Flight!

In case you're wondering and/or worrying, Melissa's flight did leave from Boston before the big storm hit.  She flew south to North Carolina and is currently en route to Phoenix.  Now if we can just control this lovely little snowstorm we're having in Utah, everything should turn out great!  Just thought you'd want to know those little details.

To Boldly Go…

It's here!  The last email from Sister Broekhuijsen!  Enjoy!

Captain's Log, Stardate 201302.6

My insides are squirmy. I think that gak Worf shared with me last night was a little funky. 

Ha. A Star Trek reference is especially appropriate this week because a couple days ago my RS President texted me and said, "There is a new STAR TREK MOVIE!!! May 17....." hahaha I'm glad the ward knows me so well.  

Well. I am still a missionary! It's pday and tomorrow I'll be in meetings/the temple all day so it doesn't really FEEL like I'm a missionary anymore, but I am still happy and I'm totally going to take advantage of the time being set apart to receive revelation. Gotta soak it in as quickly as possible.  

I don't feel like writing much, to be honest! I can just talk to you with real life person vocal cords so I'll do that. But I do want to give a brief update on this past weekend. 

Thursday night we got a ride up to Boston and spent the night in the mission home with a bunch of other sisters. That was a BLAST. Then Friday we had a super, super long Sisters' Conference (seriously, it lasted from 9:00 a.m. until about 10:15 p.m.). It was AMAZING. I felt such a connection to the other sisters, and we were indeed instructed from on high. I've shared before how I had felt a twingy bit guilty for not being depressed to go home. Well, at the conference I learned so many good things and I felt so happy that I was a little cry-y at the prospects of having to leave it all. So, good news! I'm depressed! That makes me happy. (I hope you can feel the not-sarcasm in that sentence.) 

But it was a wonderful conference. I don't want to write out all the things I learned because it would probably take me the 13 hours it took me to learn them! But I will share one hilarious details because I know you (the collective "you" who are cool enough to read my blog) will appreciate it. The 4 assistants and President Packard decided that they wanted to cook dinner for all of us sisters (this is the first (and presumably the last) time all the Sisters have gotten together). Isn't that a sweet idea? Well, it gets sweeter when you hear what they cooked. It was kindof like when a kid gives his mom a really ugly macaroni-bean-dried potato necklace and he's so proud of it that the she wears it every day just to make him happy. It means even MORE than if he had gotten you something you would actually want to wear, because you know he really put his heart into it. 
With that introduction, you're probably imagining that it was some awful food. That is not true at all - it all tasted great! It's just that it was some interesting combinations. I have a feeling they just named a bunch of food they liked and each guy said something like, "well I can make THIS pretty good..." and so it happened.  

Our dinner was, spaghetti, corn, roasted potatoes, and garlic bread. HA! Isn't that cute? Yes, it is. And they were so proud of it. They set the table beautifully and put towels on their arms and took our "orders." It was a really nice gesture and it just makes me smile. 

Saturday was another wonderful day! We had the musical fireside and it turned out beautifully. Sister Jordan did a fantastic job. For the first time in a LONG time, I was actually pleased with my performance! And I got to see a few people from the singles wards and Boston 1 that I haven't seen for a while. What a treat!
I have really been seeing that President Packard's prayer for me is coming to fruition. He prayed that I would have the experiences I need to have to feel like I'm going strong until the end. I've seen many instances that are clearly examples of that. What a blessing! 

To close what is probably the last e-mail I'll pen (keyboard?) as a set-apart missionary, I want to leave with (a brief version of) my testimony.  

I KNOW that our loving Heavenly Father placed us here to learn. I KNOW that the Adversary really does want to oppose truth and light and things that bring true joy. But I also KNOW that we already know who is going to win this infinitely old conflict. If we can step back and seek to view moments and our lives from an eternal perspective, I KNOW that clarity comes. God has answers to all our questions, but He waits until we make room for the answers before blessing us with them. There is an order to the things of God, and we cannot achieve lasting happiness without seeking after His will.  

This Church is directed by The Lord, Jesus Christ. It just is. Our doctrine is never disputed or voted upon. His hand is evident in every aspect of the Church and especially in the Building of His Kingdom here on earth. I bear witness of that, and EVERY PERSON ON EARTH has the same opportunity to know for themselves. Knowledge and testimony are not special gifts reserved only for a few, lucky partakers. He wants EVERYONE to want Him. 

-Sister "'Til We Mee-eee-eeEAT!" Broekhuijsen

Emails, please!

Dear Blog Readers,

Sister Broekhuijsen has a request.  Since next week (Wednesday, 6 February) will be her last Pday, she thinks it would be fun (for some inexplicable reason) to receive a whole bunch of emails!  So, if you'd like to take this amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to send an email to Sister Broekhuijsen, here is her email address:

melissa.broekhuijsen@myldsmail.net

Of course, her email time is somewhat limited, so if you have 3 pages worth of stuff to say, just send her a letter!  But if you just want to say "Hi.  I think you're one of the three most amazing people on this planet" or some other pithy yet sweet message like that, this is your last chance to do it!  

She'll be home on Friday the 8th - did I happen to mention that to anyone?  (Besides the whole world, multiple times?!)  :-D   CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

If you DO need to get her an actual snail mail letter - the address you'll want to send that to is:

Sister Melissa Broekhuijsen
6 Harbor Parkway
Clinton, CT  06413

Thanks for your support!