The best feeling in the world.......

I'm finally posting for an event that happened about 2 weeks ago and I just kept putting it off cause I know it's going to take me 2 hours. For those of you in Relief Society last week, it is the same story that I shared so stay with me.

When I went on my mission I knew it would never be a wrong decision, but none the less I struggled in actually making the decision. I now look back and can't imagine my life if I hadn't gone. My life is still being blessed 16 years later and I never imagined it would continue to unfold like this and the incredible people I had met, would stay in my life this long.

Laura was 12 years old when we knocked on her family's door in my 2ND area. Little did I know that these people would become so dear to me. We made great friendships with them and taught the mom Cecilia and her 14 year old daughter Irene. Dad was nice but not interested. We also became great friends with Laura but for some reason she was sassy and fystee (sp?) always wanting a battle and just to spite us, went out and joined another church. We still loved her and she loved us and we teased her about how hard headed she was. Cecilia and Irene got baptised and this family became my very favorite through my whole mission.

After I was home a few years, I find out that Cecilia had gone through the temple! I couldn't have been more excited and proud of her. The best feeling in the world #1.

The best feeling in the world #2 was years later when I found out that Irene had served a mission! (I also should just add that it is so hard for the members to stay active in Costa Rica, it just seems that everything the church is, the culture is opposite.) Best feeling in the world #3...... just happened 2 weeks ago when Laura, my hard headed friend, who had joined the church 2 years after I returned home, was sealed in the SLC temple and I was honored to be part of that.
(Now the whole family, dad and littlest sister are all members)

Sorry this is turning into such a novel.

Words really don't express the feeling in the temple as I congratulated her and we hugged for several minuets as she cried. I told her how proud I was of her for how far she had come from that spunky little girl and that I loved her. Her mom could not get her visa to come so I kind of felt like I was the only family she had at the temple. I know that all sounds so mushy and sappy but that is really how it was. :)

Not the best photo of me, I know but this is the only one I took for some dumb unknown reason.
She will be living in Provo so I get to continue to stay connected to this family. I feel like my life has just stood still while all these things have happened to the Abarca family, like I haven't aged. That sounds weird, I know. I think I knew this family in Heaven and we did the Saturday Warriors, "I'll find you" thingy.




P.S. the kitty's found a nice home at the shelter.