Lemon #4 Missionary letters!

Yep! Here I am, holding my very first letter from my missionary:)

Elder Michael James Schnell reported to the MTC on August 17, 2011.

Watered down story of us: We went to high school together, and we were kind of in the same group of friends, but we never really talked... until... 

He asked me to Senior Prom on closing night of the Musical (Once Upon a Mattress). I said yes.

So after much coaxing and a case of cold feet (in my case), we started dating. The rest is history, well, kind of. When we went off to school (he went to BYU Provo, and I went to BYU Idaho), I had my doubts that it would really last. I was definitely hanging on to the illusion I was taught in "The Winter Song" by either Sara Bareilles or Ingrid Michaelson (I still don't know which)... "they say things cannot grow, beneath the winter snow, or so i have been told." But it turns out we fell more in love over time and separation. 

So a year and a half later, we said the goodbye that been haunting us for all of our relationship. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. However, I knew he had important to do for our Lord, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So here I am holding the first letter ever! I can't even express how much I love his letters. They fill me with so much strength. His testimony is so tangible, it really is a wonderful thing to witness. I can tell he's already grown so much even though he's only been gone 3 weeks. 

Every day I pray for strength, that I will be comforted during this difficult but wonderful experience, and his letters are the answers to my prayers. I can testify that when you make a sacrifice for a worthy and righteous cause, you are blessed. I am so excited that we get to grow together during these two years, and though I want many things when he comes home (one of them happens to be small with diamonds on it), I want to be able to sit down with him and talk about all the wonderful experiences we've had.

Life gave me a lemon, and I'm going to make pink lemonade!