I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go

Nevada Reno

This is my mission. This is my life for the next 18 months. 

Quite honestly I am a bit disappointed to be serving in the states, but I'm super excited for my first international trip to Mexico. I'm not looking forward to the heat that I'm sure Mexico and Nevada will have in store... I would much prefer snow in the summer. Nevada is the last place I would have expected to serve, and its the last place I would have chosen for myself, which is probably why the Lord wants me there. He wants me to stop whining every time my surroundings are hotter than 70 degrees. He wants me to gain a greater awareness of the cultures that exist in my own country. But most importantly, he wants me to remember that this isn't about me at all! There are people in Nevada who are waiting for something that I have to say. I was called to this mission for them, so I'll go where He wants me to go. 

Of course, there are some difficulties that are simply inherent in serving a mission anywhere. I'm not looking forward to losing my Chaco tan line while I wear close-toe shoes. I'm not looking forward to never being alone for the next 1.5 years. I'm not looking forward to the rejection, disappointment, and sorrow that must surely come. I'm going to be exhausted, stretched, and tried. My mission will surely be the hardest thing I ever do, but nothing else is going to help me learn and grow quite so much. The Lord wants me to be a missionary, so I'll be what He wants me to be. 

Even after all this, I can't wait to go! I am beyond excited to become fluent in Spanish. I am looking forward to being able to dedicate every day to the service of God, without all the distractions of school, the internet, taxes... I am looking forward to teaching the gospel. I am looking forward to coming closer to Christ. I am looking forward to really serving others on a personal level. Most of all, I am looking forward to bringing others a message of comfort, joy, and hope. I'll say what He wants me to say.

It's going to be hard, but it's going to be worth it.