I am opening my mission call tomorrow. I can hardly believe how quickly this day has gotten here. I still don't believe that I'm 21. I don't even know how to handle the fact that my mission has already been assigned to me. That I am, in fact, going to leave home for a whole year and a half to spread the word of God to people, that right now, I don't even know exist. People I've probly never seen before in my life. Lots of questions are going through my head about where I will go- will it be foreign or stateside, will I speak my native tongue or learn Spanish, German, Italian, or even Canadian? What is going to happen to me? Will I be able to teach and share and learn how to recognize spiritual promptings from the Holy Ghost? How will I be brave enough to share things that are so sweet and sacred to me, with people I don't even know? I have a hard enough time sharing with close friends if I have the hint of thought that they will reject me or what I'm saying!
But I am at peace with what is coming. I know the Lord knows what I need to do, and where I need to go, and He will help me learn how to serve him while I'm there. I'm trying to learn what I can from others who have and who are serving. In fact, I would just like any knowledge I could get my hands on about what kinds of things ought to be done to help me prepare. The faith is in the preparation. And I want to be prepared enough that the spirit will be able to guide me to people in need as well as be able to bring to memory anything that I need to say and even the things I need to stand up and defend.
We'll see if I even remember to blog after I get my call, so you can know what's going on, where I'm going and when I'm leaving!

Anticipation

Today I am getting ready to teach a lesson from the Preach My Gospel book. What it really is preparing me for is my mission.
I'm one interview away from getting my mission papers sent into Salt Lake City! It is so close I can hardly believe it! I don't even know what to think of this all.

I've recently surrounded myself with lots of returned missionaries. But not just any RM's- I mean, I've learned how to be friends with the guys RM's since I turned 18. But Sisters! This is a whole new world! Not only has it been being friends with them, a lot of my friends, my age and younger, are leaving, or already gone on their missions. I get some weekly emails from one of my old roommates, as well as some typical updates from some of the guys from my home ward. And that has been such a pleasure, and such a habit that it will be weird for me when they all get home and I don't get any more letters.

But it has been so awesome to be surrounded by Returned Sisters. I've been able to talk with them about their missions and they've helped me understand that some of my fears are natural. Even knowing that they felt similar things to what I'm feeling now, has been so comforting to me.

I'm so grateful for this chance I have to serve the Lord for the next 18 months of my life. It really isn't very much time at all, and I want to do all that I can to make the best use of every minute I will have to teach these people how to return to God.