My Mission Call

A half an hour before midnight on August 31, 1997, I was brought into this world.

Oooo dramatic ;) But really, the timing of my birth has proved to be significant on occasion. With such a late summer birthday, I was nearly always the youngest in my class. I only noticed the gap on special years like 8, 12 and 16. But I didn't anticipate how the gap would widen when it came time for missions. There are several sisters from my class that will come home just a few months after I leave! And most of the boys later this next semester. That makes it feel huge. Buy hey, everyone will be back for my homecoming right? :)

When a member chooses to serve a mission, they are interviewed by their local church leaders, fill out a thorough online application and submit it to the First Presidency of the Church. Culture has dubbed this process 'the mission papers.' Then two or three weeks later the potential missionary will receive a large white envelope in the mail. Inside that envelope is a letter from the office of the Presidency assigning that missionary to one of the 300-plus missions. There is no requesting a specific area of service, rather, each call is assigned by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I offer my personal testimony that mission calls come from God through His servants. To read more on the assigning process read this beautiful talk from Elder Rasband: The Divine Call of a Missionary.

Receiving a mission call is a very sacred, powerful experience in a young person's life. Many choose to invite friends and family over to their home to share in the excitement of opening the envelope. Some people even turn it into a full blown party with food and decorations. Throughout my senior year and the following summer, I attended many of these what we call 'openings.' It is so fun to watch the missionaries faces' light up as they read where they have been assigned to serve.

But it is a different experience entirely when the call has your name on it. Here is my 'call story'.

I decided to have my call sent to my home, rather than my college dorm. My Stake President submitted my application on Sunday September 11. I wasn't too nervous the following week, knowing there was no way it would come that week. The next, though, I was checking my phone constantly waiting for that special text Here's a little sample of what went on between 12 and 2 everyday haha:

By third week, I wasn't feeling as nervous oddly enough. Whenever people would ask me where I wanted to go, I would reply by saying I didn't care, I just wanted to know where!

The week my call did come was a rough one. I was physically exhausted, which has a tendency to make me emotionally exhausted as well. There just seemed to be so much negativity, darkness, and doubt shoved into my hands that week and I was having a hard time putting it down. Thursday mornings I have a literary analysis class. I love it, but our discussions can sometimes be disheartening as people express their disbelief in God and religion. Usually I look forward to and find these discussion engaging, but that day(September 30th) I just felt overwhelming and flustered. How could I help these wonderful people see the reality of heavenly guidance in their life? I walked out of the English building beaten down and frankly just ready to find a tree to cry behind. I didn't have time to, however, and marched to the Institute for my mission preparation class haha :)

And of course, on the day that I needed a boost the most, this text arrived:

Now there was no way I could not cry! I sniffled my way all through mission prep. I could not go home and open in that day, because I had an important test the next morning. But alll dayyy long I kept staring at that while envelope with MY name on it. My test went well, then Jess and I headed for home at about 4 o'clock. We made a little video along the way to send to Golda: (and no I didn't realize it was upside down haha)

We got home around 5:15. Jess dropped me off and then left to go to a theater thing. I walked in my house and Austin handed me my call.

 I just hugged it and wouldn't let anyone touch it haha! I had to wait another half hour for everyone to come home, because I wanted my whole family to be there. I decided not to have a large 'opening' party--I wanted this to be a special day just with my immediate family. We all gathered in the living room and I asked my dad to say a prayer before we got started. I then proceed to struggle to get that envelope open! Seriously it was closed up tight haha. While I worked on it, my family called out their guesses. I didn't feel nervous at all until I could I got the envelope open enough to see the call letter. Not even my assignment, just the call itself sent my heart racing like crazy. I was about to read where the Lord would have me serve His children for 18 months. The enormity of the moment hit me like tsunami.

In the weeks leading up to my call, I prayed everyday to be spiritual ready to receive my call. I desired a spiritual confirmation that this was the place Heavenly Father had called me to. When I read out 'Virginia Richmond Mission', I was frankly really surprised. I had never considered Virginia! I had, for a plethora of reasons I won't go into, convinced myself that I was going to have to learn a foreign language. I really believed that. The idea of foreign speaking scared me, but I convinced myself that I was ready to do it. So yeah, a Stateside English-speaking language really surprised, I might even say shocked, me. But the Spirit whispered the words of Isaiah 55:9 to my heart:

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

That spiritual confirmation I had prayed did come, just not as immediately as I thought. It took some time for me to get off my high horse. As I watched General Conference over the next two days, however, my re-occurring thought was this: I don't want to go anywhere but Richmond, Virginia!!! Heavenly Father has called me there and His ways are perfect! Why would I wish for anything else!

Those feelings still very much remain, but sometimes they get shadowed by fear and doubt. But I found scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants to be my savior:

Look unto me in every thought, not to Virginia's humidity, not to my imperfections, not to the nonbelievers, not to how long 18 months may seem, but unto Him. Then that last line comes naturally. Doubts and fears fade away when you stop thinking about them :) 

Thank you for all your support. I love Richmond, Virginia and can't wait to be a sister missionary for Christ's restored church.