Mission Call Arrival

Opening my mission call!

        I've heard other missionaries say that when they read their call they knew right away that that was the mission they were supposed to be called to. I've also had friends who have had complete opposite experiences and have been disappointed and even a little angry at where they were being called. Having heard both sides, I didn't know what to expect when my call came. I am never one to want to fit into the cliches or the stereotypes of the world, I like to stand out and be my own person. And while my story is similar to many,  I have learned how very personal each experience is. Here is my story.

      As soon as I finished my final interview with the Stake President and he said he would be submitting my papers that night, I began to pray specifically for a few things. I prayed every day to be able to accept where I was being sent, and to know that that was where my Heavenly Father wanted me. I wanted to be ready and prepared to be happy with where ever I was sent. I didn't have my heart set on a foreign mission, I was one sister that was fine staying in the states or leave. As the days went by, I got more and more anxious and would just wonder where I was being called, which is pretty normal. Finally after waiting and checking the mailbox daily, my call came! 

       I didn't expect the feeling that came over me when I pulled the envelope from the mailbox. I felt so much joy and excitement, nothing can compare! I realized right then, the power behind the call that was waiting in that envelope. The spirit hit me strongly and confirmed to me right then that I was going to be fine with whatever mission I was called to. I just had to wait a few more hours for my family to get home to be able to open it. After 2 of the longest hours of my life, I was surrounded by my family while I opened my call. 

      My hands were shaking as I opened the envelope and I pulled the paper out careful. The feeling that came over me as I began to read the powerful words, "Dear Sister Young, You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints." was wonderful. I was being called to represent Jesus Christ as a full-time servant by his own prophet on the earth. I read on, "You are assigned to labor in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission." So many thoughts went through my head, but the thought that stuck out was, "Yeah, this is the right place for me." Like I said before, I'm not one for cliches, but as the words sunk in, I received my long prayed for confirmation that the Colorado Fort Collins Mission was exactly where I was supposed to be. I felt like Heavenly Father was aware of me and knew that I would best fit in this mission. I have learned even more, through receiving my mission call, how very personalized mission work is. My talents, personality, and testimony fit best with this mission and this is where I need to grow the most through my time on my mission. 

   

      I am so excited to begin serving! My mission covers Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming! As I most recently moved to St. George, UT after living in Wyoming for 12 years of my life, it is quite interesting but comforting knowing that I am going back to an area that I love. Who knows if I will end up back in Wyoming during my mission, if so, my work in Wyoming must not have been done just quite yet. I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father is in charge and knows what he is doing. Knowing that Heavenly Father loves me and is aware of me will bring me great comfort as I serve Him for the next 18 months. With each person I meet, each companion I have, each area I am sent to, each joy, and each hardship, I will know Heavenly Father is in charge.