a mission

if you are my friend on facebook, you may have seen some pretty big news last week. i apologize that it's taken me so long to announce it on the blog, but i didn't want to interrupt my series posts last week about eating disorders. so here it is:

i have been called to serve as a full-time missionary of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints in the. . .


Canada Vancouver Mission!!!!

i report to the provo mtc on june 26, 2013

i've had a lot of questions since people found out i got a mission call (because i didn't tell very many people before it actually came). i want to answer just a few so that you know a bit more about my decision to serve a mission.

"oh, were you affected my the age change?. . .  i guess not." no i'm not 19 or 20. i'm 23. so i wasn't affected my the age change. but i've been hearing of quite a few girls my age and older who are getting calls. i believe that the age change not only allowed younger girls to go, but also re instilled the missionary spirit in girls all over the church. and that is why older and younger sisters are going on missions now.

"why are you going now, instead of having gone at 21?" when i was 21 i was going to uganda, and that was my "mission" at the time. after i got home from uganda i prayed for about a semester, trying to decide if it was right for me to go on a mission. i got the answer that i could decide. so i decided not to go. life went on. last semester i really wanted to go through the temple. but my bishop told me that our stake president wouldn't let sisters go through until they were 25 unless they were getting married or going on a mission. i was super disappointed because i felt like i had received a prompting to prepare to go through the temple. around this time my mom and my sister kept asking me if i was thinking of serving a mission. my answer was emphatically, "no!" i had a wonderful job that i planned to keep after graduation, plans for post-graduation, a ward that i loved and wanted to stay in, and looked forward to just having a break from school for a bit and taking advantage of the "good life." during christmas break i recommitted to improving my spirituality and my testimony. the first week of school i went to institute with my friend Bre (who recently returned from her mission to Thailand). as we sat there, talking about the Book of Mormon, a voice came into my head, as clear as anything, and said, "you should go on a mission." it was one of the most direct promptings i had ever gotten and i knew i could not rationalize my way out of it without consequences. not only had that voice come to my head, but in my heart i knew that it was right. i was freaking out. i didn't want to go. but i started my papers. and that's where the journey began.

"are you excited?" yes!!!! i mentioned that i didn't want to go. but that changed. through prayer, fasting and pleading for the lord to let me be ok with this being His will, i became willing to go. i was really worried, though, that when i got my call it would be to somewhere i didn't want to go or i just wouldn't be excited about it. throughout the month and a half that i worked on my papers and waited for my call to come, i prayed that i would be excited to go where the Lord wanted me and that i would know that it was inspired. i can't describe exactly how i know that Vancouver is right, but i know that it is perfect. the second i saw Canada Vancouver on that piece of paper, i just knew i was going to be so happy there! i knew that there were things in my life that prepared me to go there and that it was going to be perfect for me. even in research about vancouver, i am amazed at how much i love it already. i feel like i will never want to come home! i am also freaking nervous. i don't know how i can be an amazing missionary. i am scared to death of bearing my testimony and i feel like i am very "weak in words." i am going to be relying on the Lord a lot!

i am so very grateful for the friends and family who have supported me through this decision! especially my mom, brother and bre who let me cry to them when i felt like i couldn't go on a mission. i'm thankful for the missionary examples i have who have taught me the importance of sharing the gospel- especially my grandparents who have served two full time missions as a couple. i am thankful for the friends who had more faith that i, and who knew that i would be an amazing missionary even when i doubt myself. 

"i can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

phil. 4:13