The Why

This week was a pretty good week. We were able to have zone conference and watch Meet the Mormons! It was way good. Everyone should see it Mormon or not. I still learned something new from it, and it's just uplifting. Yep, that's my plug in it for that.

The big lesson of the week was Lori. She was the one we watched Finding Faith in Christ with. When we started teaching her she said that her biggest fear is that there's one true church and that she's in the wrong one. We taught her the Restoration and by the end she was a little overwhelmed. She said she was scared. I think she was scared because she knew this was her answer and that it would mean change. Most people don't like change. But it was a really great lesson! Over all it's a huge miracle! We're excited to teach her tomorrow and ask her what she thinks about what she's read!

So I thought it would be fun to do something a little different and do a 3 part segment. Part 1: The Why. Part 2: The Call. Part 3: The Unexpected.

So here's Part 1: The Why

Why did I choose to serve a mission?

The age changed happened and it was weird because all of the sudden this option was open to me. Of course it was a big decision so I put off thinking about it. I didn't want to go just because I COULD go. I told myself I wouldn't think about it for a month.

Before this I never wanted to go on a mission. The seemed scary (which they are!) and it didn't seem like me to go. People would always ask me if I was going to go and I'd say no, without hesitation. For mutual, when they had missionary activities I'd do them half heartedly because I "knew" I was never even going to serve.

Well exactly one month later I was at work washing dishes. A thought came into my mind. I can't remember the second half it it but the first part was "well on my mission, it'll be like this...." This thought scared me! I didn't say if, I said when. I looked at the calendar and it was exactly 1 month later. this thought came out of no where and I know it was by the spirit. I wasn't going to remember the date, but Heavenly Father sure did!

So I started thinking about it and talking to a few people. One of my good friends who I never ever thought would serve a mission decided to go, and she seemed SOO excited about it, that changed my perspective a little bit.

I didn't really announce to anyone in my family that I was planning on going. It was a big surprise when Dennis called a super random family council and started talking about saving for missions and how we're supposed to pay 1/2. I really don't think they were expecting me to go. It surprised them a little when I said I was really thinking about it and that it looked like I was going to go.

Oop. I forgot a big part. In the middle of all my thinking and pondering about a mission, I read my patriactchal blessing which was semi-neglected. After dusting it off... I read that I would serve as a full-time missionary, in the mission field. Heavenly Father really had to spell it out for me ;)

So I started my papers and saving even more. It's really interesting how my life just kind of lined up for a mission. It was really clear that I was supposed to go. I had exactly enough time to save 1/2, school just... well it probably wasn't the best way to do things but it worked out.

At first I wanted to come out to help people, and there were a lot of other cool benefits, like living outside of Utah, meeting new people, new friends, new food. A lot of temporal reasons.

While all those things do come from a mission, I've realized that there's even more and better reasons. The spiritual growth, I don't think I'd get anywhere close the where I am now spiritually, without my mission.

While I may not have changed very many lives or converted very many souls, I changed y life, and I became more converted. The mission was the best decision of my life. It's made me grow, and become someone I never thought I could be. It's helped me live up to my divine potentional It's going to help me for the rest of my life.

I've been able to see amazing miracles, and I've been able to help people come closer to Jesus Christ and help them access the Atonement. I've been able to see first hand exactly how much Heavenly Father loves all His children

I'm thankful everyday for this opportunity and privilege, I hope that for these next 2 months I will be more able to serve Heavenly Father, to be an instrument in His hands and help His children come closer to Him. He's shown me a lot of love and now I get to show other people that love. I get to help them experience that change that brings peace and happiness. I get a front row seat to the Atonement. I get to be a missionary.