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!!!
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
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