A Real Update

So I realize that I haven't actually updated my blog in a while. At least not in any real way. So I thought that I would do that now.

Basically here's what's happened since I got home in the beginning of August:

• I was home for three days, then came up to Provo to find a place to live (which I did and it was a bit of a miracle).
• Went to DisneyWorld for a week (who wouldn't need a little R&R after serving a mission?) We had a great time and took some great pictures. You never are too old to put on Mickey ears and ride on spinning tea cups.
  
• Then I came back to Provo and started the job hunt. I searched high and low for a few weeks, which was super stressful, but I was blessed enough to get a job with BYU Independent Study. I am an editor/Instructional Design assistant for IS. What does this mean? you might be wondering. Well, Independent Study does all of the online classes for BYU and we also offer a lot of high school courses. We do EVERYTHING for the class, aside from writing it, which we leave to the instructor. I edit the lessons for the classes and do basically anything else that needs to be done to produce the class, except for the art and film and things like that. I love working there and I have a great team to work with. I think lovingly of The Office when I'm at work, although it's not quite as funny as The Office.
  
• I started school and decided to take 17.5 credits. (Oh, and I decided to double major as well. English Language and Portuguese. And I'm still doing my editing minor. Yes, I know, I am a glutton for punishment.) But school's going great so far. I LOVE what I'm studying and finally I am actually studying something I like and am good at. I even enjoy the homework that I'm given. That's how you know you're in the right field.
  
• One of my classes is a student literary journal called Inscape. I LOVE being on Inscape and learning all about producing a journal. We do everything from getting submissions, to accepting them, to editing, to creating a layout, to putting the edition on the website, to publicizing. It's a lot of fun and I'm learning a lot. (If you want to check Inscape out, please go here: http://inscape.byu.edu)
• Then after I got all settled with my new job, I was offered another job to work at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) to teach Portuguese to missionaries going to Brazil who haven't gotten their visas. After a lot of thought and prayer I decided to accept the job (but only temporarily) to teach these missionaries. Then I will be going back to Independent Study. At the MTC I teach the missionaries Portuguese but I also get to help them become great missionaries so they can help others have a better life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been very challenging so far having so much responsibility and so much to do (I didn't have the luxury of training before I started teaching, so I'm just figuring this all out.) I'm still trying to re-balance my whole life again so that I actually feel like a student, but I love the moments when I feel like I'm actually helping the missionaries and making a difference in their lives.
  

This whole semester has been SUPER busy for me with so many credits and working 20 hours a week. But I'm happy and life is good. There's so much more to say, but I'll just leave it at that for now. Expect more updates soon!