Two Months in Two Minutes

So it's been a hot second since I last posted, and I have lots to say with little time (I'm tired, but realized if I didn't update now, I'd do it...well, only right before I leave for my mission, which is in 19 days!).

January

January was a hit. I participated in my last musical for 2 years (bat boy, not about baseball, but vampires [sorta] but not the twilight kind [sadly]) It was an interesting ride, but I got to do it with some of my best friends, so I am thankful. And I cried. A lot. I realized how much I love theatre. It was also an awesome month because I felt the scriptures come alive. Those were real people, ya know. And they believed in God. Awesome, right???

the "high five" at the cast party: (Nat, Carl, Chase, Me, Haylee)

The cast of Bat Boy

Carl (bunny) and me (monkey..) for one of the scenes

February

Ah, the month of love. Highlights of this month? I started having daily chats with Rachel, my little sister, and Ryan, my personal missionary prep helper, and began growing. IT SNOWED!!!! My dear little friend Holly informed me also being baptized into the church and I got excited. AND I went to the temple. The Orlando temple, to be specific. And it was wonderously, amazingly perfect and beautiful. It was incredible. And I felt like I got to join this super awesome secret club where you get AWESOME benefits. Oh, and I went to Disney World :o)

the Orlando temple

My dad walking Diesel in our neighborhood...with snow!!

March

Well, we're here. The month we've only been in for 11 days. And so much happened. I had the incredible opportunity to give a talk on the Holy Ghost at April's baptism. And you know what, I learned something. I learned that as long as I put forth the effort on my mission, I will be successful. I have the tools. Heavenly Father blessed me with the talents I'll need. I can do this. I've felt mainly inadequate to serve, but Heavenly Father knows my heart and my intentions, and He'll help me. I don't need to be perfect--because none of us are. I just need to do my best, because that's all Heavenly Father wants. And it's finally hit me that I'm really, really going. I tear up sometimes thinking about it, about leaving my friends who may very well leave me. But it's okay. This is something I know I'm supposed to do. And I'm going to do it to the best of my ability.

Nineteen days, kids. That's all I've got until I have the incredible blessing of serving a full-time, 18-month long mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Let's do this, Vegas.

Sister Mack

Sister Mack,
You have officially been called to serve as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission on March 31, 2010. Something something, you'll be speaking English, something something,
President Thomas S. Monson

...

Okay, so in all reality my call didn't really say that, but that's it kids. I'm going to LAS VEGAS!! It has to be the best place in the world to go. I mean, come on--it is called Sin City. Maybe I'll convert the whole city...sweet. No but really, I cannot believe that the Lord trusts me enough to send me. I cannot wait to go. I cannot wait to have my testimony in the gospel soar and hopefully convert others. I was just reading my BFF's blog and she mentions that I got my mission call, and reading it, man, I almost teared up. Granted that could have also been aided by the fact that my eyes were overly dry and the air hurt them...but wow. What an incredible opportunity that has come into my life. I cannot wait to go and see what good I can do in the world.

On a totally different note, my Christmas break has been fantastic. It's been filled with awesome friends who I hardly ever see, and won't see again for almost two years. It makes me sad because they are such incredible people with incredible spirits and I love them. But I know I'll get to come home and see them and probably blubber like a baby.

Speaking of blubbering, I know that will happen when I give my farewell talk. I'm hoping that my brother, Joey, and his wife Whitney will be able to make it out for my farewell talk. I love them both so much and think there is almost no finer couple than the two of them. And then saying goodbye to my friends...bless their sweet hearts!! Most of my nonmember friends don't really necessarily understand why I'm taking an 18-month break from my training as a singer/actress, but they show me their support in their own way, and I love them all for it.

Man, I look at this blog entry and it seems like I'm saying goodbye or something. I don't know. I think in a way this winter break has made me close some chapters in my life in order for me to open new ones.


pictures!!

my mission call WOOO

some of the beautiful people who came to watch me open it

some of the predictions--my brother Justin predicted right

me...nervous as heck opening my call with my brother, Joey on one phone

and my Uncle Gary/Grandma on the other

Vampires?!

About three things I was absolutely positive.

First, my doctor was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him--and I didn't know how dominant that part might be--that wanted to draw my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably unable to understand him through his thick accent.


Yes. That's right. My doctor is a vampire. And of course it's my luck that he's not one of the sparkly, beautiful, sweet smelling kind. He was a bit old, had an accent that sounded like Count Dracula, and wanted to draw my blood as much as possible. My last appointment, Thursday, he drew three little thingies worth of blood. It left a nasty little bruise and made my arm tender. I go in for a follow up appointment today only to learn that I'll be getting more blood drawn, two shots, and a skin something-or-other. I want to say graft, but that's probably only because that's doctor talk from Grey's Anatomy.

And I have more in common with Bella then just the fact that our doctors are vampires. Apparently I don't do well with blood. Or needles. Or maybe just the fact that within 5 minutes I was stuck with 4 needles sucking out stuff or shoving it in. After my forearm was stuck with a needle for my skin whatever, I felt a very, very strong desire to vomit, followed by dizzyness, and hearing the ocean. The woman sent from Satan (who stuck me with 230482 needles), and I immediately laid down, laughing a bit crazy. She returned a few moments later, "concerned" for my well being. I recovered minutes later, only to be overcome by my vamprie doctor. He was just making sure that I was fine, but really, he wanted to suck more of my blood. I screamed and ran from the office...

okay, so that last part was a lie, and now my arms are really sore...so I need to stop typing.

hooray for shots...and for receiving more on Wednesday.

Wall-e and Me

Forget correct grammar...or whatever, Wall-e and me sounds good.

So after a rousing weekend of conference, one thing is for sure:
I CANNOT WAIT TO GO ON MY MISSION

And I'm ready to start preparing. I've decided to stop reading 3 Nephi and skip to the beginning...though how one skips to the beginning, I'll never understand. For those who don't know was 3 Nephi is, it's a book in the Book of Mormon, and it's one of my favorites because it's when Christ comes to the Americas. Cool, right????

So anyway, a couple years ago...actually, 5 years ago, my grandpa died and all the grandkids got to take a book from my grandparents' wide selection. And Justin (I believe) found my great Grandpa's Book of Mormon. I believe it's the one he took on his mission. The inside page says:
Wallace M. Hales
2555 N Sawyer
Chicago (something I can't read...L M? J M?)
October 17, 1916.
Spanish Fork, Utah

It's really cool. And old. I'll have to take pictures and jazz up this post with them. And it's filled with PINK pen notes (though my mom insists it once was red, I'd like to think that my great grandpa and I both have a good taste for pink things). So I've decided this round of reading the BoM, it's going to be with Wall-e (since my G-Gpa's name was Wallace...shortened it to Wall-e!!). Hence Wall-e and me. I'll probably document specific things I find while reading it, and I hope to feel closer to my G-Gpa as well as to my Savior.

But besides that, my goal from now until I return home from my mission is to fill a jar with "warm fuzzies" much like the ones President Monson received for his birthday from some primary kids.

Jenn: Dancer or Prancer?

Sooooo aside from the extremely exciting news that I've decided to go on a mission (I get more excited every day...and can't believe I'm going to be putting in my papers in November!!!), I am in an extremely "interesting" time in my semester.
SHOW TIME
That's right, kids. It's that time of year again. Well, sort of. The mini-show I'm in now is only two days and is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical review entitled A Grand Night for Singing. However, as the cast now jokes, it seems that the "singing" part has been exchanged for "dancing." And we all know what that means. Jenn is dancing.

Now, the trillions of people that read this blog may think, "oh, surely Jenn isn't that bad" or other nice thoughts like that. But recently my director has called me a dancing bear. And I'm absolutely positive he wasn't referring to one of these refined bears, the girl bear who is on point. Connections were also drawn between myself and a gorilla. Not exactly what a girl wants to hear when she's supposed to be doing a "sexy" move.

Not only do I dance, but I'm an acrobat too!! I get thrown in the air. Yes, thrown. This is the same girl who needed at least a 45 minute rehearsal to get her to allow herself to be lowered to the side by three boys.

Oh, but not only am I lifted while singing, but thrown, turned, and lifted off a table whilst I do a scissor kick. Really, maybe I have been seeking the wrong branch of theatre. Musical theatre...no, that's not me. I need dance.

Sign me up.

Wow

So honestly, I feel a bit like a loser writing in a blog. I mean, nothing too interesting is going on in my life. But Julie said that I should make one and that when I go on a mission she'd post my emails on here or something. So here I am...blogging.

And you read correctly. Mission. Jenn Mack is going on an 18-month long mission. It is a recent development in my life--one that I'm quite excited for. I can't wait to put my papers in (mid-November) and hopefully be leaving for the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in mid-February. I'm personally hoping for somewhere foreign, but if I'm meant to stay in the states, that's cool too. I'm just ready to serve. And sing while doing so.

Wow...well, I don't have much else to say, really. I should become more creative and maybe have themes to my posts. Julie's really good at that.