MISSION LADIES
As a young adult I battled depression. I turned to alcohol, etc., and decided that sadness was part of my reality. In one of my journal entries I describe it as "the gall of bitterness." I realize this sounds a little dramatic, but at the time I was extremely insecure, and unsure about how I wanted to conduct myself .... what I wanted as a moral compass. I wanted to be unique and NOT be like everyone I knew, my family, my friends, even my acquaintances, and fashion my moral compass after the religion I grew up with just because it was comfortable or because that is what my loved ones thought I should do. This created a personal anomie, and I determined to find my own path. To make a long story short I had some experiences that scared me to my core, and then experiences that moved through my bones like the marrow that gives them life. I NEEDED to find my spiritual path, and so after turning 21, at a time when most new adults get excited to be free of age limits and restrictions; I turned to limits and restrictions by choosing the religion I grew up with to start my spiritual path. Though I have not continued on that particular path and my spirituality ebbs and flows, I grateful for my journey. I decided to be a missionary; learn by teaching. Lucky for me I lived with and learned from phenomenal women who not only guided me on a beautiful spiritual path, but also pushed me to be a better, more secure, confident, independent woman.
I have not kept in contact with many of these gems, so if you have contact information or know them please forward this blog link to them because I would love for them to know that they have left fingerprints all over this soul of mine.
Kristy Smith: She told me once, "be yourself, don't make Sister Foster someone different than Rochelle; people will like you because you are you." She taught me that each of us have different facets and that being fun does not negate being spiritual.
Tracy Edmunds: She came out one month before me and she didn't like having to share her trainer, Sister Smith, so I was not able to get close to her until later in our missions. But...she taught me about humility and giving. She approached me at a conference after we lived together and apologized for being jealous and mean. That was one the first times I received a genuine, unsolicited, non-family member apology. Sorries are hard! No one wants to have to say them, but in relationships sincere sorries are like the glue that mends our souls. This was an invaluable lesson.
Erica Love Stephen: How apropo that her middle name is Love because that is what she taught me. She made, not only me, but EVERYONE feel loved. She always had a smile on her face. I was so inspired by her passion and love that I wrote poem. Warning: It is cheesy! No accolades were given, but it describes how I saw her in the most obvious way. It's called:
SMILE
What a smile she gives;
She knows Christ lives.
Her heart of pure gold
Allows her to be bold.
"The Gospel is true!"
She testifies to you.
Then the Devil fight against her,
So she shares from the scriptures.
When you shut the door
She'll fall to the floor;
Down on her knees;
Begging God please...
Then you will start to question
All of her conviction.
In the back of your mind
You will find:
Is what she's saying to me
All that I should be?
So watch out for that smile,
It's a dangerous thing.
She might catch hold of your heart,
...and OH NO!
You might believe.
I wanted those around me to feel that much love for themselves, others, and God, so I went on a journey to feel that much love.
Amy Gingery: She taught me that women show they care differently. She teased and chided and poked and prodded. At first, I thought she didn't like me I always believed "there is truth in jest," but with Amy I could not tell. Luckily, we lived together, so we had variable experiences and I learned she DID care. She showed it differently than I had experienced up to that point from a woman, she treated me more like my brothers, but this did not mean she was any less tender or caring. Once I was able to take her out of the box I put her in, because of societal ideals, you would've thought we'd known each other all our lives.
Kristen Hickerson: She taught me I could be more than I thought I could, and the value of hard work.
Haley Young: She loved helping people and gave compliments freely. I always felt good about my self. I learned the power of a compliment. The simplest thing can make someones day. She taught me that the trick to complimenting is honesty. I used to think that compliments sounded contrived and insincere, but when you are honest and sincere compliments encourage and fill the soul.
Michelle Dowling: She always had good council for me and watched out for me. There was no room for judging with her. She had so much faith in me and in Christ; she helped me pull through a difficult time.
She knew how to help me help myself. I went through an especially difficult time when I lived with her. I felt overwhelmed and wanted to have the experiences that I went through written in my journal, but that was just one more thing. So... one morning during our studies she asked if she could write in my journal. She wrote each of the experiences I went through. That was when I learned that instead of asking what I can do to help is not as effective as just doing something, anything.
Jolynn Chidester: She was kind, and set an example of patience and love. I learned how nice it is to be around someone that is easy to be around. She was definitely my glass is half full kind of gal; not in an annoying way, but in a "It's going to be o.k." kind of way. She also was the type of woman that makes you look awesome; no jealousy.
Alisa Terry: She and I had some real rough times, my character was built. I went though a refiners fire. I learned that sometimes you learn valuable lessons in difficult situations. 
Carlene Mitchell: I laughed for the entire three weeks I lived with her. She easily found humor in any situation. She would wake up in the morning and sing this hymn called "Scatter Sunshine." Her voice was terrible and she did not care. She was confident in herself because she knew that she loved to sing and whether she sounded good or not would not stop her from being who she wanted to be. She did not need validation because she knew she didn't sound good, but sounding good was not the point; feeling good is the point. She taught me that no one can make you feel bad unless you let them.
Amy Shepherd: It was easy for her to be good, which helped me to understand my little sister. Both Amy and my sister are different from me in that they want to be good. They are those woman that are faithful! Beautiful woman that can handle trials with elegance. She continues to be this woman. Faith is something that is difficult for me and I am in awe of the people in my life that have this gift. She not only had faith in God, but she had that same type of faith in me. Her faith in me was like an umbrella for the doubts that rained on my soul.
Lastly but certainly not least, Crystal Jessop: There were many times we were enlightened together. The one word that comes to mind when I think about the impact Crystal had on me is epiphany. I had these little light bulbs going off in my noggin on a daily basis. She was my kite; helping me fly so when lightning struck my key I would light up. Everything I had learned during my year and a half in up-state New York was solidified in my final two months, and that is because Crystal allowed me to fly. 
