I'll Go Where You Want me to Go..

i thought waiting for my call was hard

i was wrong.

having that white envelope in my possession and waiting for family to get home for work was totally worst. especially since i was just alone with my call where it was tormenting me to open it.

so i did.

okay i didn't but i tore the side of the envelope hoping i'd see a little something

nothing.

I did everything to past time in between, took a nap (lasted 20 mins) went to lunch, skyped my mom (who tempted me to open it), went to the natural waterfalls to hang out and then went to work finally 7:30 rolled around and it was time to open it

but heres the other part I kinda opened my call before i "really" opened it

best decision ever.

I had tore the edge of the envelope enough that i saw my report date and read the mission i was going to without fully opening my call. I'm so glad I did. Everyone who knows me though knows I have the worst patience and so many asked me if i had already opened.  I kept my cool though

I had been to mission call openings and finally it was my turn. I was overwhelmed by my friends and the acquaintances  that were in the room. I felt so much love and it was awesome.

guesses were on the board and everyone needed was on the phone or Skype

so i opened it and i was totally calm until i read "Dear Sister Cleveland"

and I lost it

you are hereby called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints you are assigned to labor in the..

IDAHO NAMPA MISSION

you should report to the Provo MTC September 16th 

best moment of my life.

my super cute residents.

Waiting for My Call

Waiting for my call was dreadful.. 

Except for the fact that it came super fast 

so I really shouldn't complain

every prospective missionary will tell you

no matter how fast it comes it seems long

but i knew it was coming Monday morning

i felt it.

I had an 8 am final that morning so thank goodness

 i wasn't just watching the clock all day

except i knew what time the mailman came a

and I was ready

i was showered dress ready to go as soon my phone rang. one of my closest friends was working the mail center at the time so had her call me as soon as she saw my call. The call finally came and I raced downstairs, picked up my sister and two friends who wanted to come with me to pick it up the car couldn't move faster.

I ran to the door literally on campus running

it was there in my hands my call.

The angels were singing hallelujah

best moment so far.

The Week of Miracles

From 4-26:  This has been such an amazing week words can not describe the past events that occurred other than- MIRACLE. I always talk about the tender mercies of the lord, and it has been amazing to experience those.  This week all the promises that have been promised to me through the spirit and blessing have been fulfilled. This has been one of the most touching weeks of my life. Deciding to go on a mission has been the biggest decision in my life. It has been a journey of so much love, patience, listening to the spirit, and growth. This week has truly been a week of miracles.

Tuesday-  I started the day off with a prayer per usual and prayed that I would have a good day. I knew that I would have an interview that day. I wanted to start off with the spirit and have a smooth day. It definitely happens it was a great day and my interview with the stake president with the scheduled for 5:15. So I was just waiting it out until then. Around 3:15 I think I received a phone call from my stake president saying that he had an opening around 4 to meet. I jumped on the opportunity. I literally changed my outfit like 3 times, took the deepest breaths possible. Finally left and went to the interview. I couldn't believe it was all happening. It was the most amazing interview filled with the spirit and I felt my worthiness declared and my stake president and I shared our testimonies. I left with my heart full. Cried from happiness. My papers were submitted that night.

Wednesday-  My mission papers were received by missionary headquarters and they went through and were ready for assignment

Thursday or Friday-  My assignment was made!

Friday- My parents made the trip down Buena Vista to visit for our multicultural luau. We went to dinner and after we had the conversation, they both gave me there support on my decision to serve a mission. 

Saturday- I found out around midnight that my call had been assigned. After stalking the website to sign into ldsmail. (I checked Thursday and Friday and couldn't get in because I "was not a full time missionary") later on to check Saturday night and it had been assigned. I doubled checked to see if I could get into the missionary portal and sure enough I could.

Sunday- Sunday night I'm sitting here writing this blog post and my phone starts ringing its the Secretary in the Stake Presidency. He tells me President Brotherson would like me to speak in the stake conference on Sunday, on preparing to serve a mission and listening and seeking the lord's promptings. it just topped the week off to be asked to testify of the blessings of this process.

It has been such a beautiful journey and this week has truly been a week of miracles. I am grateful for the love of the lord and the knowledge that he knows us individually and is aware of our concerns and needs. I'm grateful for his love for me. I know that God hears and will always answer our prayers!

Waiting Upon the Lord

Honestly my decision to serve was super easy I think one of the hardest things in deciding to serve for me was God's timing because in reality your not really gonna say "Oh hey, Heavenly Father I can fit you in 2015- 2017 that best fits my calendar."  When the church announced the decision to change the age availability I was completely on board, I did the normal things and prayed about it, felt good and continued moving forward.  I announced to my family that I was going to serve and leave after I finished school that semester. It was a whirlwind time a good portion of girls were starting papers and answering the call to serve and I was one of them. I did everything to start preparing and felt very confident in my decision for the future.

But quickly my decision hit some obstacles. 

Hearing Not right now for anybody is always difficult especially when you want something so badly and you feel that you're doing the right thing. I wrestled with my situation, I remember feeling angry at myself and in a prayer uttered that night and I took it out on God. I was following his prompting, We both knew it was right then why couldn't I go? I went back to school as directed by my parents and was not a happy camper, I felt completely alone and the other option of serving was way more appealing, it's where I believe my heart was.

I went through the refiner's fire the following year.  I came back that year and  I had felt so alone and it was at that time that my best friend would call me or text me every morning without fail and tell me something about my worth and end with I love you and the lord loves you. That was the thing I woke up every morning a message or phone call from her and it changed my life at school and the second semester I got myself together.  I decided okay “I don't know why you're here but there is a reason why you're here. And you don't have time to sit around and pout because you're not in the mission field right now, you can be a missionary here.” I served in our relief society presidency and I had such love for the women that I served and I knew that heavenly father wanted me to be there. I went home for the summer and I had left with so many refining experiences while I was at school. 

I looked back and this summer I texted a friend and told her I think I'm going to go on a mission next summer I think I'm going to do it. I'll never forget her reply she said: "Crystal, God wants you to be happy truly happy whatever makes you happy do it."

I had totally forgotten about that prompting and decision.  As soon as my footsteps back on campus my heartfelt those promptings once gain. My campus has been the place where I have made the most life-changing decisions, experienced my refining experiences, its been my home. Receiving promptings about a mission,  I was like no way my parents said that if I was going to go on a mission it would be when I graduated. But they were strong and when the lord is trying to tell you something there is no denying it. One of my friends who was a complete stranger to me at the time would ask me When are you going on a mission? I'm like I don't know you.. he would ask me almost every time he saw me.  If it wasn't when it was did you put your papers in?   He was who the lord used. He pushed me to really think about the promptings. I decided to pray about it. There is a lot of fear that comes. I didn't know what was gonna happen, I didn't know how my family was going to react. But I knew that I was going to have to walk with all the faith I could muster in my life.

1 Nephi 3:7 became really real to me at the point it wasn't just Nephi's testimony that the lord would prepare a way but I had to believe that what he had prompted me to do, he would protect me through it all. So I kept moving forward I started my paperwork, did doctors visit, and everything in between. It was the most comforting process, I felt protected but it was hard. Sometimes that's how things are but I knew that everything was going to work out because the lord was going to make it possible.