I Just Feel So Much!

It was beautiful to watch Elise's excitement grow. Her spirit was glowing and her tears showed her perfect joy as she picked up her backpack and held her scriptures close to her. Elise is now Sister Osorio, a full-time missionary! She entered the MTC just moments ago. However, her journey to become a sister missionary began long before today.

Elise at the Provo temple, minutes before entering the MTC.

Elise Raycel Osorio was born December 1, 1990. She grew up, revealing an outgoing and adorable spirit. She's sensitive yet honest and is constantly finding new ways to strengthen her undeniable testimony. She attended three years at Brigham Young University and learned so much, participating in EFY as a counselor and in her different wards with many callings such as relief society president. Her desire to serve a mission grew to be so much during this past year that she chose to send in her papers, without telling anyone except for our parents!

Elise as an EFY counselor in Virginia with close friend, Christina

One morning, in March, my mother woke Jeshua and me up around 5:00am and said, "Elise is on skype. She has exciting news for you!" I remember thinking to myself, What on earth could be so important that she needs to wake me up this early? I wobbled over to the computer with Jeshua to see Elise on the screen, holding up a large envelope.  It was addressed to none other than Sister Elise Racyel Osorio! She then continued to open it up and read to us that she had received a mission call to the Salt Lake City Temple Square mission. We were so shocked and so happy for her! Her face lit up as she told us that she knew this was a truly inspired decision. "I just felt that I would be going to a visitor center." What's more is that I remember Elise telling me multiple times while growing up that she would love to go to that very mission.

The day finally came when we, her family, accompanied her to the stake center, where she was set apart as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Excellent council was given directly to Elise by all four of the high priests there and she left the building, with nothing else on her mind but her mission. We celebrated this wonderful occasion by taking her to the Cheesecake Factory and spending time with her. It was excellent (both the food and our time with her).

This morning, Sister Osorio woke up early, reorganized her bags and said final words of love and encouragement to us. After receiving a blessing, we ate and drove off to the Provo temple for pictures. As we walked across the lawn, we were surrounded by many other families dropping their young men and women off for their own missions. 

It was beautiful to watch Elise's excitement grow. Her spirit was glowing and her tears showed her perfect joy as she picked up her backpack and held her scriptures close to her. Elise had made it to the MTC! Her tears were not due to sadness but to the fact that she was at the MTC! She kept repeating, "I just feel so much right now. I just feel so much!" We gave her hugs and said our goodbyes. She walked off into the MTC, a smile on her face and a hand waving in the air!  

Sister Osorio is ready and happy to serve her Maker and bring others to the knowledge of the truth! Off she goes into the mission field, embarking on a journey she'll never forget.