Families Are Forever

I know that through Heavenly Fathers plan of happiness, we can be with our families forever <3

Trials of our Faith

I think its a fact that right before the Lord is about to bless you, your faith is tried and the adversary will do his best to pull you down and hope that you become unworthy of the blessings. I've learned lately that its necessary to stumble and sometimes question your faith in order for you to learn of the truth, feel gods love, and gain a stronger testimony. Ever since I received my mission call there have been temptations and things that have come up that have made me wonder if a mission was the right choice. Its been hard to look at the eternal perspective of my decision and to understand what a blessing this will be. I've learned that even when you make great choices, even those have consequences. In order to serve, sacrifices have to be made like postponing schooling, leaving behind your family or people whom you care about. But those are the trials of faith before the Lord can bless his children. I know the Lord has a bigger plan for me than i have for myself, even when it might be hard to follow, i know he's molding me into the person i should be. I know when we give our lives to the Lord he is capable of filling them with so much more joy, happiness, and love than we ever could on our own. I know that sometimes we might have to walk in the darkness for a small time before we reach the light, in otherwords we may not see what the Lord has in store for us until we've shown him we will obey. I know the Lord lives and loves me. The Lord loves all of his children and when we follow him and obey his council we can feel that love.

All you need is love

This past weekend was so incredibly amazing! On Friday morning I was able to go through the Washington D.C.temple to receive my own endowment... wow! The spirit I felt was so strong and even though I don't remember everything, I do remember a simple truth we should all know. God loves each and every one of us and wants us to return to Him! This is a crucial knowledge each of us should have! By knowing just this we should strive to be better in all aspects of our lives! We should live up to the potential we all have to be joint heirs with Christ! Don't sell yourself short! President Uchdorf said it best in this past conference, "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith". This conference stressed so much on believing in yourself, overcoming any self doubt or deep fears or even depression you may face. God loves to fix things, broken things, so let him fix you. For anyone who reads this, I'm giving you homework. Read Isaiah 40:28-31 :)

Not Room Enough

Ever since I've received my mission call I have felt the Lord's hand in my life more than I have in a long time! The call was a blessing in and of itself, but as the days progressed, I felt like I was being blessed more than I had "room enough" to receive. I felt like I was getting more out of my scripture study, I was waking up happier and happier each day, and I was able to pray with more meaning. The following Thursday I was accepted to Brigham Young University- Idaho. And our screen printing business revived a large order along with some other projects. When you are willing to walk in the way the Lord wants you to he will bless you more than you can comprehend all at once. He provides when we are obendient and have faith in Him. He loves us and wants to help us along our journey! I'm thankful I've been able to feel that love :)

Called to Serve

On Monday, September 23rd, I didn't know how much my life would change! I was anticipating my mission call to come in the mail for two weeks and for 14 days of being disappointed every time I'd open the mail box I didn't figure that day would be any different. I was upstairs in my room when I saw the mail lady pull up to the box, so I came down the stairs, grabbed the mail key, and pulled out my longboard to start going down the driveway. When I got to the mail box I opened it and found the ultimate jackpot! There was a ton of mail and one very big white envelope! My heart was RACING! I tried to pull it out and it was stuck...Oh no.eventually I got it out without damaging the package. I didn't even know how to react I was so excited. I hopped on my board and almost biffed three times before riding into the grass and running into the house. My mom was screaming before I even got inside, I guess the way I was barreling towards the house gave it away. I made it inside and just started crying and laughing at the same time! It took me about 20 minutes to settle myself. The worst part was waiting for another 4 hours to open it. I sat through what seemed like a six quarter football game that my brother was playing in, then finally made it home to open my call. With friends and family gathered around, and with others on phones, I opened the envelope. I felt anxious but also calm with wherever I was called to go. I started reading the letter, tears started streaming by the time I got to the line "called to serve as a missionary...". I have been called to serve in the Colorado Denver North Mission. I will report to the MTC on January 22nd, 2014 and I couldn't be more excited! Even just after I had initially read the call I knew that was where the Lord wanted me to be for the next 18 months. I know that the Lord knows what's best for His children and wants us all to be happy. I know that if we have faith in Him and strive to do His will He will guide our feet in the direction we should go. Sometimes you have to walk in the darkness in order to be able to see the light but I know it's worth it every step of the way! I love the Lord with everything I have and can't wait to serve Him!

Friday Night Lights

This year my younger brother, Kenyon (16), is playing football as a junior in high school. Since this is my last year being around to watch him I have taken my Kenyon-fan-club responsibilities to the next level! This has included lots of cheering, bedazzling, and cold nights spent on hard bleacher seats. But when you're making memories and supporting the people closest to you, it's a small price to pay! That's what we're meant to do right? The best way to love someone is to serve them, it makes your love for them even stronger! So here's to one heck of a football season, let's go my #5!

The Beginning

Hello Blogging World,

My name is McKenzie Hoopes and I'm very new to this blogging thing! Im currently eighteen years old and am preparing to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I don't know where I am assigned to labor yet, but good things come to those who wait! I wanted to start this blog because even though I still have a lot to learn from life, I feel like my experiences might be able to help somebody out there! The reason I want to serve a mission is because I have been blessed with so much in my life, and the biggest blessing is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gordon B. Hinkley, the late prophet of the church said the following, "You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment you will ever make." What greater of an investment could you make than serving another person, changing their life, and helping them to find the peace and happiness that can only come from Jesus Christ's gospel. Being a missionary is more than teaching the gospel, its harvesting souls, and changing hearts. Its about watching someone come into a state of new understanding, realizing they have a Father in Heaven who loves them and wants them to live with Him again. Heavenly Father wants ALL of His children to have the opportunity to hear this message, missionary work is HIS work! So as I go on this journey, possibly the greatest one I will have, I hope whoever reads along will be able to gain a little something from the experiences as well.

-Kenzie