Why how and when I decided

Hello! Well since I am reporting in about 14 days I figure it was time to start this blog up and explain how I got to be where I am now.
Growing up my parents had always told me I would serve a mission. In fact, in my baby blessing my dad had actually blessed me that I would serve a mission. I would disagree, telling them that that "mission" could mean so many different things... being a missionary in everyday life or serving a mission later with my husband as a senior couple.

It wasn't til August of 2012 that I actually really started to think about serving as a full time missionary. I had just turned 20, and told myself that in a year from than when I turned 21 I would strongly think about it more.

Well lo and behold just 2 months later it was announced that the mission age for girls had been lowered to 19, aka I was the age to serve a mission NOW! I freaked. I had family and friends texting and calling asking if I was gonna go. With all my might I wanted to tell everybody NO, but couldn't get myself to. I don't know why, but I just couldn't. I told people maybe in 6 months I would think about. It seemed to become a fad, to serve a mission. I did not want to join the bandwagon, and certainly did not want to because everybody was. I gave it some time to decide for myself and not because everyone was doing it. The thought would pop in my head of being a missionary and suddenly without thinking about it an imagine of me as a sister missionary would be so clear in my head. I pushed it away for 2 months. After talking to my friend Courtney (who was having similar thoughts) we both decided we were too much in our heads, over thinking like we always do, and that missions were just not for us. Well a few days later we both went to each other expressing that we knew this was what we needed to do, not necessarily wanting it but knowing it was right.

Boy have my feelings changed since that decision. My excitement has just grown and grown. We are given this gospel, me being born and raised in it, and how sad that some people aren't experiencing the joy that comes from this great gospel. This gospel has been everything to me, I honestly don't know where I would be without it. The Lord has been my savior, my companion through my trials, and my number one cheerleader. He is always there for me and will always be, no doubt. And this is why. This is why I want to share this great gospel with others.