#it's the 30th's evening here but better prepare beforehand

[domaystic]

It’s May, it’s Domaystic!

- This blog is ready :)

- The ao3 collection is open ( name domaystic2023 ) :D

- If you need more details, get all the info here 8D

[kcookendrick]

sweetener

who: adam levine & anna kendrick (anam) @hfamelevine

when:  august 30th 2018 

where: Adams home in California  

what: Anna shares a sweet moment with Dusty, and Adam and Anna begin to talk about their future again.  

tw: mentions of fertility issues 

Anna: With just the three of them today, Anna was excited to be spending more and more time with Dusty. She loved the one, almost two year old and was growing very fond of her. When Adam had said he needed to step away for a few minutes, Dusty was exhausted and Anna could tell she was getting a little fussy. The actress has only watched the child alone by herself, once but Dusty was asleep then. Picking the baby up, Anna sat her on the counter and held onto her. Leaning in, she laughed a little at the noises Dusty was trying to say and then looked at her “What monkey?” She questioned , it was a new nickname that Anna came up with. It was better than weirdo, at least. Dusty leaned into Anna, and then back and clapped her hands “sing!” Anna smiled softly, still holding onto her “Sing, you want me to sing?” She questioned, then nodded. Taking a breath, Anna began to sing something from Into The Woods that was age appropriate. Opening her mouth, she began with “He’s a very smart prince, he’s a prince who prepares. Knowing this time I’d run from him, he threw pitch on the stairs. And I’m caught unawares. Well it means that…, he cares….” Singing softly, she smiled at Dusty

Adam: He had made plans earlier that day to go with Katy to a water park, so once he had returned home from not only that but also picking Dusty up from her babysitter Caitlynn’s place, he had showered and gotten Dusty bathed and changed too. By the time he had sat down to relax again, Anna had asked about coming by to see Dusty and of course he wasn’t one to say no. She had been over for a while now, at least until Adam got a phone call about some of the tour equipment not working from James, so he had to leave so he could go and tend to what was going on. That meant that Dusty was left at home under Anna’s care, and although he could see the residual nervousness written on her face, he assured her that she would be fine and that he would be back as fast as he could be. He was gone for about forty-five minutes, but when he returned, his fiancée and daughter were nowhere to be seen in the living room. He goes quiet for a moment, but he can hear Anna’s voice coming from somewhere in the house. As he makes his way up the stairs and further to her voice, he leans against the door for a few minutes and grins. He doesn’t say anything, because he wants to stay quiet and listen to her. She never say, not at all or even in front of him. Watching her with Dusty, he bites down on his lower lip and the grin falls down into a sweet smile as he listens, arms crossed at his chest.

Anna: Holding onto Dusty while she sat on the counter, Anna smiled and continued to sing “This is more than just malice. Better stop and take stock while youre stuck standing here on the steps of the palace.” Anna sang, and then laughed a little when Dusty screamed “I know, why would Cinderella be stuck on the steps of the palace? I don’t know Dusty, I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Stephen Sondheim that one the next time I see him.” She said laughing, and then continued with “Alright what do you want? Have to make a decision…” When Anna tried to continue, she got cut off by Dusty “Daddy!” She yelled, and clapped her hands “Anna sing” The one year old pointed, and then turned to see Adam standing in the doorway with his hands folded across his chest “Hi” She whispered, and then swallowed hard “Dusty was getting fussy, figured I’d sing to her.”

Adam: He continues to listen, and it’s things like these that assure Adam that he made the right choice, proposing to Anna. That he was right where he should be, in this relationship with her no matter how rough things got sometimes between them. Attempting to put his finger up to his lips to signal Dusty to be quiet, it hadn’t worked when the toddler had yelled for him instead. Letting out a laugh, Adam walks forward into the room. “Anna was singing, huh? Didn’t she sound beautiful? Daddy thinks so.” He smiles a little, nodding his head as he looked at Anna. “It sounds like she liked it.”

Anna: Anna realized that this was the first time Adam has really heard her sing in person, and the brunette couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. She was warmed up, or prepared at all but then smiled softly at Adam’s compliment then rolled her eyes. “Give me a kiss” She whispered to Dusty, and then one year old leaned in and kissed Anna’s cheek “Thank you, thank you, thank you” She said now playing with the toddler, and then looked at Adam “I figured she’d like the silly rhymes that are in that song.”

Adam: There’s no place that he would rather be than right here in this moment with her, with Dusty. He was happy, it showed all over his face and he could never piece together why people couldn’t understand that about them. He leans against the counter now too, smiling a little as he watches the two of them interact. His voice is quiet when he speaks again, his arm extending to reach out for her. “…I can’t wait to marry you.” He whispers, looking at her.

Anna: Hearing Adam talk, she picked Dusty up and held her on her hip. Walking closely to him, she leaned into Adam and kissed him softly “I can’t wait to marry you either” She whispered, and then kissed him once more. Dusty looked at Adam, and clapped her hands “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

Adam: Adam lets out a small laugh against Anna’s lips to kiss her back, and once he breaks away, his attention turns to Dusty. His eyes light up at the toddler, and he extends his arms out for her to climb into them. “Dusty, Dusty, Dusty!” He says playfully, taking the toddler into his arms before kissing her cheeks over and over.

Anna: Hearing Dusty’s laugh after Adam takes her into his arms, and kisses her cheeks, Anna took a breath and swallowed hard. Looking at the two interact, the brunette smiled softly and then looked at Adam.Trying not to get choked up, Anna couldn’t help but feel tears in her eyes. “I can’t wait to have /this/ with you.” She whispered, and kissed him softly and then laughed nervously

Adam: Laugh after laugh fell from Dusty’s lips as Adam pressed kisses to his daughter’s cheeks, and once he heard Anna whisper, he’s looking back at her with a smile. He had wanted this for so long until Dusty had come around, and now he could barely hide the fact that he did want another one—but he wanted it with Anna. Leaning forward, he kisses her lips gently once more. “You know…your mom asked me if I thought that you were ready.” He says, quietly. “You wanna know what I told her?”

Anna: Maybe she did need to talk to someone other than Adam about this, other than her mother and Patsy. She hated that the women had just gotten emotional over watching Adam with Dusty, but it meant that Anna wanted /this/. A family, with Adam and it’s killing her that she can give it to him as easily as any other women could. Taking a breath, she kissed him back and then looked at him “What?” She questioned, and then took Dusty in her arms now. Holding onto her for comfort, Anna stood there

Adam: As Anna swapped once more and decided to take Dusty back into her arms, Adam let her. He didn’t move away though and instead stood close to the two of them, his arm still gently wrapped around her lower back from his attempt in trying to bring her in closer to him a little earlier. “I said yeah,” He whispers. “I…I told her that you love my daughter, and that she loves you.” He starts, “That…I told myself that I would be done after D, that I didn’t think I would find the right woman, let alone the woman who I thought would be who I want to be the mother of my babies.” He whispers, “But, I…I want you to be. There isn’t anyone else I would ask for.”

Anna: She was getting more and more comfortable with having a one year old in her life now, and Anna tried to hold Dusty as much as possible. With Adam’s arms still wrapped around her back, she moved in closer and listened to him speak. Leaning in, Anna kissed him softly and looked at him “ I’m sorry that it’s taking us a while to get there.” She whispered, and then swallowed hard

Adam: “Don’t be…” Adam whispers back, shaking his head. Of course, it would bother anyone—not getting pregnant right away and of course, it had bothered Adam. However, this process was different for the both of them and Adam knew that maybe Anna’s body had just needed time to adjust, and that maybe they would have more luck trying it again a second time. Kissing her back for a few moments, he pulls away slightly and begins to grin a little. “…You’re gonna be my wife…” He whispers. “You ready for that?”

Anna: Looking at Dusty while the one year old was in her arms, and playing with her hair Anna smiled softly and then took a breath. She swallowed hard, and chewed her lips “Are we, are we going to continue with the IVF or look into other options?” Anna questioned, and then kissed him softly but when he pulls away Anna smiles at Adam and kisses him one more time, and Dusty makes a noise. Laughing within the kiss, Anna nodded “Are you ready to be my husband?” She whispered

Adam: “I think that we need to…really talk about that…” Adam says, letting out a small breath. As much as he had hoped that they could get pregnant naturally, maybe trying again with the IVF wouldn’t be such a bad idea. “I…I think that we should…try again, before we really start to consider other options.” He sighs, but nods his head before he begins to smile again, this time a bit wider than beforehand. “Yeah…” He whispered, with a small laugh. “You…ever think that when you met me that I’d eventually be that?” He teases.

Anna: Swallowing hard, Anna suddenly became a little nervous now handing Dusty back to Adam as the one year old was reaching for him. Taking a breath, she nodded and sighed “I’m sorry I messed it up the firs try” Anna whispered, and then chewed her lips. “I love you, you know that?” She questioned, and then ran her fingers through Dusty’s short hair. Clearing her throat, Anna nodded and then laughed a little and shook her head “No.” She said, and kissed him once more

Adam: Carefully taking Dusty back into his arms, Adam looks down at his daughter for a few moments. “You like playing roulette with Daddy and Anna, don’t you?” Adam asks, letting out a laugh as he gently tickled Dusty’s stomach. It generates a laugh from the toddler, and Adam shakes his head at her apology. “Baby, sometimes things just…need time.” He sighs. “I…I know, it sucks, and I’m trying to figure it out too, but maybe that’s just what it needs. I do know that though. I love you too.” He kisses her once more, laughing himself now at her answer. “Mm…” He teases, “Yeah, me neither. I think I thought Camp was hotter at one point.” He joked.

Anna: Hearing Dusty’s laugh, Anna smiled big and realized that it has become one of her favorite sounds. Taking a breath, the women continued to listen to Adam talk about their, her situation. “I know they do, it’s just I want this. I wan this so bad with you Adam, and it’s killing me that I can’t give it to you, or us right away.” Swallowing hard, she nodded and then kissed him deeply. Hearing him laugh, her eyes widened and she rolled her eyes “Excuse me! No sex for you tonight.”

Adam: “Baby—I know…” Adam frowns, but he can’t really help it. He knows that Anna feels terrible about the process not working, because he does too and he wants to give her a baby just as bad as she wanted to give him a baby. “Listen,” He whispers, shaking his head. “It…it could take us months, a year…/two/ years. However many years, and I’ll still be here waiting with you, because I love you.” Kissing him back, he laughs. “Hey! Don’t joke about that. I was kidding. Totally kidding.”

Anna: If she can go back in time,. and not drink the night of the VMA’s, she wouldn’t. Taking a breath, Anna tried not to think about that and listened to Adam talk. Trying not to get choked up, Anna kissed him deeply and then looked at Dusty who’s eyes were slowly starting to drift off. “I love you so much.” She whispered, and kissed him once more “Nope. No sex for you, you just said you thought one of my best friends was hotter than me at one point.”

Adam: “I mean it…” Adam says, letting out a small laugh now. He could start to tell when Anna was about to get emotional, or when she was fighting off trying to become emotional, and while he knew that she couldn’t really help it, it still meant everything to him that he could be right there for her if she had. “I…You’re the only woman I would wait like that for.” He says, but then shakes his head and looks down for a moment. “I…I always used to tell myself that I would have waited for Anne, if she told me that she wanted that instead of keeping it to herself, but I…I don’t think I would have.” He admits, shaking his head. “I…You’re the only one I don’t mind waiting with.”

&END 

[rkevent]

Good promotion is one of the most important contributing factors for success in the idol world. While good music, talent and appearance play a key role, they won’t mean anything if they can’t be shared with the public and leave a good impression. During promotions, idols are asked to explain their latest release wherever they go, followed by random questions about both their professional and personal lives. No matter how prepared one can be, there will always be a question you didn’t prepare for, and keeping a smile on your face is key while you try to come up with the best answer.

This month, trainees will be taught how to act during interviews and the best ways to promote both their music and themselves. A special lecture will be given by a guest MC, Shin Hyungmin, for all trainees to participate in. It’ll take place on three different days - the 20th, the 21st and the 22nd - so everyone will get a chance to watch it at a good time without making the Seocho theater too crowded. Tips for a good interview will be given and trainees are encouraged to take notes because, on November 30th, they’ll have to go through a solo interview with their coaches. The questions asked won’t be shared beforehand to observe how the trainees will act on the spot. Remember: in interviews, especially in the K-pop industry, honesty isn’t always the best policy. It’s all about image. That’s what trainees will be evaluated on; it’s better to make mistakes now, with only your coaches as witness, than cause a scandal when you debut, after all.

In order to collect +2 DEBUT POINTS and +2 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH, write a four-post thread or a 250+ words solo about your muse preparing themselves for their interview. This can take place during the special lecture or on their free time. For +2 DEBUT POINTS, +3 CHARISMA POINTS and +1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT, write a 250+ words solo about your muse’s mock interview experience on the last day of the month. Please tag all of your posts with #rknov17eval and have them up by midnight EST at the end of November 30th, 2017. Threads may be continued after the deadline, but points can no longer be collected if the requirements are met after November 30th.

Most questions in the interview will be asked as if the trainee already debuted, but some may be more along the lines of what you’d hear on a show such as Royal Survival. You’re free to come up with your own questions for the mock interview solo, but if you need some guidance, here are some examples of what instructors may say during the interview portion:

You just released your debut/comeback song. Say a few words about it.

How do you feel about your company’s style of music?

What’s your position in the group? Aside from your position, what special talents do you think you have? (Feel free to demonstrate.)

Rank your group members according to visual ranking.

You were a trainee for [insert training time here.] Was it difficult? (Depending on the training time, questions may vary; “Why do you think you debuted so quickly?” vs “Did you ever want to give up?”)

Idol schedules are quite difficult. How many hours of sleep do you get per night? How often do you get to see your family? Did you enjoy chuseok?

Why do you think you deserve to debut?

On variety shows and in interviews, idols are often asked to elaborate on  all sorts of things: what they were spotted doing recently, something they said on social media or on another show, someone they mentioned knowing, etc. Trainees’ instructors know them and their lives well, so feel free to get specific! Questions like “you took a picture with [insert other trainee here] and posted it on Instagram. How do you know them?” Even questions about hypothetical scenarios that haven’t happened are fair game for the instructors, for example: “Your airport fashion last week caused quite the buzz (this can be negative or positive.) Did you style yourself?”

NOVEMBER EVALUATION (for the December 6 verification form)

[ link to thread or solo about the experience ] +2 ___ POINTS +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

[ link to the interview solo ]

+1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN AND CURRENT TOTAL) +3 CHARISMA POINTS +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:

[doing-cas]

CAS project - final reflection

On 30th April there was the deadline for the last (4th) form on the official Zwolnieni z Teorii platform, and today (9th May) was the deadline for attaching a video with a summary of our achievements, which was the main part of application for the main award. Since we have gained over 4500 points (out of 6000), we are eligible for applying for the main award, called the Golden Wolf. I did not anticipate us getting so much at all, especially because at first we did not focus on the points at all. Other projects in my school have more points, so we will not be awarded a Brown Wolf, and also there are for sure way better ones in the voivodeship, so we won’t be getting the Silver one either. The Golden one includes different formats and themes, so we really do have a chance to get it. I am not having high hopes for it, but who knows? When we began I did not pay attention to doing things for the points, but when I realised we were doing very well, I began to motivate my team to gain more in the next steps. In hindsight, I regret not doing our best in the two first forms, but it doesn’t matter now.

Overall, we have done 4 lectures and a social media post series. Here is a link for the summary video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9h1eNa5owo

Since the main factual details are covered in it, I will describe only my personal experience here.

It has become a massive part of my life, and since I am the team leader, I had to make sure everything was on time and going right. I admit, I have totally failed once, when I had some personal issues going on and we were preparing for the first lecture. I am responsible for all the factual things and the forms, and I had to write a big part of the script. I was just not able to do so at the time, and we were also having major conflicts in the team. Ultimately, I sorted the situation out with some help, but it was very hard for me back then. It is a long story but I do not have the greatest relations with some members of our team, because of some past experiences. I, however, tried to forget about them and just to focus on the project, which cannot be said for them.

I participated in 2/4 lectures, because I was not able to not be at school on Wednesdays, when the two others took place. I took part in the one at my school (obviously) and one of the ones in Częstochowa. Getting there was quite an exhausting experience (and a cold one too). On a Wednesday morning I was travelling from Częstochowa to Katowice to get to school on time for my 9.50 lessons, as usual, I finished at 7pm, also as usual, and then I had to wake up at 5.40 on Thursday to go catch a train to Częstochowa again, do the lecture and then return for the rest of my lessons (I missed one of them, unfortunately). It was absolutely hectic but it was such a great experience! I loved speaking to people about something I am so passionate about.

The lecture at my school was the final one and it was the best one for sure. We have put up some more decorations, the script was improved a lot, we implemented some ideas for a quiz, etc. 

After those events, which were the main part of the project, we had to focus on getting some more media attention, and at that point we decided we wanted to go for the points as much as we could. Our posts have been doing very well and we were to receive the maximum number of points for the number of beneficiaries. In our project format, beneficiaries were all the students who took part in our lectures. I was on the phone a lot and I kept doing way more tasks than I should have. I am a perfectionist when it comes to such “serious” initiatives, so I have been correcting almost every mail draft and other texts, since apparently I am the only one on the team who knows most of the Polish grammar and interpunction rules. It hurts my eyes when I see such silly mistakes, such as writing “stroi” instead of “strojów”, especially because we wanted to make our profiles look as professional and polished as possible. When others were writing the text for the posts, I had to correct almost every single one of them, and we were doing three or even four posts a week at peak times. Also, social media people were posting them at 5 or 6pm and I usually had lessons then, which made it even more difficult, because they did not bother writing them beforehands, they were always doing that last minute. It was rough, but when we finished that series, it felt so greatly relieving. Seeing all the people’s reactions and positive comments really gave me a sense of accomplishment.

Unfortunately, due to this so-called “unprecedented situation” we were not able to do any of the planned workshops, but at least we did our best in other areas of the project. 

I learned that putting personal issues aside is crucial when it comes to teamwork. I have also realised that pretending to always be on top of things is absolutely counterproductive and not beneficial for anyone. I have learned a lot of details about some regions and traditions, even those which I thought I knew everything about. It has also prevented me from procrastinating even when I felt unmotivated, because I still had to be on top of my schoolwork and tried hard not get a severe case of IBDePression. I have learned a lot of soft skills, and together with the project I have received three certificates, including one from Google, which I guess I will print and hang in my room somewhere and I will pretend like it actually means anything at all.

When I watched the video (which I linked above) I felt touched, even though it is not perfect, and I even cried a bit. It feels sad that it all has come to an end. We are officially finalists of the olympiad, but maybe we will be laureates? I guess that this now gives me room for another project? Maybe not one for Zwolnieni z Teorii again, but I have some ideas in mind. Of course, IAs and the EE first!

I am sorry that this is so chaotic, but it is as chaotic as out teamwork was. It’s 2.30am but I felt like this was the perfect moment to reflect upon that experience. If you have not seen that video I have linked above, please do! 

I will post a separate post as an update when the results are out (I think this will happen in about a month).

[vanhinkoch]

Week 8: The Best Two Months

Hello Family and Friends!

It's unreal. The time has come where each passing day is the last of its kind here in the United States for the next couple years of my life. I was always really good at taking long breaks from America, I've flown over the Atlantic more times than I can remember (thanks dad!). But this time it's for the most special purpose. I've found it to be the greatest privilege to represent Jesus Christ and His restored gospel here in these latter-days. How easy it is to gloss over all that has been given. Being here at the MTC has been a truly humbling experience. I've come to the realization that some opportunities are only as great as I allow them to be. It can be really easy to go through the motions, be content with not understanding, and let the time slip like grains of sand in between my fingers. I'd like to share how glorious of a week it has been for me, and perhaps you too will come to see the patterns that enabled it to be.

It began with the Sabbath day. It dawned on me that this next week would be my last, that this exposition to my missionary story would be coming to a close. In this moment, I decided that I needed to rely completely on the Lord if I was to be sufficiently prepared to enter Finland. I dedicated this Sunday to praying and directing my thoughts towards Christ and His love and atonement for me. I refrained from studying flashcards, and instead spent every spare moment praying and pondering. It was difficult, to be honest. Sometimes it feels like anything other than studying or practicing Finnish is an inefficient use of time, but I tried extra hard today to keep the Sabbath day centered on Holy things. I asked for the God to show his hand in my life, on the basis that I would exercise faith and trust in Him. The following 4 days proved to be wonderful.

I'll use some quotes to give the in-the-moment perspective.

July 30th, Monday night at 22:00 I wrote:

"Wonderful Monday today!! Felt the blessings of the gift of tongues for sure...I am so excited to be fluent!! The joy of missionary work will be fully realized when I can confidently speak. Time to study!"

July 31st, Tuesday night at 22:15 I wrote:

"Wonderful day today, can really feel the blessings in my life since I prayed for this week last Sunday. Language study went very well, class, lessons; everything went well. The devotional was really inspiring today, particularly because of choir. We sang "Hurrah for Israel", and the conductor, Brother Eggett, gave some very inspiring and amazing lessons about the value of the message of this restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and the value of missionary work".

August 1st, Wednesday night at 22:00 I wrote:

"Happy August! Today was definitely a bipolar day. Started off really exciting because we got to host new missionaries!..But first class was a bit rough for me because I embarrassed myself during our lesson, but I was able to recover well later that day. The old Finnish Mission President, President Watson, talked to us, and it was so cool! Really enjoyed hearing all about Finland. Second class went very well, funny how the days always end well :)"

August 2nd, Thursday at 14:08 my thoughts and feelings are as follows:

Having been closed all of July, today was the first time in a month the Provo Temple has been open, and what a gift it was to be able to attend the temple one last time before leaving for the field. I felt a special peace today. I pondered questions and gave sincere and personal prayer to my Heavenly Father and felt the love and care of my God encircle me like a ring of fire. I was able to receive a special witness through the power of the Holy Ghost that my Father in Heaven knows me, knows what I've been through and what I need to do to be the best person he needs me to be. It seems so clear and simple to me, I can truly testify from my own personal experience that God answers the prayers of the meek and sincere. It is for this reason that I am filled with gratitude towards my opportunity to give up Stephen for but a little while, to fortify and strengthen my testimony through Vanhin Koch by the bearing of it to others, hoping to gather them into the fold of Christ, that they too may know that these things are true. Why can't everyone feel the same way I do? What holds people back from softening their hearts to come feel of God's love? Surely, there is nothing in the world that offers the same joy, comfort, and peace, that comes from submitting to the love of our Savior. What a privilege and honor it is to share these glad tidings with those who are both willing, and not willing to receive them.

Overall, I am doing very well. I am so beyond excited to go to Finland, I love it so much already and I'm not even there!! Haha, my MTC experience has been incredible. There is an analogy in preach my gospel that likens the glory of the restoration of the gospel from the period of unbelief beforehand known as the apostasy to a diamond on black velvet. I think this same analogy can be likened into my life, the glory I feel being here on my mission is comparable to the diamond, and the 9 arduous months prior to my arrival is as the black velvet. It goes to show how trials can be a great blessing in our lives, because sorrow is what enables the savor of joy. All of 2 Nephi explains this concept very well, but I will share verses 14 and 15:

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon

15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

What a gift it is to struggle, to feel sorrow, that we may learn and grow as Heavenly Father's plan for us desires us to do so.

I also want to share a video entitled "The Music of the Gospel" that is truly inspiring and heart-warming. It explains how we must "hear the music of the gospel if we are to feel the joy of dancing".

> https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2017-01-005-the-music-of-the-gospel?cid=HP_FR-27-7-2018_dPTH_fMLIB_xLIDyL1-A_&lang=eng

I made this email a bit longer and more spiritually focused because this is my last opportunity to send an email of this magnitude, because my allotted time to email will be much shorter when I arrive in the field this Tuesday. I hope that perhaps one of you will find inspiration in my testimony, and that this person will desire to act on any inspiration he or she received by giving sincere prayer to God our Eternal Father.

I would like to bear my testimony on the joy of missions, and of missionary work. I am not yet even in my mission field yet, however I already know for myself that missions are the greatest opportunity to grow closer to the God. The experiences I've had here within these first 8 weeks alone have already developed me better than anything else ever could have. I am eager to take on the challenges that lie ahead in the field, and excited to write all about them to share with all of you!! Now I may seem a bit overwhelmingly positive, and this isn't to say that disappointments and discouragements never come. The reason that I am so positive is because it is through the disappointment and discouragements that I have been built up. The beautiful thing about missions too, is that God has a special watch over all of us. Even through all of my struggles, embarrassments, and doubts, I am always saved in the Spirit prior to retiring to bed; as if it is reminding me that today was a good day, and that thine trials will be but for a season. I have learned that there are no coincidences, but God's merciful hand.

I bear my testimony to all of you that God is real, and he desires to have a personal relationship with all of us so that He may pour out blessing more abundantly into our lives. I know that a relationship with God is founded upon a sincere desire to seek out His truth. Testimonies are not given to us, unlike a vast majority of our blessings.Testimonies require a conscious effort to seek after spiritual experiences. Sincere prayer, exercising faith, following commandments, reading scriptures, and deciding for yourself what is true; for truth is not confirmed merely on the basis of the words of others, but in experiencing for yourself what truth is. I have been taught Joseph Smith was a prophet since I was a child, however it wasn't until recently when I began to study scriptures and find that the desire Joseph Smith had to know of God was the same as mine is now. There is great joy in having a perfect brightness of hope in the gospel and in the prophets. What joy comes from doubting? What joy comes from pride? Is there satisfaction in doubt? I think not. I believe, and have felt and experiences, that true happiness comes through successfully seeking out spiritual experiences with God. What a difficult thing this is to do in the modern world of requiring a constant demand to be entertained, distracted, or busy. Oh how great it is then, to be serving a mission during these times where I would likely be idle in the comfort of my previous mind/spiritual-numbing lifestyle.

Family and friends, there is great joy in the service of the Lord. I was fearful previous to my arrival here that these two years would drag on, that it would be a grind until I could get onto college and other things that I desired after; however this mission has proved to be no chore. Having completed my preparatory phase of my mission, I will soon be embarking in the true service to the people of Finland, and I cannot express how grateful and excited I am for this opportunity. What a personal blessing it is that I was called to Finland.

This is a portion of my testimony I leave with you all in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

- Vanhin Koch