Personal Revelation Designed by the Lord

As many of you may know, my sister left on a mission this year.
So did most of my guys friends, but I guess that's just how it goes when you're an LDS girl with mostly LDS friends.
Some of you may remember the good friend I made over the summer by the name of Noona who is now serving in New York as a missionary. Over this summer I had the opportunity to watch her go from preparing to put her papers in to leaving on her mission after receiving her endowments and getting her call.
Some of you may recall ( not that I expect you to) that I may have slightly mentioned a few times over the months how strongly I felt I wanted to go on a mission. Most of my friends this summer were in their late 20's, returned missionaries, and I felt the influence of a mission all the time.
But it wasn't just an outside thing.
I was incredibly homesick for a lot of time in San Diego. I got to the point where I was calling my parents 6 or more times a day. Not that I didn't love where I was... but I was struggling to not feel lonely all the way out there on my own.
If I hadn't gone to San Diego, I would not have been able to come to Spain.
Now, I am emailing short communications to my family most days and we skype about 3 or maybe 4 times a week. I know, it's a lot. But it's less than what I was doing.
Over the months I have learned to more fully rely on the Lord and to become more emotionally independent.
I have learned who I am and what I love to do and what motivates me.
And I have felt very strongly, so many times, that I wanted and would serve a mission.

However, the counsel in our church is for young ladies to put marriage as the top priority. We believe that through working through difficulties, making a strong, selfless, and God centered marriage, making covenants in the temple and being sealed to your spouse for time and all eternity, one can become more like God than in any other way. That is why it is such a high priority for the LDS community, and a lot of people don't understand that it is for such a spiritual reason that LDS people seem to be married so young. However, there you are. And so, I felt almost guilty at times that I had such a strong desire to serve- not because I thought I should get married first, but because I did not want this desire to impair my ability to make decisions based on what the Lord would want, be it marriage or otherwise. I simply felt deeply that I wanted to follow the counsel of the leaders of the church and be humble enough to submit myself to the will of the Lord. And I would have to make sure I stayed humble for 2 years, despite my incredibly strong desire to serve a mission.

Well the whole time I have been in Spain, a mission has still been on my mind. Two of the girls in the program are returned missionaries, and I continued to feel a warm and urging feeling in my stomach about a mission. I have had moments while here where I have been on the metro and wanted to give the person across from me a Book of Mormon, or when I have felt the power of missionary work, and when I have seen the change devoting her life to the Lord has made in my sister's life...
And I have wanted it so badly.

Not only have I wanted it, but when I went teaching with the Sister missionaries down in San Diego, I remember feeling so peaceful, like this was right and what I needed to do. I have had random thoughts in my mind while here in Spain that lead to things like serving a mission, thoughts that I believe have been placed by the influence of the Holy Ghost and the Lord in my life.

And then, we went to Toledo this weekend. It was incredible, and Toledo is gorgeous, but by the end of the day Letty and I walked in the room, dropped our bags on the ground, and rested our weary bodies on our beds. I opened up my computer (it was about 6:30 our time, 10:30am Boise time), and got on email.

I found two emails, one from my mom and one from my dad. The one from my mom had the subject, "Pressure !!!" and the one from my dad was titled, "Mish?" Uuuhhhh what. I opened up my mom's and found the message (typos and all),

"So shave you heard President Monson's announcement?  Boys going on missions at 18 and girls at 19!!!!!!!!

Whatcha thinking?

Wish I could Skype with you now. On a bus to Pocatello!!!!

Sent from my iPhone"

I am pretty sure I stopped breathing. Immediate thoughts: 

1. NO WAY

2. IS SHE JOKING?!

3. OH MY GOSH!!!

4. WHAT?!?!?!?!?

Immediate words/sounds:

Letty! Letty! Oh my! Oh my!!!!!! Letty! boyscanserveat18andgirlscangoat19!!!! I AM GOING ON A MISSION!!!!!!!

*Squeal, squeal

I AM GOING ON A MISSION!!!!!!

*scream, squeal, jump, bounce with pillow, roll on ground

* LETTY I AM SERVING A MISSIONNNNNNNNN!!!!!

(I would like to add that thankfully we were alone in the house and I was able to fully express myself through acrobatic movements and the like while letting my vocal chords do as they may)

She was surprise, but who wasn't?! I was jumping up and down, I could not believe the joy that entered my heart.

Without praying, without checking what my dad's email said, I posted my status on facebook. (Priorities...)

"mission. happening."

After a few people liked it, I realized maybe I should have prayed before I told the whole world that I had made an incredibly spiritual and life altering decision... without consulting the one and only.

So, I prayed.

No question, you guys. It's like Heavenly Father has been telling me all year that I am going on a mission, and I need to prepare, and I needed to just have faith, and now he's like, "Oh, yeah. Here you go. Now it's actually possible."

I have to admit I felt like a horse that was all bridled up with a rider on top and trained up and ready to go, but locked behind a starting gate... that was just opened.

There is no question. I am moving forward. My papers are almost done, my bishop is incredibly supportive in even skyping in order to do some of the interview process, and my heart and tummy feel completely secure in the fact that this is what I need to be doing.

I am going on a mission!

And the Lord has let me prepare this whole year. 

I will soon be joining my beautiful and exemplary older sister in this great hastening of the harvest, in the gathering of Isreal, and in the fulfillment of the prophecy that this gospel will soon fill all the Earth. I will have the name, "Jesus Christ" on my chest, and I will represent him as I bring children into the full light and truth that is this restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

I know it is true. I know the Lord loves me. And I know that little things are put in our path in order to prepare us to become what He would have us become.

My smile has never been bigger, nor has it ever lasted this long on my face. And that's saying something, knowing me. I LOVE the Lord.

Here's a clip of our beloved prophet Thomas S. Monson making the announcement that will change the LDS culture and thousands of lives forever: