Carly's One Year Mark

Today is a day that I've been looking forward to for quite a while. Not because anything special is going to happen, but because of what today means and represents. My best friend Carly has hit her one year mark out in the mission field! It's amazing how much can happen in one year; how much someone can accomplish and grow and change. Carly has done some amazing things in the San Antonio Texas mission, and I know she still has more to do. Saying goodbye to her was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I knew that it was the right choice and that she was needed elsewhere for a little while. Not having Carly here to be a part of my wedding was heartbreaking, but I know that she was there in spirit and that Texas needed her more than I did!

Face-Timing Carly from Jake's phone right
before she entered the MTC

There were so many blessings surrounding Carly entering the mission field: blessings for her, her family, and for me. I had started dating Jake about a month before Carly went on her mission, and at the time he was living in Northern Utah. So when Carly flew in to Salt Lake City, Jake picked her up from the airport and drove her down to Provo to enter the MTC. This was a huge blessing for me, because my best friend was finally able to meet Jake, which we had originally thought wasn't going to be possible until after Carly returned home. I was also able to FaceTime Carly right before she went into the MTC from Jake's phone, and say a final goodbye to my little sister.

I can't wait to see Carly again in just a few short months! I'm so grateful for the opportunity she's had to serve a mission, because I know she's helped improve so many lives, including her own as well as mine, through her service. You can bet that Sister Jenkins is going to get the biggest hug EVER from me when she walks through those airport doors back into California!