Expedited Process

Life changes direction so fast, and of course it is for our benefit. Its never been in plan to go on a mission. Not that I didn't want to serve, just that I thought going on my study abroad was my "mission". So I convinced myself of such, and was vocally opposed to the idea of serving. Well I got a "slap" in the face when I learned that I needed to serve a mission. Coming here to BYU-Provo has been a little tough, but I couldn't have grown as much in Idaho as I have here, in my own identity and testimony. It truly has been a blessing to be able to attend school here and learn from those that surround me. As I have been wanting to know why I am here at BYU, in a sense what is my purpose, I still am unsure, however it was very unsettling to stay and do classes until I am finished and then go to Graduate School. (This plan is still something I will, its just on the back burner now) So I decided I was going to go on a mission a little over a month ago and will leave on my mission in little over a month.

I turned in my mission papers last week on Tuesday, my stake president told me he wasn't sure if I would get in the bundle for the First Presidency to look at on Friday. But sure enough, at work on Wednesday, I was extremely anxious, so I booked it out of the office and ran home. And there was a huge, heavy white envelope sitting in my mailbox.

I ran up the stairs screaming, and I had my roommate take it out of my hands before I ripped it open. The myth is that if the call weighs more than $1 it is foreign but if its less than its stateside, but I have heard of my people who debunk this myth, so I had no clue. But I kind of a had a feeling it wasn't going to be a Stateside mission. I was completely happy to go anywhere and I know I would be happy anywhere.

In order to comply with my family and friends schedules, I told them I would open up my call at 8:00pm at my apartment. My family was on a skype, I had my Bishop, Annie and Kyler on speaker phone and about 40 very supportive friends come over and watch me open my future location for the next 18 months.

The whole afternoon before opening up my call, I cleaned and made treats because those are my stress relievers and then went to my Psychology Class which was ironically on Anxiety Disorders, by the time I left I had basically diagnosed myself with one. After class, I had my eye on my call the whole time.

I opened up the call at 8:07pm in front of a full family room in my apartment, with full support of great family and friends. I was so nervous, and was shaking like crazy. My worst fear was the envelope I had received was actually a rejection of my mission papers. Oh course that wasn't the case. It was so incredible.

I am called to serve the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Guayaquil South, Ecuador, Spanish speaking. I leave June 22! My friends were laughing so hard because my Spanish really struggles. But I know it will all work out and I am totally thrilled to go. And I am extremely grateful for all the support I have from my family and fantastic friends!!