rollin' with the punches

Sometimes life just happens and we just gotta r o l l with the punches. 
For better or worse.
**As I was writing this blog post, the only song I could think of to fit the present situation, was an explicit Eminem song, (not exactly the right choice for a mission blog) and then my favorite Beatles song came to mind and fits even more perfect.... 

Ob la di, ob la da life goes oooonnnn brah,

 la la la la life goes on 

Last week I said my bittersweet adios to my best friend Elder Landon Bickley and he is now in the MTC preparing to serve in the Mexico City East mission. 

I can't even begin to say how grateful I am for this boy in my life. I am so proud of him and will definitely miss all the laughs. 

From the "Hot Tamale" leather onesie at DSN to his Lil' Jon impersonations, 

from his obsession with soft shoeing to his Canadian and Korean accents...

There was never a dull moment with Landolf801 and I cannot wait for #storyswap2015

Then Sunday after church I was drivin through St George with Martis and Paul and it hit me, 

I'm leaving in 3 WEEKS!! 

Uhhh.. I'm not ready at all, how did this come so fast?? 

The next day I was in California, our last family trip before me and Madison peace out, and we were getting ready to leave for Disneyland,

the h a p p i e s t place on e a r t h

...Right? 
Well as we were about to leave the hotel room, I got a phone call from my stake prez....
telling me I had some visa complications dealing with my FBI clearance and that dumb trespassing ticket I got in high school 
(remember when we all tried to go to that "haunted house" but never made it past the driveway, thought my $$$ money and community service hours were enough to cover it, I was wrong.) 
well since I was cited for it, although never convicted for anything, Portugal won't grant me a Visa.  
They aren't accepting any new hooligans... 
"H stands for hooligan"
and my stake prez told me at this point my options are
A. Wait 6 months (or longer) for an expungement, 
OR
B. leave on time, but get my mission reassigned 
He told me I need to make my decision by tomorrow and hung up.

The initial shock was devastating.
 -I had my heart set on Portugal for the last 5 months.
 -I did NOT want to wait any longer.
 -I already suffered for that ticket (multiple times)
 -Anddddd to top it off we never even made it inside the "haunted house" so it for sure wasn't even worth it. 

But after i mulled it over for a little, I really felt okay, I knew that everything happens for a reason and it would allll work out. 
All i wanted to do was go to the temple to figure out what I'm supposed to do, but unfortunately it was a monday and it was closed...

After talking to the FBI, MTC and everyone else, we figured out I could have my expungement done in 8 weeks.
Not ideal, but that's a lot shorter than the 6 months I was first told
Soooo my MTC date has now been changed to May 15th.
My countdown went from 3 weeks back up to 9. 
It's a bummer, but I know that it's all on the Lord's time table and everything will work out like its supposed to. 

Soooo yeah it's been a rough week.
On a brighter note:
1. I'm in Disneyland
2. I'm still going to Portugal
3. I went to the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis concert for my 3rd time last week
4. He gave us another shout out.
5. Anddd We recently discovered midnight sushi with $6 Vegas rolls
So life is still gooooood.

            x o x o,
              not as soon to be, Irma Dumas 

Life is goooood.

WOW
I am SO overwhelmed with how great life is.
In the infamous words of Nacho Libre:  

My life is goood. Reallllyyyy goood. 

No but really, there were some exciting occurrences this past week. 
Last Thursday, I had the wonderful opportunity to go through the Logan temple for my first time. 

It was amazing.

C r a z y, but amazing. I am so grateful for all my friends and family that came through with me! and for those who couldn't come in, but still did baptisms, I love you guys and am so happy you still came. 
Soo YES, I am now officially G'd up from the feet up. Emphasis on the G. Literally. 

 

 my support team  

(we all know they just came for the free Chili's after soo whateeerrr)

 

 Some of the greatest boys and examples I've been blessed to meet these past couple months.

Brodis, Jakey and Jass-hole, I love you guys.

 Another great example I've recently come across, my girl Sher bear.

Still waiting for her mission call...

(still crossing my fingers for Portugal)

 ^^My best friends. I LOVE THEM.^^

Then, on Sunday, we drove down to Centerville for the hotter Blotter's farewell.... 
One is headed to Argentina and the other to Colombia. 
(y e s, I still have trouble telling them apart... I had to pay real close attention to the tie color when they were speaking so i could compliment the right one afterwards.)  

Purple tie = Justin                   Blue tie = Austin

Austin had me LOL'n the whole time! Especially when he was literally YELLING his testimony over the microphone trying to say it in Spanish.
And Justin just had me in tears. He spoke on the importance of an eternal perspective. He said something that really just hit home: 

"A mission might not sound like the most attractive idea in the sense of now, but it is what is right in the eternal perspective."

Those are some w i s e words Elder Blotter. 

Good luck to both of these hipsterz, they are gonna kill it out there <3

And last but not least...... My best friend and little sister opened her mission call last night!!!

Dear Sister Madison (dr. medical marticle) Dumas, 
         (cue the overwhelming tears)

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the........

  PHILIPPINES TACLOBAN MISSION

Reporting to the Provo MTC on June 5, 2013 and preaching the gospel in the Cebuano language.

(i don't even know how to say that.... soo good luck with that language Martison) 

AHH! My baby sissy is going to the flippin' Philippines, yeah, but not this Philippines, (if anyone knows what movie that's from, then i love you. for those who don't.. it's Cat in the Hat, go watch it. now.)  

but really, martis in the Philippines, I'm going to Portugal, how is Dennis gonna survive with both of us gone? oh mi goish.

 

 This week I realized how b e y o n d grateful I am for ALL of my family and friends. 

 I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.  

I am gonna miss those crazy mofo's when I leave, but in the wize wordz of Justin: 

"a mission is what is right in the eternal perspective"

            x o x o

             - soon to be Irma Dumas

 46 more dayzzz. Portugal here I come.

no more waiting

Running late (typical) to General Conference, I unfortunately missed the announcement that would change my life. Trying to find parking, getting lost and finally running in, I got a text from my BFF smorg... 

"Pack your bags Sister Dumas!" 

I have been planning and preparing to serve a mission since I was 16, just waiting to turn 21. One month before my 20th birthday, the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, made the big announcement that boys could start preparing and serving missions beginning at age 18 and sisters could start serving at 19........ What was I waiting for now? NOTHING. 

I thought about it for about... 5 seconds... before I text my bishop and told him I was ready to start my papers. 
I then listened to the rest of conference where I felt the reassuring feelings of the spirit telling me that this was the right decision. I was to serve a mission and to serve it now. 

NO more waiting! 

Then I called my mom and told her to set up all the necessary doctor and dentist appointments for the following week. I finished my papers in 5 minutes and 3 days later I said  p  e  a  c  e  out to my wizzdum teeth,  h e l l o  to painkillers, and my papers went in!

2 weeks later...... My call came.

Dear Sister Dumas, 
      (cue the overwhelming tears)

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the........

PORTUGAL LISBON MISSION

Reporting to the Provo MTC on April 3, 2013 and obviously preaching the gospel in the Portuguese language.

I will be spending the next year and a half of my life, not stuck at the next semester of school,
(go AGGIES!) but I will be living in PORTUGAL! it took us a second to find it on the map. (P.S. it is not in South America....) The Kracken is now #europebound 

I couldn't have been called to a more perfect mission. 

I love this gospel more than  a  n  y  t  h  i  n  g  and I cannot wait to dedicate 100% of my time and efforts to sharing the happiness I have because of it. I am so beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the people of Portugal for the next 18 months. 

Here you can read alllllll about my adventures S.T.G. (spreadin' the gospel)

                   x o x o
                 -Irma Dumas