I hope they call me on a mission...

"...when I have grown a foot or two!"

Only, now, I'd really rather stay this size.  When I was a little girl in primary, I sang this song as loud as I possibly could, fully believing that after I graduated high school, I was going to be a missionary called of God!  Somewhere along the way, though, I got side-tracked.  I think I got into the state of mind that missions were just for the guys.

Then, I got so caught up in what I wanted to do...  I wanted to be a photographer, band director, history teacher, filmmaker.  I still want to be a lot of things, but I find myself distracted from what I need to do.

I've been asking for a long time about where I'm needed, what He wants me to do, what He has planned for me.  I've been asking for years, and several times I've felt like I finally found the answer, but then it turns out to be wrong.  But it turns out, it's been staring me in the face this entire time.

I wasn't listening.  Or, I was, but I wasn't accepting the answer.  For two years, I've been playing around with the idea of serving a mission.

I came up with all sorts of reasons why I couldn't.  I wouldn't be able to stand not writing in my stories for eighteen months, I'd be leaving right after Jon got home, I couldn't leave my family, picking school up again after a mission would be too hard, I don't have the patience or self-discipline, yadda yadda.

But I was missing the point.  There was a reason I can't stop thinking about it.  Every Sunday, every single time someone mentions missionary work, I get really excited, and I have a strong feeling that that's what I'm supposed to be doing.

I've got my answer, and to the best of my ability, I'm going to follow it.  I know I've got a lot of hard work ahead of me.  When is it ever easy?  I also know a lot can happen in a year.  Believe me, I've learned that lesson.  But, whatever happens, my goal for the next year is to submit my mission papers.

I want to serve a mission.

I need to serve a mission.

"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;

For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul."

(Doctrine & Covenants 7:3-4)