"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..."
That has got to be one of the most exciting phrases I have ever read! But before I tell you where I am going, let me explain why. At the age of ten, I was, at least what I thought at the time, ripped from the only home I knew to live in the terrible and strange land of Moscow, Russia. And I am not exaggerating. It was devastating. Now many of you may be thinking how cool, or why would someone complain about that? Or you may agree with my ten year old self. In any case I really did not have anything to complain about. Living in Moscow, I had the opportunity to see first hand what it was like to be a missionary. How wonderful is it when you get to dedicate 18 months to sharing the truths that have blessed your life? If you don't know then let me tell you that it is AWESOME. Well at least that is what it seemed like and since then, I have always wanted to go on a mission of my own.
When I finally neared the long-awaited age of 21 I submitted my papers and waited the requisite 10-14 days it is supposed to take. Then I waited some more. And some more, waiting to find out where I in the world I would be called. And finally, the letter came. They (those who have already gone on missions) say that there is a way to tell if you are being called stateside or in my case North America, or foreign (Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Australia). They say that if you are going stateside the envelope is thin and light, and if you are going foreign it will be noticeably thicker and heavier. Although having nothing to compare the envelope to when I got it, it was the most unhelpful rumor I have ever heard, and most likely untrue. In any case, it didn't really matter where I was being called to serve. I mean, I would obviously prefer to go foreign. But I came to the realization amidst all the waiting that going on a mission is not about WHERE you go but about WHO you meet. When it came time to open the envelope however, that knowledge did nothing to calm my nerves.
So, I came home, skyped my family, and tore open the envelope. For those of you who have never seen a mission call, the envelope contains two pieces of information. One is a packet containing all the information about what to bring and what you need to do etc. The other is a one page letter that states your call. Having been present at the openings of other future missionaries I had observed that there was a certain letter-opening etiquette. It seemed that the proper way to read your mission call was to open the envelope, and without looking at the call, to cover it with the packet and read it one line at a time. I have to admit, that definitely did not happen. I found the letter and honestly tried to read it line by line but my curiosity got the better of me after I read "Dear Sister Young," and my eyes jumped down to where I knew the location would be written.
"You are assigned to labor in the Germany Frankfurt Mission... you should report to the Provo MTC on Wednesday, June 27, 2012."
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Is the only thought I can recall going through my mind. It was also the only sound coming through the computer speaker from my family. If you don't already know this about me, I have a fascination for Germany. I love it so much and literally could not believe my eyes when I read where I was going. I actually lost the paper momentarily, and was sure that I had read it wrong and that I couldn't be going there.
Anywho, I am so excited for this wonderful opportunity. For those of you who care about keeping up with what I am doing, this will be the site where my Mom (if she can remember how) or my sister will post my letters for you to read at your leisure, or not. And pictures, if you would rather look at those. Your choice. I will also continue to post updates occasionally until I go to the MTC. Wishing you all the best,
xoxo,
Sydney Young
