I decided I should start a blog so that hopefully someone will keep it updated while I am on my mission, which should keep more people in the loop while I am gone (hopefully). Also, I love reading other blogs of family, friends, and people I like to call my friends even though they have no idea who I am...Anyway, I will most likey keep this blog going after I get home from the mission because everything I say is brilliant and I know everyone wants to know about me. ;) Just kidding about that, but seriously I think blogging is wonderful and I will strive to do my very best at it.
My first post of this mission blog obviously should be what made me decide to go on a mission since this seems to be the question most people ask right away when you tell them that you are going, only after they think where will you go? Well I don't know where yet, so we will start out with why...
A long long time ago in a town much like this one, a little girl was told by her young woman leader at church that she would make a great missionary. The End
Ok, Seriously, Sorry, Its my first post give me a break..lol This is a very long story so brace yourself!
The thought process did start off that way, a very special young woman leader told me that if I ever decided to go on a mission that I would make one good missionary. I thought about it off and on as I went to high school, then I went to college and finished my first year. After my first year it was time to apply for the Radiologic Technology program and well it is very hard to get into so I decided if I didn't get in the first time then I would go on a mission and come back and try again. Well, I got in, I was 1 of 18 that were picked out of over 100 applicants, I know that doesn't sound like too much, but it was very exciting and only 14 of the original class made it through! So, I started the hard 2 years of x-ray school, and half way through I had physics. I told Heavenly Father that if I failed out of physics then I would go on a mission. And what do I do, I passed, by the skin of my teeth, but I did it! So I finished school and started to apply for a job in my new career! Super exciting! There were hardly any openings anywhere and it was very frustrating.
Well by sure "luck" as some would say, I got a call from my program director at school and a past student of hers that now worked at the Children's hospital had contacted her about a job opening that I should apply for. My second to last clinical rotation for school was at the Children's hospital and I knew and liked this fellow Tech and I was very excited that she liked me too, enough to call my teacher and say Hey, Morgan should apply for this job. I applied and ended up getting an interview. Everything was fantastic with the job except for one thing, it was a weekend shift which meant, No Church on Sundays. Whoa! That was a huge problem for me! I talked to everyone about it and expressed my concerns and I had even said "No" I will not work on Sundays. And I thought that was an answer to my prayers right there, I heard the Scripture, "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the Kingdom of God." For me that settled it...but eventually I caved in and took the job, why did I do that? Well the answer to that is simple now, I was blessed with a job in order to save/earn money to go on a mission and to appriciate the blessings of keeping the Sabbath day holy. Without taking the job I don't think everything could have happened this fast. So, I started working at my dream job and everything was great, working full time, just out of school, with kids! I had the job of a lifetime and half of my graduating class didn't have a job yet, go me!
Now all this time, I have had in the back of my mind, "Morgan why don't you go on a mission?" I just kept thinking "later"... Well by this time I had missed out on a couple Sundays at church and I was getting very sad. A very good friend of mine texted me one Sunday morning while I am at work and she says, "Just wanted to tell you that I'm thinking about you. Praying you find joy in the day & contemplate your testimony. That God would put someone in your path that is open to hearing the good news of your heart." After that text I started to CRY and she sent me another saying, "Remember, In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps. If you abide in Him you are always exactly where you are supposed to be, even if you don't understand." One of her favorite things to say is that things only happen for a season (I will talk more about that word later) and so she continued with, "Only for a season! There are many in your class who don't have jobs BUT God gave you a favor & when the time is right He will open another door. Sometimes I think He likes to pull us aside & remind us that He is God and resides not only in church but everywhere we are. He promises that if we seek Him we will find Him NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE. This is the day the Lord had made so let us rejoice and be glad in it." Heavenly Father is so wonderful and he knows exactly how to answer my prayers. Why was I crying? Well He knows that to make me see and really know the right answer to my prayers, then I gotta cry, which I don't cry, hardly ever, so its kind of a big deal. The simple truth that my friend said to me that day helped to make the final decision for me.
I said I would talk more about the word "season", and this is why...In my patriarchal blessing it says, that I have a responsibility to be involved as a missionary, and that it will happen during the seasons of my life. (Just think on that one.)
Another thing that helped me decide was, I sent a letter to friend on her mission and told her what I was thinking about serving and she said that if you keep thinking about it and keep thinking about it then sometimes that is an answer to prayer, and well I couldn't stop thinking about it...
I finally decided to talk to my branch president and he was so excited! I told him about my concern and about being so indecisive. He told me that if we start the process and it doesn't feel right then we can stop but if we started on the paper work and such and it felt like the right thing, then just go for it. He also brought up a very good point that made me think a lot. He asked me what else I would or could do in the next 18 months that is as life changing as going on a mission. I thought hard about that; thinking of all my family and friends and what I might miss and there was nothing that could compare to the blessing of a mission.
So I went home and told my parents who were happy, and I started the process without telling anyone else. I gradually told a select couple of friends and family, who were all very excited and supportive and granted a little sad. This brings us to almost current day.
I finished all my paperwork on Sunday 11-27-11 and sent it to my branch president, had an interview that day and made an appointment with the stake president. That interview with the stake president was on Wednesday 11-30-11! The wait is on my friends....The call should be here in two to three weeks!
I told you it was a long long story, hopefully it all makes sense too! I just said a million reasons why I am going on a mission and I can't think of a single reason not to go. I cannot wait to go, I am so so so excited! And now at least everyone knows how crazy my mind works! Here goes nothing!
Love, Morgan
