I feel amazing.
After a great weekend with my friends in Long Beach, I finally said goodbye and headed home this morning. I wasn't looking forward to the drive, nor was I happy about leaving the people that I care for so much to head home, but my mission call was waiting. I packed up (it all fit) and I headed off.
I love how when you get home, everyone is super excited to see you... for about 30 seconds, and then they are back to whatever they were up to like nothing happened. I guess that's how it works. I walked into my room and saw it sitting on my desk: my mission call - in a big envelope! I got a bit emotional for just a minute. I had been preparing myself all week for a small envelope so I wouldn't be disappointed if I did get one - man I was so happy! Then I got nervous again, I was nervous about where it would send me, and then i felt it and it seemed light, so again I told myself I was going domestic (I covered by bases by convincing myself that I was going to either Atlanta, Georgia, or Boise, Idaho, that way no matter what it actually was, I couldn't be disappointed).
There was nothing I could do but go unpack the car and wait. My mom had invited people from the ward and some of my friends to be there when I opened it at 8:30pm. So I took a nap. That night, there were probably close to 30 people there watching me, some with cell phones on speaker with others listening and my mom behind the video recorder taping my every move. I was glad my close friends were there too whom I hadn't seen in months.
It was time. I slowly slid my finger beneath the flap of the envelope, pulled out the contents, and set the envelope on top so I couldn't see what the letter said. Then I pulled it down slowly. The first words were:
Dear Elder Sellers:
I paused. I started to shake, I was so nervous. But I kept going, though I had a hard time reading.
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The pressure was building. I knew what I was waiting for was on the next line. I slid it barely, then a tad bit to the side. I saw an "M" and immediately thought I was going to Michigan. However, when I removed paper that covered the words, my jaw dropped, my heart leaped for joy, and I thought of Scott Westover before finally reading to everyone else in the room:
You are assigned to labor in the Puerto Rico San Juan West Mission.
That was amazing, everyone got really excited, and I couldn't have been more shocked, and excited, and happy, and full of joy and wonder and everything else. That was the same mission Scott Westover would be coming home from in a matter of weeks, I was speechless and so happy. I am going to be speaking Spanish!
We had a big map of the world set up so people could tag the countries or states where they thought I would go, but no one thought of little Puerto Rico, and now that I think of it, I couldn't have asked for a better place to serve. It is not too far from the US, but not actually part of it (technically), good warm weathers (and humidity), tropical surroundings, wonderful people, a language that I can use and develop for the rest of my life, and something new. I mean, I could have been dropped in the middle of Africa or Asia, and I would have been on Cloud 9, but this is just as amazing. This tiny little island is where I will be serving the Lord!
The mission also includes a couple of small islands just north of Venezuela including Aruba. Thats pretty cool.
I have a lot to do to prepare, and I know it will be a lot of very hard work, but the blessings will pour upon me ten-fold if I am faithful. This I know.I love how when you get home, everyone is super excited to see you... for about 30 seconds, and then they are back to whatever they were up to like nothing happened. I guess that's how it works. I walked into my room and saw it sitting on my desk: my mission call - in a big envelope! I got a bit emotional for just a minute. I had been preparing myself all week for a small envelope so I wouldn't be disappointed if I did get one - man I was so happy! Then I got nervous again, I was nervous about where it would send me, and then i felt it and it seemed light, so again I told myself I was going domestic (I covered by bases by convincing myself that I was going to either Atlanta, Georgia, or Boise, Idaho, that way no matter what it actually was, I couldn't be disappointed).
There was nothing I could do but go unpack the car and wait. My mom had invited people from the ward and some of my friends to be there when I opened it at 8:30pm. So I took a nap. That night, there were probably close to 30 people there watching me, some with cell phones on speaker with others listening and my mom behind the video recorder taping my every move. I was glad my close friends were there too whom I hadn't seen in months.
It was time. I slowly slid my finger beneath the flap of the envelope, pulled out the contents, and set the envelope on top so I couldn't see what the letter said. Then I pulled it down slowly. The first words were:
Dear Elder Sellers:
I paused. I started to shake, I was so nervous. But I kept going, though I had a hard time reading.
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The pressure was building. I knew what I was waiting for was on the next line. I slid it barely, then a tad bit to the side. I saw an "M" and immediately thought I was going to Michigan. However, when I removed paper that covered the words, my jaw dropped, my heart leaped for joy, and I thought of Scott Westover before finally reading to everyone else in the room:
You are assigned to labor in the Puerto Rico San Juan West Mission.
That was amazing, everyone got really excited, and I couldn't have been more shocked, and excited, and happy, and full of joy and wonder and everything else. That was the same mission Scott Westover would be coming home from in a matter of weeks, I was speechless and so happy. I am going to be speaking Spanish!
We had a big map of the world set up so people could tag the countries or states where they thought I would go, but no one thought of little Puerto Rico, and now that I think of it, I couldn't have asked for a better place to serve. It is not too far from the US, but not actually part of it (technically), good warm weathers (and humidity), tropical surroundings, wonderful people, a language that I can use and develop for the rest of my life, and something new. I mean, I could have been dropped in the middle of Africa or Asia, and I would have been on Cloud 9, but this is just as amazing. This tiny little island is where I will be serving the Lord!
The mission also includes a couple of small islands just north of Venezuela including Aruba. Thats pretty cool.
:) A good day. A day to remember for the rest of my life. I can't wait.
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