Letter - Week 2

We all made it to "P" Day #2!                                                                              
Brad and I were able to chat with Sister Wright for a little bit this morning! "YAY!" Fridays have quickly become one of my favorite days of the week because we get to hear how she is! Sister Wright is doing better than last week and I think you'll be happy to see this weeks email is much more uplifting. ;)  Our prayers have definitely been helping her, so let's keep them going! God is good! Mickey has chosen to be positive and committed. Wahoo! 

Below, we'd like to share some additional tid bits from our personal emails that aren't in the group email:

^^Isn't this sooo Mickey?! I can tell just from this photo her and Sister Robinson are two peas in a pod! It's one of my favorite pics! 

-"I LOVE WORKING OUT. I didn't think that I would, but I do."

- "They give us ice cream on Wednesdays and Sundays, for dinner and lunch.. All you can eat. I usually just make   rootbeer floats.. Because I'm me. They're my favorite, in case you forgot." 

- "I'M SO EXCITED FOR CONFERENCE."  

-For Aunt Julie:  " 'I am capable' ...I can do this. I need to be patient and kind."

-"I learned a big thing this week.. Personal study is VITAL. I NEED it. Helping to build others testimonies is great, but it is just as important to build your own." 

-"It has not been an easy thing for me, but I know I have become stronger because of it. ♥"

Read on for her email...

Bonjour! ♥

It has been a big week for me, personally. I can honestly say that I completely forgot why I am on a mission. Every part of me hated the MTC. If you read my email last week, then you might know un-petit about how bad it actually was for me. I questioned why I ever agreed to this, and why all of the bad things just so happened to come all at once for me. At this point, I had to rely solely on God. -I began to realize that God takes his missionary work VERY seriously, and I should too. God was testing me to see if I would give up and leave, or stick with it, and stay. **Just in case you were wondering, I'm still here.** I was put on an antibiotic, and I felt 80% better the next day. I think it is vital that we are all tested and tried on our faith. That is how we know we are growing. 

>>Language

I broke out crying in class on the second day, and Frére Call (brother 

Call) pulled me out of class and asked what was going on.. I explained to him that it was so frustrating to see everyone else understand what he was saying, and I didn't. He proceeded to ask me if I had ever studied French, and when I told him I hadn't, he then expressed that it would be bizare if I did speak French on day 2. -Oh yeah... hah, he's right. In stead of looking for what I am NOT good at, I have been grateful for all that I AM good at. (: I can understand approximately 3/4 of a conversation in French if they are talking about gospel topics, and speaking REALLY slow. (: my teachers are so impressed with how fast I have picked up on what they're teaching me. -GIFT OF TONGUES.

God cares for me. As I have encountered hard times this week, I have been able to turn to prayer, and suddenly, I feel so much better. Like Monday at lunch, I prayed for mail, and I definitely got mail 3 minutes after my prayer. -

OH! THANK YOU for all the mail. I have literally had SO much mail every day this week. It is hard to find the time to read it all. (I know, it's something GREAT to complain about) (: hahah my zone mocks me all the time! They say "Loooook at me, I'm Sœur Wright, and I get ALL the mail...."  

I've received over 53 Letters, 3 packages, and like 50 emails. ♥ MY LOVE FOR ALL OF YOU IS HUGE. 

"We don't endure to the end, we enjoy to the end."

"Respond to unkindness with kindness."

"NEVER be afraid of sharing your testimony."

"This is the hardest thing I will ever LOVE to do!"

Best thing of the week: OH MY GOSH. I love music. We all know. My companion and I started a musical number together, and we got one of our zone leaders to play piano for us while we sing! -Fortunately, he decided to sing and play piano back for us.. and it literally made me feel like I am right where I need to be. 

-The highlight of my week, is that I remembered why I am here. I am here because I LOVE the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love People. I love God. This stuff makes me SO happy!!!!! -I only want people to feel just as happy as I do. 

Amidst all of the informational overload, I would have to say the biggest thing I learned this week is how important it is for me to listen. I love to talk, which is great, but I can learn so much more when I put my own thoughts aside, and listen to what others have to say. ♥ I have also recognized that with having the HG on my side. I don't speak French quite yet, so the power of listening really helps to bring the spirit, and gives the people I'm teaching the opportunity to share how they really feel. 

I ask that you all pray for me to have the ability to absorb all the things they are teaching me. Some times, I break down, and have to walk around our hallways, just because I can't even focus anymore. -it seems like a sponge can only soak up so much!

I am thankful for:

MAIL - Packages/Letters ♥

Jokes (Even the Mormon ones.. but Laffy taffy kind are my fav) -Thanks Jay. (;

My sweet companion! Companionships are called of God. We teach each other so much already. 

Provo Temple! - GO. It has the prettiest chandelier ever. I LOVE THE TEMPLE.

-Keep smiling. 

J'taime ♥

Sœur Wright

Our first letter in the mail!

It nearly felt like Christmas today as we checked the mailbox and had a letter from Sister Wright waiting for us!! We were so excited and read it together as a family...all 7 pages of it! Yes, this 7 page letter was all hand written!

 It was a sweet letter and very personal. Because of its content and personal touch, I'm not going to share the whole letter, but I will share some of it because just as we were excited to hear from her after a long week, I'm sure you would love an update on how Sister Wright is doing as well.

But first, did you notice today makes ONE WEEK of her being in the MTC?? She made it through her first week as a missionary! Wahoo! We are so proud of her!

...ok, back to her letter. Some of the things she said:

Her attitude about being in MTC has shifted. She said, "No one has ever been sent home from the MTC because they didn't know the language - I got this. I literally only need to know:
     -how to pray
     -share my testimony
     -tell people God loves them." (Which she already learned how to say, "God loves you.")

"I literally learned how to pray (in French) and I'm learning a basic testimony."

"I won't lie though, this has still been really hard for me & I feel like without the past few days, I wouldn't be able to relate to so many people & I wouldn't lean on God as much. Trials make us stronger."

"I am proud to say I understand like 30% of a conversation talking about the gospel, if they talk really slow."

"Give Abbie (our dog) lots of hugs for me.♡ I want a dog.  :( "

"It is getting better one day at a time. I'm working hard...it's rough but I'm trying."

"I love you all more than you know. ♡"

"Keep smiling."

"I miss [family] prayers."

"I miss your hugs."

"I miss movie nights."

"They have rootbeer. :)"

"I am so glad I don't have a tablet mission. I already know it would be so much harder of an adjustment for me. I would definitely email when I shouldn't and I'd probably be home already if I had one."

"I have HAD to rely on God 100% & I have had to look for other resources...also, I'm learning a new way to communicate - I need this."

"Tahiti is the place for me."

"I still love you. Seriously. I do."

"Oh yeah, pretty sure everyone thinks I'm going home early cause this has been the worst ever, but I'm not going anywhere...yet."
  ( ^^^ Just for the record, we don't think that! We know she will go on to serve the people of Tahiti!)

So there you have it...a few of the things she shared in our personal letter. Only two more days and she'll send out another email! I look forward to hearing what she has to say!! ....stay tuned!
♡Aunt Jess♡

Raw emotion

Hi all.

I was in the middle of communicating with Sister Wright last Friday when she told me she was diagnosed with Strep Throat and also mentioned she sent me a "nitty gritty email".  Her email was full of raw emotion and honest feelings. It literally broke my heart (really!) to know how she was feeling in her first couple of days in the MTC and that I couldn't do a thing to help her physically.  My heart ACHED for her.  So. Much. Today, she asked me if I would share that email on the blog. So, here it is. Brace yourself, it's tough to swallow.  I will say, as I was pondering over this email, I was inspired with the thought that as I was hurting for Mickey, THAT was exactly how the Lord was feeling for her and for me as I hurt for her. He is real. He knows us. He knows our struggles and he will help us through them as we turn to Him for help and guidance. He won't take our hardships away from us because we need them to grow and make us stronger, but when we ask, He can give us extra strength beyond our own capacity to face and get through those struggles.

I want to bare my testimony on the power of prayer. As I ached to be able to wrap my arms around Mickey and help her through her pain, - but couldn't, the only thing I knew to do was pray.  Pray hard. Pray as a group. This week I have asked so many people to pray for Sister Wright. I know the Lord listens and helps. He doesn't leave us alone. He is on our right hand and on our left. James 5:16 reminds us that a fervant prayer availeth much. The only thing more powerful than a righteous man or woman's prayer is the fervant prayer of a group. When we are of 'one heart and one mind', our cumulative faith brings blessings one could not obtain individually. Unity is strength. I know Mickey's days and weeks will get better because of all of our prayers and her sincere desire to serve Him. It's why she went into the MTC in the first place. Keep the faith. THANK YOU for praying for her. I know it is helping her. Remember that as you read Mickey's letter from her first week in the MTC.

Jess, I probably will not be able to express fully the amount of heart ache I have experienced these last two days. I can honestly say they have been the HARDEST, and WORST days of my life. I have always been so set on not coming home early, but from the moment I got here, I have never wanted to be home more. 

The happy part of me wants to express the amount of divine love I have for my sweet companion, Sœur Robinson. From the moment I met her, I have loved her and we get along well. Already, we've heard from a few of the other sisters that we are "Companionship Goals!" I couldn't help but laugh a bit. We literally are the same person. So outgoing, Loving, we had the same nail polish, we get annoyed at the same things, we like the same food, and we're just best friends already. ♥ 

Now, the sad and emotionally stressed part of me would share that I am SO overwhelmed. From the moment I walked into class, Sœur Erickson (Our teacher) only spoke french to us, and fortunately, I was able to understand most of what she was saying because she was great at talking with her hands.. so as class went on, it just got harder and harder. 

There are 8 of us in my District.. The way it works is when everyone gets to the MTC we are all missionaries, right? So think of the MTC as the USA, it is broken into Zones (usually made up of everyone studying the same language as you) These are like states, then split into Districts (usually all going to the same place) These are like Cities, and the split into Companionships.. (That's like your family) My district are all going to Tahiti, so we will be with each other for the 9 weeks we are here. We study it all together. -Unfortunately, I am the ONLY one who has not studied any French, let alone.. 3 years. They have all been able to keep up with the rigor of the teaching, and I have broken down every single time I've gone to class. I get really frustrated when I don't know how to do things, especially when everyone else around me does. So it has been hard. It's like they all came pre-qualified, and I'm just here.. like a dead fish or something. Fortunately, our teacher, Brother Call pulled me aside in class and asked what was going on. I couldn't stop crying, and I didn't seem to be focusing very well. I expressed how hard it was for me to be behind everyone else. I haven't ever really experienced that before, and how everyone can respond to his French questions in French, and I literally didn't know anything. He presumed to ask me if I had ever taken french before, or studied it and obviously I hadn't, then he asked if it would make sense if I did speak french... -No.. But I'm great at comparing myself to others. But another thing is that I have never wanted my family to be with me more than I do right now. I want so badly to be with them.. and because of that, I don't know if I've even gone 1 hour without crying like a big baby.. and of course, no one else in my whole district has cried.. so here I am.. the only one struggling with French, and the only one who clearly is homesick. -It sucks. I literally hate it here. I hate everything about it.. I am on a ridiculous schedule, the beds aren't comfortable, I miss home food already, and I miss my sleepover-buddy. Let me tell ya, I look forward to showering even MORE now than I already did. People have always told me that missions are hard, but worth it.. but what I'm telling you is that if Missions are this hard, I'm not even sure I can make it. Every part of me hates it here. I hear that if I can make it until Sunday, then It'll all get better. But wait... did I mention that I haven't slept hardly at all? Nor have I eaten much food.. I have had the WORST sore throat, head ache, and I feel cold ALL the time, but I'm dying of heat.. So this morning at 3 AM, I climbed out of bed and begged for help from one of the sisters in my room, and she pretty much just said, "Well do you have medicine?" and that's it.. I kind of wanted to throw my pillow at her, and to feel some sympathy.. but I've had to remember that I just need to take it one day at a time. I am in charge of myself now, and when I get sick, I don't just get to go ask my parental adult for help, I pretty much just have to stick it out. So this morning, I missed going to the temple, and was finally able to go back to sleep around 7, and I only did that because the doctor's office didn't open until 8.. but when I got there, he told me I have strep Throat.. that I should rest all day, and he even told me I shouldn't go to Class today or tomorrow, and obviously, I cried even more, because I am already feeling so behind.. and this just sets me back even farther.. but ya know what, I am glad to know I'm sick, and that I'm doing all in my efforts to get better. 

On that bright note, this has been the biggest challenge of my life, and if I can make it, even through this week, I know I will have grown so much. 

I asked for a blessing last night, but our Zone leaders, which helped a lot, and my companion FINALLY cried.. A sympathy cry, but a cry none the less. 

-I'm still a Mormon. 

-Keep Smiling. 

-I LOVE you. More than you will EVER know. Ever. 

Sœur Wright ♥

PS: To make the œ You push ALT then 0 1 5 6 

Fun Facts- I will actually be called Tuahine Wright (Tahitian for Sister Wright), But I wont get that name badge until I head out to Tahiti. 

The Tahitian missionaries get more books than anyone else.. it totals like 35 lbs. 

I live on the 4th floor, and since I am sick, I get to use the elevator... I never thought I'd be so happy about that. 

Dearelder.com

Just a quick note:
If you want to use dearelder.com, know that letters are only delivered Monday-Fridays at noon. Any letters after noon are saved for the following day. Weekend letters will be delivered on Mondays.

Also, please try to send uplifting letters and share good, faithful experiences to help encourage her. Share your testimony.  It has been suggested to leave all of the fun things y are doing out of your letters for a bit until Sister Wright is feelkng a little less homesick. Thanks!

Please continue to keep praying and fasting!

Letter - Week 1

HEY all you wonderful people. I would love to hear from all of you! as this has been a Rough few days.. You can read my weekly emails by singing up for my blog at

sisterwrightintahiti.blogspot.com

I can receive mail at

Sister Mikayla Lynn Wright
MAY23 TAHI-PAP
2005 N 900 E Unit 87
Provo, UT 84602

and I can receive anything, anytime from

dearelder.com

Know that I love you! I look forward to hearing from you..

-Keep smiling.
Soeur Wright ♡

*Note: If you would like to send mail through dearelder.com, it will ask you for the unit code (87) and the mission code (TAHI-PAP).

On another note, I had the opportunity to talk with Sister Wright today. She was diagnosed with Strep Throat this morning. She REALLY can use your prayers. I also added her name to the temple prayer roll today which will stay on for the next two weeks. I know that as we pull our faith together for Sister Wright, she can be healed and comforted. Let's prove it! Thank you SO much for supporting her! ♡♡

Also, Sister Wright told me she loves her companion Sister Robinson. They are so much alike and they even went into the MTC with the same nail polish color! They like the same things, hate the same things and Mickey said she feels like they are already best friends. What a blessing!!

Also, she got her books. The Tahiti mission has more books than any other and can you believe she says they weigh about 35 lbs?! 

The above pic also says "Tuahine Wright" - or "Sister Wright" in Tahitian. That's the name she will wear on her tag in Tahiti. 

Update from Sister Wright!!!

We got an email from Sister Wright!!! (We actually received it yesterday, but since I posted so much already, I thought I would suprise everyone and share today.)

Our missionary was excited to be wearing her tag over her heart and said everyone at the MTC is really nice and the MTC already has her heart. She is ready to do her best. (Would we expect anything different?? Of course not!) She doesn't know much about her companion yet, but her name is Sister Hannah Robinson, they hugged and Sister Wright in true fashion, already loves her! She was happy to have gotten the bottom bunk in her room! Haha

Within the first hour of being in the MTC she was already in French lessons and her teacher didn't speak one word of English, but with the gift of tongues comes understanding and Sister Wright said she understood everything she was trying to say.

You wouldn't believe how excited we were to hear from her!! It seems as though EVERYTHING reminds us of Mickey and we are constantly praying for her. She is in our thoughts and guess what?? With some adjustments, we all survived the first night!! It's still hard to have one of the members of our household missing, but we are excited to continually hear from her and follow along on her adventure of being a missionary - but even moreso, follow the adventure of the growth of her testimony.

A BIG THANK YOU to so many of you who have checked in with us to see how our family is coping. We feel so blessed that Sister Wright is being supported by so many and grateful that we are in your thoughts as well!

Lots of love!

Final goodbyes at the MTC.

I think one never really knows what it's like to send off a missionary until they have actually experienced it. I thought I knew what it would be like, but I was not prepared fully for all the feelings I felt.

I want to back up though for a minute. Mickey got up at about 8 am this morning. Got ready, looked gorgeous as always, was singing Hymns beautifully for everyone in the house to hear and packed her bags for the final time before we left. She is so responsible and I really appreciate that quality about her. Mickey's aunt Julie described Mickey last night as capable - and she absolutely is. She has always been a very independent person which has served her well in the circumstances she grew up with. Like us all, the Lord knew what she would go through in life and gave her the qualities and abilities to get through everything she needed to.  She is too! What an example she is to me. To us all.

Cousins: Brae, Mickey, Kai'son, 

Ashlynn, Cam, Jaylie

Gma Wright, Mickey, Gpa Wright

Uncle Spence and Mickey

Aunt Jess, Mickey, Uncle Brad

Anyone who really knows Mickey - knows she LOVES Chick-Fil-A.  So, on our way to the MTC, we stopped for lunch. (actually, we stopped at two. *Note: never go to the Chick-Fil-A in Sandy around lunch time! Holy cow, they had SO many people! They actually had two lanes of cars waiting to get in with probably close to 20 cars deep in each lane! Yikes! We didn't have time to wait for that so we kept heading towards Provo and ended up stopping at the American Fork store. They were SO organized and together, we all commented on how great of service they had - go there instead!)

...anyway...

After getting lunch, we continued our journey to the MTC. It's funny because last night and of this morning, Mickey kept saying, "No tears". I'm not going to cry, my makeup is good."  Well, as soon as we pulled up to the MTC and she saw all the people there, she lost it. Tears started flowing and that is the moment it became "real" for Mickey. To me, it felt like every feeling she felt at that moment was transferred over into my heart. I just wanted to hold her and never let go.  I wanted to be brave for her and take the tears away, but I couldn't. I could maybe comfort her though. Lucky for me, the Lord gave me a tender mercy. There was a small moment where I knew we were on sacred ground. I could feel it and I knew this place I was about to send Mickey into would take care of her. Teach her. Love her. ...even the same as I would.  At the same time, my aunt/momma feelings kicked into high gear and I wanted to put her back in the car and speed off. Of course I couldn't or wouldn't do that, and that's when Mickey grabbed hold of me and gave me one of the tightest hugs I have ever felt from her. As tears streamed down both of our faces, I took in the moment. All of it. I felt like we hugged for 20 minutes. (of course it wasn't!) She gave the same long, tight hug to Uncle Brad and then came back to me for another. I wish I had her "I love you" recorded so I could listen to it everyday, but my mental recording will also do. We met the sister missionary who would escort her into the MTC, took some pictures and hugged some more. I am pretty sure there was a part of Mickey and me that didn't want to part from one another. At the same time, this was the moment we had worked towards for the past year so we knew we would eventually have to walk away from one another. On our final hug, I told her she would be ok and that I was proud of her. Very proud of her and that she would do an amazing job. With that, we hugged a little tighter and then she turned around and walked away. To this moment, I still feel the emotion. I will never forget the look on her face as she hugged me for the last time. Part of me wishes I had never seen that look because that look of concern is the last picture I have of her in my mind. But, I know she will be ok. I felt it and I know the Lord blessed me with that so I wouldn't worry so much. I will - because that's what we do as aunts/moms, right?  I am truly amazed at the amount of sacrifice one makes to be a missionary! Despite the tears, I am extremely happy for Mickey. I have NO reservations or doubt at all that Sister Wright will be an amazing missionary who will use her own experiences to help bring others into the fold. Her faith will get her through the night and any other tough times she may have. At the same time, I am confident that when I see her again in 18 months, this one hard day will have all been worth it. I know because I have also felt the confirmation that she is doing exactly what the Lord wants her to be doing and I feel privileged to have been a witness to the change that has taken place in her own heart so she could do what she did today: willingly walk away from all that she knows and loves in order to serve the Lord who loves her more than anyone. The God that gave her all she has. In gratitude for that, Sister Wright gets to show him just how appreciative she is for ALL of her blessings by giving back to Him. How? By sharing the gospel message and bringing others unto Christ. That is the bravest thing she could do. For those of us that love and will miss her, we are showing our love and unselfishness to the Lord by letting her go. That's the reason I didn't put her back into the car and speed off. It's all about Him. And it's all about her.

One more day!!

Today is Tuesday.

Sister Wright's last full day with us.

It's a busy day also. We woke up and almost all of us had dentist appointments. Uncle Brad took our kids to the dentist and since we only brought up one vehicle, Uncle Spence took me, Jaylie (Mickey's cousin/my daughter) and Mickey to her dentist appointment. Since Mickey just got her braces off a couple weeks ago and we were on vacation last week, today was literally the only day she could go in for her dental work. Mickey got so much work done! They had to numb all 4 quadrants of her mouth. Poor girl could hardly talk and when she did it was slurred and slow. In true Mickey style she was able to laugh at herself though and kept us quite entertained! Haha. On a different note, Jaylie was able to be an assistant to the dentist and help work on her. The nurse told Mickey, "It's not every day you can say your best friend worked in your mouth." It was one of the highlights of the dentist appointment.  I felt bad Mickey had to undergo all of this work, but at the same time she needed it taken care of.

Today was supposed to be a day of fun doing whatever Mickey wanted but after her appointment she was so tired, we kind of took it easy. We did manage to go to Red Robin for lunch. FUNNY STORY: Mickey was still numb and her speech was slurred so when the waitress asked her what she would like to drink, Mickey said a water. Because of the slur, the waitress said, "Are you sure you want a drink, I think you'll end up wearing most of it. So, when she did bring out the water, she brought out a bib as well! It was cute! She did manage to get some of that water down. Just for the record, she also ate fries and pepperoni pizza slice and part of a Banzai Burger. She was SOOO hungry!

The other main thing Mickey wanted to do was Leatherby's for ice cream! It's her FAVORITE and if you know our family, we go every time we are up North and usually invite the whole family. NO JOKE. We are ice cream fanatics!! Tonight, we invited everyone and there was a great showing. It's always so fun to hang out and visit over ice cream!

Afterwards, most of the family went over to Aunt Julie and Uncle Ed's home to visit some more as this would be everyone's last chance to spend time with her before she leaves for the MTC. Uncle Spence came up with the idea that we should all gather in a circle and tell what we love about Mickey so we did! She is probably hands down the most admired person in our family. She is almost everyone's favorite person. She is certainly one of a kind and there were so many wonderful comments made to her. She also said some really nice things about us as well. I will treasure forever what she said about my family!

I know everyone would agree, we are so grateful to have Mickey in our lives! I hope she remembers how much she is loved by us.  ...love you so much, Mickey!!

Packing up.

When does leaving for a mission become "real"??

Is it while packing?

Not really.

Mickey's been packing for a good month. Slowly we have added items to her suitcase but today was our deadline because tonight we are leaving for SLC.

*Note: I SOOO badly wanted to dump everything out of her suitcase and put myself in the bag instead. People can be shipped in luggage, right?? And surely the MTC wouldn't mind an extra adult "supervisor" either! ;) ...No, I know I can't do that.

This would be the last time Mickey would be in her room until she returns. There was a little emotion. I could see Mickey was fidgeting and going back and forth a bit on what she should take. Did she have enough of everything? Was she taking too many outfits? 2 suitcases or 3? So many things to think about, but we got it. Mickey got to the point where she was comfortable enough to close up her luggage and get them in the car. It was a little bittersweet to me. Happy and sad feelings all at the same time. Another step down. She said it didn't really feel "real". She thought she was just packing for another trip.

Through this process Mickey has shown how strong she is. How responsible she is and just how ready she is for this new adventure she is literally about to embark on. We are so proud of her!  In a few days, she will be taking this luggage on an adventure that will change her life. Literally, change her life. It's amazing how something so life changing doesn't yet feel "real".  I guess the Lord allows that to happen so our young missionaries will actually GO. haha.

In all seriousness, I'm sure in a few days, it will feel "real", but Mickey is strong and can (and will) handle it! ...I just hope I can! :)

Our farewell weekend!!

*the next couple of posts happened already, but because life has been so busy, with so many exciting events, I am just now putting them on the blog.

Mickey's Farewell

"Today's the day!!!" was the phrase that woke me up bright and early Sunday morning as Mickey jumped into my bed to lay next to me. It was the day we had been preparing for for so long. There was plenty of excitement in the air as Mickey continued to repeat this phrase to everyone in our home. Haha.

"Today's the day" for what you may ask? Mickey's farewell and setting apart to become an "official" missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's taken about a year to get to this day, but it has finally arrived!

*Note: In our church, when a missionary is called, they have a special going away celebration that is called a farewell. The soon to be missionary has the opportunity to address the congregation and then they return to their home and have a big feast with the ones that are closest to them and those that love them the most. ♡  

Mickey did a fantastic job on her talk!! It was lighthearted and fun, but yet left us with a spiritual message and opportunity to feel the Spirit. She honestly sounded like a returned missionary! If you missed the talk, I'll see if I can upload the recording of it soon.

A few notes about the day: Mickey had SO many people there to support her. Many of whom traveled long distances to be there. Mickey commented on how loved she felt. In fact, she felt more loved at that moment then ever before in her life.  For those that don't know her well - this was HUGE and quite a blessing in her life. The love she felt honestly radiated from her whole being. With that came many emotions - including some tears but she held it together and gave an inspiring talk that touched many hearts. One member from the congregation even commented that it was the best sacrament she had ever been to! Wow! :)

One thing I loved that Mickey did when she opened her talk was invite the Spirit to testify of the truth of the gospel to each person in the congregation. I love this, because as a missionary, one of her jobs is to help investigators feel the Spirit so it can testify the truthfulness of the gospel she will be teaching. Especially when invited, it will no doubt be there! It's one of the things I love most about our religion. Mickey nailed it! 

Ok, moving on! The luncheon. We had a house full. We planned for about 60 and I would bet there was about that. We honestly had people coming until after 10pm! It was so fun to watch Mickey visit with everyone. As she said in her talk, people really do bring her joy and it was quite apparent. I think everytime I looked at her she had a smile on her face!! It made all the work and effort completely worth it. 

Later that night, we had to sneak out for a few minutes to meet with President Gubler so he could set her apart as an OFFICIAL missionary. She was given a wonderful blessing with many promises for her faithful service. Her YSA Bishop, Jodi Rich told her to continue to love people while President Gubler talked about going on in the hard times. The Spirit was present and yes, there were tears too. Again there was a confirmation that Mickey was doing exactly what the Lord wants her to do. The special part: now Mickey is an official missionary!! Sister Wright. Sounds nice doesn't it?!

Mickey and YSA Bishop Jodi Rich

Uncle Brad, Mickey, Aunt Jess

Friend: Kristeena and Mickey

Hi! :)                                                                                                           March 5, 2017

I'm Aunt Jess.  aka: Sister Mikayla Wright's Aunt. I have been in her life since she was 4 months new and she has spent a good part of her life with our family - visiting and playing with her cousins.  A year and a half ago Mickey (as we call her) moved in with us to go to college and has lived with us since. Mickey has asked me to run this blog while she is playing...er' I mean SERVING the people of Tahiti! :)

It's almost here! 

Sister Wright's "official" (cause let's face it - she is always serving!) turn to serve the Lord is down to two weeks, three days away. It seems like we've been preparing for this day to come for sooooo many months, yet in the grand scheme of time, it hasn't been that long. Now that we are faced with it being time for Mickey to actually leave, we wish the time would come to a screeching halt for a bit! Funny how life works, huh? 

No. We are really excited for Mickey to become a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She has been called of God to the people of Tahiti and wow! What an exciting place to get to "forget yourself and go to work" as President Gordon B. Hinckley would say!  What an adventure she will have! We are SO excited for her. SO excited to see the continued growth she will experience. SO excited to see her testimony flourish and grow more. SO excited to get to know the people of Tahiti through her. SO excited for it all (well, except for the leaving part)!

Before we start this fun journey though, can I step back and recall where she came from for a minute? A year and a half ago, a hyper, giggly, young 18 year old girl who thought she knew everything stepped into our home. She thought college would be a breeze, thought she knew exactly what she wanted in life and thought she knew exactly who she was.

Hold on ....HAHAHAHA. HAHA. HA.

...Don't get me wrong,we all LOVE Mickey - do we not?! But lets face it, nobody knows everything -  let alone "who they are" or what they "want" at the ripe ol' age of 18 - but Uncle Brad and I played along. Just for fun. ;)  ....until one day life started getting hard for Mickey. And harder. One night during our family scripture study Mickey got up the courage to ask a question that she really didn't know an answer to. Up until this point, she had been pretty quiet and just listened. She confessed she was afraid to ask questions because, like many of us didn't want to ask the wrong questions or heaven forbid silly questions. We conversed and let her know she could ask any question she wanted. If we didn't know the answer, we would find it for her or we would figure it out together. This changed how we studied scriptures in our home. We began to have longer discussions instead of just reading and quickly doing an overview.  It was fun to hear her start asking questions about the gospel and the scriptures and then see the wheels turn in her head as she listened intensely and pondered words that were meant for her. We also had many conversations about the gospel and how to incorporate it into certain situations in her life. And than she would go and apply the principles.  Not only were we studying at home, but she was going to the singles ward and had a great Bishopric who immediately showered her with love. Their words touched her heart on many occasions and of course she had her own personal study...because no testimony comes without first pondering and knowing for ones self. Before long, we could tell Mickey's countenance was changing and she was feeling the Spirit in her life more. Then she became anxious to know more and be more. Not all days were easy for us, and we learned right alongside her. But, with many lessons, come many blessings. Which is precisely what I would call Mickey - a BLESSING. A blessing in a big way.

...and then one day.  Mickey came home from college and didn't know what to do. She didn't know where she was going. Life wasn't working out like she wanted or thought it would. She was frustrated. The "SHE" that she thought she was - wasn't. The plan she had for herself - wasn't. So, as we talked, I had the impression that we should lead her in the direction of a mission.  I asked, "So, when are you putting in your mission papers?" Mickey looked stunned. She started crying and I think she knew at that moment what the Lord's plan for her was. She looked into what it would take to go on a mission. She studied and prayed more fervently, and she caught the mission bug! Many more learning experiences came as she prepared to go. 

Some of the biggest lessons: 
1) to rely on the Lord 
2) to have complete faith without fear 
3) everything happens in the Lord's timing 
4) patience is necessary. 

Mickey persevered though. One step lead to another and she submitted her papers, got her call, went through the temple and even became a temple worker! Wow!!! 

The rest is history and now Mickey is about to leave for 18 months to serve the Lord. What a great blessing it has been to watch her prepare. To see her successfully overcome temptations from the adversary and also triumph through the tests given by the Lord. There have been many hard days to get to this point, and many wonderful days. But, when it comes down to it, Mickey is prepared. She is in the perfect place to accept additional knowledge as she goes to the MTC and then to also share her knowledge and testimony. She knows the happiness this gospel brings and wants everyone to share in that. Mickey truly is an inspiration to whom I have looked up to and learned so much from. I have no doubt Mickey will give 110% in teaching the people of Tahiti and touch their hearts just like she has ours.  We are so proud of her and look forward to being a part of this "adventure in Tahiti" with her, from afar! She is ready in so many ways and will love and be loved so much by the Tahitians! She has a heart of gold and the Lord is putting Mickey right where she is needed and in just the right place that SHE needs to be. 

It's going to be an exciting "adventure" so sit back for the next 18 months and enjoy the ride! ...and the view because we know Mickey loves taking pictures and that means many beautiful pictures are to come!

xoxo, 
Aunt Jess