This next week I will hit my 8-month mark since getting home from my mission, and my sister will be leaving on her mission in less than 2 months. So I have been reflecting a lot on the wonderful experiences I had, and what it took to actually get me out there. The question I probably get asked the most is, "Why did you decide to serve a mission?". I have been asked this question more times than I can count. Usually by 18 and 19-year-old girls who are trying to decide whether or not serving is the right thing for them to do. I have definitely asked other returned sister missionaries this question a fair few times myself, and it has been very interesting to hear the variety of responses. I guess this is probably because it is not expected of us to serve, so prior to serving, we are all looking for direct revelation and direction as to why we should go. Everyone's experience is unique, which strengthens my testimony of how perfectly Heavenly Father knows and loves each of us.
Well, as for me, I never wanted to serve! I would joke around about maybe going on a mission if I wasn't married by the time I was 21, but I honestly had no desire to go. I admired girls who did serve, but I just didn't feel like it was something I needed to do. By the time I was a junior in high school, I already had my entire life figured out, or so I thought. They were good plans, and I was excited about where my life was headed. One morning I was sitting in seminary.....I was 17 at the time, and the theme for seminary that year was Proverbs 3:5-6.
I had heard this scripture 1000 times, and even had it memorized, but for some reason it hit me particularly hard that day. I remember receiving the clear impression that my plans were good, but Heavenly Father had plans for me that were even better. But He could only direct my life if I let Him. Without even giving it much thought, I basically just told Him that from there on out I wanted to follow His plan for me and do the very best thing. That same week, the plans that I originally had started to fall apart. That was one of the hardest weeks of my life, and for a while I was heartbroken because those were things that I had thought about, prayed for, and worked at for a long time. But, as I have been learning ever since.......
Several months later, in August, I headed out to Provo for hair school at Paul Mitchell the School. I loved my time there, and had several experiences, right from the beginning that helped to keep the idea of serving a mission always in the back of my mind. But I was still only 17, and 21 felt so far away. Then October General Conference rolled around, and I was driving in the car with one of my friends when the age change announcement was made. I remember feeling like I had been hit in the head by a brick, and wrapped in a warm, soft blanket all at the same time! I had the most powerful prompting that I was one of the sisters who needed to respond to the age change. I guess Heavenly Father knows me well enough to know that I would have kept putting off a mission, unless I had clear and undeniable instructions that it was the right thing for me to do.
So it really was not until after I knew I needed to go, that I started thinking about all the reasons I should go, and all of the blessings that might come from it. My Mom had served a mission, and I had grown up seeing how much that has blessed and strengthened my parents' relationship, because they are very unified spiritually and in their desire to always put the Lord first. I knew that serving a mission would also help me to become a much better wife and mother. Plus, I LOVE the gospel so much, and even though I knew I could never repay Heavenly Father for all He has blessed me with, I still wanted to give Him as much of myself as I could. I also wanted to become completely converted to the gospel, and knew that would happen as I devoted everything to sharing the gospel with others. A lot of my initial motives changed and adjusted once I got out on my mission, and I ended up staying on my mission for slightly different reasons. But, my desires were enough to get me out there, and then Heavenly Father was able to really start the refining process....but that I'll save for another blog post. :)
Opening my mission call was one of the most exciting moments of my life! My family and I actually drove up into the mountains to open it, because I just wanted to be as close to heaven as possible, and the mountains have always been a kind of temple for me. I am so glad I did that, because it made it very personal and special. I had really wanted to serve somewhere French speaking, because I had been learning the language for a couple of years, and really loved it. But when I read that I was called to serve in the Australia Sydney South Mission, English speaking, it just felt so right! Like there was no where else I could possibly go! I had no idea what to expect, and it took a lot of work to get FBI clearance and a visa, but everything fell into place just the way it needed to. My mission was not easy. In fact, it was really really hard sometimes. And there were days when I would think to myself, "Now why did I decide to do this again?" But it was so worth it! I saw so many miracles and developed relationships with people that will last forever. I learned so much about the gospel, other people, myself, and the Savior! Best of all, I got to see how the gospel can change people. My mission was definitely the Lord's university for the rest of my life.
But I know that not every sister needs to serve. I have a number of really good friends who chose not to serve for various reasons. The Lord is still using them with each of their individual and unique gifts and talents. He has blessed them with opportunities to learn many of the same things I learned as a missionary, and those friends are still helping to build the Lord's kingdom. The Lord has very special plans for all of us. The most important thing we can do is submit our will to His. And if that means go on a mission, then do it. If it means get married, then do it. If it means stay in school and bless the lives of everyone around you, then do it. The Lord will use us to accomplish His work if we allow Him to. And that will be in different ways and with different timing for each one of us. One of the very most important things I learned through my whole journey of starting my mission, was just to trust the will of the Lord, because His perspective is eternal and He sees so much more in us than we will ever see in ourselves. There are people all around us who need our help. Some could be right next door, and some could be across the ocean. Some might even be on the other side of the world in Australia. But one way or another, the Lord will lead us to them if that is what He needs us to do.
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