It was
FINALLY here! But I still had to wait 2 hours to open it.
When the mailman (actually a lady...) drove away, I ran down the stairs. RAN...like the fastest I have ever run! I was shaking and excited and now that I think back on it, really surprised that I didn't fall down, crack my head open, and then die. Thank goodness that didn't happen!
I opened the mailbox and there it was! It was actually there. I pulled it out of the mailbox, screaming and jumping up and down! I took my first look at it! It was beautiful!
I saw the postage...$1.90 (supposedly postage of $1.90 implies foreign). I freaked out a little. Ok, A LOT! I couldn't believe that this moment was finally here!
I thought about where I would be going. I took some Spanish in high school, so I thought South America, maybe Spain. I could see myself going to a Visitor's Center, or in the United States, maybe speaking Spanish.
But I didn't know!
I went back up to my apartment, made the appropriate calls and texts, and waited. While I waited, I made cookies. They were shaped like little worlds. While I waited, I cleaned the whole apartment. While I waited, I held the call. And just looked at it. (Is that weird??? maybe a little bit...)
Finally it was time to open the call. Or so I thought. Setting up the Skype, waiting for people to get off work, Making sure my parents could hear...Everything took longer than I wanted it too. I just wanted to open my call already!
Finally we started...We sang Called To Serve. We said a prayer. Many of the people that I loved and cared about and that love and care about me were there. My grandpa and a member of my bishopric said a few things. And then it was time for me to open my call.
I was shaking
SO much! I could hardly use the letter opener. My aunt joked that I was going to rip my letter in half. I was shaking so much that it could've happened!
Sorry for the poor quality of the video...But anyways...
After I opened the call I hurried and put it under the packet so I couldn't read ahead. I began reading and this is what is said...
Dear Sister Ford,
You are hearby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Ukraine Kyiv Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.
You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Russian language.
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| The Letter, signed by President Thomas S. Monson |
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| UKRAINE! |
I couldn't believe it! Never in a million years would I have guessed Ukraine! However when I read it and once the shock passed, I knew it was the right place for me!
BUT I must say that I was a little shell-shocked for probably a week!
Something I love about mission calls is that it is like the
ONLY time when the Lord sends you a letter, through his apostles and prophets, that tells you what to do and where to serve! He loves me and is sending me where I need to go! That is a huge blessing in my life!
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| Friends there to support me! |
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| love Lonna and Kelsie! |
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| Brother Perkins and His Wife both came |
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| Grandma and Grandpa! |
It was so great to have the support of everyone that came. I remember looking up and seeing more than one person crying. It was a really special moment for me.
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| How Book of Mormon, Ukraine, and my name look in Russian! |
Now it's time to start learning some Russian!
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| Russian Book of Mormon! |
