Centering on Christ: From Canada to the United States

It appears that my Dad has been only posting about running so I figured I would break up the running pains he’s been sharing with a post of my own about moving to the United States.

In late December of 2018, I was kneeling at the foot of my bed in the basement of my aunt’s house in a middle-of-no-where-town in British Columbia, Canada, fervently praying to God whether or not I should go on a mission.

Almost every moment leading up to this prayer, I resisted most thoughts about serving. I had moved around almost every two years of my life and while living in my Aunt’s basement, I naively felt I was done with moving for a while.

However, that seemingly simple prayer changed my stubbornness in an instant. His answer was clear. I still remember the overwhelming warmth that enveloped me that night and told me it was my purpose to prepare to go on a mission. As I spoke with Family and friends about my decision, joy filled my life and my soul. The decision to go was definitely the right one. However, I had concerns about how I would pay for the trip and how I would even begin preparing. There was a lot I didn’t know and it was time I started looking for the answers. I spoke with my bishop and he immediately eased my concerns, providing me with all the resources I needed to read, and pray and even discussed help in paying for it. Once again, God was confirming my need to go.

Interestingly enough, as I began to fill out the little booklet of questions for your mission, I felt a strong impression that I must continue to prepare for a mission but I will be married before I get to go. This thought seemed ludicrous to me and only made me more determined not to get married and go on my mission before falling for some supposed random guy I’m yet to meet. I’m sure my parents have video footage of me stating that no one could stop me from going, not even a boy. My naivety to this day astounds me.

One day, while on the phone with my parents, my Stepdad asked if I would be interested in moving in with them and to help him write a book while preparing to go on my mission. I have no doubt that this suggestion was divine intervention for it didn’t take long for me to have all my bags packed, my family notified and my job figured out. Many family members were sad to hear that I was leaving and many even tried to convince me that going was a bad idea.

It was late February, one week before I began my trek to my parent’s home on Diggery Drive in Daybreak, Utah. I was eating dinner with some friends in a neighboring ward. They lived quite a few miles out of town and snow and ice still blanketed the cold Canadian roads. It was late, long past midnight so I excused myself to head home for the night. I was only a few blocks away from their home when my car shut off suddenly while I was driving and smoke began billowing from the front of my car.

This was a challenging moment for me for in that moment I felt a soul-crushing hopelessness fill me. Doubt and anxiety filled my mind. The discouragement from family, the unending knowledge that I would never actually go on a mission, and now my car breaking down before I even begin my journey? What was the point? I remember my car growing frigidly cold due to the late winter air outside and at that moment I bowed my head and prayed. And this prayer, I will admit was filled with a lot of frustration and anger.

_{“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh…they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death,… according to the power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”
– 2 Nephi 2:27}

However, before I could even finish my furious babbling with the Lord, I received a call from my best friend claiming that she felt she needed to check on me. I like to remind you that by this time it was about 2 am. I know it could have only been through the holy spirit taht compelled her to call me so late.

Within the hour, most of the young adults and youth in the ward had come to my rescue at the request of my best friend. We pushed my car by hand down the street back to my friend’s house that I had been eating at a few hours before. My Dad, who lived in the town over, offered to fix my car for me and before I knew it I was driving 22 hours, On my own to Salt Lake City.

_{“When Confronted with challenges, it’s easy to become engrossed in our difficulties. However, Jesus Christ exemplified the power of focusing on His Father, offering gratitude, and acknowledging that solutions to our trials do not always lie with ourselves but with God.”
– Jose L. Alonso}

The drive was long but I’d been on long drives before so it was nothing I couldn’t handle. However, in a small mountain pass just outside of Butte, Montana, I hit black ice and spun out on the highway, I still remember the jolting feeling when the rear of my car smashed into the lifesaving cement pillar that dived me from a very steep and deadly drop to a river down below. I was only 6 and a half hours from my destination and at that moment, my trip felt like it would take a lot longer.

This moment could have turned into another soul-crushing moment of helplessness but I had learned my lesson. There was someone out there who, from my perspective, really didn’t want me to come to Utah and I knew that person was not God, so I pressed forward.

_{“By placing Christ at the core of our thoughts and deeds, we align ourselves with His outlook and His Strength.”
– Jose L. Alonso}

Though my car was significantly damaged with many pieces dragging haphazardly from the back of the car, I slowly and cautiously drove the final 440 miles.

It was only 5 very short months later, that I married Andrew, who I met in a Young Single Adult Ward in Church right before I submitted my mission papers. Funny how God has a plan for you and will make the way if you have faith in him. Andrew and bring up this story a lot as a reminder of God’s hand in our marriage. It keeps us humble.

Of course, there is lot more to this story but I’ll leave that for another post.