Bethany's 20th Birthday Gift...She flies to Brazil!

Bethany's visa has arrived and she is heading to Brazil!  YAY!  I know she is super excited.  She will fly out on July 1st, her 20th birthday.  It will be a LONG day for her.  She leaves Pocatello Idaho via bus at 7am.  She then flies out of the Salt Lake with a direct flight to Atlanta Georgia.  She'll have a layover there for a few hours.  By the time her plane takes off and when she gets to Sao Paulo, Brazil it will be the morning of July 2nd.   She then will take a bus to Campinas and meet her mission President and his wife.  She will be one tired chicka :)

She had hoped to be able to go directly to Brazil from the beginning but I know she wouldn't have had it any other way now.  She loved her stay at the Provo MTC and the friends she made there.  Plus she was able to see her brother who works there and have lunch with him nearly every week.  In Idaho, she was able to see good friends and make many new friends.  It was a good experience for her.  I am glad she didn't stay too long.  She was worrying about losing the Portuguese she had gained while at the MTC.  Not too many people speak Portuguese in Idaho :)

I'm so proud of her and her decision to serve a mission.  It was by no means a easy decision, but, she did as she felt prompted and I admire her for it.  I do know she will be greatly blessed.  I also know that she will have many hard times as a missionary.  With all of it, she will grow in so many ways.  I hope and pray that her companions that she serves with all get along with her and she with them.  That is huge in missionary work! 

Bethany would often say as  "I can't wait for this.. it's going to be the best ever"  Well Bethany, aka Sister Whitnah...you have waited and YOU are going to make it the BEST ever!  I love you SO much and am so proud of you.

Asics: The shoes that will make Bryan Fast!

School has been out a week now.  Bryan is doing pretty good so far, not too bored.  I know it must be so hard for him being the only child at home now.  Today he went and got new running shoes for cross country this Fall.  He is super excited.  We found a pair of Asics.  They are black with a bright blue color and lime green.  As he put the shoes on he said "these shoes are going to make me FAST!"  Practices for cross country begin next Monday, that will help keep him busy and give him something to do as well as time to associate with kids his age.

Here you go, the shoes that will make Bryan fly! 

Bethany's first area: POCATELLO IDAHO, Where in Brazil is that? :)

So much has happened in this past year and yet I haven't been great at keeping a journal as well as I should.  Hence, the reason I started this blog nearly 6+ years ago.  My hope is to be better with it this year and years to come so that I might be better able to write about our family.

Bethany has been in the Provo MTC since April 24th 2013.  She is a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Sister missionaries serve for 18 months and Elders serve for 24 months.  Bethany is the 4th of our children to serve.  She was called in November to the Brazil Campinas Mission.  She was supposed to go to the Brazilian MTC, however her visa never came. 
I am glad in many ways.  First off, Sean works at the MTC and she was able to see him nearly everyday since she has been there.  Plus she has had lunch with him once a week.  That has made me feel good to know that she has this "inside" connection while she has been there.  She was supposed to leave for Brazil on Monday, June 3rd, had her visa come.  It didn't come.  SO, Instead of heading to Brazil  she is going to.....drum roll....POCATELLO, IDAHO!  I don't know how many Brazilians live in Idaho and I don't know how much chance she'll get to use the Portuguese she is learning, but she is being sent here for a reason.  She called and had 5 minutes to tell me yesterday, we both laughed when she said Pocatello. The great part is that good friends, the Bangerters live in Pokey.  Bethany is hoping to see them.  So until her visa arrives she will live in Spud Country

She has had a wonderful time in the MTC, the 6 weeks have flown, here are just a few of some of the pictures she sent over the 6 weeks she was there.  I know she has grown so much already and I know the next 16 and 1/2 months she will grow in SO many ways.  Yet,  I would be lying if I didn't say how much I miss her and how much harder it has been sending her off than it has been sending off Becky, Robbie or Sean.  I don't know if it's because she's 19 or if it's because she's my baby girl, but I miss her terribly.  I am so proud of her though.  I know how difficult coming to the decision to serve a mission was for her.  Many don't know what she had to go though to reach this point.  She amazes me.  I look at pictures of her and think, who is this amazing young woman that I get to call my daughter?  I am thankful to be her Mom. 

I love this photo of her.  She looks so happy and confident! 

This is her first companion.  Sister Loefke.  Sister Loefke is a "kindred spirit" to Bethany.  They have grown so close.

This photo she sent just this past week.  This is her District that is heading to Campinas (eventually) as well as Bela Horizonte.  Look at all of those Sister Missionaries!  So cool, normally there would not be so many Sisters, but with the age being lowered, there are tons more Sisters serving now.  As a matter of fact, the week before Bethany entered the MTC, Provo had more Sisters enter the MTC then Elders!

Here is the infamous map in the MTC.  Every missionary that goes to this MTC, stands here for a photo opt.  Bethany made sure to get this her first week in.  This was taken just after her District had gone to the Temple. 

"Thou she be little, she be fierce."  I see her standing among most of the Sisters and Elders and she looks so tiny.  Yet, I know, just as this quotes states, she is fierce!  Over the next year and half she will have a great impact on the lives of so many.  Those she teaches and those she serves with.  She will NEVER regret sacrificing 18 months of her time to give to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  She will be PROFOUNDLY blessed!  :)