Well, now that the FAREWELL part is done, I only have one last thing on the list. And that part is really weird to me. This time next week I'll be in Peru on my mission. It's scary but really exciting. I can't wait to start this journey!
I want to thank everyone who came to my farewell, they truly made it very special! It was a lot of fun to have all my family and friends here with me to share that day with me. For those of you who couldn't make it, I have attached my talk and I hope you enjoy it. I love you all!
6 days!!
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| Wouldn't be here without all of them! |
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| One of my favorite families! I love these guys! |
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| One of my little boyfriends from Special Needs Mutual |
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| Greatest family a girl could ask for! |
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| Lucky to have such amazing brothers! |
Brothers
and Sisters… ALOHA! Since that’s how my family usually greets you. But since
I’m going Spanish speaking, I want to tweak it a little and try it this way.
Brothers and Sisters… HOLA!
Good
Afternoon, for those who don’t know me, my name is Bryanna Karratti soon to be
Hermana Karratti, and I’ve been called to serve in the Perú Lima North Mission
for 18 months starting March 26th. I
received my call back in November and what started out as the longest 4 months
ever, soon turned in to a very short 4 months. As in I leave in 7 days.
I’ve
wanted to serve a mission since I was little. And when the announcement was
made in October 2012 about the missionary age change I was so excited. While I
was attending BYU this past fall, I decided to start my mission papers. And while
I was filling them out I was really struggling. I didn’t know if I should wait
and attend another semester or if I should just put my availability date for
later. After a lot of prayer I felt the need to just put it into His hands. And
whenever he needed me, would be the right time. And when I received my mission
call for March it felt like the right time. That experience has really
strengthened my testimony on relying on the spirit and leaving it into his
hands.
As
most of you know, one thing that I love is competitive swimming. And with swimming
you practice for hours and swim countless miles just to compete in a short 1-2
minute long race. And through those hours and hours of practice, you learn to
listen to your coach and you learn to recognize their sounds. Because during
that 1-2 minute long race, you rely on your coach to help you so that you’re
able to perform your best. In swimming all you can really see is the line on
the bottom of the pool and sometimes the people right next you. But swim meets
are also REALLY LOUD. And especially being in the water it’s difficult to hear.
But through the practice you’ve been able to learn what your coach sounds like.
So that even through all the screaming and loudness you’re able to distinctly
hear your coach. Because your coach can see it all. I only see what is in front
of me, but they can see the entire pool.
The
same applies with this gospel and this life. In order to perform our best we
need to rely on someone who can see the full picture. Or in other words, they
can see the full pool. And you need to practice with our “coach” who is our
loving Heavenly Father. But listening isn’t everything. We need to listen and
recognize that the spirit is talking to us, and then act upon it. Its one thing
to receive the prompting but to act upon it is another. In our daily lives we
have many opportunities to act upon promptings and to serve our fellow men.
Service
isn’t only on a service project day, and it doesn’t have to be a big elaborate
thing. We can be prompted everyday to serve others. We can also pray to our
Heavenly Father so that we can be open to the promptings.
For
example, getting the thought that we should call a certain someone or seeing
someone at the store and simply saying hello to them. That is service. In fact,
I’ve had it happen to me. I was up late studying and out of nowhere one of my
friends names popped into my head and I thought I should text them and see how
they were doing. I first looked at the time and it was almost midnight and I
thought, I can’t do that now. They’re probably asleep. But I did it instead.
Very quickly I got a response. And they were thanking me for thinking about
them. Apparently they were having a very bad day and they just needed a friend.
I was so happy that I could be that friend, and be an instrument in the Lord’s
hands.
Service
comes in many different ways; we just need to be open to the promptings so that
we can serve. Because when we are serving we are showing the love of our
Heavenly Father and the light of Christ. Every Sunday as we take the sacrament
we renew our covenant and we promise to “take
upon the name off thy son” who is Jesus Christ. As a missionary I’m very excited
that I not only will be taking upon his name, but I will be able to wear it
proudly on my name tag.
Also,
serving others isn’t just a one day thing. We are continually serving. Just
like our testimony we are always trying to strengthen it. When you love, watch over, and serve
others in small and simple ways, you are actively participating in the work of
salvation.
Our
duty is to bring others unto Christ. How are we as members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bringing others unto Christ? Are we being
missionaries in our everyday lives? Are we sharing what we know is true? You are a missionary right now.
Personally, I believe that each and every one of us is a missionary every single day. We, as baptized members, are representatives of Christ, and what we do, how we act, how we speak, how we dress, should be in line with that representation. We should make sure that we are living our lives as such a way that others can see the Savior in us. Because of our experiences, our lives, our individual talents and capabilities with which we've been blessed, we have the unique opportunity to serve God's children in a very specific way.
We should always strive to improve ourselves, making us into better reflections of the Savior, so that others can see Him in us.
Sister
Carole M. Stephens the 1st counselor in the GRSP once said,
As
“children in [the Lord’s] kingdom,” we
have made sacred covenants. We are walking in what Nephi called the “strait and
narrow path which leads to eternal life.” We’re
all at different places on the path. But we can work together to help each
other “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect
brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.”
No
one is better than the next so we need to help and serve one another so that we
may all return. We are all helping each other in this crazy thing called life.
I’d like to share this poem with you.
(Indian
Race Poem)
He lined them up side by side, all ready for a race,
There were no normal nudging's and squabbling's for space.
There were no looks of “I’ll beat you” and placing of the feet,
He wondered if these children really knew how to compete.
Eight little Indian girls and ten little Indian boys,
Stood in noble eagerness just waiting for the noise,
That would bid them to begin in their glory start,
And cause a jump in their small feet and in each little heart.
With “GO” they began to run, each little body spurred,
But as they ran, he could see, no division among them occurred.
Side by side, heads held high, mere effort on each face,
Could it be they didn't understand that this was a race?
In regiment and unity they together neared the end,
And confused, he looked to see if anyone would win.
But as they crossed the finish line, one and undispersed,
They threw their arms around each other - for ALL had come in first.
To the slowest runner, each had geared his pace,
For no one lost or came in last, each child had won the race.
Reflecting on this incident, helps me to begin,
To see that you don’t have to beat the rest to really win.
No one has to win or lost to qualify a race,
So, why not run together, we’re all going to the same place.
I
believe that this is so true, we are all striving to go to the same place, back
to live with our father in heaven again. So why not help each other and “run
“or “swim” together? When we are listening to the Holy Ghost we can know who
needs our help so that we may serve them and show the love of our loving
heavenly father.
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