I would like to share a little story with you. Saturday morning I woke up refreshed but cold. We keep our window open at night and there was a lovely autumn draft blowing on me. I watched my roommate move about the room, thinking to myself I needed to get up and get ready, but it was so comfortable in my bed and it was so cold in the room. Eventually I got up and dressed, cold, but enjoying the crisp autumn-smelling breeze. I walked to my old roommates' apartment to watch General Conference with my friends Becca and Carolina. It was quiet outside, the birds were chirping, the leaves were turning brown. I already knew that it was going to be a good day.
The three of us sat on Carolina's bed, each readying ourselves to take notes on the Conference Session. The internet was being slow and so we were actually behind in the session. Suddenly a roommate of theirs came bursting into the room exclaiming "did you just hear that?!" We had no idea what she was talking about. President Monson was talking, but as of yet it just seemed to be the normal welcome he gave us. Something big was coming. We knew it and we tensed for the news.
Temples, President Monson was talking about temples. Was the news about temples? He announced two temples being built in Peru and Arizona. Okay, great. Was that supposed to be the big news?
Missionary work, he's talking about missionary work. Numbers have gone up. Is that the big news? Their roommate assured us that the big news had yet to come.
President Monson started talking about boys in other countries serving missions at age 18. And even though my whole body was tense, waiting for the news, I still didn't see it coming.
The age for boys to leave on missions was officially changed to 18. The three of us were in amazement. This was spectacular! What amazing news!
But the best was still to come.
President Monson started talking about women.
My stomach started doing somersaults. Could it be....?
Yes. The age for women to go on a mission was lowered from 21 to 19.
"OH MY GOSH!!!" the three of us started screaming.
In case you didn't know, I am 19.
We had to pause Conference SEVERAL times after that so we could scream some more. There were a little bit of tears and a great deal of stunned silence when we turned Conference back on. It was so overwhelming. Suddenly, all of our life plans were in shambles. I had my next two years completely planned out. I figured when I turned 21 I would decide whether I wanted to go on a mission or not. And now suddenly, I could go now. I wanted to go now.
I am going now.
We had such a hard time paying attention to Conference after that. Sunday, however, Lexi and I drove to Salt Lake, listening to Conference on the radio as we did. Boy did we feel the spirit. I actually cried while in the car. Just that morning I was having some pretty selfish and superficial thoughts, and President Eyering and Elder Holland just wiped those thoughts of mine away. I know what I'm supposed to do. We then watched the Sunday Afternoon session in the Conference Center. This was my first time going to Conference and it was so powerful and beautiful.
I'm sure plenty of girls had a similar experience to mine. And I know that every girl is going to make her own decision and that whatever she chooses will be for her own reasons and that the Lord's plan is different for every girl.
But here is what I have decided. I am going to get my papers in this semester so that I can be available to leave for a mission next semester at the earliest. And then it will be up to the Lord whether I go next semester or I get the call for 6 months later. That will be his decision when he needs me most.
What is absolutely amazing, is the past 2 weeks or so, Lexi and I have been complaining about the age for women missionaries. "Why can't we go now?" we complained. I don't know where I will be when I am 21, but I know where I am now. If we were allowed to leave at age 19, I would, I had told the Lord. I had other intimate discussions with the Lord that are private and so I won't share, but it made it so that when the Prophet made this announcement, I realized that I had already made an agreement with Him. I had made him a promise without even realizing it, and now I was expected to live up to it.
I'm going on a mission guys!
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