June 27, 2012

oh hello there....


So when are you going back to Logan?
Uh....I will actually be living here for a while, I'm not going to school in the fall. 

Oh...Are you working or just doing other things?
Well, I'm actually going on a mission. :)

Oh, cool. That will be good, missions are great! A challenge but you will love it. 
Yep, they are good. (Duh, that's why I'm going. It's not like I'm looking for a 18 month vacation.)


So, where do you want to go?
Wherever I get sent! I can't say outloud...it's like a jinx. :)  (Well of course that is the answer everyone gives. But honestly, everyone is hoping to get a call to somewhere like London, Ghana, or at least anywhere besides the Rexburg, ID mission. If that's even a mission.) I want to learn spanish SO bad. So of course that means I will probably go either english speaking U.S. or Taiwan. As I think about getting a call though, I worry less about where I go and know that wherever I get called is where I need to be. Sound cliche and a little cheesy, right? But it's true. This girl would love to go to Central America, but some big U.S. city would be just fantastic. And if I get to Tennessee, I'm sure it could be my new favorite state too:)

Wait-aren't you like, only 20?
Yep. But I can turn my papers in 120 days before, which makes it August.

A little eager, huh?
Believe me, this was not a spur of the moment decision. (Trust me on this, I have thought about it. Plenty.) A mission is something I know I want to do, so why not go now? It makes the most sense to go as soon as possible, for multiple reasons including school. And no, I am not going because I'm not married or don't know what to do with my life. First of all, I'm only 20. Also, I would be hanging around if I was worried about the whole marriage part. I feel like I am definitely going for the right reasons. There are many reasons..... When looking for someone to marry, a returned missionary is high on my list. Just as I expect this out of the person I marry, I want to be the best developed and prepared for my future husband also. I know that the effort I put into 18 months of a mission is worth more than I could learn in a loooong time. The gospel is the most important thing in my life, and there is nothing better I could do at this point in my life than to go share what I know is true with other people. The knowledge I have can bless people more than even being a social worker could right now. Knowing who I really am and my potential brings hope, so of course I want to help others be happy through the gospel.

Deciding to go on a mission is a personal thing. Boys are expected to go. But girls....well, it's all about decision making.
And for this girl, it is the decision she made. I am SO excited to go on a mission.
There have been things such as negative stereotypes of sister missionaries, misconceptions, school, money, and time that could have gotten in the way. However, for me, right now, a mission is what I know I want to do.
Yes, I have months before I can even go. Unfortunately I can't hop on a plane next week.
Yes, there are slight moments where I question if it's really worth it and what the heck I am doing.
Yes, I will miss not living in Logan in the fall. (Living at home is a change for sure...)
Yes, technically I could go to another semester of school, but it would mess up my standing in my program, and it costs money.
No, I don't tell every person I meet my life plans, because lets be honest, they don't really care. And that's fine:)
No, I don't have the biggest social life, especially when people find out I won't be around long term. (It's a sad thought when a boy tells you 'You probably shouldn't tell boys you are going on a mission if you want to have any fun before you leave.' Oh, thanks for the advice.) haha.
No, sister missionaries don't always have to wear skirts to their ankles and turtlenecks. :)

There it is, the most commonly asked questions/conversations I seem to have all the time.
Peoples lives go on, people change, and we can't go back to freshman year of college forever. It's hard to make decisions that will separate you from everything that is familiar and fun while everyone else's lives move on. Despite that, I know what some of my priorities in life are. Serving a mission has been a goal for a long time, and it's crazy to think, but this point in my life is where I get to focus on serving my Heavenly Father full-time for 18 months; to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I remember one day in Institute my teacher saying that "surely Heavenly Father will withold no blessing from a daughter who loves him enough to serve him for 18 months". I feel like a pretty lucky girl to have the gospel be what directs my life, but also be in a position to share what I know is true with other people. It's going to be a good time for sure:)



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