This Is My Story

After President Monson announced the age change (you can read more about it here), young women everywhere decided to go on missions. The age change increased the number of sister missionaries almost exponentially. The work is progressing, thats for sure. But in the midst of all the numbers and statistics and missions, each person has their own story and reasons to go on a mission. 
This is my story. 

I was watching the October 2012 General Conference in Cottonwood Heights, Utah with my fiance and his family. When President Monson announced the age change, I was almost in tears. I immediately texted my best friend Marissa and said, "Riss! That's you!!!" 

You see, we had been talking about wanting to go on missions since we arrived at BYU Idaho together. We wanted to go NOW and not when we were 21. We had such desire that we almost felt like we were murmuring against the prophets and apostles because we wanted the age requirement to be changed so badly. We thought that surely by the time we were 21 we would be graduated (or close) and most likely end up married. Wouldn't it make sense to send girls at 19 too? It gives them time to go to school a little bit, maybe even find a husband. They could come home and still have plenty of time to get married and raise a family and all the things that women are supposed to do. But we knew that the prophets knew things we did not and that we would have to trust in the Lord. We would have conversations about this all the time. Seriously. All the time. 

It had taken me quite some time to realize my desire to go on a mission. 

If you would have told me in high school that I would be going on a mission at 19, or even 21, I would have laughed in your face. I was not the biggest fan of the church back then. It's a little bit of a miracle that I even chose to go to a church school. Sometime between my senior year and the time I had to register for classes, that changed a little bit. I signed up for a mission prep class. Everyone teased me that I was just doing it to meet boys and blahblahblah. I laughed it off and joked about it, but really, I didn't even know why I had chose to sign up for that class. I was just drawn to it. I told myself that it would be perfect for me because I would be able to learn the basic doctrine of the church so that I could rebuild by testimony. At this point, I knew I wanted that. 

Most freshman take Book of Mormon classes at BYUI, so I was breaking the status quo. Even more, I started college when I was 17 years old. Imagine my embarrassment as I walked into my first day of college into a Mission Prep class full of young men and 20-21 year old sisters. I felt so guilty at first. I thought to myself, "Surely there are actual people with actual calls to missions that needed this class and I took their spot just because I felt like it". At that point, I had 4 years before I could even turn in my papers to go on a mission. Taking a mission prep class was craziness. But. That class changed my life. I learned so much about the gospel and about myself. It brought out my desire to share what I had learned. 

Fast forward a year. 

I was dating a great guy. I had just come out of a time of really hard depression and anxiety. I was feeling like myself again. I was on cloud nine! When that boy and marriage entered the picture, I thought life couldn't get any better. I still was a little sad that it would prevent me from going on a mission, I focused that desire into my future family. I would raise my kids to be strong examples and good missionaries. Marriage was ultimately the best thing I could do, so I was okay with it. 

Cue the age change.

 I was conflicted. My heart was so excited, but I couldn't be one of "those" girls that breaks off their perfectly good engagement just to go on a mission. I focused my excitement onto Marissa and her desires to serve. 

Time went on, my wedding was planned and paid for and all set to go. Marissa got her call to Minnesota. She wasn't going to be able to attend my wedding or be a bridesmaid after all. Mixed emotions. More time went on. Very, very long story short, my fiance called off the wedding. I was devastated, but the very first thing that came to my mind was "NOW I CAN GO ON A MISSION!" 

That was January of this year. It is now June and I am leaving to serve in Milwaukee Wisconsin in just over a month. The road here wasn't easy. But I can see where the Lord's hand had guided me to get here. Looking back, I know I took that mission prep class when it was almost taboo to do so because God knew the age requirement was going to change. He knew I needed that class right then and there. He put the trials of depression and anxiety in my path during my sophomore year so that I could learn how to overcome them and rely on Him during times of difficulty and stress. He broke my heart, quite literally too, so that I could be sure that a mission was really the best decision for me. It taught me to be humble. He put obstacles in my path as I was working on my papers to teach me humility and to have faith in His timing. He put medical obstacles in my life so that I could get the best treatment now so that I can serve a full time mission to the best of my ability. He even gave me my friends, who are all also serving missions right now to support me and strengthen me. One of those friends is even serving in my mission! Marissa's mission and my mission are literally next door and share a boundary. He gave me answers in my patriarchal blessing that assure me that a mission is for me. He assigned me to report to the MTC on July 24th when my classes that I need to graduate end on the 23rd.

 He knows me so well. And I know He knows you so well. 

With that knowledge, let's get to work!

What's your story? I'd love to hear it!