me in learning this beautiful gospel of jesus chirst. To kentucky thank you for making me stretch and face the uncomfy even though it was hard and too many nights were spent in worry and doubt i have grown into someone i could have only imagined. To my kentucky family!! thank you for letting me take care of you and thank you for taking care of me!! To my ward family here!! thank you for leading me and guiding me in building a fortified foundation and testimony in this church!! to my family!! to those here and to those unable to be here thank you for being the best examples of leaders, missionaries, and teachers!! you all deserve more blessing and thank yous than i can give. but thank you for always believing in me to my siblings don’t get too grown up on me while i’m away!! and make sure mom posts lots!! thank you for being my eternal best friends!!
mom and dad!! thank you for allowing me to reach and run after my dreams.
i am feeling blessed and humbled to cannot wait to get to serve those of houston texas ❤️
and i say these things in the name of jesus christ amen