Fall. In Love.

First of all, I love love LOVE being a missionary.  The day I came into the MTC was an amazing rush of all sorts of emotion.  A few hours before the 1pm due date, I drove up to Squaw Peak with my grandfather.  It was an INCREDIBLE experience.  For those of you who know me and my adoration of Fall colors and mountains and spectacular views and all things Autumn and outside, you will know how ideal and healing this was for me.  It was perfecto.  We got to the top and had a great conversation all along the way.  I love that man, and the more that I get to know him, the more he astounds me and the more inspired I feel to continue his legacy.  I am so blessed. We said a prayer and he reminded me about Moses and other prophets who began their mission with the ascension of a mountain.  I love this.  Obviously.  I mean, who doesn't wanna be like Moses???

 

Ah! Time is flying! How do people do this??? 

 

So now begins the list.

 

Get to the MTC. 2 missionaries come and steal your bags, which I was not expecting, but was obviously incredibly grateful for as a notorious overpacker.  Get in line with a whole bunch of other sister missionaries (who are also overpackers. Solidarity), and feel CRAZY with excitement and joy and all emotions that swirl together to become what I call TWITTERPATION. Yes, hermanos, I was in love.  Literally, I feel the same way after a really great date or when I like a boy a lot.  So, I was confused for a bit until I remembered that I LOVE THIS.  Missionary work makes me twitterpated. 

 

Entonces, first day=twitterpation. Overwhelming, uncontrollable, confused excitement as I shuffled from identical building to identical building with a whole bunch of other dazed and starry-eyed newbie missionaries.

 

Meet the district!  I'm a solo sister in an advanced Spanish district (entonces, 4 native spanish-speaking elders...and me), which was TERRIFYING at first , but has been ideal for me in so many ways.  There are lots of interesting rules for us solo sisters that generally make me feel like a small child being traded off from parent to parent all the time, but basically it means I either ahve to be w/ 2 elders from my district (which my branch pres reminded them was a BLESSING), or with my two fabulous companeras from another district, Hermana Dopp and Eberle. I want to tell you all about these WONDERFUL people, and it literally kills me that I cannot...the numbers in the top right hand corner are screaming at me to stop.

 

So, real fast:  2nd day=excitement and spiritual energy turns to focus. We meet more teachers, we learn our purpose, we STUDY.

 

3rd day: meet the teachers. Also amazing. Wish I had more time share.Started teaching...it was a challenge, but I'm SO excited to practice more.

 

 Long story short:  It's been intense, and full and lifted.  I adore this work.  I live for this work.  I am EXACTLY WHERE I BELONG, and I LOVE IT.

 

And I LOVE YOU.

 

Write me, please. Use dearelder. It's fastest

 

Love,

 

Hermana Wells

The Call

I have wanted to serve a mission for as long as I can remember.  In fact, I distinctly remember at the age of 6-ish telling my older sister's friend, Lindsey, that a mission was what I wanted to do "when I grew up."  I didn't understand then that being a missionary is not a career, but part of your identity as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Whether or not I am a full-time volunteer missionary, I should be striving to live my beliefs and my Faith in such a way that I am inviting others to Christ on a daily basis by loving word and/or example.

That being said, the idea of a full-time mission has been in the back of my mind for a very long time. I knew that I would need to prayerfully consider it when the appropriate time came.  About a year ago, I began to realize that I had arrived at the "appropriate time." I prayerfully began to prepare for and plan on leaving on a mission when I reached the then-designated age of 21 in July 2012.  Other opportunities presented themselves (an internship in Mexico this past summer and other research and job opportunities for the coming Fall), and I decided to postpone my mission until December.  But THEN...the April 2012 General Conference happened. And I realized I couldn't wait.  So, I started and submitted my papers in a matter of 3 weeks (which is pretty fast for those of you who don't know) before I left for my internship in Mexico.

Getting the call proved another complicated challenge. But lo and behold, it came to my possession sometime in late May at the Hotel Flamingo in Irapuato, MX (easily one of my favorite and most significant places in Mexico).

That's it. And me. Smiling.  Really big. 

I joyfully opened it next to the hotel pool.  It said something like this:

May 1, 2012

Dear Sister Wells,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the California Los Angeles Mission. In addition to your calling to share the gospel, you will be assigned to serve in the Los Angeles Visitors' Center.  It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, August 29th, 2012. While at the Missionary Training Center, you will receive special training in conducting tours.  You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president. 

The LA Temple in all its glorious beauty. Apparently it's HUGE. I can't wait to see it!

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel.  You will be an official representative of the Church.  As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your visitors' center director and your mission president.  As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with the increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement., repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.  As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.

The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life.  Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children.  We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.

You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president.  Please send your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your bishop.

Sincerely,

Thomas S. Monson, 
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I have since returned from Mexico, and ended up postponing my MTC report date by 6 weeks so that I could have sufficient time to finish my internship research report and prepare for my mission mentally, financially, and emotionally.  This has also proved to be a complicated process, but now...it's HERE. I report to the MTC in 3 days' time, and I could not be more excited. 

I want to take a second to thank all of you for making this possible. My parents, siblings, church leaders, teachers, and friends have lifted me and taught me through word, example, and sacrifice over the course of my life. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be a disciple of Christ, and for helping me to live the principles of the gospel.  I have a testimony that you were each in my life at very distinct times for a reason and a purpose. I hope you have felt my love and gratitude for you.

I know that God lives and that He loves us more than we can possibly comprehend.  I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains the Truth of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that we can become like our Heavenly Father by obedience to its principles and laws.  I love this Gospel and the joy it brings me as I live it.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  I know He atoned for my sins and my weaknesses, and that through His Atonement, I am enabled and lifted to love and serve more deeply.

I cannot wait to share these truths with my fellow brothers and sisters in the beautiful and diverse Los Angeles, California.

Love ya'll muchisimo,

Abbs

(Soon-to-be "Hermana Wells")

P.S. General Conference could not be a more perfect missionary send-off!  I hope you all got a chance to enjoy it. If not, check out lds.org for a repeat.

The Beaches of Santander: Viewer discretion advised.

You know what they say about European beaches…

Okay, so this is about as much of a nude beach as I got.  What is it about naked babies and why are they so dang cute???

Our adventures in Santander began with a glorious afternoon at the beach with beyond-salty, rip-curling waves and ended with an hour-long trek from downtown back to our hotel at 1:30am with 2 older couples from Madrid (who taught me dirty words in Spanish) and a few rather gorgeous Santanderian guys as our guides...because don’t you know the buses stop working after 22:00???

…Fill those bookends with a breathtakingly gorgeous hike to the semi-famous lighthouse for sunset, a hilarious bus ride with a group of 13 and 14-year old chicas who agreed to show us our way to the downtown, a mildly intimidating rendevouz with 5 of the most beautiful drunk Germans I have ever seen, tasty tapas at a jam-packed bar, and the best Dulce de Leche ice cream of my life, and you have a shelf full of my epic Santanderian adventures.   With an epilogue of skinny-dipping in the Atlantic later that night and a fabulous ocean sunrise from my hotel window, I literally could not have dreamed it better. 

And luckily for you, it was well-documented:

This awesome wall that, despite being almost completely submerged in water every night with the high tide, somehow manages to exist.  Hence my triumphant, life-embracing pose.  

Beautiful discovery numero dos.  Random, perfectly landscaped  parque. 

Michelle and Jessie walking, unawares of my stalker photography tendencies.

Yup, this was once my reality. I'm jealous of my past self right now.  You should be too.

Just chilling at the top of a mountain with a lighthouse, watching a sunset that we hadn't really planned to see.

In Santander, Spain.

NBD.

Hungry faces awaiting their fantastic tapas. 

Me, after the first bite of the best helado I've ever had in my entire life.  The Flave:  Dulce de Leche.  As you can see, it was entirely unexpected.

Ocean sunrise from my hotel window.  Aka:  God really REALLY loves me, and He knows this is all He's gotta do to remind me. 

You should be sighing right about now. 

And telling yourself you WILL travel to Spain someday, if only to eat an ice cream cone and stare at a perfectly divine sunset.

Go ahead, buy your ticket now:  http://www.expedia.es/?rfrr=Redirect.From.www.expedia.com%2FHome.htm.  

But maybe you should check this one first:  https://www.wellsfargo.com/

Anywho, life here is lovely.  Thanks for checking in, mom. 

Sincerely, 

Abbs

P.S.  I was just kidding about the skinny-dipping thing.  But regardless, Freedom is Nudity.  (Please note the caps.)

Segovia: Aqua, Ducks, and Sleeping Beauty Castles.

I know what you're thinking. But here, I'll save you the trouble:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A&ob=av2e

Please note that, as exhibited in the above picture, I have finally learned how to create both a caption and a link to another internet site.

So, we went on a little day trip to Segovia a few weeks ago and as you can imagine, this beautiful hunk of stones was the star of the show.  Sin cement, it's one of the oldest standing Roman structures in the world and they just stopped using it a few years ago.  Incredible, no?  If you really want to learn more about the Roman Aqueduct, you should click on this fancy link that I just learned how to make.

Yes, we all know Belle is better, but only the blondes get the castles.  

Except me. Ha.

                                             

And this is the Alcázar of Segovia or in other words, Sleeping Beauty's Castle.  Every Spanish tourist and their dog has this exact same picture. I apologize for my unoriginality.

And this is our uber European tour guide in Segovia.  He didn't like us very much.  

This is el Palacio Cristal in El Parque Retiro en Madrid and me with my home girl, Jessie. It's beautiful and it changed my life...both the palace and the home girl.

These are some of my cute SA friends posing by some columns in the park.

And this is the cool protest we saw one day when we were in Madrid.  We couldn't get close enough to tell if they were for or against the recent change in the Spanish Constitution.


Anyway, sorry for the scatter-brained post.  It only took me like a month to write.  But I promise there's more to come soon!  I'm trying to do a quick catch-up so I can get back on track.

Love you all mucho,

Abbs

Spanish Firsts

I am reviving this old thing once and for all. My reasoning: My life is actually worth reading about now. To the point of what I'm sure will be disbelief from all of my readers (aka my parents and the 3 of my friends who actually follow these sorts of things). 'Cause you see, I'm in Spain now. Which somehow makes me 20x cooler than I once was...but still 20x less cool than e

veryone else here. Which is okay. Europeans are entitled.

Anyway, we'll see how this blog renovation actually goes down; because, determined as I am in this moment, I have never been very good at this life-documenting thing outside of the intimate, you-don't-wanna-hear-about-it details that I record in m

y journal. And I'm even worse with technology. But who knows? I am 20x cooler now, after all. Just don't 'spect too much out of poor little me, a'ight?

Alright, my ever-present disclaimer has ended. Now:

I am here! After fumbling through three different airports with two norm-ginous suitcases and all of my obese Americaness, I am here. En EspaNa. Un poca enferma, but alive and happy to be in this fabulous city of mine. En serio, Alcalá is exactly as pictured in all of my Spanish fantasies...though slightly bigger and more complicated to navigate. I anxiously await the day in which I glide through these streets with ease, wearing a fedora and smoking one of those long Cruella deVille cigarettes. But seeing as we found ourselves walking in a circle 2 or 3 different times on our way home from the train station the other night, somethi

ng tells me we have a while before the word of wisdom-breaking can begin. We have to break up with our huge, ugly tourist maps first.

First day in Madrid. Love my group already.

Annika Huish es mi beautiful, stylish, talented, very fluent and therefore incredibly helpful roommate. She's probably one of the nicest people I've ever met. Ever-patient with her terribly American roommate and quick as a fox with this whole Spanish thing. And she's just great w

ith people in general, you know? Love her. I have a ton to learn from esta chica. Other fun facts: She served a mini-mission in Argentina this summer. Also, those of you from Mesa may recognize her as she gradumadated from Mountain View (gag) in 2010. She turned out alright though.

And sitting at the table with her in this picture is my host family. They're fantastic. Juana es our mama and Guillerno es one of our brothers (age 22), who was kind enough to show us around the city our first day. Funny, funny boy.

This is our room and all of our American stuff. Except my cute sunglasses that I bought at H&M. Why this store has not moved to Utah yet I cannot say, 'cause we girls go a little crazy in that place. Correction: Annika goes a little crazy in that place. I managed to escape with just a pair of cheap sunglasses, and I only bought them because my friend Alli told me I would get wrinkles from squinting if I didn't buy some immediately.

And somewhere in this picture is my straightener that was destroyed in the great Abby and Annika vs. European Electricity War. (Christmas list, mama?)

Our first day of school. I understood nothing in my Iberian Civilization class. Might I say that it's one thing to have a Spanish class taught in Spanish, but it's algo muy diferente to have a history class taught to you in Spanish. Pray for me, yes?

Anyway, aside from being sick (which is rather disgusting) and not knowing the language well enough (which is rather discouraging), I can feel myself stretching in all sorts of directions and with this satisfying sort of pain, I am incredibly happy to be in this beautiful place.

Love you all more than ever. And as always, you're in my prayers.

Querida,

Abby

My first Spanish sunrise (and all that it entails).

Keeping in Touch:

I'm working on it! It's a weakness of mine, and I would just like to formally apologize if any of you have felt forgotten or unloved--because I assure you that's not the case! I think about you and pray for you all often.

And, I'm doing very well! BYU is amazing...definitely an adjustment (college=HARD), but I have absolutely loved it here. I'm slowly getting to know the girls around me. My roommate and I get along perfectly, and I would definitely consider her my best friend here so far; then there's some girls in my hall who I've gotten pretty close with...and a few others here and there. SO, it's going well. A few guy friends-ish, but I've kinda been lazy in that arena. I love my classes. They're hard, like I said, but I am learning and growing a lot (I hope I am anyway...)--especially as I set my study schedules, etc. Balance...the neverending challenge in life. I love it here though! BYU is just so incredible. The atmosphere, the professors, the people...I just love it. And the DEVOTIONALS...I just got back from listening to President Monson speak in the Marriot Center. I had goosebumps for an hour and a half straight--from the second he walked into the room (as the entire room rose instantly and was completely silent and still...a section of the packed arena began a chorus of "We Thank Thee O God, for a Prophet"...it was glorious), through his funny stories and his earnest testimony of all of the prophets who preceded him. I love this man. I truly have a testimony that he is the prophet of God on this earth today, and that he loves us all so much. His light and warmth emanated up to me from a few thousand feet away, and I felt that testimony so strongly just an hour ago, and that same spirit resides with me now. I am so grateful for the gospel, and for the light and comfort it is in my life. Thank you all for being there for me, and for caring about me enough to get angry when I don't write you. :) I love you all so SO much. Keep in touch!

Alright, I need to go study now... ew.

So, here's how it's going to happen...

November 3rd, 2016. 9:33pm. A deserted street in Cambridge, Massachussets (near the Harvard Law School campus, of course). The cobblestones are coated with a clean sheet of thin ice, and lightly dusted with the beginnings off Winter's first snowfall. A beautiful, stylishly-if-impracticably-clad young woman in her mid-20's makes her way across the darkened campus.
Her serendipidous encounter with a particularly treacherous patch of ice proved more fortunate for her eternal happiness than for her Jimmy Choo high heels.

November 3rd, 2016. 9:33pm. Just a blocks away...a ruggedly handsome 28-year-old steps off the curb outside of the Cambridge Private Hospital and begins making his way back home through the light snowfall. As he passes his alma mater, Harvard Medical School, he notices a beautiful young woman as she steps off of the curb just ahead of him, and onto the cobblestoned road. She looks distracted. Her arms are laden with books, and her strides are long and brisk-full of purpose and intent. A law student, no doubt. He nods as he mentally confirms his hypothesis, noting that Harvard Law was just around the corner from where they both currently walked. As these thoughts surfaced in his consciousness, a small yelp broke the silent scene and he watched the woman struggle to regain balance after an encounter with a small patch of ice. She twisted awkwardly and rather humorously in her attempts, but gravity got the best of her, and she fell backward in the snow. He, being the chilvarous English doctor that he was, immediately jogged forward, and knelt beside her. "Are you alright?" He asked in a rich british accent. He looked down at the woman, expecting to see a stranger, but was instead surprised to see a familiar face--made moreso by the laughter shaping its features.

And it was there--in that very moment--that Abby Wells turned to face the man who would very soon become her eternal companion.

She was hurt. That was made obvious by the odd angle at which the bones in her ankle were jutting. Yet the doctor couldn't help but smile at her good humor. The sight of him stifled her laughter, and as his old BYU buddy looked up at him with a surprised smile, he couldn't help but laugh. They exchanged greetings and laughed as he examined her bruised and swollen foot. The long-lost best friends met at the traditional tunnel-singing event at BYU several years earlier, and had been inseparable up until his mission. (Singing: one of his many talents). He returned from his mission in Thailand and immediately left for medical school in Cambridge, MA. Between missions, field studies, and the medical school 3,000 miles away, the once-inseparable friends (friends and only friends, I might add...absolutely NO previous romantic interest) had grown apart. And yet, here they were: now a second-year law student, and a third-year Medical resident...reconnecting in this peculiar setting. This time around, however, romantic sparks are present; and the two find themselves enthralled in one another.

They spend Thanksgiving at his family's chateau in the South of France. His mother and his siblings simply adore her, and his father is immensely impressed with her international experiences and life accomplishments. She is soon a favorite among everyone in the household--a status that makes him fall that much more deeply in love with her. Christmas is spent with her family in Arizona. His charming and humorous personality instantly capture the hearts of her friends and family, and his inherent Christlike interest in others is unequivocal in anyone she's ever known.

The intensity of their relationship flourishes as they each continue their studies in law and medicine. The engagment occurs in April. He surprises her with a weekend-visit to Provo to visit her old friends. The night they arrive, she is blind-folded and lead to a darkened tunnel...he whispers Spanish poetry into her ear.

The ring is an antique--a family heirloom as it turns out... passed down through several generations. He slips it onto her finger, and a question is asked. All she can do is smile through joyful tears as he holds her close in his capable arms.

They are married on the 14th of October in the Mesa, Arizona temple. They honeymoon in Santorini, Greece.

He found a high-paying job as a neurosurgeon in Cambridge as she finished her final year of law school. Upon graduation, she was immediately hired by one of the twenty six law firms who offered her partner positions, and the couple found themselves living in Manhattan as she practiced International Adoption Law and worked for the UN as a senior advisor in International Development. He worked as a Neurosurgeon for a private hospital in Manhattan. After two years in New York, they are both transferred to London, England. Shortly after the move, they expect their first of six children. Abby quits her jobs, and devotes herself to motherhood. After twelve years in London, they decide to return to the states, and they eventually settle in Boston, Massachussets and Mesa, Arizona. They spend their summers living in Uganda where they run a seasonal clinic. He offers medical assistance to the natives, and she conducts research and runs a small school.

AND....they live happily ever after :)