Look Sister Steadman, No Hands! (13)

You may have thought that these blogs were the only assignments I've been doing for my Writing 150 class, but let me assure you that I've also had to write a couple of papers! Currently I've been working on my research paper, also known as the most important and heavily graded assignment in this class. Yeah, no pressure! We've all been asked to write about a family story, which doesn't sound too bad at first, right? However, the family story also has to relate to an issue that is not only relevant to today, but interesting to us as well. After contemplating for some time about what I'm going to write about, I've decided to write about my Samoan heritage. My mom was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, but moved to the U.S. when she was quite young. With that being said, I'm writing about how moving to a new country effects the cultural identity of generations to follow. I've seen in my own life that because I was born and raised in the states, I don't have as strong of a connection to my Polynesian culture, especially because I don't know how to speak Samoan. My plan is to share examples from my life of feeling distant from my Samoan heritage and connect them to research of other immigrants to America. I'm pretty excited about this topic and hopefully I'll be able to successfully write my research paper!

Below is an exercise for my research paper that my teacher had us do in class:

PART 1. How do I feel about my research paper right at this moment?
There are so many ways I could go about writing this paper that I feel pretty overwhelmed. But as time goes on and I research more, I feel better and better about my paper. I'm excited to see how it turns out.

PART 2. Create a dialogue between you and someone reading your paper.
Reader: Why did you choose this topic?
Me: I think sometimes I take for granted who I am and the family I've been blessed with. Being Samoan is pretty cool and I don't take the time to appreciate my culture very much, so that's why I chose this topic!
Reader: That's interesting. What do you want readers to get out of reading your paper?
Me: I guess I just want people to appreciate where they came from. If you feel like you don't have enough of your culture incorporated into your life, then take the time to change that and educate yourself!
Reader: Do you feel like writing this paper helped you appreciate your culture?
Me: I think it did. Just reading about Samoa made me realize how much I really I didn't know and I'm excited to learn more!

PART 3. Well it seems to me that...
We can always learn more about our families. As I said before, your culture is a huge part of who you are so you shouldn't take it for granted. Just like with anything else, there is always more for you to learn!

The reason for this exercise was to see where we all were with our papers. So if reading this didn't make sense, don't worry! It was more for the purpose of helping me with my research paper than anything else. :)

The Final Stretch (12)

It's that time again folks! I'm a little over half way done with my second semester of college, thus completing my freshman year at BYU. Where has the time gone?!? Some days it feels like I've been here forever and that summer break is way beyond my reach...other days I feel like I just flew out to Provo and began this fun yet challenging adventure. The past six or so months have been a whirlwind of making new friends, stressing over school, eating just about every meal in the Cannon, and being surrounded by people who share the same beliefs as me - which is really cool! I've never experienced anything like BYU and the spirit that is felt here every day, I'm so blessed to attend this university.

College has taught me a lot. Aside from the brain rush of history, nutrition, biology, etc that I've gotten since being here, I've also learned a lot more about myself. My testimony has been strengthened so much as I've been taught in my Book of Mormon classes, in devotionals and firesides, and through hearing the testimonies of my peers in both classes and church meetings. It's truly amazing how much you can be taught by people your own age! I've always been so used to having adult leaders teach Sunday School and Relief Society lessons. Being in a YSA ward, where my friends teach the lessons, I've felt and been touched by the spirit just as much as if an experienced adult was giving it. My testimony of missionary work has been strengthened through this because I have witnessed that we are able to teach effectively, regardless of our age. It's not that I had any doubts before, but it's comforting to experience it. Although there are a lot of reasons why I know the church is true, I know it has to be true because in any other situation, 18 and 19 year old kids wouldn't be able to teach something so effectively if it weren't true. If you really think about it that way, you can see why missionary work is truly amazing! I feel so blessed to have made such great friends here, they are wonderful examples

and I can't wait to see them all again after we've all served our missions! Not only have my friends been examples to me, but everyone I'm surrounded by as well. You can't even imagine how many mission calls I've seen being opened since living here! Along with that, at work I'm also able to hear a lot of my co-workers tell funny and powerful missionary stories. BYU is truly a blessing!
Even though school is hard and it stresses me out a lot, I'm always grateful to be here. This final stretch of my freshman year is going to require a lot of focus! Especially when all I can seem to think about is serving a mission. Although it's really hard to remain patient for my call to serve, I'm also kind of glad I don't have it yet. If I did, I'm pretty sure staying focused during these next 6 weeks would be way more difficult than it already is! I have a lot to look forward to in the next couple of years, I'm in an exciting part of my life. Pray that I successfully finish my freshman year and that I don't go crazy in the process! :)

There's a First Time for Everything (11)

This past Saturday, I got to do something that I've never done but have always wanted to do...shoot a gun! I guess the opportunity to do so has never really come up, which is surprising for someone who grew up where hunting is fairly popular. A couple years ago, my Young Women's group went shooting, but for whatever reason I wasn't able to be there. Luckily, I finally got to this past weekend! My roommate, Brie, has a co-worker who enjoys shooting and was willing to take us. So that's exactly what we did! He came and picked us up and off we went to this open mountain range to meet up with his roommates. I still have no idea where we were, but it was beautiful!

Utah always surprises me because I never expect it to be so flat and deserted. You'd think by now I'd be used to the fact that there are no trees and that aside from the mountains, everything else is completely flat. The cool thing about that though is that you can see for miles! Once we got to our shooting location, we had to quickly find another spot because the people next to us were shooting very close to us. I was actually kind of scared for my life because you could literally hear the bullets zooming by us. Brie cracked me up because she pretty much instantly dove behind the car for cover, but to be honest it was completely necessary! I've never been so genuinely scared of being shot in my life, which I now see is a true blessing. However, once we moved locations we were completely safe! (So don't worry, Mom and Dad...if you're reading this!) 

Seeing that it was our first time, Brie and I listened to a brief set of instructions and gun safety (honestly we weren't told much) and then we were handed our first gun. Somehow it was decided that

I was to go first, so I positioned the shotgun properly and braced myself. Once I pulled the trigger, I was completely surprised at how easy it was! Don't get me wrong, I know pulling a trigger is easy...it was the kickback that I was worried about! But the gun I first shot with wasn't very strong (sorry, I don't know gun terminology) so it wasn't bad at all! I actually really enjoyed it, regardless of my lack in ability to hit any of the targets. The guys we were with on the other hand, had very good aim. They took turns throwing "clay pigeons" in the air and shooting them as if it were effortless. Maybe someday I'll be able to shoot that accurately! Aside from the first gun I got to shoot, Brie and I also had the opportunity to shoot with two other guns. The second one we used, had a much stronger kickback. Brie went first this time and her reaction was priceless! Unfortunately, we didn't get it on camera, but I can assure you that it was quite funny. All in all, both of us had a really fun time shooting for the first time and I can't wait to do it again some time!

Another adventure that we had was going off-roading. This wasn't something we had planned on doing, but I feel like spontaneous happenings always turn out to be more fun anyways! Like I said before, I don't exactly know where we were, but I do know that we were right next to Utah Lake. As we started driving, we got stuck going up this steep and rocky path. It took a while to maneuver our way up it, but after a good fifteen minutes we managed to make it up. I'm not going to lie, it was a little scary because we were really high up and there were no railings to separate our car from a very steep and long drop. But my fear quickly subsided as I looked out the window and witnessed the most beautiful sunset I've seen since living in Utah. The last rays of sunlight shined down on Utah Lake and the colors of the sky against the mountains was such a pretty thing to see. I kept trying to take pictures, but iPhone cameras can't do that sight justice! We drove all the way up to the top, next to some sort of observatory, and I got to walk around and look out over the valley. It was actually pretty cool to see BYU from a different point of view than what I'm accustomed to. Needless to say, the view was amazing and it was a great reminder that I'm blessed to live in such a beautiful place!

I'm so glad that I got to experience shooting a gun, it's been a long time coming. Hopefully I'll get to go shooting again this summer! Also, you might not be able to see it very well, but the reflection of the mountains on the lake was breathtaking. I find it kind of funny that even though there wasn't much, I still walked in more snow while on that mountain top than I've pretty much walked in since living in Provo. Apparently this winter has been the warmest Utah has seen in twelve years! I'm not complaining though! I'll take this warm winter over snow any day! Oh, and if you were wondering...

Using Social Media for Good (10)

We live in a society where social media is everywhere. There are many popular sites that are used every day and so many different ways to access them. People all around the world use social media daily to share their thoughts, ideas, and to keep family and friends updated. Like most things of the

world, this can either have a positive or negative impact on those who are exposed to it. Although I don't necessarily like to point it out, I'm a strong user of social media. I believe that as long as one doesn't let social media control their life, than having those accounts shouldn't be looked down upon by say, the older generation that might not be accustomed to it. Elder Bednar addressed this same generation about social media and the influence that it has and can have on society in his talk entitled "To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood." This is the talk I'll be reviewing and adding my thoughts to for the remainder of this post.

Elder Bednar begins his talk by saying that we are blessed to live in a dispensation where technology is so advanced and easily accessible. He says that because of this time of "miraculous progression of innovations and inventions," the hastening of the Lord's work is now accelerated in a way that it has never been before. The church has taken advantage of this opportunity by creating hashtags like #BecauseofHim and #HeIstheGift, using pictures to display scriptures and General Conference quotes, and producing short, relateable videos that LDS members know as Mormon Messages. The church's use of social media is a powerful tool for not only full-time missionaries, but member missionaries as well. I personally saw the effects of the church's efforts during this past New Year's Eve. While watching Taylor Swift perform live in Time's Square on my t.v, I saw a huge advertisement for the church's popular video #HeIsTheGift behind her. Not only did I notice the ad, but some of my non-member friends did too and they texted me about it. I love that some of my friends were able to see the ad and that so many others around the world were exposed to it as well. It really testifies that social media can be used for good and for the hastening of the Lord's work. 

Due to Elder Bednar's talk being addressed to an older audience, he discussed the different forms of social media and how popular they are. The five forms of social media that he focused on were Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. While he acknowledged that there are many other social media sites, Elder Bednar focused on the ones that are most popular and widely used. To further explain how social media can hasten the work, he provided five ways that the church has used it.

The first is the video, "Because of Him," which was shared by many people around the world, not just members of the church. The video testified of Christ and because of it, many people were exposed to the Savior's life and the blessing He is to the world. One of the other examples that Elder Bednar gave was the fact that the General Authority have their own social media accounts. I love and find it kind of funny that I can now "follow the prophet"...on Twitter! I love being able to see positive tweets that testify of the gospel on my newsfeed, especially when it's so easy for negative tweets to become more apparent. Whenever a member of the General Authority tweets something that really inspires me in that moment, I retweet it. It always amazes me when a non-member will favorite or retweet one of the church's tweets because I had retweeted it and they saw it through me. It's such an easy way to spread the gospel! Throughout the remainder of his talk, Elder Bednar goes more in depth on how we can hasten the work through social media. If you want to read more about it you can click on the hyper-link I provided at the beginning of this post! 

Although social media can have a harmful effect on society, it is also a wonderful way to hasten the Lord's work. I know that technology is advanced during the time we live in because sharing the gospel is even more important to do now. So whenever you post, tweet, pin, or make a status update, be sure that the message your sending is one that is uplifting in some way. I plan to take Elder Bednar's advice to use social media for good...do you? 

Carolina In My Mind (9)

Don't get me wrong, I love living in Provo and being at BYU. It's just that as I've racked my brain for blog post ideas, the same thought has persistently come to mind. I haven't been feeling homesick or anything, but lately I've just been thinking a lot about North Carolina. I guess it started when a co-worker asked me where I'm from - a typical question you're asked when you attend a school where people are from all over the world. When I told him North Carolina, it seemed to pique his interest and he proceeded by asking me to tell him "what makes NC what it is." I paused for a moment because I wasn't exactly sure what to say, I'd never really been asked that before. His question has made me reflect on home and what it is about NC that makes me love it so much. So for those of you reading this who have never been there, or even for those of you who have, here is a list of my favorite things about my home!

Hanging Rock State Park

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of NC is the mountains. Some people might think they pale in comparison to how big the mountains here in Utah are, but for me that's simply not the case. I would take green over size any day. Whenever my friends and I would hang out and try to figure out what to do, you better bet I suggested hiking. Not only do I love hiking, but I also love being able to look out and see green for miles and miles. I've done countless hikes on Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain, Stone Mountain, etc and they never get old. I don't really have an "accent," but

Pilot Mountain

one thing I have been told that I say weird here is "Appalachian." Everyone I've talked to at BYU says it like "app-uh-lay-shun" and they tell me that pronouncing it like "app-uh-latch-un" is not only odd, but incorrect. WRONG. The Appalachian mountains are on my home's side, you can correct me when they move to the west coast. ;)
"From the mountains...to the oceans," I love the outdoors. Perhaps my favorite thing about NC is that it doesn't just have mountains, the coast is just as beautiful. I've often contemplated if I'd rather live in the mountains or at the beach. But honestly, that's a tough decision so I'd rather just live close to both.

Senior Beach Week

Which is why I love the city I grew up in. I had the luxury of going hiking whenever I wanted and if I longed for the beach, the coast is just about a four hour drive. I think my favorite thing about our beaches is the sand. I've visited other beaches where the sand isn't really sand, it's just this sharp mixture of rock and broken seashells. I love the sand at NC beaches because it's so soft. At night, when the sand isn't hot from the sun, I love taking walks on the shore and seeing the way the moon shines on the ocean. It always amazes me, and kind of scares me, when I look out at the ocean and see how it goes on for what seems like eternity. There's so much about the sea that is unknown. I've never gone scuba diving, but someday I hope I get the chance to. If my description of NC beaches has fallen short for you, just rent any of the following chick flicks: Safe Haven, The Last Song, A Walk to Remember, or pretty much any of Nicholas Sparks' book-to-movie adaptations because they were all filmed in North Carolina. In fact, here's my mom and I in front of the house that was featured in Safe Haven.

Southport, NC

I wouldn't be myself if I didn't mention NC's food. I always knew that "southern food" was a well-known thing, but I didn't know that some of my favorite foods would be nonexistent to some people out here. The other day I brought up how much I wanted hush puppies and several people looked at me with puzzled looks. That might have just been a one-time thing because I feel like hush puppies are pretty normal. Cook-Out's hush puppies, however, are the absolute best! Another thing I've gotten confused faces from is collard greens. I thought they were a common vegetable, but maybe I was wrong because no one seems to know what they are out here. If you're one of these people, check them out! They're amazing. My favorite food ever, without a doubt, is barbecue though. Yes, I know you're probably thinking "hey, I know that one!" It's a very common food, I'm not discrediting anyone on this one. But I will say that you haven't had real barbecue until you go to NC and are asked if you'd rather have "Eastern style" or "Lexington style." Trust me, there's a difference, it's a real thing. I personally prefer Eastern over Lexington style, but they're both great. You'll just have to go and try it out for yourself! ;)
There are a lot more things I love about North Carolina that I haven't written about, but this post is long enough. It may seem like I'm biased since I've lived my whole life in the same city and that may be true, but who doesn't love where they're from? Even though I've mentioned a few of my favorite things in this post, my ABSOLUTE favorite thing about NC is my family. I love them all and I look forward to seeing them again! I guess you could you say that "I'm gone to Carolina in my mind."

Expect the Unexpected (8)

As I've mentioned before, I was very excited to start college. Especially since it would be at my dream school, BYU. Yes, I know...you can call me a typical Mormon kid for that! But I couldn't help it, I'd heard so many amazing things about BYU and the opportunities that come with attending. So when I received my acceptance letter, it took every bit of patience I had to focus on finishing high school and enjoying the summer. But what I wasn't expecting once I got here was how much I'd genuinely miss my little brothers.

Vegas 2014

Growing up we didn't get along very well, as most siblings don't. We fought over trivial things like who drank all of the milk, who got to choose the t.v. channel, and who had to sit in the middle on the drive to church. Along with the annoyance that comes with having two younger brothers, I always had the weight of "setting the example" on my shoulders because I was the oldest. I can't recall how many times arguments ended with my mom saying something like, "you're the oldest, you should know better." Of course there were good times too, which I realize now I took for granted. Now that I'm in college and far away from home, I see how much they've benefited my life. I love my little brothers so much! Even after all the years of feuds and arguments, I miss the times where we'd laugh until my stomach hurt, harmlessly team up against my parents, and the countless nights where we'd make s'mores during family camping trips. I wouldn't trade any of the moments we've had together, even if they weren't all the best of times. I can't wait to be reunited with them again soon! But for now, I'll tell you a little about these two crazies.

Hugging Sefa before my 1st day of school

My first younger brother, Sefa, is about four years younger than me. He is currently fourteen, which is crazy to me...and not in the way you'd think. Normally people can't believe how old their siblings actually are, but for me it's the opposite. I feel like he's older than that! I swear he has been fourteen forever, not just shy of a year. Sefa and I have grown a lot closer ever since he was old enough to be in Young Men's and then even more so when he reached the age for church dances. I love when he includes me in the aspects of his life, it makes me feel like I'm fulfilling my job as an older sister. One thing that I love most about him is his passion for the activities he's involved in. Sefa has a lot of love for playing sports, more specifically football. He's always had the heart for being a better athlete and team player. Along with that, Sefa is very smart...which is good because he also has an obsession with all things BYU. I was lucky enough to have him and my dad visit me this past October during BYU's homecoming. I loved being able to spend time with both of them and see Sefa's excitement for attending here someday grow.

Sefa's 8th grade graduation

Unfortunately, I didn't get to share any of my high school years with him, and I also won't have any overlapping years here with him either. Although I'll be serving a mission, Sefa will be too before coming to BYU, so we won't be here at the same time. But that's okay, I know serving a mission first will be best for him if that's what he chooses to do. I love my brother and I can't wait to see all the things he will accomplish throughout his life.
My youngest brother's name is Pelu. He is crazy! Well, in the best way possible. I actually remember the day he was born a lot better than I remember the day Sefa was born. It was December, I was a fairly new kindergartner, and I was confused as to why my neighbor was picking me up from school instead of my mom. As I got inside her car (don't worry, she was a well-trusted neighbor), she told me that my mom had a baby and that that's why she wasn't there to pick me up. When I got home, I was introduced to my new baby brother and that's where it all began! Between the two of my brothers, Pelu has been the one that has always butted heads with me the most.

Giving kisses to newborn Pelu

This has to do with the fact that we are completely different from each other, aside from our love of music. If you were to talk to Pelu for the first time, you would soon find that he is very goofy. He loves to crack jokes! I haven't always been very accepting of that because usually his jokes annoy me. But now, being away from his humor, I really miss him. Not only does Pelu find joy in making other people laugh, he also loves to create art, learn how to play musical instruments, and make YouTube videos. Lately, he's been very interested in making videos. So much so that for Christmas my mom bought him a video camera so he could continue making them. But also so that he'd stop using her phone to make videos which used all her memory up. Pelu has always been very creative, it's one of the things that I love about him. Even though he sometimes gets on my nerves, I miss him a lot. I know that he is a good kid - which "kid" might not be the best word to use seeing that he is bigger than me now. I know that he'll do a lot of awesome things in life and I'm interested to see where his talents will take him. 
I never thought that I'd miss my brothers when I left for BYU. Even though I miss them a lot, I'm actually glad I have this time to be away from them because it has opened my eyes to how awesome they really are. Dad, you were right, my brothers are my best friends!

Sefa, Me, and Pelu this past Christmas

Don't Worry, Be Happy! (7)

About two weekends ago, after coming home from church, I decided to look up some Mormon Messages. I always loved watching them when I was in Young Women's and I continue to love them now in Relief Society. There's just something about them that uplifts me and makes me have a better perspective on things when I'm feeling down - which is the whole reason the church has put out these messages! So I've decided to compile some of my favorite Mormon Messages and my thoughts on them in this post. I hope that they'll be able to strengthen you in the way that they have for me!
1) You Never Know How Much Good You Do - This is one of the longer videos (8:54), but it's also one of my absolute favorites. Although I'm not a mom (yet) like the woman in this video, and maybe you're not either, I still think that everyone can relate to the message. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed by life and that you aren't getting everything you want done. But what you don't see is the positive impact your actions have on others. You're not a failure. You never know how much good you do!
2) Moments That Matter Most - In life, we're often busy with all the things that demand our attention. Sometimes because of our busy schedules we overlook the things that matter most. I love this video because it reminds me to remember things like my family, the blessing of this earth, and the little things that can bring me happiness. I know that when we keep the things that matter most in our mind we our brought closer to our Heavenly Father.
3) Reclaimed - It's inevitable that we all mess up sometimes. That's why we were given the power of the atonement. Elder Holland has said, "It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines." Even though you may feel that you've done something that you can't be forgiven for, that is simply not true! Heavenly Father loves you. You can always be forgiven.
4) Good Things to Come - Yes, life is hard. Trials will come for every one of us. But this doesn't mean that you should ever give up. Sometimes you may be clouded by the sorrow or hardship that comes from a trial, but Heavenly Father has good things in store for you. Never forget that!
After watching these messages, can you see why I love them so much? Pretty awesome, right? If you want to see more, there's literally over a hundred of them on the website I hyper-linked earlier. Plus, you can find them all on YouTube! I hope that you'll go to them whenever you feel the need to. I know that they're truly uplifting and I'm grateful to have them!