To Kirtland we Go

As Andrew, Anna-Maire and I were not ready to go back to school but when we serve, we feel better about ourself. So we took the opportunity to be with the Sister missionaries and help with some investigatiors by taking a trip to Kirtland! I'll have to explain more about our trip later.

Stake Conference

Being able to attend Stake Conference (Adult, Youth and Regular Session) was just amazing!!! The spirit was so empowering. Elder Richard J. Maynes from the 70 spoke at each session. He is the type that likes to use the chalk board and the cool diagram! The Adult session was about the Celestial Kingdom, Earth, Church, and how we fit into each of them! We need to look at the good traditions that we are doing, continue them, and then the bad ones... work on them!

The Youth session (ages 14-25) He told us to imagine ourselves  when we are 80 years old and a news guy wanted to interview us. What would be the top 4 decisions we made that impacted our life? It was mostly geared toward the Young Men... missions!!! The experience is priceless! I thought of Elder Pratt! Elder Maynes said that all the preparation for a mission is tagged with you and when you come home you are basically a spiritual giant!!!

Then the Regular session was super amazing too!!! Ha. It was amazing to hear the Primary children sing! They are so cute! WOW, Sister Maynes, President Smith, Beck, Wilkin and Sister Eckel all talked about reading scriptures, prayer, the temple/ being worthy to attend, youth being able to step up to the plate, what is our role in life, going to higher ground. It was the best! They all gave great analogies too! Elder Maynes said that Joseph Smith was an investigator of the church; Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father were the missionaries. It is so true. We each have questions and they can be answered. We have to be humble and exercise our knees!   

Then to top all that off, an Elder came up to me and asked if I was a Pratt. It was odd, but then he told me he knew my brother!!!! It was Elder Wright! He told me that Elder Pratt was his Zone Leader in the Missionary Training Center! !!!! (MTC) Also with Elder Carter, they were in a room with Elder Strong!!! :) (He was transferred to Youngstown) So I had to talk a picture of them!!! (An Elder decided to get in the picture with them) They will be released January 5th! (I think that is the wrong word to use?!!?!) It would be the coolest thing for Elder Pratt to come home and see them before they return home!!!!  Talking to the missionaries brought back happy memories of Elder Pratt’s letters while at the MTC!!! ;)

When we finally started to walk out the door of the church, it was such a nice feeling to see the trunk door open and little sacks that had our lunch inside! (Mom, you’re awesome!) I’m still on a spiritual overload and trying to put into action what all was said. Good thing I took lots of notes so I won’t forget! ;)

Standing from left to right is Elder Lythgo, Elder Carter, and Elder Wright.

College- it's just typing more papers, reading more text books, and studing... a lot more.

For the start of college I will start a bolg of… me! My life and my family! It’s crazy so you might have a few bumps, bruises, and tears along the way but, don’t worry, when it’s over you will have a big smile on your face and people will hear you laughing in the next room over!

For most my childhoood, and now adulthood, I have always thought, 'My siblings have don it, then I can too!' So I graduated form High School and now I'm embarking a 'new' life as a college student. How cool is that?!!?! !

I was able to go to orientation with my sister Diana. She was the best one to do it. She helped me find my classes and set a 'Day List' instead of a 'To Do List'! I think I will learn real quick how to balance my time. (I better read up on some past General Conference talks!) As we were both sitting on the chairs in the lobby I realized that when Diana graduated from H.S. and went to college at BYU, Brigham Young University, she didn't have my parents or any sibling help her schedule her classes for her, get her books, find her classes or even help her find friends. I thne looked at her and where she is in life now... she made it! She has been in college more than the average four years but she has accomplished so much. She has had some jobs that require so much of her time, sleep at night, and social lilfe. She is a photogerpher, taken pictures of her H.S. best friend and others, my senior pictures, served in Haiti, the Deominican Republic. And now on a study program to Africa. She has met so many new people (I should check her Facebook to see how many people she really has met! Haha.) Diana knows what fruit snacks to buy, Sunkist! And she knows what to ask mom to send in her 'Care Package'... bbef sticks from Pettisville Meats, and of course, chocolate from Stella Leona! Diana knows what it's like to live on her own even with crazy roomies! She also knows what it means to put her faith and trust in the Lord. I think that is what makes Diana so awesome; in all that she does she knows how to not live off barrowed light. She kows thaty you must ask Heavenly Father in deep prayer.

For me, that is the key to this semester. Prayer! I was talking to a good friend at a recent wedding reception I attended. He is a professor at a near by university, married and has three beautiful daughters. He told me as I explained to him about my life as a college student, ‘Sarah, you need to know that when you pray before you study for one of your classes the Lord will help you retain that knowledge for the test or quiz.’ That is so true. Why would our loving Heavenly Father not want us do well in a class? Or in general, life? That’s right, he does want us to succeed! Ether 12:27 In all that we do, be it school, work, or family, we must humble ourselves, we are not perfect. So we need to allow the atonement of Jesus to come into our life.