I was just as inpatient as the next missionary-in-waiting, but it took three weeks, one week longer than normal for my call to arrive. I honestly checked twice a day for three weeks..
But it came.
In all of it's white rectangular glory. It barely fit in my student housing shared mailbox at Utah State University, but I wedged it out of there and I was beyond excited.
But the best part was how I felt when I finally had it. I knew the contents of that oversized envelope would change my life and I just wanted to know where I was going to serve for a year and a half. Like everyone I said I would go anywhere, but let's be real, we all have hopes of serving in Sweden, Ghana or for me Thailand was the dream.
I honestly thought I was going to go to some crazy foreign mission until the moments before I opened my mission call. I was holding it and my boyfriend, Matt, asked me what I thought, I felt 'stateside' but didn't want to admit it, so I hesitated and handed it to him, asking him the same question. We both then
said, "I think stateside." I'm thankful that I had this as a bit of cushion for what was about to happen.
((confession: in my heart of hearts there were three things I didn't want my mission call to say:
1-Stateside. 2-Spanish Speaking. 3-MEXICO.)) No one knows why but this is what I came up with in my mind.
So, I finally open my call, and read that "you are hereby called to labor in the California, San Jose mission," I read further down the line, "in the Spanish language."
My first reaction was.. whaat? Really Heavenly Father? Everything I thought I didn't want: I was going to California, speaking spanish, and the cherry on top- MEXICO MTC BABY!! Looking back I feel silly for not begin initially excited about it, but I now know, through prayer and scripture study, that I was meant to serve in the San Jose mission speaking Spanish.
I am so excited to go to the Mexico MTC on July 9th and after six short weeks of training, head back to the states right to sunny San Jose to teach about my Savior & Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I know I am going to serve the right people at the right place at the right time.
The church is true my friends.
The oh so classic "world map point" picture.
Sometimes we match & hug.
Love, Hermana Balderree
