Lucy Speaks at the Stake Missionary Fireside
Cardston Alberta West Stake - January 21, 2024
During this last semester at school I was able to work for a couple hours a week on a BYU grounds maintenance crew. The crew I was on was in charge of the Provo Temple and the missionary field across from it. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I would wake up at 6 am and start work at 7. Each morning I would give a ride to one of my most favorite people who I worked with. Each of these mornings we would start out by walking around and picking up trash. After this we would all head up to the temple to work on either the lawn, the flower beds, or raking leaves. And then at noon each day I would head back home to change for my classes that afternoon.
My favorite days were days where the whole crew would work together in the flower beds. In these flower beds I learned how to love those around me. I would also get to hear about each of my coworkers' stories about their missions. While at the time I didn’t realize the effect that these stories were having on me, looking back I can see their influence in my decision to serve a mission. On my drive to work these mornings I would drive right by the MTC and each morning I would wonder how my friends inside were doing. Other days I would think about what it would be like if I was the one on the inside of the walls. With the temple I worked at being so close to the MTC this is where all of the missionaries would come on their p-days. Each Tuesday and Thursday I would watch as a ton of missionaries would walk past me into the temple. They always looked so happy and ready to be there. As they would walk past I would wonder what it would be like to be that happy and sure about their choice to serve a mission.
This last October I had the opportunity to listen to all 5 sessions of general conference. The Wednesday before conference I had attended institute with my roommates. In my class our teacher told us that we should each have a question going into the weekend, and then gave us a minute to think about it and write it down. While the idea of a mission had always been in the back of my mind I hadn’t ever really committed to the idea. Going into my freshman year of university I felt overwhelmed as it was, I didn’t need another big life event to think about right then. But as I was sitting there thinking I wrote down two questions. The first was what should I do with school. And the second was if I should go on a mission.
As the weekend rolled around I had pushed my questions to the back of my mind, and didn’t really want to think about them. On Saturday morning my roommates and I woke up and walked over to the stake center to watch the first session with our ward. As I sat there with my ward of mostly returned missionaries I felt the Spirit in a different way than I had ever felt it before. Sitting there listening to the talks I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and love. As that session ended and we headed back to our apartment all of my roommates left to watch the next session with their families. And so when the second session rolled around I was left by myself in my living room listening to conference. During this session was when I realized that I had received my answer to my second question. I opened my notes from the past Wednesday with my questions and wrote down, “ Yup, just go.”.
For the next three sessions I listened closely to make sure that I had received the right answer. By the end of the Sunday session I was sure that I had made the right decision to serve a mission. Sunday evening I called my mom like I did most days. As we were talking about General Conference, I told my mom that I was pretty sure that I wanted to serve a mission but not to tell anyone until I was sure.
As we talked we talked about when I would want to leave. I felt this intense need to leave sooner than later. And so the next Sunday I opened my missionary portal and had everything except for the medical and dental paperwork done.
As the weeks passed and I was finally able to come home for American Thanksgiving I was finally able to finish up my part of my papers. And then I had my interviews with my bishop and stake president. I was finally able to submit my papers on December 10. On Dec 19 I received my mission call. I have been called to serve in the Puerto Rico San Juan mission. I start home MTC on Feb 12 and arrive in Mexico on February 21 where I will be in for 5 more weeks.
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