Hi ladies!
So as was mentioned in the last post Shelbie is getting her boy back in 2 whole weeks! How crazy is that? So happy that she has made it this far and can see the end in sight. Anyway, I asked her if she would share her story as well as some advice for us girls and this is what she wanted to share:
"Where do i begin...
Let me start about me and him, I
wont go into way detail, but me and Ryan have been together since September
17th 2008 and have never been apart,he is my very BEST FRIEND. He has
always known he wanted to go in a mission, I knew that I was the one
thing that would keep him home so when it was time to start preparing
for a mission I told him I would wait faithfully for the two years and
not to worry everything was going to be great.
Something funny about us
is that i am 5' 2" and he is 6' 3" we are so completely in love and him
being gone has only made us realize how much we truly love each other. The day that Ryan left - August 9th 2011- to serve in the Dallas Texas
mission was hands down the single most hardest day of my life. There is
no preparing for it at all no matter what anyone tells you. He gave me a
blessing, which I would recommend to anyone, then he said see ya to my
family. We then went out into our garage and that's when it hit me that he was leaving for two years and that these where going to be the last
moments together for two years! He asked me not to run after him so I
did not I waited on my steps he backed out waved and blew me a kiss, (yes
we were both crying), then when I could no longer see him I fell to the
floor and sobbed I could not hold my self up. My mom came out and
picked me up off the ground and took me inside.
I stayed in bed for 2
weeks doing nothing, but going over to his brothers girlfriends house,
Jaron is his brother and brittney is the girlfriend I will say them
because there my biggest support and I will use their names often.
Brittney's mom worked at the MTC and so I took a letter over there and
packages every night for a month I never missed a day! I would stay over
there for hours crying and just talking, her mom would bring me letters
every night. And she would take pictures and videos of him, we also did
tapes which are life savers, I love tapes!!!Tthen when he left the MTC I
was in school which was such a blessing it made me get out of bed, the
hard thing was that we had "our spots" and it took me a long time to be
okay walking pass them. everyone knew I was waiting for him I made that
very clear.
The hardest thing for me was the big moments in my life that I wish I could have talked to him or hear his voice, but don't let that
bring you down, let it make you stronger and don't make him feel bad for
missing out on big events in your life. Yes I got sick and I had great
moments when I wish that he was there but it has only made me realize
that I love him that much more when he is the one that I want to share
all my news with, not only that but that I can be independent.
After
going two years with out him and counting down the days, I would tell
any girl don't count by days because it takes much longer. I would do months,
general conference, phone calls, and stay busy!! don't always tell him
how much you miss him because he misses you too! Be happy for him in all
his story's he tells you, tell him how proud you are of him, ask about
investigators and how you can help out, (mainly by praying). Some story's
while he was on his mission i wont go in to detail, but he has been spit
on, beer thrown on and at him, been hit by a car 5 times, been in a
tornado, been arrested many times, yelled at all the time, had crazy
people do chants to get their evil spirit away, car broken into, living
in the ghetto with gang members and shooting in there next door apartment,
had members lie about them, but the most important thing is these, 50
baptisms, over 100 new and for ever life long friends, a real true heart
felt testimony of the church, an experience of the gift of tongue,
serving a full time mission, learning life lessons, and knowing that Heavenly Father truly loves us all!!
I am so excited to have him home on
August 7th 2013 at 1:15 pm. I waited faithfully for two whole years and will stay faithful though
out eternity. I promised him two things: one, that I will never tell him
not to go, done! Two, I will never tell him to come home, done! I am so
thankful for the two years that I got to grow and experience things with
out him but I am glad its over! I will say that I never got the feeling
to date around nor did I date!
Girls it will go by slow at times, really
slow, and you might go though some depression but keep your head up, it
comes it really does and before you know it he's home. I will be
completely honest right now, this is the hardest thing to go two years
with out him hard because I miss HIM. Not hard because he is worth the
wait!! Looking back on the two years part of me feels that it came so
fast but the other part knows what I went though and all the times that I
was alone and sad, but I will be forever grateful to Jaron and Brittney
who are now happily married and I will be too!! Get a support team and
just keep pushing through. It comes it really does and also ask for help
from your missionary I bet he will be glad to help!! And always be 100%
honest with him!!
Good luck on the wait!! I will have a video and
pictures and story's of when he comes home and yes I will be at the
airport!!
If you have any questions for me about anything i am more then willing to help out!!
I will keep you updated on us!!! =D
Love Shelbie
P.S.
the thing i cant wait for is that hug and kiss because lets be honest
we all miss it, and to just hold him again and just look at him in
person face to face! i will keep you updated!! =D"
Thank you She
