Reading old journals= joy and sometimes pain!

The other day when I was cleaning my room I found a journal that I had written in a few years ago. As I was reading I thought to myself WHY WHY WHY?!?!?! Why did I write that! Ahh! I was thankful when my roommate Annie got home from work and picked me up to go on a Costco run so that I could stop reading it!

When I got into her car I was explaining to her how thankful I was that she came to pick me up right then because I was not able to independently tear myself away from reading such a thing. I explained to her about some of the things I was reading (about a boy of course) and how it was crazy/almost difficult to read it! She explained to me that when she reads some of her old journals that it gives her physical pain! All I could do is agree with her (not because I read her journals. . . but because that's how I felt about my own!)

So today while at my parents house I found my old mission Journals. I thought these would be safe to read and not cause me physical pain. I was right! It was so much fun to read some of my entries! I must say that I was a very diligent journal writer on my mission. I filled up three complete journals and wrote 665 pages! (I numbered all the pages as I wrote.) I also realize that I'm the only one who will be really interested in reading all of this and am thankful that I was so detailed in my writing. I don't have the best memory so it was fun for me reading about what I had experienced. I only read through a six week period today but had to share two funny things that I wrote about.

My companion and I had been teaching this Young Single Adult girl. She had been taught by missionaries for a long time and was an eternal investigator. I loved her/still love her! She knew the Book of Mormon so well and would always share her favorite scriptures with us. Her blue flimsy Book of Mormon was so well used and highlighted, I loved it! Anyway, one day me and my companion were teaching her a lesson and she wanted to describe to us what she thinks what the celestial kingdom is going to be like. She said, (quoting from my journal) “The Celestial Kingdom is going to be like a neighborhood full of mansions and God will go around in his golf cart. For fun we (Me, Sister Heinaman, and her) will go around and steal God's golf cart for fun!” I can remember laughing and giggling with her about how much fun it will be to steal God’s golf cart. She also told us said that she is a “Alma and Helaman girl” and that she is going to party with them in the Celestial Kingdom.

Second mission journal moment that made me smile today. . .

While having a lesson with a part member family we decided to switch things up. We told them that they were going to teach us about the plan of Salvation. One of the 17 year old daughters (who was a member) was teaching us about the Pre-earth life. She said “It’s like high school but Jesus is the cool kid that everyone wants to be like.” Then my companion said, “So Jesus is the Jock and Satan is the nerd?!?!”

Good times reading about those 6 weeks! Maybe I should be better about writing again. . .being careful not to cause myself pain in the future while reading!