Ten Years Ago today.... was Y2K Where were you at midnight?

I was just thinking last night as the ball dropped that 10 yrs ago it was Y2K. I was on my mission. Serving in an area I loved, Westerville, OH and freezing to death!

My mission president, President Robert A Sharp from San Diego area made it a rule that everyone had to be inside, in their own residence (no missionary sleepovers) by 6pm so that the Zone Leaders and District leaders could do a role call and make sure everyone was safe and if there was any crazy thing that really happened, we could EASILY be accounted for and given direction.

Sister Michelle Casper (Hadley now) and I were wondering what on earth we were going to do with ourselves for so many unaccounted hours. So we choose to play scrabble and watch church movies all night! It actually was really fun!

Y2K came and left with no turmoil caused, minus the 2 laurels (Laura Hessler and Bree Beddos), that showed up at our door scaring us to death at 1am to tell us Happy New Years.. they couldn't believe that we were asleep! They threw rocks at our windows... gotta love them!Besides not having the frumpy look and hairstyle that I had 10 yrs ago, a lot has changed. My life has gained better understanding, purpose and meaning then it had at that time. I have met many more people and have had deeper relationships that I could have then understood. I have a better understanding of the atonement, charity, love and life than I then had as well.

Yet even with this knowledge of how much I have grown in these past 10 years are there days that I wish I could recapture those mission days? ABSOLUTELY! Life was so simple then. All you had to worry about was other people. You never had to think of yourself, what you had to do next, which path you had to take. Everything was just layed out for you. You didn't chose your companion, you didn't pay your rent, you didn't have to worry about anything but progressing the gospel and finding those who wanted Christ more fully in their lives.

So with this all said, I want to try to get back portions of that. To simplify my life even more to alleviate the things that get in the way that make life more complicated than it needs to be. Too many games, too many distractions. I want to remember how to put all that garb aside so I can be a better instrument in the Lord's hands!! I am thankful this year how the church is going back to basics this year teaching out of the Gospel Principles for everyone. I think we can all use a little going back to the basics, don't you?!

*** A special shout out needs to go to Kyle Maguire the teenage stud that I paid to make all my mission pictures digital.. you will be seeing a lot more mission pics on this blog because of him!! Thank you Kyle!