An Amazing Weekend!

This weekend was one of the most amazing weekends I have ever experienced, so I feel the urge to document it. Honestly, nothing significant happened, but everything worked in such harmony that I just feel being on top of the world right now.

It all began with the fantastic activity the LDSSA planned on Friday. I had tons of fun playing the games, even though our team lost, and afterwards I just talked to some great people till late. Then Saturday started with a ward temple trip, and you should know immediately it was a wonderful day. Although it now takes me almost two hours to get to the closest temple, I think the rarity of the opportunity builds up the anticipation before the event to such a high level, I just feel more spiritually prepared for and completely satisfied about the whole experience. I hadn't done baptisms in the temple for ever and I almost forgot how spectacularly spiritual it could be. Since I have received my endowment, I was one of the officiators this time, and the spirit testified to me in such a strong manner that we were performing ordinances for some people who had been waiting for so long to obtain the blessings of the gospel on the other side of the veil. I felt joy beyond description. After the temple, some friends and I went to lunch at TGI Fridays. Although I was the only one who needed but didn't have a female companion there and the steak I ordered was quite terrible, we still had a blast talking and spending time together.

Saturday night our ward had a baptism. A girl named Leidy decided to join the Church and we baptized her at he stake center. It was an awesome service and it reminded me of my own baptism. I couldn't believe it was over five years ago! It made me reflect back to the path I have taken, and even though there were a few bumps and regrets along the way, I am so grateful that I am still here today at the right place I am supposed to be. I hope I will never wander off the straight and narrow, because I know I won't find happiness anywhere else.

Then came the fast Sunday. Throughout the week, I had been reminded of a miraculous personal experience I had earlier this year. I was debating about whether to get up and share it and bear my testimony at the beginning of the meeting, but as soon as the first girl started bearing her testimony, the spirit was so powerful that I knew I had to get up. I don't know whether there was anybody else touched by my testimony, but the experience alone strengthened my own faith in my Heavenly Father and my Savior!

After church, I went home teaching. Again, I felt the spirit so strong as we went to different families sharing the love of our Savior, it was so clear to me that we were doing the right thing and our God loved each and every one of us so dearly and on such a personal level. It was overwhelming to know that such a high being truly cares about me!

When I finally got home and cooked myself some food, my neighbor from across the street called me and kindly invited me to his house for dinner. I take some company over eating alone any day, so I headed over with the food I prepared and we had a splendid time together.

Finally, to put the cherry on top of this amazing weekend, we had a stake priesthood meeting tonight. I have to admit that it seemed a little odd we would have a priesthood meeting the week before general conference, but it turned out to be one of the best meetings I have ever been in. Each talk given was so genuine and so well-prepared, I believe every one in the chapel gained a burning testimony of the truthfulness of the Church! And right when I was standing up for the intermission hymn, the first counselor in the stake presidency suddenly announced that I would be bearing my testimony immediately following the song. It was so unexpected it almost shocked me. I silently prayed for help while we were singing and the idea of what I should say became clear. So I went up there and bore my testimony, for the second time in a day, and I think it touched some people there. I don't usually like surprises, but I am very grateful for that opportunity I was given to share my faith and my believes with the brethren in my stake.

As a result of these wonderful and marvelous experiences I had in the past few days, I am still on this spiritual high and I hope it will last through the week for me, because it is just such a beautiful feeling! I am praying that I will have more days like these and hopefully every one I know will do too. Anyway, I think I've said enough, so, good night every one. :)

Life in Pullman

Since it has been over a month, I decided it's time to update my blog. Life in Pullman is simple but going well. Pullman is a small town, but we do have quite a few bars and clubs! Too bad I do not visit places like that. Besides the bars, we have one McDonald's, one Jack In The Box, one Pizza Hut, one Papa John's, one Denny's and four gas stations. As you can imagine, any kind of real shopping or dining is not going to happen here, not to mention the 8%+ sales tax. As a result, Moscow, Idaho, which is conveniently located only 20 minutes away, becomes the optimal choice. We have a tiny mall in the wonderful land of Moscow, a small Wal-Mart that closes at 10 every night, a WinCo, the grocery chain that some consider as the Eighth Wonder of the World, and most importantly, an Applebees! Even though I can't really afford to eat out all that often, the thought that there is one restaurant I really love available is very comforting.

I love my apartment. It is an old place but it's my old place. I can finally keep my own home clean ALL THE TIME and I can decorate it the way I want to. I now have two plants and three fish, Freddy, Stan, and Lucy. They are a bit crazy, but I like their company. I admit it gets a little too quiet sometimes, but I think it is still better than too noisy. I have a queen size bed that I love. It is not the most comfortable bed, but since I only spent $250 on the mattress and it was brand new, I really have no complaints.

School is going well. The classes are not hard but they demand a lot of time. I am guilty of not working as hard as I should, but I am not falling behind either. I think I am slowly dedicating more into it. Work is even easier than school. I put in about 7 hours each week and get paid for 20, so it's a deal of a lifetime. Next year, after the horrifying core exams, I can actually teach my own course in economics if I choose so, and I am really entertaining the idea of doing it. That would be fun!

Church is the thing I am most excited about. I was worried about being a Mormon in a liberal environment such as WSU before I arrived, but now I am just loving it. Now I know for myself that I am who I am because of my own choice instead of what every one around me is doing. The wards here are very small compared to the BYU ones, but because of that, we are all very close to each other. I have more friends and more fun at Church here than most wards I lived in at BYU. Another amazing thing is how many missionary opportunities there are out here. I have had several occasions that I talked about the Church with some one, and it's also so wonderful to see the new members joining the ward and enjoying the same kind of happiness I have been blessed with. I just hope among the girls here, I can find a brave one to appreciate me and see truly who I am. :-) Pray for me, my dear friends! :P

So in general, life cannot be better (well, I guess a female companion would be more preferable), and I know I am in the right place. I still don't know exactly why God led me here, but I can sense it that I made the correct decision to come to WSU. Plus, our mascot is still a cougar. How cool is that?!