December 11, 2011 Sunday

IT IS FINALLY TIME.

Church never seemed to last so long as it did today. I wanted to text my parents every 15 minutes to see if they were in Provo yet. As I took the Sacrament, I realized that it would be the last time that I did so, and wouldn't know where I would serve my mission. It was only a matter of hours before I opened the call. "It is finally time."

My roommates and I returned home and the pacing began. I was frequently searching out the window for my parents to arrive. I was pacing in my bedroom, when Sarah yelled, "Heather's parents are here!!!" I lept out of my room and darted to the door. The door flew open-there were my sparkly eyed parents and...the bright, white envelope!!!! AH!!!! =)

Mom held out the envelope, I snatched it with a squeal, and clenched it close to me. FINALLY. We had just enough time before everyone else showed up for my parents to realize how crazy I had been over the last few days. I was leaping and bounding, pacing and squealing, laying on the floor with roommates rubbing my back to calm me, checking out the window for friends, and sighing deep, painful sighs every few seconds. I was NUTS!!!

I was soon surrounded by my roommates, several good friends, my parents, Bishop du Preez, and Brother Sacks. We had my siblings on Skype, with Grandparents on the phone. Finally, I sat down on the royal couch with my parents on each side of me. I took a deep breath.

I peeled the envelope open and quickly covered the paper inside. "You are hereby called to serve in the Illinois, NAUVOO Mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I report to the MTC on March 14th. It also said that I will be instructed on conducting tours. When I read that, I felt the Spirit say, "Heavenly Father needs you. You have been prepared for this mission your entire life."

I leaned back with a big grin and sighed, "Now I know!"

It seemed unreal that I could finally start dreaming about my mission and know where I was. The hugs came and friends went their separate ways. My parents needed to leave pretty quickly because they had a long drive home.

I have now begun a new chapter of my life. I have my mission call. There are a few weeks of school left, then I head home for the preparation period before I enter the MTC. And it feeeeeeels GOOD!!!! I am SO excited and so ready to get to work and serve my fore-ordained mission in Nauvoo. I will admit that I was surprised, but in NO way disappointed. I really thought I would go foreign, or to Temple Square in Salt Lake. (Although, I had explained to Heavenly Father that Temple Square was too close to Provo...haha). Based on a few things that my dad said in my Father's Blessing, I am excited to see how everything works out. From October until April I will be reassigned to a proselyting mission, which I will not know where I go until later. A lot of things will happen in that six months, and in the entire 18 months, which I am so excited for.

So I see that music was important in my life, as well s being able to speak for hours at a time. No problem there! I always loved public speaking, people, giving demonstrations and speeches, etc. Thus Nauvoo IS the PERFECT mission for me!!!