Mission Calls

So as the Helaman Halls mail girl, I often get a mission call or two placed in my hands, and I get the opportunity to call these young men into the office to pick it up. Wednesday I went to work and there was a phenomenol stack of 12 for me. Yesterday, there was a stack of 6. I don't know why it is that I get so emotional about these calls. Seriously. It's slightly embarassing when these boys come to pick up their envelopes, and my boss and coworkers are trying to get them to sing, and I'm just in the corner of the room tearing up. It's awkward.

Well, Wednesday one boy came in to grab his, and you could just tell how excited he was about it. And then the tears started. I just thought about how amazing it was that this oversized envelope contained information about what they would be doing with the next two years of their lives. In this envelope they find out where they're going to live, what language they'll be speaking, when they leave... I think that it really just touches me that these young men go out for two years to serve the Lord and the people of the community. I can think of a million things I'd prefer to do for two years of my life, but whether they want to go or feel pressured to go, it's a big sacrifice. And it's always the excited ones that make me cry.

In Welsh last semester there was this boy named Jacob Newman. I never talked to him in class, as we sat on opposite sides of the room, but I adored him. I felt like he was a little brother to me, and everytime I saw him I'd smile on the inside... even when he was trying to get us to do his mutation games. One day we realized that we had a friend (Rochelle) in common, and a couple weeks after we both realized it I brought it up. A few weeks later he added me on Fbook (which makes me instantly love anyone). Then I stumbled upon his blog. Recently he's been anticipating his mission call, and as he speaks English, Spanish, and ASL (and some Welsh) he was all set to go a ton of different places. Where is he going for the next two years? Thailand.

Today he fchated with me to share his happy news to make sure that I had found out. I then read his blog (which you can read, too!) about the day he got his call, which he titled "the Day of Pentecost". As I read it in the Family History Center I started to tear up again. His excitement (and other's as well) makes me aware of the Holy Ghost more than anything else. It's funny that it's mission calls that get to me, but I guess after the effect that missionaries have had in my life it makes sense. I'm grateful for the men and women that choose to dedicate their lives to sharing the gospel. It's something that I know that I could never do, which makes it even more amazing to me.

Also, congrats, Jacob Newman. I'm so very excited for you!

P.S. I can't wait for the next 2.5 years to be over, so that I can hear about all the cool diseases you contracted!