more selfie sunday.

because why not? 
/experimenting with makeup

first red cross project.

I organized all of this

into three healthcare kits for shelters in the event of a disaster in Ames, Iowa.

And when I was done, the Red Cross volunteer who showed me the ropes said "Thank you for all of your hard work, and I sincerely hope we never have to use these." You can say things like that when you work in the disaster relief sector.

may i rant a moment?

I greatly dislike it when female missionaries are referred to as "sister missionaries".

It would be okay if the male missionaries are referred to as "elder missionaries", but in my experience they're usually not.

Often times it seems to be the missionaries and the sister missionaries.

No.

It makes me a little sick to be "the other".

When I am working in the ER, I would never say "Your woman doctor is going to see you in a few minutes."

No.

Am I explaining myself well?

Here. 

Look:

    ♀                         ♂     

 Doctor                          Doctor

 Artist                          Artist

Teacher                     Teacher

Lawyer                      Lawyer

Nurse                       Nurse 

Soldier                       Soldier

Astronaut                  Astronaut

Missionary                 Missionary

Do whatever you want. 

Say whatever you want. 

Being referred to as a "sister missionary" instead of a "missionary" will not hurt my feelings.

I am just throwing my ideas out into the world 

and letting you know that as a woman preparing to serve a mission, I feel a great deal more of respect being referred to as a missionary.

ER Stories 4: Medical Gore

I geek out over medical gore.

I find the human body absolutely fascinating.

It's crazy to me that our bodies are so strong and so fragile at the same time.

Anyway, let's get to the good stuff:

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE :)

a reply to ashton's facebook wall post because facebook is the worst and won't let me use gifs

SoCal.

Mission calls really do come!

California Los Angeles Mission

Spanish speaking.

Mexico MTC.

Leaving July 23, 2014.

I wouldn't have chosen this mission for myself, but the more I learn about the California Los Angeles Mission, the more convinced I am that it's the perfect mission for me. I AM SO EXCITED I CANNOT EVEN TELL YOU.


Here are some things I cannot wait for:


I adore Spanish..

LOS ANGELES.

I will teach and learn from people all over the world.

And not just investigators - my mission teaches in eight languages and has missionaries serving from over 25 countries.

I will get to simplify my life and just focus on the people I meet, my spirituality and missionary work for 18 months. 

SoCal 100% fits my personality.

Apparently, sixty degrees is considered cold. No more Iowa winters. Goodbye wearing seven layers of clothing and still being freezing!

Maybe I'll just move there post-mission?

I cannot stress enough how happy I am to be serving in a warm climate.

...and way more things


I am GOING ON A MISSION. Can you believe it?