1) "What could I be doing for those eighteen months that could possibly be more beneficial for me or the people around me?" This is the question I asked myself as a fourteen year old, when I first started thinking seriously about serving a mission. I realized that a mission could be the best thing for my life. If there is something better that the Lord needs you to do, I think he will make it known unto you. Wherever you end up is where he needs you. If you don't serve a mission, maybe that just means that the Lord has plans for you to serve others where you are. Or maybe you just need to learn and grow, or meet certain people. But for me, a mission is the best use of my time in this period of my life.
2) "The Church will progress whether I'm involved in it or not." I realized this little insight as I contemplated serving a mission. The work of salvation is rolling forth around the world, "like a stone cut without hands." If I don't preach the gospel, that isn't going to stop Heavenly Father's plan of salvation from coming to pass. The question is then raised, "Do I want to be a part of this work?" I believe that is a blessing to even be a part of missionary work. This leads into the next thought....
3) "All ye that desire to serve are called to the work." This scripture really stood out to me as I studied in the temple. I realized that I do have a desire to serve! And that because of that, I have the opportunity to serve. Anyone who wants to serve the Lord can do just that, in whatever capacity they can. If you give your whole heart, you will be blessed by your labors.
4) "It's real. It's happening." This realization hit me right after I finished my interview with the Stake President. He informed me that my mission call would arrive sometime in the next two weeks, and that I would be a wonderful missionary. I just started crying. I couldn't help myself, because I realized that I would actually be serving as a missionary! I was just overwhelmed with joy. This is when I knew that I had made the right decision.
5) "Wherever he needs me to be." As I waited anxiously for my call, people would ask where I wanted to go or where I thought I would be called. I thought Germany would be cool because of my German ancestors, but I told them that I would honestly go wherever I was called. This mindset was really important to me, because I didn't want to be disappointed when I opened that call. I knew in my heart that wherever I got called would be the right place for me, so that made it easier. I also knew that I would love those people so much, whether they were from Tokyo or Toronto. I wasn't sure if I would get called English speaking or a foreign language. I wanted to learn a language, but I kind of had the feeling that I would go stateside, so that I could jump right in without a language barrier.
6) "I'm going to Mexico!?" When I opened my call, I couldn't believe it. I never thought I would go to Mexico! I did take three years of Spanish in high school, but I've forgotten most of it and assumed I would never need it. I was so, so, so happy though. And I'm still absolutely ecstatic. It just feels so right. I can't wait to meet the people there and experience it all. I know it won't be remotely easy, but now my mission feels real. I will be teaching real people, who live in Cancun. People who maybe moved there to escape from past struggles, or people who have lived in tiny Mayan villages for generations. It's a beautiful area filled with diversity and history. And the people there need the gospel.
7) "I'm supposed to be in Cancun." Okay, here's a cool story. My parents actually went to Cancun a few years ago, but their trip was unplanned. They were planning to go to Cabo San Lucas, but their cruise was rerouted due to a hurricane warning off the coast. They ended up exploring Cozumel, Tulum, and other areas in Cancun, exactly where my mission will cover! I really think this is a tender mercy from the Lord, because it means my parents are familiar with the area I will be serving. It just shows that things are set in place before we even know about them, and that Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone.
Another kind of fun detail is that I did multi-cultural dance club in high school. I joined this club just because the club president really needed more members. I didn't realize how much fun it would be, or the kind of friendships I would gain from it. I ended up hanging out with these wonderful hispanic girls at least once a week, learning about Mexican folklore dancing. I came to appreciate the beautiful skirts, movements, and culture of "folklorico." This gave me just a taste of what I'll be experiencing, and I'm grateful that I participated in this club.
8) "Time to prepare." So now it's really hard to focus in class. All I want to do is hop on a plan and fly to Cancun, but I have to wait until February. Luckily this gives me time to prepare, strengthen my testimony, learn the language, shop for missionary clothes, and finish school. I can't wait until it's finally time to leave and get to work! Stay tuned for more missionary updates and thoughts as February 14th gets closer!
No comments:
Post a Comment