Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas from the Forsyth Family 

1 Year Ago

A year ago today I was visiting a friends apartment. We were laughing and reviewing for finals. She started getting calls of people asking if she was ok. She thought that was weird. Then finally she got a phone-call from her parents telling her her 12 year old brother had passed away tragically. I saw her breakdown like I have never seen before. She tried to run to the bathroom but only made it to the kitchen floor. I didn't know what to do but cry and hold her. Right there on the kitchen floor, for probably two hours, we just wept and I held her. I didn't know what to do but pray and cry. Eventually her roommates called the bishop and we went upstairs while they talked. We all prayed for her and her family. We held her until she cried herself to sleep. Since that day she has been an incredible example of faith to me. She has never let her testimony waver and has chosen faith since that day. She is an incredible girl and I am grateful for her friendship and her example. My testimony of the plan of salvation, and the testimony of many other people, has been strengthened through hers. I am so grateful for the knowledge that families can be together forever.

Sometimes

Sometimes all it takes to make your day after a long day of finals is a random group of people singing Christmas Hymns on Campus. 

Whoever you are,

Thank you. 

My life 6 Months Ago

My life 6 Months ago in an orphanage in Uganda vs. my life sitting on a couch today.

Let's say my life has significantly decreased in awesomeness.

This is just awesome.

Emma Stone and her boyfriend were tired of the paparazzi so they started carrying around these signs. #awesome

Unfulfilled

This is what I have been feelings as of late. Really ever since I came home from Africa. I felt like my life there was so fulfilling and wonderful. I served and helped people all day. My life had so much meaning, because it was focused on other people. I felt like I belonged and I felt like I was doing exactly what God would have me do. It's not that you can't serve people while living in Provo, Utah, there are definitely ways. It's just harder to see the impact you are making. Pretty much everyone has their needs met, and have the gospel in their life.  I guess I just have had a hard time finding ways to do serve and find that fulfillment while I've been home. In Uganda, it was easy. Just walk into town and you will see orphans and widows on the street, more than you could hope to help in one day. But here it is harder to distinguish people's needs. They are harder to see, because they are most of the time not physical. And I still have a hard time feeling comfortable with my lifestyle and all of the things I have been blessed with when other have so very little. And the worst thing is to hear people who have so much complain about their lives and be so ungrateful for what they have. 

he other day I saw a video of children in Uganda at Katie Davis's school. Her life is incredible. I am so envious of her life and wish I could be like her. Maybe I will go volunteer at her school someday. 

"God doesn't just 

ask 

us to help the orphan and the widow and serve the poor, but it is a 

requirement

 of Disciples of Christ. God commands us to love others like ourselves. And myself doesn't want to be starving"

Missionary Work

I am stealing this post that I liked a lot from a blog of a returned missionary: 

"Missionary work is a hundred doors slammed in your face for every 1 or 2 that is kept open.

Missionary work is being glued to someone 24/7 that is probably going to bug the crap out of you.

Missionary work is walking. And then walking some more. And then when you get tired of walking, you walk. And when you get tired of being tired of walking, you walk some more.

Missionary work is being laughed at, stared at, and yelled at.

Missionary work is unfulfilled commitments.

Missionary work is feeling unappreciated.

Missionary work is a language barrier.

Missionary work is helplessly watching someone you care about choose not to be happy.

Missionary work is getting your hopes up only to have them torn down.

Missionary work is boring routine.

Missionary work is never sleeping in, ever.

Missionary work is eating disgustingness for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Missionary work is explosive diarrhea.

Missionary work is ingrown toenails and quarter-sized blisters.

Missionary work is forgetting what air conditioning feels like.

Missionary work is sharing your bed with large spiders.

Missionary work is coming home only to realize that outside of your immediate family and best friends, nobody really cared what you were doing for the last 2 years.

What missionary work is not, is an instagram tour.

It's not about you.

It's not about your journal.

It's not about your emails home.

It's not about how cute you look in your pictures with dirty ghetto children.

It's not easy.

But it is worth it.

Because missionary work is being part of something greater than yourself.

Missionary work is believing the 100 doors are worth the 1.

Missionary work is believing in the worth of souls, even the ones that hate you, mock you, and reject you.

Missionary work is not knowing what to say, only to open your mouth and have it filled.

Missionary work is learning that hope isn't real until it has been tested.

Missionary work is being ok with only feeling appreciated when on your knees.

Missionary work is that occasional night when you fall asleep with an irremovable smile on your face.

Missionary work is watching lives change, and knowing it has nothing to do with you.

Missionary work is marveling at the incalculable odds that crossed your path with those of the people whose lives you helped change.

Missionary work is believing that there are no coincidences.

Missionary work is learning to trust in He who is over all.

Missionary work is missionary work."