I KNOW they called me on a mission!!!

I have always wanted to serve a mission. It's been my dream for as long as I can remember. The gospel brings me so much peace and joy, I just want everyone to feel it! As of a few years ago I determined that if I had too... I could resign myself to getting married instead of a mission, but only if I had too :) I know that marriage is supposed to come first, and if we have the opportunity we should take it! It is after all a saving ordinance. A mission is a great thing, but eternal marriage is absolutely essential.


The decision to serve a mission has been a long time coming. I have never had to make such a life-changing decision in my life. I've prayed about it for about a year. "Often the answer was wait, you don't need to know yet.  Do all you can to prepare for a mission, and we'll see." At one point I thought of something my brother-in-law John once told me "The Lord cannot direct a parked car." So I decided to move forward, start my papers and see how it feels. I was getting all excited... then... I failed my physical (I guess it's hard to pass if you can't walk, I was still on crutches). Ouch! But from that I learned that Heavenly Father will stop if you if it's not right.


I worked all summer on spiritual highs and loved it. Sharing my testimony and teaching the gospel has to be one  of my favorite things in the whole world! I moved home in August and was super blessed to find two jobs within a week, both in Manti. Don't tell me the Lord's hand wasn't in that. I felt like it was a little blessing. Heavenly Father saying "good work, you're where I want you."


About a month later this boy came home from his mission. I was super stoked to see him. We played, we laughed and we had so much fun together. My plan was this: see how things feel when Evan gets home. If things work out great! If not, then I get to go live my dream of servingi a mission, also great! People said I would know within a couple weeks. Ya right! I always thought there's no way you can just know that. Well a couple weeks and a few dates after he got home, and I began to pray about a mission again. It was feeling good. I prayed, fasted, went to the Temple, studied my scriptures and then... then it was time for General Conference! I approached general conference with this question in my heart - should I serve a mission? Then President Monson opened General Conference with this (time starting at 2:48)

My favorite part: “A word to you young sisters: while you do not have the same priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome your service."


That's when I knew I would be serving a mission. Sunday night after conference I started my papers again. Two weeks later I turned them in. Everything went so much smoother then it had before. My boss at the elementary school has been super supportive. I passed my physical! I received my renewed passport in the mail. It all seems perfect. It feels so good to be able to answer the Prophet's call for more missionaries so immediately. I know it is right and good. 


I received my mission call on Wednesday, October 27, 2010. I enjoyed opening it with all the local family there to share the excitement, and all the not-so-local family there on phones. My mom posted it here. It was amazing.

I will be serving the Bolivia Santa Cruz mission! It's everything I'd hoped for: South America, Spanish speaking. Third world country (Bolivia is the poorest country in SA), it hardly gets cold, and I'm leaving on January 5! I can hardly believe it! I feel very blessed and a tiny bit spoiled. The more I learn about my mission the more I realize how perfect it is for me. I can't wait. I truly feel honored to get to serve the Lord at this time in my life as a full-time missionary. I know it is going to be one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I know with the Lord's help, together we can make it one of the best experiences of my life. I am so stoked to be able to share the joy and peace of this gospel with my Bolivian brothers and sisters. Can life get better than this? I submit that it cannot! 


Hurrah for Israel!