Counting down

So if anyone has been keeping track with me, you know I report to the MTC in exactly seven days. Yes, this time next week I will be running around, gathering all the final little things before heading to the airport to go to Mexico. 

On Sunday I will give my farewell to the ward. Then, on Tuesday I will get set apart by my stake president as a missionary in the California Redlands Mission. The next day I will head to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to start my 18 month journey as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Thinking about all of that makes me feel a lot like this...

I can't believe it's so close! These past couple weeks have pretty much flown by, which I'm thankful for because the waiting has been excruciating!

I really hope that you all will keep in contact with me while I'm gone, because I know I'll miss you all! And I'll have lots of stories to share!

One week, gotta get to work!

Aeromexico

Yesterday I got the most exciting email ever! It was from the Missionary Travel Department in Salt Lake City. My flight itinerary is all set! 

I am booked and confirmed to leave from Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl Airport at 2:15pm on Wednesday October 30th and I will be arriving at the Mexico City Juarez Intl Airport at 9:05pm. After I pass through immigration, get my luggage, go through customs, and find the person from the MTC that is supposed to pick up the missionaries, it is about a 30min drive to the MTC. 

Upon arrival at the MTC, from what I understand, I will receive my name tag, Spanish study materials, a companion, and a pillow and sheets for my bed.

Talk about a long day!

I wonder how I'll feel that night. Laying in my new bed, in the Mexico City MTC, having seen my family just hours before, and knowing I won't see them for 18 more months. Thinking of the name tag on the nightstand beside me and what it means when I will put it on in the morning. Hoping I will get along with my first companion for these next six weeks. Wondering if I'll ever be able to learn Spanish. Hoping I'll be a good missionary for those I will teach.

Those are just a few things that might be on my mind that first night...

I just hope I will be able to sleep because at 6:30am the next day I will be on the run! No time for jet lag, no time for relaxing, no time to think about myself. And I can't wait!

"Forget yourself and go to work."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

My mission is getting more and more real every day.

Nineteen days! It's actually in the teens!

Too Excited About Two suitcases

I know I've mentioned that I'm excited for my mission. But today it got a little more real that I am actually LEAVING.
Why? My luggage is finally here!
A huge thanks to my aunt for this much needed early birthday/going away present.
I never thought I'd be so excited about luggage.
Does this mean I'm an adult? No, it's probably just a missionary thing.
Either way, I am borderline giddy at the fact I have these two brand new beauties to carry all of my belongings during my 18 month adventure.

Now I know I don't leave for another 21 days but I couldn't help but start to pack. Just little things, of course. Like my winter coats... and some shoes... and jammies... and, uh, maybe a few pairs of socks, a couple scarves, and tights... and hangers. I just had to! I can't wait to fill these bags with all the other prizes my family has helped me collect for the mish. I'm so stinking excited to be a missionary that I can barely stand it!
These two (not so) little bags are going to accompany me to Mexico, then to Redlands, then wherever the Lord and my mission president see fit. They will be the only constant "home" for all my possessions for the next 18 months.
Boy, if these bags could talk!
Just a few more things left to do and I'm ready to go!

One day at a time

Today is September 30th. Do you know what that means???

I leave for Mexico in exactly one month! ONE MONTH!!! 

Four weeks. 

Thirty days. 

I can't believe it! The time to start my mission is so close but seems to be coming more and more slowly every single day.

I am so crazy excited and scared out of my mind at the same time.

I know it's going to be hard and I know there are going to be some really tough days. But I have faith that the good days will outnumber the bad and the spiritual experiences will overshadow the heartaches. I am so looking forward to the things I will learn and ability I will have to share this gospel with others.

 

I can't wait for it to finally be October!

Back and Forth

First of all, I feel I should say that I am absolutely ecstatic about going on my mission! I know without a doubt that I am doing the right thing.

That having been said, I have never felt so moody, so vulnerable and so on edge as I have since I've gotten my mission call. 

I don't know if the adversary is trying to get a hold of my emotions or if it's normal to feel this way because of the new adventure I'm about to embark. I really don't know why this is happening or why I am so sensitive lately. All I know is that I'm practically on the verge of tears all the time. 

All. The. Time.

Just looking at my packing list my eyes start to well up. 

And I'm not sure why I feel so overwhelmed, I mean, I moved away for college and went to another state with no family and I did just fine. I have packed up my life before and gone shopping for college so I don't know why packing for 18 months and shopping for mission supplies is so sensitive for me. But every time I look at my to do list or someone asks me what else I need to get done for my mission, I completely fall apart. 

I feel like the part in Tangled, you guys know what I'm talking about.

 

Basically... I'M GOING ON A MISSION!!! Oh man, I'm going on a mission... I get to learn Spanish!!! I have to learn Spanish... I can't wait to go through the temple!!! Oh my goodness, I just went through the temple. Only 41 more days! Oh no, only 41 more days?! I'm so ready! I'm so not ready... I am going to be the best missionary California has ever seen! I'm going to be an awful missionary... 

So don't be surprised if I start crying while telling you that I bought band-aids for my first-aid kit. Or that I need to order more contacts. Ignore the tears, trust me, I'm okay.

This whole process has made me a little crazy but, without a doubt,

I know I am doing the right thing.

"All great changes are preceded by chaos."

-Deepak Chopra

¿Como estás?

How am I? Well, being that I'm on the phone with the Provo MTC doing a language evaluation right now... I'm kind of freaking out.

But I mustered up an "Estoy bien, ¿y usted?"

You got it, the Provo MTC called my cell phone today. Apparently they needed to evaluate my skills and formal education in the Spanish language so as to know which district to place me in upon my arrival at the Mexico MTC.

It's really happening!

The conversation was only three minutes long but it told me that I had a LOT of work to do. I have gotten very used to telling everyone I am going to be Spanish speaking on my mission, but I think I forgot that I would actually be expected to teach. In Spanish. To fluent and native speakers. 

It's going to be a rough couple of months!

No estoy lista.

The Beginning of Something Wonderful

Well, I'll be honest. I've never had a blog before so I'm not really sure how to go about writing my first post. I suppose I should tell a little about myself- my name is Stephanie Granado. I'm from Arizona and I have spent the past two years attending Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Go Aggies! I absolutely love living in Logan (just don't ask me during the winter months)

But let's get down to the nitty gritty.

I'M GOING ON A MISSION!!!

And I made this blog to talk about my journey in the church, my journey to a mission, my journey to myself. So here's a little background to get us started on what I hope will be the greatest blog you have ever followed in the history of time. I get my hopes up sometimes.

I started investigating the church after seeing the happiness it brought to my friends. I had also begun to notice how my relationship with Heavenly Father, or lack there of, was affecting me. Luckily, I was blessed with the most loving friends I could have ever asked for. I was fellowshipped into the La Pradera Park ward in Glendale, Arizona and they were so amazing in welcoming me. I soon met with the missionaries, attended seminary and church and read the Book of Mormon. I wanted to get baptized more than anything.

After about eight months of investigating and learning and showing my family that this wouldn't change who I am... I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in July of 2011.

It was a perfect day to say the least. Almost all of my wonderful ward family was there to support me, as well as friends from school and, most importantly, my family was there for me on my special day.

I'll never forget that feeling of coming out of the water that day and having my very best friend there to give me a hug.

 

It was the end of one journey and the beginning of another. Two weeks later I moved to Logan and began attending Utah State. I also became very close to who I consider my second family. I spent Thanksgiving with them. I shared Christmas dinner, birthdays and countless Sunday dinners with them. I was so blessed to be able to have a home away from home and the Buttars family to go to when mine was far away. 

Logan is the place where I continues my journey as a member of the church. I was called to different positions, gave multiple talks and even became and instructor of Relief Society!

I attended the Brigham City temple open house in August of 2012 and while I was walking around I suddenly knew that I was going to go on a mission. Let me make this clear. I did not decide to go, I knew I was going to. It was almost as if I were told, and it scared the heck out of me! for the next month or so I couldn't stop thinking about it. My mission and what I needed to do to prepare was constantly on my mind. I kept telling myself not to worry about it because I was only 19 at the time and sisters don't serve missions until they're 21. 

Or so I thought.

In October 2012, this historical announcement was made.

"Today, I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women, who have the desire to serve, may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age nineteen instead of age twenty one."

-President Thomas S. Monson

And, as I'm sure countless others did, I felt as if President Monson, no, I felt as if God was speaking directly to me. So, I went in my bedroom, knelt down and spoke to Him for a while. And when I stood up, I picked up the phone and set up a meeting with my bishop to start the process of putting my papers in.

Eight months later I received my call to serve in the California San Bernardino Mission (now the Redlands mission) by way of the Mexico MTC.

The tender mercies don't end there. Remember how I said I had the best missionaries in the world? And how I found my second family in Logan? And how my baptism was the best day ever? It was, until this day.

The day that I received my endowments, both the missionaries that were at my baptism were there. One of which drove 13 hours from Canada just to be there. I mentioned I'm a lucky girl, right? Because I am.

Preparing for my mission has been the scariest and coolest and best thing I've done. I want to bring the gospel to others. I want them to come to know Christ and develop a relationship with their Heavenly Father. I want to help them gain knowledge of the gospel but most of all I want to share this HAPPINESS with others! Because I don't know where I'd be without it.

I can't wait to get out there!