Breakfast for Smiles:)

This morning, I helped out with the 4th Annual Utah Operation Smile Breakfast for Smiles. It was to recognize Utah's top supporters and donors with Operation Smile. It was at the beautiful Little America Hotel in Salt Lake. We got to help check in very important and generous donors like Governor Herbert and Utah's Doctor of The Year- Dr. Sellers. I even got to put a buttoniere on David Osmond and escort him to his table!

This..

Compared to that big momma!

The breakfast was great. We even got to sit in on it and have a really delicious breakfast. The lovely fruit mix made me laugh-- it was tiny compared to the one we got in Jordan and just made me remember a really great night.. remember Les? ;) It was a nice memory. We had great entertainment and the speakers were inspiring and fantastic. I got to talk a lot about my mission to people who I knew there and just get in contact with a lot of amazing people who will do great things with and for me.

Me and Miss Katie:)

One of the best parts about the breakfast was seeing miss Katie Osterloh. We met at Mission Training this January and she just got back from her mission 5 days ago to Cebu in the Philippines. She is wonderful and we talked about our missions basically the whole time together. We compared and shared stories that were cute, sad, inspiring, and the same. I really loved hanging out with her and catching up. The only person who knows exactly how I feel right now!! She said she's had a few breakdowns and I just have so much empathy for her. It was way fun.

On the tables we also got some cool stuff too! There were a lot of people who sponsored the breakfast so we got these goody bags with all sorts of amazing products and fun things! One of my favorite things was an Operation Smile phone gripper thing that you slap on the back of your phone, and then you slap it on any surface and seriously sticks there! It's amazing and I know it will give me a lot of opportunities to talk about Op Smile and share the love! Can't wait!!!

Governor Herbert speaking about how Ahhh-mazing the Utah Chapter of Op Smile is.. yeahhh!!

The Governor spoke and so did a Dr. Sellers. He thanked our donors for their generosity and how when he was on his mission and the parents kept saying thank you to him-- they were really saying thank you to THEM. I knew exactly what he was talking. I know this first hand. Trust me. There is thankfulness and love in their eyes to each and every dollar we raise, every presentation we give, every time we pass the word- it all goes toward these people who have so little who need so much. and just how there is no need for interpretation or a translator when you look at those beautiful eyes [aka: windows to the soul].

Operation Smile really has given me insurmountable joy, happiness, comfort and the opportunity to find out who I am and want to be. The speakers spoke about Love and missions and just the wonderful-ness of Opsmile. I was so happy. I got that feeling whenever I hear anyone talk about it like that. Just those butterflies in my stomach and that choke in my throat. I just want people to know that it's Real. Op Smile is real. The things we do-- they help real kids and they have real stories and they're just like us. (they are also reallly cute:)

Wade ran by while this picture was being taken.. "Yeah Go Students!".. we felt cool:) [Marci was there but Kwells wasn't! :(]

I'm so glad that I got to help out with the breakfast this morning. It was fun to dress up and be in good company. I wore my Op Smile Jordan Student Programs and Jordanian flag pin on my dress to represent!!! ;) Thanks again to Melissa, Caroline and Lauren for also volunteering pretty last minute. I am pumped for ISLC and for just furthering  my involvement with this incredible, life-changing organization.

Even if you have never donated a large monetary amount, maybe you've donated some bubbles to a student volunteer to take on a mission, a toy, a dollar in fundraiser for one of over 300 student clubs in the US, your time volunteering for any operation smile event, your vacation time or even some sleep.. even now you're donating because you're giving your time to read this and that furthers our message even to one more person. To you- Thank You.

Without you, 

This wouldn't happen. 

:)

Love, Lisa