Middle of the Week Email from Mom

From: Mom
To: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Subject: Wednesday thoughts..a surprise email

Hey!
How was your week? How was your vaccine day? Did you have any reservations or you were ok as you walked in and got yourself and your card all filled out? How was the next day or two? I am still so surprised to learn that Gary did great and had no side effects. He is always sick or under the weather somehow so it gives me hope that when I go in on Wednesday it will all be fine. Especially because we are due to head camping the next day. Not great planning on my part probably but I took whatever appointment I could get.
So I have set a lofty goal for myself. Are you ready for this? I am not sure I am ready to tell anyone because then it holds me accountable but I think I need to tell someone so that it does just that. I started really studying the D&C (which has always been my most favorite book of scripture, you know this, nothing new) and have been using the 'Don't Miss This' study guide alongside and have fallen in love with the book even more. Anyways, as I have been praying and studying I keep getting the prompting or thought that this isn't good enough for me. I need to do MORE. I need to learn and study more. I have tried with all of my heart to push it aside. I feel like I can come up with all sorts of reasons and excuses and that life is just simply too busy. Anyways...here is my goal....I am going to not just finish the D&C with intentful study this year but I am also going to study the Book of Mormon with intentful study as well. If time permits and my head hasn't exploded with all of that (ha ha ha) I am going to dive in head first to the Old Testament and work to the New Testament as well. You know there is power in the scriptures. You know that our Heavenly Father is LONGING for us to dive in and to get to know Him through them. I don't know why right now more than ever this push is happening in life for me but I want to embrace it and I want to learn what I can to apply it to life at this very moment.
That being said, as I was studying in D&C 80 yesterday I immediately thought of you. This is a small section in this book of scripture. Only 5 verses is all. Stephen Burnett was just a teenager when he joined the church and he was still very much a teenager when he was called to serve as a missionary. This section lets us know that it didn't matter to the Lord where Stephen would serve his mission, it mattered simply that he would serve a mission. It teaches that wherever Stephen would walk he would discover a soul that was precious in the eyes of our Lord and Savior. I remember as you anticipated the arrival of your call that you said the very words "It doesn't matter where I go" and I was impressed. I would have had a whole list of places I wanted and a whole list of places I sure didn't want!! But you didn't. You were ready to take the call from the Lord and you were ready to serve Him with all of your might, mind, and strength knowing you too would have the opportunity that Stephen Burnett would have; to discover souls that are precious and waiting for YOU.
As I type this I have my Spotify on in the background. I find it incredibly fitting that the song playing is "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go". There are words in this song that simply say "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord. Over mountain or plain or sea. I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord. I'll be what you want me to be". Kaitlyn, I am so proud of you. I am so grateful for your example and for your strength to make the choice to serve your Heavenly Father. I think about my heart and the happiness you have placed there and continue to do each day and then I wonder about the heart of our Savior. He is ELATED and over the moon happy with you and His heart must swell beyond comprehension with what you are doing. And I think about my Grams and my Pa. I imagine they smile down on you within moments throughout the day as well. What a blessing you are to so many of us because you too chose to serve!
I love love you. Thank you for your example and for being my safe zone to hold me accountable to my goals and entertaining my crazy Mom thoughts at 6:57am. :) You make me want to be better every single day. You strengthen my testimony and you remind me how GOOD this Gospel is. Have a great Wednesday and know that I love you to the moon and back!
Love you for forever and for always,
Mom

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