just jessica

{sunday}

for journaling purposes..

my new ward is the buffalo grove 2nd ward. it starts at 9.00 a.m. church back home also started this early and most every sunday i woke up at 8.45 and was on time. not anymore. i had to leave my house at 8.15 and i still wasnt on time. i dont think i will ever get used to not seeing a church on every corner. after the gps took me for a long detour i finally made it. when i saw the words The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints i immediately burst into tears. it was the only familiar thing i had seen in days. going to church has never meant so much to me in my life. at church i also met two super cute moms who have taken me under their wing. i went to lunch with one of them on monday and the other invited me to her home this week. the only bad thing about hanging out with moms, is how bad it makes me miss my own mother.

fun story: in college my moms best friend and roommate sheri peterson dated a boy named brik ayer. she sent him on his mission and dated a little afterwards as well. this same boy also grew up in logan, utah. next to a girl named marja mecham. sheri and brik ended up not getting married after his mission and after moving all around the country with his family brik ayer settled in libertyville illinois where he became bishop of the buffalo grove 2nd ward. marja mecham, the girl he grew up next door to, married my moms brother greg and became my aunt. see how crazy this story is? i have heard stories about brik forever from my mom. and now he is my bishop all the way out here. small world eh?

my mom called him and told him i had moved out here and was to going to be in his ward. you can imagine his surprise when she connected the dots for him. his cute wife invited me over for sunday dinner with their family.

i have learned to never take the church for granted. to never take the convenience of going to church for granted. there is nothing like the feeling of the spirit in a home. living in st george there is that warm feeling in every single one of my friends homes. how lucky have i been? to have never gone without feeling the constant love of the gospel all around me. walking into the bishops home for sunday dinner i was overwhelmed by that feeling. you dont know what you have until it is taken away from you. i can create that feeling in my own little bedroom but it is no where to be found in this house. while i am here, i will forever crave the comfort and warmness of my home, and the homes of my friends.