Adventures With Elder Ev's: Transfers + Snakes

I bring to you another installment of Adventures With Elder Ev's! They are updates of Evan in the mission field in Palenque, Mexico along with some fun stories. We just got word that his companion is being transferred to a different part of the mission after being in Palenque for 6 months, which now makes Elder Evs the resident expert on everything Palenque and Pakal-Na. He has been promoted to senior companion and will be paired up with a native companion named Elder Barerra. Elder Evs will be showing his companion along with another missionary companionship how to navigate the two areas.

About the above picture of Elder Evs reading scriptures by candlelight:
"A rainstorm that we had took down the electricity in our apartment. So, that night we had no electricity, and did daily planning with candles and sleep without fans. Meaning it was a blazing hot night!"

About running into some Americans:

"Elder Love and I ran into Mormons from Utah!!!! Holy crap!!! We left the chapel after movie night and was making our way to our apartment when out of the darkness we hear "Hey look, it's the Elders!" in an American accent!!! It was a Mormon family visiting Palenque! Their son served in the Villahermosa mission and returned this past January. He was there with his family and we got to talk to him. Man, it was so weird talking in English again." {And yes, he really did put that many exclamation marks in there}

About this nasty snake picture:

"One morning the Relief Society President calls us to come over to the capilla {chapel} for a surprise. We come to see a python in a cage with a dead chicken. She told us her story: She wakes up at one or two in the morning to hear her chickens flipping out. She gets up, thinking that a rat or some other pest was just getting the chickens flustered. She opens the door, almost takes a step outside with a python by the door with the dead chicken next to it. She screamed and called someone over to take care of it. She works at a tourist shop right next to the ruins in Palenque, so she released it there. She told us a lot of the tourists were taking pics of her releasing the snakes." GROSS. SICK NASTINESS. 

And why did she release it in the tourist-y part of town?! Questions that will forever go unanswered...

About me...

"And Bri, start practicing your Spanish"

Oops.

What They Don't Tell You

There are so many ordinary experiences in life that people go through, but hardly talk about.

One of those things I'm going to add to that list now is sending off an LDS missionary.

Wow.

It happens all the time, every Wednesday in fact; 

and I've honestly not ever heard much about the experience from a family's perspective.

Which has pretty much left me completely unprepared for this hole I'm feeling in my heart.

It wasn't until today that I started pulling some of these pictures together for a post when I made the mistake of stopping and looking at the pictures...for a little too long.

I saw the massive grin on Evan's face, it tugged at my heart, 

and then I proceeded to totally break down on campus.

{So if you saw a random blonde in the HFAC crying, you've caught me!}

I promise you that it really is a happy thing for my brother to go on an LDS mission.

Missionaries are sent around the world to teach others about how we can be with our families forever, they learn to not only love the culture but also the people they serve in their mission. 

What no one told me, is that sending off one of my best friends was going to be this difficult.

He is 15 months younger than I, and has been my sidekick for forever.

Now that he is gone and the only communication I can have with him is through letters?

Gosh, it makes me sad.

But then I took a moment to look over these pictures again... 

the ones where he is hugging each member of the family with a smile plastered on his face from ear to ear.

Then it hits me...I'm not only crying because I'm sad.

It's because I also feel this overwhelming sense of love, pride, and accomplishment for my brother.

It's awfully easy to misinterpret the two because they actually go hand in hand.

I'm sad because I have this hole in my life where he used to snuggly fit. 

Now I have to figure how to patch it all up until he comes back.

Then I am so overcome with joy that he is not only doing the right thing but that he is where he wants to be.

 I couldn't be more happy for him!

 It was time for him to finally move on to the next chapter of his life. 

Who knew that being happy was so confusing?

Until he comes back I'll be posting about his experiences and adventures on a separate blog {for whomever wants to follow}, and I will be posting about all the fun and creative packages I will be sending him :)

Any pointers for families on how to get through this first week?

Missionary Picture Book

As a belated birthday/mission present, I'm making Evan a little picture book to take with him for his 2-year mission in Mexico.

This way he has pictures to show the people he is teaching who his family is and where he is from.

It's also to make sure that he remembers what we even look like when he is out there!

These are only some of the collages and pictures I pulled together of friends/family & of Evan's projects or adventures. Can't wait to see what he thinks of it all :)

Evan goes into the Provo MTC two weeks from tomorrow, so excited for him!

He'll be there learning the language for 6 weeks then he is off to Villahermosa, Mexico {down south, near the Guatemala border}.

So be expecting some creative missionary packages to be featured here on the blog :)

{I've already pinned a truckload of ideas to my 'Missionaries' board}

Any good ideas of what to send to missionaries living in another country?

Evan's Temple Day

Here is my second outfit with the Jcrew chartreuse sweater, which I donned with a gifted Banana Republic dress, Steve Madden nude heels, a gold glitter belt, and a Francesca's mint necklace.

Let's just excuse the fact that I'm butt white, and just ooh and ahhh at the amazing and elongating nude Steve Madden heels. I got them for 20 bucks at Ross, SCORE!

This past weekend, Ryan & I bolted down to St. George {a 4 hour drive from Provo}, to meet up with my family and go through the temple with Evan in preparation for his LDS mission to Mexico!

It was a calming & much needed experience.

I love reconnecting with family and Heavenly Father so I can re-focus my life :)

Anddddd if you couldn't tell, I'm now a Cafe Rio model!

We definitely narfed down some delish pork salads after going through the temple.

We all rounded up back in the parking lot, said our goodbyes, and Evan came back with Ryan & I to Provo to spend a few days with us and visit. 

How do you girls {of any faith} find time to reconnect with your spiritual side?

I'm always so all over the place that I forget that I need to sloooow down!

I'm sure everyone feels that way every now and then :)

Heaven Sent Messages

{Jesse, myself, and Evan}

Seeing as how this is a "lifestyle" blog, I have been focusing on sharing more about my life and the lessons that come along with it :)

A couple months ago, my younger brother Evan was called to serve as an missionary in the Villahermosa, Mexico mission for the LDS church.
He will be in the missionary training center starting March 6th, 2013.

To be honest, I cried...actually sobbed when I heard of his call.

I was ecstatic for Evan...but then felt this overwhelming fear for his safety.

I've watched enough documentaries, have been to Mexico myself and know that it's not a safe place.

A tall, white, blonde kid is definitely going to stick out in Mexico!

Ryan assured me that the Lord takes care of his missionaries, and that he will protect my brother.

I prayed and prayed to feel peace and when I didn't feel it instantly, I started to panic.

Over this past month I've met 3 different guys,
{one at a friend's mission homecoming, another was waiting for his sister at the salon, and the third is in my music class} who had recently returned from their missions.
They served in the southern part of Mexico, near Evan's mission. 

I quickly asked, how safe is it?
What are the people like there?
Will my brother be safe?

They all smiled & assured me that he would definitely be safe.

In fact, he is going to one of the safer parts of Mexico.

It didn't hit me until I was sitting in my last class of the day on Thursday,
what are the odds that I pray for peace about my brother's call...

then I meet 3 different guys just returning from where my brother will soon serve?

It's not just coincidence, it was heaven sent.

My heart swelled with joy knowing that my prayers had been heard and answered.

I now feel comforted that he will not only be safe,
but that this will be such a life changing experience for him.
He is one of my bestest friends.
 Even though I will miss him terribly,
I know that he will be doing good work in Mexico along with becoming the best man he can be.

I'm so grateful for answered prayers :)