Let the Cloistering Begin!

What better time to start your mission blog than at 4:30 am? I couldn't sleep again. I don't think it is from being nervous so much as feeling like I have 19 trillion things to do in 24 hours, but I really wish I could because this is my third nearly sleepless night.

My sister Marilee will be managing this blog while I'm gone instead of forwarding a message to everyone. She will be posting pictures and updates that I give her, so check back often. She's pretty cute, so I bet this blog will be, too. Also, I know nothing about what a missionary blog ought to be, so I'm just going to be candid and honest here. I hope that's okay. Thanks for reading.

I enter the MTC on Wednesday and I'm really excited. At the front end of my time there I equate the MTC to being cloistered, mostly because it's funny and I like it. But, as part of my "research," I visited the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity Monastery (thanks, Ben). Another religion, I know, so I'm not sure how useful the research will be, but they did have a sign on the wall that I really liked. The first line read: "Seven times a day we gather here in church to praise God and pray for all people." I loved that line and thought it was beautiful, especially the part about praying for all people. It's what they do for humanity, and I believe their prayers are efficacious. I'm excited to serve a mission. I know the gospel can make people incredibly happy; it does me. In a different way from the monks in Huntsville, my mission will be my way, for the next 18 months at least, to praise God and pray for all people, especially the people in Norway. I like to think about it that way. So, let the cloistering begin!