happy holidays

Merry Christmas all! here's my tacky photo of my dog to warm everyone's heart from here to idaho!

hope this season is full of snow, not rain, and family fun! love you all!

-jeorge & bear

you can leave the mission, but you can never leave the field

well for those that haven't heard from my mother or my best friends or my great aunt twice removed- i'm home after serving a mission for about 34 days (most in the mtc). before i explain why i'm here writing this instead of knocking doors in Hawaii, i would like to make sure that for anyone that reads this (the five followers, holla) that they know that i have a testimony and that i in NO WAY think less of missionary work or the gospel. in fact i have found my testimony has grown immensely and i've really understood the importance in the gospel in my life and the importance of it being in other's lives! the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true and the Atonement of Jesus Christ is in everything and should be. every time my sister throws a pillow at me whether she's mad or messing with me, each hug my 13 year old brother gives me and makes me feel like a midget and every pick-me-up i was given from our Heavenly Father when i didn't think i was strong enough.

but these are also the reasons why i wasn't able to find the strength to function in the mission field. i've never realized how close i am to my family and how much we rely on each other for all that we do. which i believe is the greatest blessing that i have been given. my family is my rock and i love them so much. and as embarrassing as returning from a mission (especially this early) is, i am grateful every minute that i'm home and that i'm with them. my mom likes to compare me to a way sweet high tech cordless home phone. does really well close to home, but once i get to a certain distance i don't really work. i love this but i definitely don't think that it will always apply... hopefully. ha ha!

my baby mission was amazing. it wasn't anywhere as amazing as full time missions, i'm sure, but to me it was. the things i learned and the growth that i made is something i will use for the rest of my life and i will never ever regret those days. i loved the mtc. loved it. i had amazing teachers, fellow district pals, and the girls in my district made life so much fun, we were birds of a feather! but i'm most grateful for how much i fell in love with scriptures and was able to understand them and be able to apply them. i will never stop growing with them!

my companion in the mtc was Sister Blackburn from Iowa and she is easily the greatest person i know. and i know some pretty sweet people. she taught me so much, and always put up with my crazy forgetful personality. i'm excited to spend more time with her in future.



when i got to Hawaii i was in awe of its beauty and was on cloud nine because the sun just made everything so much the better. i was assigned to the Hon-West area, i covered two wards, the Aliamanu and Halawa wards.


Aliamanu was a very poor area. extremely diverse extended families were living in small homes and were sectioning them off for each family so there would be about 25 people per home. it was hard to know how to help them without just giving them all we had but it made for the warmest, most humble, amazing people.










Halawa covered Ford Island, Hickam Airforce Base and the memorial areas. it was basically Pearl Harbor and was rich with American spirit. it was a difficult area because we weren't allowed to proselyte in almost the whole area because it was military housing. my favorite part of Halawa was that it was full of strong saints that had moved all over the world and had never let their faith slide. and had the most inspiring stories.














my companion was Sister Hauata from Tahiti, she spoke Tahitian, French and pretty good English. and was the bomb.com. she was so crazy and fun i loved her so much. and i still find myself quoting her or thinking i wish Sister Hauata was here she'd think this was hilarious. she helped me so much and never lost patience with me, even when i couldn't find any for myself. she was the greatest blessing on my mission and i will always be in contact with her. and fun fact, she told me i was the most Polynesian companion she'd had, and no she hadn't had any Polynesian companions, but i was the most either way! and i asked her why and she said because i tweeze my eyebrows in front of her... yeah didn't ask her to explain any further that's all i needed! ha ha ha Sister Hauata taught me to find the Spirit in everything and to recognize it and show respect for the gift that it is. i will never forget that.


i was so blessed to have such amazing people around me in the mission field and to have a wonderful President. when he was driving me to the airport i told him, this mission has been like winning first place in a marathon that i'd been training for for a long time, and when being handed the gold medal just giving it back because it made me sick when i wore it. i am so grateful for this last month, and i'm so grateful that i'm home now. i know that there are people that are disappointed, but no one will ever be as disappointed as i am that i couldn't make it through the emotional, mental and physical illness that i struggled with.

so now i've come home with a desire to continue serving, within my ward, at the temple, anywhere anyone will take me. so if you're reading this and you know someone that needs someone to help paint their fence or carry something or just anything let me know!
i know that this Church is true, and that through it we are able to be with our families forever, we are able to have guidance from our Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost and we are able to know the fullness of Christ's Church and are able to use his Atonement to its fullest. I know that President Monson is a true Prophet and that he is guided by our loving Heavenly Father, and that he knows what's best for us. and i know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel back to this Earth, how grateful i am for him! i love this gospel and i will always have the desire to share it with all who will hear it! its now time to move forward!

"you can leave the mission but you can NEVER leave the field! its always white and ready to harvest!"

ps Merry Christmas! love you all!