Conference Weekend

This weekend was surely an incredible one!! I love having the opportunity to listen to God's living prophet and his apostles, to receive instruction and guidance at General Conference. As I'm sure many people have heard, the age requirement for missionaries has been lowered; elders from 19 to 18, and sisters from 21 to 19. I'm still in "shock" in absorbing this new information. How beautiful is it that God has that much more faith in His children, to lower the age to serve missions? I have a testimony of His trust in us today, and that He knows that we are ready to serve Him and take the Gospel throughout the world.

I have always hoped to serve a proselyting full-time mission. I just never knew how sure I would be by the time I would be 21 -- would I be seriously dating someone? Would I be heavily invested in my (hopeful!!) nursing career? I know that when that time came I would rely on my Heavenly Father and the instruction from my parents and bishop to help me make that decision to serve. I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me, and whether or not a mission is in my future is still uncertain. I have much prayer and fasting to do, but because the age for sisters has been lowered, a mission seems to me so much more real and possible.

Me, my wonderful grandparents (currently serving as MTC president at the Provo MTC), and my two sisters Isabelle and McKenna at our ward "Missionary Month MTC Night"---Our ward does this month long youth activity each year where we learn what it's like to be missionaries! I've loved doing this over the years; it's been a great blessing.

I have a testimony of missionary work. I'm so grateful for the elders who listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and knocked on my grandpa Despain's door all those years ago. I'm grateful for my sweet grandmother, "Nanny", Sharon, who was able to gain that testimony of the true and living Gospel, that she came to know her Savior Jesus Christ, and that she had enough faith to be baptized. I'm grateful for my Papa Dick, who was worthy to take Nanny to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Logan, Utah temple. I'm grateful for them in raising my incredible father, who served a full time mission in Hamburg, Germany, and for his service there.

 I'm grateful for my Papa Gordy (pictured above) and his faithful service in the Eastern States (New York, Pennsylvania, etc) mission, and that he was worthy to take my sweet Grandma Pat (pictured above) to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake, Utah temple. I'm thankful for them in raising my mother, who at the age of 21 made the choice to serve a mission, and who served faithfully in the Frankfurt, Germany mission. I'm thankful for eternal families!! Thanks to my parents, who were worthy to enter God's temple and be sealed for time and all eternity as well. Families can be together forever.

I'm thankful for all the missionaries in my life, my friends, my cousins, my uncles, my aunts, my grandparents, and my coworkers, and one day my little brother and sisters, I have a strong testimony that missionaries are God's army, bringing His Light and Truth to the world.

Although I still have much fasting and prayer to do, to know whether or not Heavenly Father desires me to serve, I know that throughout my life I will serve Him until every ear and tongue has heard His Truth.