The Decision and The Call

Ever since I was a young, I have always imagined myself serving a mission. It wasn't until November 2010 that I realized that dream could become a reality. I went to talk to my bishop about beginning the process of my mission papers, but it was still too early he said I had to wait until at least January or February. At first, I was kind of disappointed because I wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. But, I knew that everything was in the Lord's hands and so I kept my trust in him and pondered and prayed to know if this is really what the Lord wants me to do. I had to be sure that this was the Lords will and not just my own desire. As I was reading my scriptures one night I came across this one which only confirmed the feelings and desires I had "Therefore if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;"- D&C 4:3

From that moment I knew that my life had been planned in such a way to prepare me to be a missionary...

So, with continuous prayer and thought I asked my bishop the first Sunday in January if I could get my papers started and we did! It took several weeks to get everything put together and appointments taken care of . Two weeks after I turned in my papers, on February 25, 2011 I got the letter that will ultimately change my life forever...

 

Called to serve as a missionary for The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints 

                              

Initial Assignment: New York Utica Mission

Availability Date: May 18, 2011

              

Date to enter the MTC: June 15, 2011

It is anticipated that I will serve for a period of 18 months.

The day that my call came, it was  a long day at school. During a break in-between classes I received a text from my mom with a picture of my mission call saying it's here! Although, I would have loved to have gone home immediately to open it I still had several hours of school left that day. It was a Thursday and I normally don't get home till around 9pm from school and study group. The entire day it became nearly impossible to concentrate on anything else than having that big, white envelope in my hands. I left my study group for calculus early that night to go open the call at home. With a few close friends and all the family I could manage to get there, I opened my call.

For those of you who are not Mormon, mission calls are extremely personal and are inspired by God. The apostles of our Church have a special assignment to organize and call missionaries to all the missions in the world. So, I put in my mission papers and could have gone anywhere in the world.

I earnestly began to read aloud to find out where I was going. To be completely honest, I was a little taken aback at first to find out I was going to Utica NY which I didn't even pronounce right the first time I tried to say it ha ha.  When most of the people that came (maybe 5 friends and immediate family) had left, I went into another room to pray earnestly about it, that this is really where I am meant to go and when I am supposed to go. I did feel peace but I still hadn't really warmed up to it at first.

It took me some time to really get used to it. Through much fasting and prayer I came to really know that that is where I was supposed to go. As I began to research the mission area, and (just recently received the letter from my mission president) I came to find the Utica NY is a wonderful place... the cold, well I'm just going to have to grin and bear it :D