everyday ... in every way♥: for the love

4 months down today!!:) almost out of the 600's people... it's kind of a big deal. so since i've written last, my elder got his VISA! i was so stunned when my mom told me the news. i checked my email and sure enough, he had let me know too. he was to leave for the Brazil Salvador South mission on june 10th. not gonna lie, i was kind of devastated when i first heard he'd received his visa... i really thought he'd be in colorado for a while longer. it was so nice knowing that he was just a state over rather than 5,000 miles away from me... but of course those feelings went away knowing that he was needed in Brazil now. he is doing FANTASTIC! he has been down there for almost 4 weeks and already has 3 people committed to baptism, plus more family members interested in the discussions. i'm so happy for him! he loves it there and says the people are some of the most wonderful he's ever met. in his last email, being such a jokester, he told me that he bought a machete for $10 after seeing how big the spiders were. hahah! he rambled on and on about it and then said, juuuust kidding;) i seriously thought he bought a machete for $10 though! (can you say gullible? yep that's me) i've been missing him so much lately. (especially over the july 4th holiday! we had some good times last year) i even had a dream about him the other night and it broke my heart when i woke up. it was so real! i just can't wait until he has served with all of his heart, might, mind and strength and then gets to come home:) but hey, guess what! only ONE MORE 4th of july without him; thinking about it that way tends to make the time seem shorter for some reason.

so in my last post i mentioned how i'd be going out of town all of june on a trip called Heritage Tours. i was able to travel to each of the sights that took place in the history of the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (also a bit of pioneer history at the beginning) we traveled from utah (where i live) clear over to nyc, down to washington d.c. and back. i was gone from june 3 - june 22; by bus. yes... a bus. well, two buses actually. about 90 kids all and all came on this tour. i learned so much and have never had a stronger testimony. i was able to gain new insights by experiences throughout the tour and i gained stronger relationships with my Savior and Heavenly Father. but most of all, i was able to gain the strongest testimony of Joseph Smith - the prophet God called to restore Christs church. before going on this tour, i believed. i thought i knew... and i did, but i know even better now. i know this church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is TRUE! without a doubt in my soul. i've been to the places joseph smith said he saw God the Father and His son. i've been there, and the spirit testified to me of the truthfulness of it all. i've never been more confident in knowing that i belong to God's true church. when you put it all together and begin to understand the things that i learned, it all makes sense. i gained a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon - something i've always always needed. i've read the book 4-5 times, but never really understood what it was trying to teach me. i get it now, and it's the best! i read the BofM in 3 weeks:) i'm so glad i was able to accomplish that. i also had the opportunity to be a missionary myself; i gave out a Book of Mormon with my own personal testimony inside. i really hope and pray that the family i gave it to gives it a chance. it could changed their lives. i love this gospel. it's blessed me in so many ways! even on the tour, we truly felt the Lords hand as we traveled. we were protected in so many ways! to name a few:

1. our bus driver fell asleep at the wheel going head on to a semi-truck; we didn't DIE!
2. one night, specifically a blessing to me and the girls in my district, a man tried getting into our hotel room. (literally followed my friend up to our room, pounded on the door, waited outside the room) but we were protected and saved by one of the boys in our district.
3. a tornado! as we passed a spot on the freeway, a tornado began to form... but as we passed, it STOPPED! the funnel literally sat mid air. 15 minutes after we passed, we heard it touched the ground when we were out of sight.

there were so many more!! these blessings in and of them-self were proof to me of a loving Heavenly Father. He does watch over us and care for us. how grateful i am for Him and His endless love.

all of the pictures below are ones i took on tour. this is a photography blog too, remember? enjoy and thanks for reading:)