Welp, let me tell you. For those of you not familiar, the mission age change for girls to serve missions was recently lowered from age twenty-one to age nineteen.
THIS WAS HUGE NEWS.
We are talking huge. I mean everyone knows those mormons get married young right? The jokes are plentiful from "BYU I-do" to "Ring by Spring" etc. Trust me, I had my share of these jokes as well. So my mindset was always I would LOVE to serve a mission IF.... I am not married by then. As soon as the age change was announced I hopped on that lovely bandwagon of "OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO GOING" and rode that idea for quite a while. Until it got closer. The closer I got to age nineteen the more evident all the sacrifices I would have to make became and it became more and more of a factor. I thought about it everyday. I prayed about it everyday. I was getting SO frustrated because I just wanted to know. Like, come on Heavenly Father just tell me what to do already. I left Idaho to come home for a semester and my stubborn self needed just about 70346867894 answers to finally decide that Mikayla Heywood needs to be serving a mission for the Lord.
We are talking huge. I mean everyone knows those mormons get married young right? The jokes are plentiful from "BYU I-do" to "Ring by Spring" etc. Trust me, I had my share of these jokes as well. So my mindset was always I would LOVE to serve a mission IF.... I am not married by then. As soon as the age change was announced I hopped on that lovely bandwagon of "OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO GOING" and rode that idea for quite a while. Until it got closer. The closer I got to age nineteen the more evident all the sacrifices I would have to make became and it became more and more of a factor. I thought about it everyday. I prayed about it everyday. I was getting SO frustrated because I just wanted to know. Like, come on Heavenly Father just tell me what to do already. I left Idaho to come home for a semester and my stubborn self needed just about 70346867894 answers to finally decide that Mikayla Heywood needs to be serving a mission for the Lord.
The first answer came during a church meeting WAY back in December. One of the sister missionaries who was assigned to our area was speaking. It was absolutely incredible. I remember leaving the meeting with those wobbly knees and feeling like I might just fall over or throw up at any moment. (Pardon the graphicness but you get the jist of the dealio I was feeling.) She referenced a talk that one of the leaders of our church, Elder Holland, had given back in April. (link at the bottom if you're interested) In that talk he talked about the apostle Peter and how Peter had to leave everything behind to show that he loves the Savior. I replaced Peter's name with mine and changed it to...
"Mikayla, Do you love me? Then why are you here? Wasn't it obvious then and isn't it obvious now that if I want fish I can get fish. What I need, Mikayla, are disciples and I need them forever."
It hit me like a ton of bricks. I must feed HIS sheep to show him that I truly love him. It will help ME to serve a mission. If I want to be truly strengthened and stretched and shaped into the best me I can be, I needed to turn my whole heart towards him and serve a mission!
You would think that answer is clear as day right? Nope. I still doubted and was second guessing myself. I kept on thinking "well.... maybe...uhhh... this just means stay here and be a member missionary right?"
Gosh, why am I so stubborn?
Gosh, why am I so stubborn?
So the next answer comes even more clear. (And prepare yourself for some waterworks on my end because I ALWAYS cry rivers whenever I get to this part.) It was the first Sunday of the month which means fast Sunday. My mom, family, and a few other great people were all fasting for me to be able to have a clear mind and make a clear decision. I began my fast and was in my room praying. I don't know if I have ever prayed so hard. And of course tears galore, what'd I tell you? I am a cry baby when it comes to this stuff. But still no like KA-POW moment or anything but just peace. So much peace. I go to church and am reading my scriptures during the first meeting (sacrament meeting) as usual and read this:
"Lift up your heart and rejoice for the hour of your mission has come and your tongue shall be loosed and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation."
Like wow. Right? I just kept thinking: wait a second how many times have I read the scriptures cover to cover and NOW I read this? okay then. Answer to prayer? I think yes. Then it was like this avalanche of answers coming in for the rest of that day. I just wanted to press pause, write everything down. Every testimony shared seemed to be for me and only me. I had an interview with my dad (bishop) and everything he said was like mission, mission and more mission without him even realizing it! At this point, through my many tears and prayers I decided that I, Mikayla Heywood, need to be serving a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Even after my decision, answers still came which were kinda like weird coincidences. I only told a few people at first about my decision and yet still came up in like everything I did! I was even asked to give a talk in church the next Sunday and guess what the topic was?
"Those who have desires are called to the work"
Alright little sneaksters, how did you know? Heavenly Father definitely knows what he is doing here, guys. It's craziness.
So I turned in my papers, waited patiently, prepared my heart out and was called to serve in the GERMANY FRANKFURT MISSION.
Seriously shocked the socks right off me! I did not see that coming whatsoever. I am SOOOOOO grateful that I had such a clear answer because boy have I needed it. It is so comforting to fall back on and KNOW I am to serve the German people. I think I needed that frustration at the beginning of this decision process in order to contrast that with the peace I now feel.
As they always say, opposition in all things.
