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!!!

December 10, 2011 Saturday

LESS THAN 24 HOURS.

I can make it. I think I can, I think I can. I keep telling myself that I've been waiting my whole life, I can wait a little longer. But when I don't kid around with myself, I admit, "OH. MY. HECK!!! I am going to go CRAZY!!!!"

I can't believe that I've made it this long. I am dying to know where I am going to serve. My heart has seriously been pounding inside of me since Thursday. I can't sleep at night, I can only focus on school for little bits at a time, my roommates think I've lost my marbles, and I don't have much else to talk about.

I sit in front of the computer screen with a big picture of my mission call on the screen. I just stare at it, and then stare some more. I've never been more excited to hold a white envelope in my own hands.

My mom sent me a message last night that said she had hugged my mission call good night for me, then quietly placed it back in hiding. My dad and Derek frequently wanted to see it, just to make sure it was still there. So...while my family is hugging MY mission call good night, I'm lying sleeplessly in a distant bed in Utah. OH, THE MISERY!!!! =)

Today I was sitting on the couch playing music on the lap top. Before they knew it, my roommates could hear me singing the blues about my mission call. Impromptu.

All my life, I've been waiting for...I've been praying for...that blessed call to come...one day, one day, one more daaaay....

December 8, 2011 Thursday

THE ARRIVAL OF MY MISSION CALL IN IDAHO

Two minutes before my 8:00 am class, I received a text from my mom, informing me that my mission call would arrive that day. President Kunz had called her and they always came on Thursday. Ahhhhh!!!!!

Honestly, inside, I was heart broken. My mission call was in IDAHO at my house and I was in UTAH!!! I wasn't expecting it to come until NEXT week when I was home. Thoughts started racing through my head. How and when would I get my mission call? I've been waiting for so long already. My dad had been very stern about what he wanted me to do. The options consisted of HIM opening my call over Skype or me waiting until next week to open it at home. OH MY FREAKING HECK, NO!!!!

So of course, I start crying over the phone. My mom tried to comfort me by telling me that she could overnight mail the call to me and I could open it with Skype if that was what I wanted. I sniffled, "But that isn't what Dad wants. He will be so mad!"

Over the next hour, I imagine the town of Driggs, Idaho was buzzing like a beehive. Bishop Moulton and hide wife found out what was happening and OFFERED to drive DOWN TO PROVO, take me back to open my call, then take me all the way back to Provo. When Mom told me that, my heart wanted to burst. That meant so much to me!

Next, my mom called my dad and was going to tell him our new game plan. She explained that she would immediately forward the ominous white envelope to me as soon as it arrived and I would open it over Skype. My dad, however, informed her that he had a different plan. He said that he would drive to Provo on Sunday and deliver the mission call to me himself. Everyone was shocked because he was set on not making any extra trips. When mom told me he was coming, I started crying again. =) My dad, a man who never cries, rarely shows any emotions, doesn't usually budge...was really a softie. I know that mission call is probably just as important to him as it is to me. He has been the only one that always believed I would serve a mission and he held true to that when everyone else doubted. Thus, we see that he INSISTS that he should be with me when I open it-and that means a lot to me. =)

2:00 pm rolled around and my phone rang again-it was my mom! I excitedly said, "Hello!?" She quickly responded,"I don't have any exciting news! The mail isn't here yet. I just wanted to let you know!" ...Good grief.

An hour later, she called-still nothing! Was the call not coming after all? I didn't remember a time that I've felt like I was on more of an emotional roller coaster. It's coming, it's not! Dad's bringing it to me now! I was going to a Polynesian dance performance, so I told Mom to send me a text if it came.

Halfway through the performance, my phone buzzed. AH!

There on that screen was a teeny, little picture of a beautiful, white envelope with "Sister Heather Ripplinger" typed on the front. IT FINALLY CAME. Now I anxiously wait until Sunday, for Dad and my mission call. =)