Dear family and friends,

First off, happy birthday to Dad. I hope you enjoyed your birthday present! I thought it very fitting!

Well, the MTC is definitely a direct branch from the strict rules of BYU. One of the first sentences directed to me were, "Welcome Sister, you need to wear nylons." The MTC is so emphatic about rules it is overwhelming. They list so many things that you can and cannot do, that I couldn't keep track at first. But looking back, I was planning on doing all those things anyway, so I shouldn’t have even worried about it.
One of my favorite things to see here at the MTC is the many victims of gym time hobbling around campus. You would not believe how many crutches and casts are here as a result of aggressive gym time. I am more than happy to just stay on my elliptical and stare out the window at the beautiful mountains.
I initially had two companions. One, Hermana Lindquist, recently tested out into advanced Spanish. She had studied Spanish for 6 years (2 in college) and she also did a service abroad project in Guatemala. Wow, language is her thing. She is very talented and she can conjugate like I have never seen. We are all very happy that she was able to move, but we will miss her because she was very sweet and peaceful. Now Hermana Erickson is my only companion. She is from Boise Idaho (not the farming side of the state, as we are often reminded). She was formerly the cheer captain at her school. She is very fun and friendly. I admire her because she is able to talk to people and meet people so easily. She is the typical high school Spanish graduate, along with the rest of my class. She knows a lot more than she thinks, but she is afraid to speak. I am trying to help her with her confidence.
I love my district. It is like having 15 younger brothers (we are officially the largest district in the MTC since we have 17 missionaries compared to the usual 10 or 11). They are definitely YOUNGER brothers. Often they do strange things. But generally they make me laugh so hard. I am fond of all of them and proud that they decided to come on a mission. One Elder is from Gilbert and he was good friends with Kevin Curtis, Steve Frost, Casey Peterson, Ali Kerr, etc. It nice to indirectly know someone! It seems like he is eager to become friends and strengthen those Mesa ties. Life for the Sisters is very different from the Elders. To get to our hall there are 3 check points where you have to swipe your card to verify that you are a sister, not an Elder. Life is pretty strict on the two floors of the building where ALL of the sisters live (6 per room!) We hear crazy stories from the Elders about toga parties and Samoans who eat all of their food.
I love studying Spanish! I forget sometimes how beautiful that language is. But, in the evenings my mouth gets sore from using the different muscles, just like it did in Chile. I am good with the accent and fluidity, but as we all thought, I stink with conjugation. Usually I am right when speaking, but I CANNOT write. There is a tutor here there and I am hoping that she can help me finally see how conjugation is supposed to work. (Something all my other teachers could not do)
At the MTC, Satan is hard at work. I have had SO MUCH trouble sleeping at night because of worry and stress. At the beginning I was having so much trouble (yes, mom I tried Tylenol PM) that I decided I had to see my branch president. What a powerful testimony of the priesthood! I was unsure if he would be able to help me because he doesn't know me at all. But as we talked he knew exactly what I needed to here. He reassured me that it was acceptable for me to be here, despite the fact that I never felt a specific calling from the Lord and promised me that those that I love will be blessed because of my service. He also recommended that I get a blessing of both health and comfort. I asked my district leader if he would be able to do so. He is a faithful young man and it was so inspiring to see the true power of God to work through such young and inexperienced men. It is not to say that things are not still hard, but I have directly felt the blessings of the priesthood. I know that this gospel is true and the Savior knows and loves each of us personally. I rejoice in the opportunity to feel His love!

I love you all, but my time is SHORT!

Hermana Palmer

Me, Hermana Lindquist, Hermana Erickson

A final goodbye to the roomates in Provo

Sacrament Meeting Talk

This is the talk which I gave in sacrament meeting for my farewell. Hope you enjoy it.

A long time ago I baby-sat for the Greg Scoresby family. As the children got ready for bed, I asked them if they had said their prayers that night. They had not, but luckily Bennet Scoresby volunteered to lead us in prayer. His prayer went something like this:

“Dear Heavenly Father…I love my mom and dad…I love my brothers and sister…I love the baby-sitter…I love our neighbors…I love my friends…I love everyone in the whole world…name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Needless to say, I was amazed at the expanse of this young child’s love. Pretty incredible.
But there is someone else who also fosters an endless and amazing love similar to Bennet’s Scoresby’s. It is, of course, the Savior.

It is easy for us to understand that the Lord does love us. It is something we are reminded of often. We can sometimes see it through the lives of others or simply sense it in our own. But usually it is harder to understand why and how the Lord loves us. I found Moses chapter 7 to be very helpful in understanding.

In this chapter Enoch has a great vision of many dispensations. He sees the city of Zion, the coming of Christ, and even our day. Enoch sees the both the righteous and the unrighteous on the earth. Yet there is one scene which haunts him. In verse 26 he describes:
“And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he [Satan] looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.” Enoch is saddened to see Satan’s power over the Earth and the wickedness and suffering on the Earth which follow. And he asks God “How is it that the heavens canst weep?” In my mind, Enoch is almost asking “How can a God who allows so much sin and sadness and pain possibly have a heart?” Enoch continues to ask “How is it thou canst weep seeing that thou art holy and from all eternity to eternity?” Again, he is asking “How can you sit comfortably in the heaven’s and witness this suffering and wrong-doing? How can you possibly have a heart?”

We all know the answer. The Savior came to live with us on the Earth. The Lord came to this world as an infant. He lived just as we do. He learned in the same manner, had the same temptations. Certainly he also had weaknesses and vices which he had to overcome. Did he have trials? Of course. We can read about his betrayal, beatings, inquisition, trial, mockings, and ultimately his death on the cross. He had many pains and obstacles that were unique to his life.
Do you think the Lord understands mortality?
Temptations?

I think he has every right to watch our world and weep.

However, Enoch is not satisfied here, for his vision reveals another scene which greatly disturbs him. Enoch, having seen so many people and creations asks, “And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations…how is it thou canst weep?”
We should also ask, “with all the worlds and people the Lord has made, how can He sympathize with the ONE. How can He understand each of us?”
As Enoch comes to find out, the answer is the atonement.

Christ’s personal mission was to atone for our sins. That meant feeling every sin, pain, and trial. He knows exactly how we feel. He understands us. President Holland states this beautifully in his last talk from General Conference. He states:

“…one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey [the atonement] brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, [and] the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost…. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, “I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you [and abide with you].”

So we can see that the Savior has been with us through each trial and throughout our entire lives. Although the Savior has created many worlds and people, through the atonement he knows and loves each of us personally.

There has been one instance in particular that has showed me that the Lord knows me and—even more miraculous—He always seems to know exactly what I need.
When I was in second grade, my family moved to South America. It was definitely a struggle for me to learn a new culture at such a young age. With my blonde hair and blue eyes, it seemed that I would never fit in at my new school. I was struggling particularly with the language. At the time, I didn’t know a single word of Spanish. So as you can imagine, it was pretty impossible for me to communicate any of my own ideas. Until one day, I had a major break-through.
As a class we had been assigned to make cards for our friends. Everyone around me was busily cutting, gluing, and coloring. I sat and watched, not understanding what to do. And then suddenly I got a brilliant idea. I turned to my neighbor and just did this [cutting motion with hands]. To my utter amazement she understood me! It was as if for the first time, we were speaking the same language. “Scissors” [cutting motion] was my first word! I was so excited. As time passed by, things got easier I quickly learned two more new words: Estick-fix (which literally translated means stick-fix glue) and Escotch (which literally translated means Scotch tape). I just thought that I was brilliant and quickly mastering a command of the Spanish language—but to anyone else it was obvious that I needed help.

That is when the Savior showed me that He knew me and loved me. In my little second-grade class He sent me and angel. Her name was Marisol and she quickly became my little helper and my best friend. She taught me so much about the Spanish language and the Chilean culture. She was with me all the years I lived in South America, and I think she is the reason I survived.
It may not seem so very important to anyone else. But this was a strong testimony to me that the Savior knows us each individually and very personally.

I think we can all find moments in our lives that have shown us that the Savior loves us. But it is also important to ask: How does the Savior know we love him?

Shopping for my mission has been difficult at times. Initially, finding cute skirts that reach your mid-calf is just a funny idea, then you realize it much closer to an impossibility. I don’t know who wrote the sister-missionary clothing guidelines, but every sentence is an oxy-moron. My particular struggle has been the shoes. Really what are closed-toe sandals?
In my current wardrobe, I have the most adorable pair of hot-pink, snake-skin, three-inch heels. As much as I would love to take them on the mission, they will be staying home. So be sure to tell Markie that they look great on her while I am gone. You might say that the Savior knows I love him because I am trading in my heels for closed-toe sandals.

But really, there is more to my going on a mission than just the shoes. It has been important for me to remember why I am really choosing to serve a mission— and how the Lord can really know that I love him.

Do you remember that little angel that was in my second grade class, Marisol? Well life was not so simple for her either. She didn’t have much of a family. Her father was not a stable figure in her life and her brothers were certainly not good influences or role models in her either. Her mother, although very kind and loving, was struggling with addictions and habits of her own and as a result she was not always reliable. In short, Marisol was not blessed with the circumstances in life that so many of us enjoy. She had nothing. But despite all of this, Marisol was one of the sweetest girls I know. She has never let the outside world penetrate the tenderness of her heart.

We became best friends in elementary school, but through time as I moved to the States and she also moved her own separate way, we lost contact with one another. But I always remembered her and the many sweet and innocent memories we share.

Not too long ago, she actually contacted me again. As I looked at pictures and heard what she had been through in her life, I was devastated. She has not had an easy life. Time has tossed her down a weary path of uncertainty and solitude. I am so saddened to see the pain she has suffered because she does not have the gospel in her life. She does not know or understand how the Savior loves her. I have shared my testimony and the gospel with her many times. But at this time she is not ready.

It is largely because of Marisol that I choose to serve a mission. As I prepare to focus on a mission I often pray that I can find someone else’s Marisol and bring them to the gospel. I know the relief and joy it will bring to me when Marisol finds the gospel and I hope that I can bring that same joy to others who are also patiently waiting. I look forward to the day that she will accept the gospel and feel the Savior’s love for her.

This is how that Savior can know that I love him. I am choosing to serve his children who are around me. I invite all of you to look around, see whom you can serve, and show the Savior that you love Him back.

The Missionary Fashion Show 2009

So, for family home evening, Markie and I thought we would get a little creative. We decided to make a fashion show containing the ever-lovely missionary wardrobe. We invited our family friends over, The McRaes, to help us model the collection. We really had a lot of fun with it! We decided to use a contrast of traditional missionary attire with non-traditional hair and makeup. I think we all had a lot of fun. A special thanks to the models in order of appearance: Morgan Palmer, Heather McRae, Laura McRae, Markie Palmer, and Camille McRae!

These are the roommates!

From left to right: Emily Thurston, Keri Nelson, Ashley Vidal, Chelsea Christensen, Morgan Palmer, and Anne Lind.

All of these girls are just fabulous!

This is my family!

Well, I guess I'll start by telling you a little bit about me. I attended BYU for the past two years and absolutely LOVED it! I met many great friends and had many wonderful experiences. The greatest high-light for me is the wonde

rful roommates which I met there and lived with both years! I am currently a math-education major and despite the rough math classes I love the girls that I am with and the things that I learn.

I also have an incredible family. This summer we have enjoyed a lot of time together both at home and while traveling. We spent three weeks in Europe and absolutely loved it. It was far better than I could have imagined. We made a lot of humorous memories as we stumbled our way through foreign languages and cultures.

I have been so blessed in my life to have such wonderful people around me. And I am grateful for their love and support as I prepare for this much awaited journey.

The Blog

This is the beginning of my first mission blog!