Hi, I'm Ange and I'm a Mormon

I work with preschoolers with autism. I love photography and being outdoors but I especially love my family. I'm a Mormon.

About Me I work with children with severe to moderate autism. I went to school for both a bachelor and a graduate degree but most of my knowledge and experience comes from working with these children and their families in their homes and in the classroom. I've also worked with other children with multiple special needs. I've seen the struggles and joyous moments that come with these challenging yet rewarding aptitudes.

I grew up in Washington where my family and I spent most of our time outdoors and I grew to love everything around me. It always amazed me how grand the star dusted sky, pine covered mountains and vast stormy ocean were, but yet how intricate the details on the ferns, moss, trees and flowers. It made me want to take pictures and capture every thing. I then learned I could capture moments on camera with people and those that we love most.
 

Why I'm a Mormon

 

 I know that my life has a purpose. As I learn more about Jesus Christ, I understand more about why I am here, where I came from and where I am going. There is a reason we have this beautiful earth with all of its creations. There is a reason we are sent here in families. There is a reason that these children I work with have disabilities. The Lord loves us and has a plan for us. Being a Mormon has given me the knowledge and faith I need to trust in God and know these things are true. Knowing that the children I work with came from Heaven, that God knows and loves each one of them individually and that someday through Jesus Christ they will be made perfect, gives me greater guidance as I teach them and support their families. It helps me to know too that God loves me, knows me individually and that through Jesus Christ I can also be made perfect. Not only will we be made perfect, but through Jesus Christ we can be with our families forever. That we will see, know and love each other beyond this life.

 

How I live my Faith

 

I get to help people in our congregation learn about preparing to go to the temple to be sealed together as a family for time and all eternity. I also get to help them learn more about their ancestors. I drive a friend to church every Sunday because she is unable to drive herself and then we stay after for church choir because we both love to sing. There are some other wonderful women at church that I make sure to visit once a month, however we usually end up spending time together a lot more often. We know we are there for each other if we ever need anything and there have been many late night calls and last minute rides and girls-nights-in.

I pray and study the Bible, Book of Mormon and words from our living prophets, which gives me strength daily. I am grateful for my life, for my family and for the children I teach. I count my blessings each day to have the Church of Jesus Christ in my life.

http://mormon.org/me/7KXB/ 

Plan of Happiness Overview

"Many people wonder, “Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going?” The plan of salvation gives us the answers to these questions.
God is the Father of our spirits. We are literally His children, and He loves us. We lived as spirit children of our "Father in Heaven before we were born on this earth. We were not, however, like our Heavenly Father, nor could we ever become like Him and enjoy all the blessings that He enjoys without the experience of living in mortality with a physical body.
"God’s whole purpose—His work and His glory—is to enable each of us to enjoy all His blessings. He has provided a perfect plan to accomplish His purpose. We understood and accepted this plan before we came to the earth. In the scriptures God’s plan is called a merciful plan, the plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, and the plan of salvation.
"Jesus Christ is central to God’s plan. Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ fulfilled His Father’s purpose and made it possible for each of us to enjoy immortality and eternal life." (Preach My Gospel, pp. 48)

Our Eternal Life
Many of us spend our lives looking for something to hold on to, something that will last. We look for ways to avoid aging or to become famous or rich. But we eventually realize that mortal life is temporary. Friends and family members grow old and die, the famous are soon forgotten, and wealth is lost as quickly as it is won.
Our hope and happiness lie in knowing who we are, where we came from, and where we can go. We are eternal beings, spirit children of an eternal God. Our lives can be compared to a three-act play: premortal life (before we came to earth), mortal life (our time here on earth), and postmortal life (where we go after we die). God has had a plan for our lives since the beginning of the first act—a plan that, if followed, provides comfort and guidance now, as well as salvation and eternal happiness in our postmortal life.
Understanding the following can help us live a happier life now and in eternity.
God Is Our Father
God is the Father of our spirits. We are created in His image. We have a divine nature and destiny.
We Lived with God
Before we were born, we lived with God, the Father of our spirits. All persons on earth are literally brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Earth Life Is Part of God's Plan
Our life on earth has purpose. Coming to earth is part of God's plan for us to gain a physical body and learn to chose between good and evil.
Jesus Christ Is the Way
Our Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior and show us the way to live according to God's plan.
We Can Find Happiness
Following God's plan for us is the surest way to find happiness and endure life's challenges. www.lds.org/plan/our-eternal-life