“You are assigned to labor in…”

I found out where I will spend 18 months of my life…
We called at the beginning of our dinner hour because back in Idaho, Dad would be home. We dialed all the calling card stuff and then our home phone number. My sister was on the phone. My mom answered and said we had to hurry because Dad had a church meeting soon. Mom then read the first few sentences of my sister’s call…Canada Toronto Mission, Spanish speaking. Her face was all aglow and she was jumping where she sat. She handed the phone to me. Mom spouted out the place, and I forced her to read the actual call:

Dear Sister Cottam:

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 South Carolina Columbia 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, September 7, 2011. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language…

Tears streamed down my face as she read. At first I was disappointed to hear that it was in the states, but my heart filled with the Spirit of confirmation that this is God’s will for me. My heart was full with the gratitude that I was actually called to go on a mission, that I wasn’t denied.
Though many oo at my sister’s call and merely nod and smile at mine, I still know that I would not have been called there if I was not meant to go there. I am needed in South Carolina, God made that perfectly clear to me from the beginning with that very strong, very clear prompting almost two months ago urging me to serve a mission. We are called to where we are needed. I will not ignore a calling from my God. I know that He knows what I need, who I can help, and where my path will lead. I trust His will with all my heart. I am so grateful for the things He has placed in my way to get me to this point, and I am grateful for the opportunity I now have to give 100% of my time to Him for 18 months.
One of the great perks of my mission though, is that one of my best friends leaves on the 27th of July to go to that very same mission. How crazy is that! She and I will most likely get to be companions sometime during our 18 months. I am excited to serve with her.
Now I have two months to prepare. I know Satan will be hard on me and it will take a lot of effort to stay close to my Lord during this time, but I will strive to fill it with good things and do all the daily things that will help keep the Spirit close to my heart. I refuse to get side tracked now.

Waiting…

Right now I am waiting. In 30 minutes I will find out where the Lord has called me to serve. My sister who is also going on a mission is a lot more excited than I am. I think it’s because she has been anticipating this day for a long while whereas I decided to go less then two months ago. My feelings, though strong, are of a different sort. I feel great anticipation, nervousness, and a little bit of fear. I am a little afraid that the call will say I’m not meant to serve a mission and then I’ll have to change my plans all over again.
Plans aren’t the only reason why I would be sad not to go, because I received a very strong answer from God, one I was not expecting, telling me to serve a mission and if I can’t go, I will feel like I’m letting Him down. So, no matter where I am called to serve, I just want to follow the path God is laying before me. I want to do my best to learn everything I can and help everyone I need to help while in this life, so I can return home faithfully and tell my God that I have done as He asked, so that He may smile down at me and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” I want to keep my second estate so that when I leave it, I will be eligible to receive the cleansing power of the Atonement and enter my Father’s Kingdom sealed to an eternal family and capable of continual progression.
In my patriarchal blessing the Lord told me that He needs my help to bring to pass His work and glory: the immortality and eternal life of man. Though imperfect as I am, I wish to fulfill this request in every way possible.
Lord, let me serve you. I’m ready and waiting to serve your children. I’ll go where you want me to go.

My call

                 

During most of my life I never felt like serving a mission was something I needed to do. As a faithful member of the LDS church I had thought about it. I know the good my three brothers gained from serving and I wouldn’t have minded getting to experience what they did. Well, God threw me a curve ball last week.
My family was traveling back from a week long vacation in Moab. We were about an hour into the trip and I was reading a book. As I read the doubts of the upcoming school year filled my mind. I hadn’t heard anything about making it into marching band, I didn’t feel right about the student loan I was applying for, etc. I thought if only I could get away for two years and serve a mission. Then I would have another chance to audition for marching band and my tendinitis would be much better and I would have loads of teaching experience. But I had never felt the draw to serve a mission before…
I felt a strong overwhelming love wash over my soul. Love without doubt. I knew then that I had just been called to serve. Though doubts and fears filled my mind, I knew that God wanted me to go. These thoughts haunted me for the rest of the day and into the next. I knew they weren’t going away, so I had to do something about it. I told my mom I want to serve a mission. She of course got all teary eyed. She had seen me struggling for the last couple days but didn’t want to intrude.
I feel at peace that I am going in the right direction. It came on suddenly and at first I was worried that I hadn’t prepared fully because I haven’t taken any mission prep classes, but I felt again that love telling me that I am prepared. I need to go. I am so excited to go. I can’t think of doing anything else with the next 18 months of my life.