Hi! How are you?
im good how are you?
Pretty good, thank goodness it's friday!
yeahhh we get to chill
Big plans for the weekend?
no man
That's okay, sometimes just chilling is the best part Are you taking classes now?
just gonna play tennis tomorrow and go to church on sunday, what about you, any plans? nooo, i am an incoming freshman, you?
Cool cool, are you big into tennis? And nope no plans, I was going to go hiking but the weather is pretty bad so that's not happening I guess. Nope no classes! Just taking the summer off.
i am not a professional, i am better at ping pong though thats cool, are you an incoming freshman?
Well ping pong is an Olympic sport so you can go far with that! Nope, just finished my fourth semester! Are you starting in the fall then/ ?
wow, so youre a junior? yes, i am starting in the fall
Technically I'm a senior I guess, I just got my 96th credit but I've only been here for two years. Cool! Are you super excited?
wow, how did you do that? yes, i am super excited about coming to BYU, it is my dream school, so glad i got in brb
AP Classes in high school, I started my first semester with sophomore status Yeah congratulations for sure! Did your parents come here?
thats great, no my parents did not attend BYU, I am an international student from NIgeria my parents are converts
Awesome, that's way cool! How did they find the gospel?
they got converted as kids in 1988, my grandparents were approached by missionaries, and my grandparents and parentts have been members ever since my dad is the branch president of my branch, nd my mom is the second counselor in our stake primary presidency
That is super cool! My parents were both born members, much more boring unfortunately. Very awesome, do you have a calling?
yes, i do i am the stake assistant technology specialist
Wow, what all do you do with that?
like computer stuff, install softwares, stuff like that are you from UTAH?
Very awesome, do you do anything with familysearch or anything like that?
i will be right back, gotta step out for a little while
Sounds good!
no, i dont , we have a person for that
Nope, I'm from the other side of the country!
oh, thats cool, whats it like over there
Very dry! It's really humid where I live so it's a change if you're not used to it
is it warmer?
It does get warm but not as warm as other places. It rarely gets hot, it's mostly just very warm, if that makes sense
its really hot over here, and i heard that utah is very cold, I hope i can easily adapt cause of the culture shock and weather. im sure i will be fine yeah, it does, i have some family in texas, so what state exactly ARE YOU FROM?
Utah can get cold in the winter! But if you have a jacket then it isn't too bad. It might take a little bit to get used to but it's not terrible so I'm sure you'll be fine! I'm from Arkansas!
i think i will too, i have some friends in UVU oh, thats cool, my buddys going to university of central arkansas
Oh awesome, so you already know some people in the area!
yes, they are also Nigerians.
Oh that's a really good university, I have lots of friends there too! I'm from the other side of the state though
so, what do you like most about BYU?
I would say the fact that the gospel is just a normal everyday part of life and everything you do.
OH, THATS GREAT what was your favorite religion course in BYU
Religion classes are part of your daily schedule and everyone is LDS so you can always talk about conference talks or the sunday school lesson or anything like that I loved Pearl of Great Price, I totally recommend! What religion class are you taking in the fall/
im thinking of taking book of mormon in my first year, since im going to go on mission after my first year, and come back to continue and finish up with school
Good plan, Book of Mormon is definitely a great class that supplements your personal BoM study What are you most excited about coming to BYU?
i think its the fact that i get to be with people who understand me and who have annequal love for the gospel as I do, some of my non mormon frineds usually make fun of me caiuse im mormon, and some people believe here that mormons are like secret cultists
Oh for sure, that's totally an amazing part of BYU. It's just nice to have the support of people who make the same life decisions as you do and know why you live the way you d o No kidding!
yeah, LOL they think caus ewe dont clap or shout and do ridiculous stuff, that we arent true christains only few understand but the church is growing very well in Nigeria, the missionaries are doing a great job, did you serve a mission?
I fully believe they are and the church will continue to grow everywhere! Nope no mission, I never felt the need to go and now I'm engaged so no mission for me! But I really admire everyone who serves missions and sacrifices to bring other people the gospel
yes, i respect missionaries a lot, why didnt you wanna go? all my uncles are return missionaries, so theres a lot of pressure on me from my family to serve one :)
Growing up I never felt like it was right for me and then by the time I was old enough to go I was already seriously dating someone so I never thought about going Wow that's a lot of pressure! Where are you wanting to go?
oh, thats cool, are you still dating the person, or you guys are married now? i want to go to  maryland
Getting married in August! Oh cool, why Maryland?
thats really cool man, i am happy for you . congratulations
Thank you! Anyway that's why I've never thought about serving
i understand
Yep! Well I am sure you will be an awesome missionary and grow a lot when you decide to go
i am also dating someone, and shes going to a different school, i want to try and introduce her to the gospel, but i kinda want to take things slow with her
Oh man that is difficult, good luck with that! How long have you guys been dating?
i dont want to pressure her too much, its already gonna be a long distance relationship, and im scared she might not want to wait for me till i fisnish my mission service almost 6 months
Where is she going to school?
loyola
Have you talked to her about waiting for you? Maybe she wants to and that would be a good way to introduce her to the gospel That's a pretty long time!
yes, it is i have never spoken to her about it, I am planning to talk to her about it after my first semester in byu get her to visit the church near her school, and talk to some missionaries i really dont want to lose my girlfriend, im sure you totally get me
Communication is totally key so I'm sure the earlier a headsup she gets would be good for her! Good plan, that can totally work! I definitely get you, I waited through my fiance's mission for him!
thanks man woah, my mind is totally blown i thought you were a guy, i am so glad to get some advice from a females point of view
Oh funny! I guess I didn't say anything that would make me one way or the other
you ladies who wait for us through our missions are the real heroes, i respect you guys a lot. WE ALL THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE :) yep
Well from a female's point of view knowing a mission is part of the plan for you is helpful because then you know that you need to plan the relationship around it
i dont understand
Haha thanks! I'm marrying my guy so it worked for us!
could you elaborate im glad it worked for you guys
Like how it's helpful in a relationship?
oh, how is it helpful, i am hearing all these for the very first time.
Well it's helpful because you know you need to prepare for it and help him prepare for it and support him through it And the more time you have to prepare for it the better
im going after my first year, do you think it would be cool to tell her after first semester, cause shes a non member, and i feel like she would love the church
You know her best so it's your call for sure! But I think in person might be a little better because then you can explain what you're doing it and why you're doing it And the testimony you have about the importance of missionary work But if you think you should wait until later then you should
thanks a lot
No problem!
i think ill wait, but during first semester, i will try to get her to visit the church while in school, i think it would help for her to see and talk to real missionaries were you still able to communicate with your guy during his mission
That's a pretty good idea, that way she gets some context for what you're going to do
? exactly, and she knows the importance of the work
We sent letters and sometimes talked on his p-day so we were still able to stay in contact thankfully! And we sent each other packages
packages?, like gifts? thats so cool, i am sure i could definitely do that, i dont want to lose her LOL she means the world to me
Yep! I sent him ties, he sent me socks, nothing big. But small stuff to remind us of each other
thats so sweet
I'm not going to lie and tell you it's easy but it's totally possible because it's worth it So if she feels the same way there wouldn't be any reason why it wouldn't work out for you guys You just need to develop a system that works for you and allows you to still connect with each other even though you can't see each other
Thanks a lot, i know it wont be easy im sure she and I will figure something out
I'm sure you will, I wish you guys the best of luck!
thanks a lot so, what do you like to do for fun?
No problem! Haha I'm a college student so I don't have a lot of time to do things for fun! But I'm super into music so I do that a lot What about you, besides the tennis and ping pong?
i also like music a lot, soccer, and reading im thinking of trying football when i come to school after my mission though, in my second year, i am super into working out
Cool, what do you like to read?
what kind of music do you like?
Nice, I did some running in high school but I'm not that great at it! Classical music and film scores, what about you?
i like  pop, country, and reggae
I'm getting a music degree so I do a lot of in-depth studying of classical music
wow, that great what is your favorite instrument?
It's exhausting most of the time but I love it! I think the piano is the best, you can do so much with it and it's very musically expressive
yes,very true, do you play
Not well but a little bit. Do you play any instruments?
i play the saxophone, for like three years, i have never had a teacher, i really wish i could get better, but i have no one to teach me
That's a great instrument! How did you get into that?
a new music teacher came to audition at my school when i was in the eight grade, he played the saxophone, and i instantly fell in love with the sound
Very interesting, what do you like to play?
i was so intrigued, that i decided to learn, and when i got to the tenth grade, i got myself a saxophone of my own i like playing carols and traditional NIgerian songs
That is awesome, for real! We focus almost exclusively on the music of western europe and that's good music but not the only music so I wish we focused on more than that So I'm really jealous that you get to play music that is so much cooler than the music I get to play!
lol what instrument do you play?
Flute The saxophone is way cooler though
i love the flute, its almost the same fingering i love the flute so much, its sonelegant and beautiful, he sound is amazing dont sell your instrument short, i tried learning, it was so complex
Yeah it's pretty common for good flute players to play the saxophone also, it helps with particular techniques I guess I guess you're right, it does have a special quality but it's pretty hard to get down I got so light headed when I was learning to play it because it takes so much air!
yeah, i wish i had someone to teach me more about the saxophone, i still cant read music, and i can onply play like 3 keys yes, the saxophoen too takes air, i used to get headaches before getting used to it how long have you been playing?
Music is not easy so I'm super impressed that you've been able to teach yourself so much! I don't think I could ever figure out a reed so I wouldn't be very successful with the saxophone Almost 10 years I think
wow, i feel like a baby, only three years, i really wanna learn more keys and how to read music
My dad is a jazz pianist so I started playing the piano when I was 4 and music was always a huge part of our life so I kind of had an advantage, I've been doing music forever
wow, thats really cool
And that's an awesome goal! Music is great, I definitely support that!
no one in my family does music, but my mom loves singing a lot Thank You she has a wonderful voice, me, not so much.. LOL
Haha yeah I can't sing either! But hey someone needs to appreciate the singing so you can fill that role right?
yes, i do i locve listening to the church choir sing *love
Do they sing pretty often?
not really but i was talking about the mormon tabernacle choir
Oh haha sorry! Yes MoTab is great! Being in Utah has been awesome because I've been able to go to general conference in person and hearing them sing is amazing One of my professors is in the choir and it's cool to hear his stories about being in it
wow, that must be awesome do we have to buy tickets to the conference, or we can jus go in? i have never been to one i really want to go to one when i get to utah .
Yeah you should definitely try and go when you're here! Tickets don't cost anything but you have to get them from your bishop or stake president The biggest problem is that they run out of tickets because the conference center only seats 21,000 people and more people than that want to go
oh..okay thank you for the information so, youre on break now?
Sure! It shouldn't be too hard to get tickets, it's easier for people who aren't from Utah Yep, finals ended the last week in April and fall semester doesn't start until September, as I'm sure you're aware. What about you?
i am done with highschool i took a gap year, i finished last year
Nice, what have you been up to in the past year?
so, i am resuming at BYU this spetember, im happpy to finally get out of the house
Yes for sure! Do you have lots of siblings?
i was an intern for education USA, i learned how to drive, learned how to cut hair, had to prepare for the SAT , and TOEFL JUST TWO SISTERS YOU?
That sounds like a lot of fun! And you definitely acquired a lot more life skills than I have so good job! Are they younger than you?
THANK YOU
I have an older sister and 7 younger siblings so I was glad to get out of the house too!
yes, they are, one is 14, and the other is 11 wow, nine kids, are some of them adopted?
Are they going to miss you when you leave? Nope we all have the same mom and dad, they're definitely a handful though
yes, they will i am sure they are, its not easy to take care of 7 younger siblings do your siblings miss you?
Are you guys pretty close then?
yes, i guess but we also fight sometimes
No kidding! We are all a year and a half apart so it's always pretty crazy, they have 5 teenagers right now
wow\
My younger siblings don't really miss me but my older sister I'm really close to and we miss each other I guess
teenagers are a handful..LOL where is she?
Ha yeah you're not really siblings unless you fight right? That's sweet that they're going to miss you though
yeah, thats true , gotta fight, its part of the bonding process
She's in Arkansas with the rest of my family, she's going to school there
oh,thats fine why did you pick BYU?
Good question...they have a really good music program and I felt that I should go here. But I first thought about it because my boyfriend was going here Haha yeah I was one of those girls Why did you pick BYU? And are your parents sad that you're going or excited for you?
they are excited, i think my dad is even more excited than me, i wish my girlfriend could transfer to BYU, but her dad wants her to go to washington, shes transferring after her first year washington DC* she said she really anted to come join me, but her dad would never let her
Is her dad anti-Mormon, or does he not like you, or does he just want her to be in DC?
he just wants her to be in DC
Oh I see, and there's no chance you'd want to go there?
i dont really know her dad, but her mum really likes me a lot, and shes glad i am with her daughter, said i am a good influence on her
Hey that's good, you've convinced half of the people that you need to convince! How did you guys meet?
work we both intern at EducationUSA, i was really shy to talk to her,  but eventually i did
And clearly it worked out awesome! And was it all good from the beginning or a little rough or how did it work?
a ittle rough, i kept feeling like she wasnt liking me back and i should give up
What made her change her mind? Or you change your mind?
but she texted me and told me she liked me one day took me extra time to convince her to be my girlfriend i didnt give up, cause i knew that good things dont come easy, i guess she changed her mind cause she felt like i genuinely liked her and i wasnt a player, lots of guys over here like to mess with girls and are players so she fell for me too, and here we are now
That's totally fair and I'm sure she totally appreciated you being genuine How long did you know her before you guys started dating?
ummmmmm... 3 months
Hey that's not bad, way to go! That's a really sweet story, I bet you guys make an awesome couple!
we dooo, thank you
Do your parents like her?
yes, they do my dad teases me a lot about her
And do your little sisters like her?
yes, they do a lot they think shes really pretty
I'm sure she is! Does she spend a lot of time with your family?
not really she lives kinda far but she talks with my sisters on the phone a lot
Well that's cool that she's getting to know your family still!
yeahhh she feels kinda weird around my parents
Oh why is that? Are they intimidating?
shes never met my mom, only my dad they arent, shes just like that ..LOL BUT SHE REALLY LIKES MY DAD
Hey that's good at least!
YEAH
Well I'm sure that as she gets to talk with your parents and get to know them better she'll feel less weird around them
YEAH, I AGREE
But it can definitely be challenging to get to know your significant other's parents!
yess, i totally agree its weird at first
Yes but it gets a little easier each time I think
yeah, i guess so
True story! Well it's been really great talking to you but I think I'm going to have to head out!
its been great talking to you too i hope we get matched up again
Me too!
have a great day
Good luck with everything, I know you're going to be awesome!
thank you youre already awesome