It's ALL In God's Plan

Hey everyone!

I am trying to be really good at blogging now that I have exciting things to talk about. I thought I should just update you all on what has happened since I decided to go to Germany. I told the family that I was going to be with yes and they told me that they were deciding between another girl and me. I was kind of upset because they had made it sound like I would be their nanny if I told them yes, and I had. So I was kind of expecting just a huge exciting response from them telling me some details and what not of what to expect but I opened up my email the next day to a really depressing email from them. They told me that they had decided to go with the other girl because she spoke some German and she had been to Germany before. They told me that they knew that I was an amazing person and they were certain I would find someone else really quickly. 

Well I was frustrated to say the least. I was upset that they hadn't been forward with me from the beginning telling me that they were looking at other girls as well. I had never done anything like this before so I didn't know what to expect. So I began my search once again. I started looking through the many profiles and messaging those whom I thought would be a good match for me. There were a couple that emailed me back saying they were interested in me as well but they were all either in Utah, Washington, Texas or Missouri. Now, I don't have anything against any of those states, I just really wanted to leave and go somewhere I really wanted to go. And because I had already made up my mind and talked myself into going to Germany, I really wanted to go to Germany. But I couldn't find anyone who wanted me that was from Germany. So I started looking into the other ones. And then one day, (this was on Saturday, the 12th) I had a thought to narrow my search to Germany. I was just looking internationally and so I narrowed it down. I started going through the pages and messaging some families I thought would be a good match for me. I got to the seventh page and I decided I was done looking. I didn't want to do it anymore. I figured that I had messaged a lot of families and some of them had to be interested in me. So I went to bed. 

The next morning, (Sunday) I was checking my email right before I went to church and I had a lot of families that had messaged me back telling me that I wasn't the one for them. I was getting kind of discouraged but then I found one that had told me they were really interested in me. So I went onto the site I was working through and I looked over this family's profile again. I knew immediately that something was going to happen with them. I felt really good when I was looking at their profile and they just looked like so fun, and the cutest things. 

I went to church and all during it, I could not stop thinking about this family. They kept popping back into my mind and I couldn't get them out. When I got home from church, I got on the site and I messaged them back. I told them that I was really interested and I would love to get to know them more. Surprisingly, (because of the time difference I thought they were in bed) they messaged me right back. They told me that they wanted me to tell them more about me, my family and if I was serious about going to Germany. So I answered all their questions. I was very forward with them and I told them everything I thought they would need to know. 

The next day I got on again and they told me they would like to Skype with me the next day (Tuesday). So I went through out my day and I once again could not stop thinking about them. Every time I had a time I wasn't really busy I would just think about them and I would smile. I thought about skyping with them and unlike the first family, I was not nervous at all. I felt that it would be like skyping with my friends. 

As soon as I got home from work the next day, I got onto my computer and they had already tried skyping me a couple times. I hurried and skyped them so they wouldn't think I forgot. It rang once and the mom was there! I talked with here for about 20 minutes and she was the sweetest thing. She ran through what I would be doing if I came and things I could do. Then the dad came over and we all talked. He is the funniest person I have ever talked to. He had me laughing so much. I felt so comfortable with them and I was just so happy and smiling when I was talking to them. It just felt so right. The dad was so funny. He told me that he wanted to talk to my dad to basically see what the rules for me were. Dating, partying, stuff like that. Then he told me that he was going to protect me and not let me go anywhere dangerous. He said that he wouldn't let me go to Spain or Italy because those boys are "no no", but German boys were good. It was so funny. 

Before we ended skyping, the dad told me that they were giving me until Thursday (today) to let them know if I wanted to come or not. They are very big on knowing the parents and having the parents opinions/support so I had to make sure my parents were good with it too. Then they told me that they wanted me to know that they were interviewing other girls as well but I was at the very top of the list and they were hoping I would say yes. That made me feel so great because I knew that they wanted me and that they thought it was right. Another big part was that they wanted to know my parents and they wanted to know what my parents thought. The other family didn't really care if they knew my parents or not. 

So this morning, I told them yes and I have no doubt in my mind that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I am so excited and I know that the Lord wants me there. I know it and the family knows it as well. They told me today that they felt so sure that He knows it is for the best. They are not LDS which is okay with me, but I have a feeling that if they don't join the church in this life, they will in the next. 

I am so excited for the adventure that is ahead of me. I know that I am supposed to be in Germany next year, I don't know why I am supposed to be there, but I know that I am. I want to thank all of you for your support of this. It is really nice knowing that I have people supporting me and being so kind to me. Thank you for helping me keep my head held high. You all mean the world to me and I love you all so much! 

Thanks for reading!

-Kasey =)

"I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go"

Well hey everyone! I feel like I haven't written a blog post in FOREVER and for all of you that follow me, I apologize. Life has been crazy lately! Literally crazy. I got home from school at the beginning of May and a week later I was working at Cafe Zupas. It was fun at first but then I didn't like it very much and I quit in August to start working at Orchard Elementary a couple of weeks later! I LOVE it!!! SO MUCH! There is nothing more that I love doing than being with kids. It is one of the greatest joys in my life.

I am working there as an aid. I work mainly in the fifth grade and it is so fun. I love how fast the kids and I have bonded and gotten to know each other. They make me so happy and I feel so loved everyday when I go to work. I am also one of the kindergarten specialties teachers. There is the art teacher and then I do everything else with them. I am over P.E., computers, and music. It is SO fun! I love it. I only get to teach them on Mondays but that hour I have with them is one of the greatest hours of my life. They are so funny and I just love how innocent and cute they are. The questions that they ask, and the things that they do are hilarious. I love it when I think that the activity I have planned for that day isn't going to be very fun, and it ends up being one of the greatest activities ever. Watching their little faces light up when we get to have fun together is seriously so great. Today for example was our first music lesson. We went into the music room and played, "Guess That Tune" for a little while and then we started working on our song for our mini concert. Watching them play with the instruments, (more like smack them together,) was probably the most entertaining thing of my week. It was so funny. I love them!

Some of you have asked me if I am going to school right now and I am not. My financial aid ended up not going through this semester so I am not able to attend school. But it is okay. I am able to be home and work for a few hours a day. And since my mom is working full time this year, I am able to help out at home more which is a great experience for me. I was angry at first when my financial aid did not go through. I really wanted to go to school to finish up my general eds but I wasn't able to. I didn't know what I was going to do this semester as everyone I knew had work and school and I was just working. But it ended up being a good thing... I was talking to one of my friends about getting another job and she brought up the fact that I could get another job and be a part time nanny. Before she got married she had signed up for a website and was contacted by a family in Utah to be a nanny and she had so much fun with it. So I started thinking about that. I thought that if I could get an afternoon nanny or babysitting job to help earn a little more money it would be great, and I would have more things to keep me busy. So I went and signed up for this site. And the next thing I knew I had some families interested in me. But none of them were in Utah. Oh no, they were all out of the US. I had some from Turkey, Germany and London. I immediately turned most of them down because I wasn't looking for something away from home. I loved working at the elementary school and I didn't want to leave it. 

But for some reason one of the families in Germany kept coming back to my mind and I couldn't forget about it. So I messaged them back and I started talking to the mom. We got to know one another a little better and I was starting to feel really good about them. I started praying almost immediately after I messaged them back asking what I was supposed to be doing. I asked if I was supposed to go to Germany and be their nanny. I had no idea what was going to happen. Over the next three weeks I kept everything between the Lord and I, except for telling a couple of close people. I prayed like crazy wanting, needing to know if the Lord wanted me to go. I wanted to go. It seemed like the perfect thing. It was in Germany, I would live with this cute family, I would travel with them, I would be able to learn German and many other things that I would be able to do. But I didn't know if I was supposed to go or not. 

And then the General Relief Society broadcast happened. I had been praying and thinking about this for the past three and a half weeks and I still didn't feel like I had an answer. But when we sang, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go", I knew right then that I was going to Germany. I didn't get a "yes" or "no" answer from Heavenly Father. I got a, "it is your choice and I support you either way" answer. I wasn't, I am not going to pass this up. It would be crazy to pass this up and with how good I feel about it, I can't turn it down now. 

I AM GOING TO GERMANY. This is crazy and a completely different change in my life but it is happening and I couldn't feel better about it. I am so excited and I can't believe this is happening. I never, NEVER saw myself on this path. This just proves that Heavenly Father has a plan and we have NO idea what it is. And it can definitely take us off guard. 

The family I am going to be living with, my "adopted family", is not LDS and I know that I am going to have a chance to have a missionary experience. Which is crazy right there because I have felt that I don't need to go on a mission right now. Well, I think I know why now. I am going to Germany, knowing very little about it, knowing that I am terrified, knowing I will be so far away from my family, knowing I will be on my own, knowing I know that this gospel is true, knowing that Heavenly Father knows what is in store for me in Germany, knowing that I am leaving everything I know and love behind, and knowing that I couldn't be more excited to go be a nanny and to go learn a new culture. My life has taken a turn that I never, ever expected would happen and I know that Heavenly Father is behind it and I am so excited!!! 

He is there, waiting for you to ask for help, waiting for you to be ready for Him to help you. I know that without a doubt in my mind. I would not be going to Germany if I did not know that He is going to be there very step of the way for me. Thanks for reading and I promise that there are going to be many more updates as I go through this journey! I am going to keep my head held high even though this is a whole new experience for me!

I love you all!!!

-Kasey :)

"It may not be on the mountain's height, 
Or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle's front, 
My Lord will have need of me;
But if by a still, small voice He calls, 
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine,
I'll go where You want me to go.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord, 
O'er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord, 
I'll be what You want me to be.

Perhaps today there are loving words
Which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now in the paths of sin,
Some wand'rer whom I should seek;
O Savior, if Thou wilt be my guide, 
Though dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo Thy message sweet, 
I'll say what You want me to say.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord, 
O'er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I'll be what You want me to be.

There's surely somewhere a lowly place, 
In earth's harvest fields so white,
Where I may labor through life's short day,
For Jesus the Crucified;
So trusting my all to Thy tender care,
And knowing Thou lovest me,
I'll do Thy will with a heart sincere,
I'll be what You want me to be.

I'll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O'er mountain, or land, or sea;
I'll say what You want me to say, dear Lord, 
I'll be what You want me to be."

Hymn 270