Maryandra finally has a sister!!! She and her companion, Sister Wilde, have so much in common that it is crazy!  They get along really well, both taught primary before going into the MTC, both took 2 years of high school Japanese, love to read and love to watch Miyazaki films!  They are loving it at the MTC!!!

Suddenly it was December 11, 2013, and we were taking Maryandra to the Missionary Training Center!

 Her brothers will all grow so much while she is gone, especially Liam and Hyrum!

 Maryandra and her purple luggage was gone before anyone knew it, and Maryandra's mission service had officially begun!  Her family had to go and get ice cream cones to console themselves, but Maryandra just dived right in and began to learn how to share the gospel and speak Japanese from day 1 of entering the MTC, or Missionary Training Center!

On Sunday, November 24, 2013, Maryandra gave a farewell talk at church, and we had lots of family and friends over to share a Sunday meal and chance to visit with Maryandra before she left to serve her mission!  It was a wonderful day of celebrating and enjoying time together!

Maryandra went through the Provo Temple on September 10, 2013, one day before her 19th birthday!  She had a wonderful time, and feels even more ready for missionary service after her experiences in the temple!

Here is Maryandra with her wonderful guests at the Provo Temple on September 10, 2013.

 Maryandra began working on her mission application papers shortly after graduating from high school. They were ready to send in by the middle of July 2013!  Then she waited anxiously for her mission call!

It came 10 days later on July 24, 2013!!!  She ran upstairs to her room to open her mission call, then came down happily to share her news with the family!  She had been called to the Japan Tokyo South Mission!

Everyone was so excited, except Hyrum when he heard that she would go into the Missionary Training Center on December 11, 2013.  That was 4 days before his birthday, so his sister would miss him turning 10 years old!  But he soon got over it!!!

Maryandra was called to serve an 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

This blog was created in order to capture and record Maryandra's missionary memories in order to share them with family and friends!  This photo was taken of her a few months before she entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.  You can see the excitement in her face!