Update from Jace!!

Hi all! This is actually Ali, Jace's older sister Ali. He asked me to keep people updated while he is gone. So here it goes...

Jace is doing really well!! He left the MTC on Tuesday, January 6th and made it to Arcadia, CA. He actually called me from the airport. He is doing so great! But I can't really say I'm surprised. He said that the MTC was good; he learned a lot; and he is so excited to go to cali and get to it!! He thinks his spanish is going well, but that was in the "MTC Bubble"! I'm sure he's getting the hang of it!

His mission president, President Pike, called when Jace got there. He said all Jace wanted to do was go to work! He is such a hard worker!! I wish I had more to tell you all. But he is doing so great!! I know he would love to hear from you all, so please write him!! Don't tell him I'm so bad at this blogging stuff (it's new to me!)

Here's the address to his mission home:
Elder Jace Stringham
California Arcadia Mission
170 W Duarte Road
Arcadia, CA 91007

Goodbye!

Well, my time has finally come. It's a bizarre/surreal set of emotions as I say goodbye to many people. It's sad in a way, but I'm so excited, so ready for this to happen. I know this is what I'm supposed to be doing right now, so I'm not exactly scared, but this is the biggest event in my life thus far, so it's a little nerve-wracking.

For those who wish to write me whilst in the MTC my address is

Elder Jace Parker Stringham
California Arcadia Mission
Provo MTC
2005 N 900 E
Provo, Ut 84604

I apologize if I don't write back very promptly. I'll try to get Mom or Ali to update this for me every once in awhile so y'all will know what's going on with me.
Please know that I love you all. I'm so very grateful for your friendship and support.
See you in two years!

What Happened In October

October was a pretty crazy month in the Stringham household. One of the best birthdays I've had came on Conference Sunday. It wasn't like I got anything supercool, but I had a very enjoyable time as I was able to catch up with an old friend.

The following week, Sydnee and Kenny got hitched in the Salt Lake temple. That was an incredible experience for me because I was privileged enough to go and witness it. The reception on the other hand was more difficult than previous wedding receptions that I have participated in. The weather wasn't very cooperative, so we had to scramble to arrange things perfectly within our last minute reception center at the Holladay City Hall. But overall, it was a very exciting time. Welcome to the family Kenny!! (I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into.)

The day after the wedding, I gave my farewell address in Sacrament meeting. I feel that things went well. I mean, after all, we did get out twenty minutes early.

On the 17th, I embarked upon a cruise with Mom, Dad, and Ali to the western Caribbean. Much eating did commence as soon as we boarded the Carnival Glory. We visited such places as Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and the Bahamas. My favorite part, by far, were the Mayan ruins in Belize. We rather liked the trip, but it became evident towards the end that it was time to come home.

Times Like These

The past month has been one of constant change. The whole world I’ve become accustomed to has been thrown into oblivion. The Posse, although still close, is being separated. Pace reports to the MTC on Wednesday; Nick and Josh are down in Provo attending BYU; Joey, Soup, and I are still in Salt Lake, although I leave on November 5th and they are both busy with work and school. The Posse aside, the vast majority of my friends has left to either BYU, BYU-Idaho, or Utah State. This leaves me at home with few things to occupy my time, and because of that, I have been able to reflect upon my life.
I have realized that I took my high school years for granted. They are the best years I’ve experienced thus far, but when looking back on those events, I don’t think I fully understood how great I had it. I was always caught up with the metaphorical paper cuts that I never stopped to admire the blue skies. But now, after having learned that lesson, I can’t exactly go back and change the way my outlook was back then. The only thing I can do is accept what’s happening and move on, but that doesn’t make it any easier. In fact, it probably makes it harder as I try to enjoy my remaining days as a teenager.
It’s times like these that we learn who we are. It’s times like these that we learn what matters most to us. It’s times like these that we learn the lessons and make the decisions that guide us throughout the rest of our lives.

Mission Call

I received my call to serve on friday, August 16, 2008. I will be laboring in the California, Arcadia mission. I will be speaking Spanish and I report to the Provo MTC on November 5th.

I cannot even begin to describe my emotions. I know that there is nothing more beneficial, more necessary for me at this stage in my life. I can think of nothing better than to give two years of my life towards serving the Lord. I feel so blessed knowing that I will be preaching the Gospel to the people of Arcadia. This is an exciting time and I am very fortunate that I get to learn Spanish. I can't wait to leave! These next two and a half months are going to go by so slowly.

Due to all the family being in town for Sydnee's wedding on October 11th, my farewell will be on October 12th at 10:40 a.m.

Young Men's Backpacking Trip

On July 31-August 2, the Teachers and Priests in my ward went on an 11-mile backpacking trip in the high Uintas...our destination-Red Castle Lake. It was an adventure that can only be experienced firsthand. There is nothing quite like being at 11,000+ ft. above sea-level. As I took a few moments to myself, I couldn't help but think of this beautiful scenery as a wonderful testimony of God's creation. Something happened to me up there. I can't put it into words, but the Spirit and the peace that filled my soul was incredible. Rarely do we get an opportunity like this, and I tried to make the best of it.

Graduation

On Wednesday June 4th, 2008, I graduated from Olympus High School. The ceremony was held at the Huntsman Center. It was a bizarre feeling. I didn't quite feel like I was that old and it never really set in until the final "throwing of the caps." Once it had set in, it was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I finally graduated and no one can take that away from me!

After the ceremony, there was a big after party at the school that went from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. It was crazy! They locked all the graduates inside the building, but there was a ton of stuff to do. One teacher was hosting his own Deal or No Deal game show with a potential cash prize of $150. There was glow-in-the-dark mini golf, a mechanical bull, board games, video games, tons of food, inflatable playground sets, dodgeball tournaments, and a magician. At about 2 a.m. there was a big auction and raffle for tons of prizes, including Gold's Gym memberships, plane tickets, iPods, movie packages, car washes, balloons filled with cash, and the coveted Vespa. (As you went to certain events throughout the building, you would receive play money which was used to bid for items in the auction.)