Llamada A Servir/Called To Serve

"Dear Sister Pecjak:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Utah Ogden 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, April 29, 2015. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language.

..."

AHHHHHH!!! I am SO excited! It is now only 8 days away and I can't even believe it. I figured a good way to start my blogging journey as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be to tell a little bit about my decision to serve. 

As most people know, the church lowered the age for missionaries to serve on October 6, 2012. The prophet announced that elders could start serving at the age of eighteen and that sisters could start serving at the age of nineteen. I remember that moment very clearly. My heart leaped, my eyes welled, and I couldn't stop shaking. Before all of this occurred, I had already made the personal decision to serve. I just didn't know how I would get about to waiting until I was twenty-one years old to do so but I was okay with that. The second after I pulled myself together after the announcement was made, I called my mom and sister to tell them the news since they were out and about running errands that were needed to be done that day. I could not stop smiling. Of course, at the time, I was only sixteen years old. However, I figured three years was worth the wait. AND IT WAS. 

I started the process for my mission papers in January and I was not able to finish them until February due to doctors appointments and things of that nature. All I knew was that I was ready to serve as soon as I possibly could. I ended up having to wait about three weeks for my call to come in the mail. I found out it was in the mailbox because my dad came home from work during his lunch break just so he could see if it was there. My heart started racing so fast until the second I ripped open that envelope in front of close family and friends. 

As soon as I read that I was going to serve in the Ogden mission, I was so happy. IMMEDIATELY I felt the sudden connection to that place. I knew it was the place for me. I am lucky enough to report three days after my nineteenth birthday. I will not be able to see my sister, who's currently serving in the Idaho Boise Mission until the end of May. It's bittersweet in that case because I will just be missing her by a month but I will be able to have her support for that month that we are both serving at the same time. She has been the greatest example to me the last seventeen months that she has been out. 

I know this has been kind of long, but I would just like to end with my testimony. I know that this church is true. I also feel it. I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. His Atonement has been a real blessing in my life personally. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that Thomas S. Monson is also a prophet of God. If I didn't know these things and if my feelings weren't so strong, I would not be sacrificing eighteen months of my life dedicated to serving and bringing others to the knowledge of this church. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.