What's next?

Okeedokeee.. :) I am still so very excited about my call. And a little nervous. Basically, I have the Summer, and then it will be time to go! Eek!

Anywho, I thought I would write a post about what comes next.

1. After receiving your call and celebrating with your fam, next comes sending the Brethren your acceptance letter. Because, after all, it is a CALL, not an ORDER. In the back of the packet is a paper you cut out and write your acceptance letter on.  It doesn't have to be super long, basically just letting the Brethren know you are accepting this call.... (hence the name, acceptance letter)

2. Pre-Mission preparation!  On the missionary portal, there is a list of all the things you need to do to prepare for the mish. Among these are: updating vaccinations, watching The District, reading & studying & practicing the lessons in Preach My Gospel (PMG), read the missionary handbook, brush up on your genealogy, and making a Mormon.org profile. Among these, you should also be praying, reading the scriptures, attending the temple... All of the cute little Primary answers.

3. Your packet has a list too! It comes with all these handy dandy instructions, specifically for your mission. Whether or not you'll need to apply for a passport, what clothes and supplies you'll need.... lots and lots of info.

4. After you know what you need, you get to go shopping!! Hoorah! This is the stage I am at right now. Go through your closet, and see what is there that you could take. I have a few skirts already that would go with pretty much anything. I do need to shop for some more skirts, blouses, dresses and shoes, though. My plan is to raid Deseret Industries (DI) and Savers and find some awesome buys. I also want to check out Ross, F21, and Target. You'll also want toiletries, a first aid kit... stuff like that.

5. You'll probably be asked to speak in Sacrament meeting before you leave... I don't leave until September, so I haven't been asked to speak yet. And to follow the Mormon tradition, you'll most likely have some sort of open house with yummy food so your friends and family can say one last goodbye.

6. You'll be leav-in' on a jet plane.... don't know when you'll be back again....  Jk. you'll be back in either 18 months or 2 years! Woo hoo for you!!

Hopefully this helps any future missionaries out there!

TTFN,
-Hermana Dean

Called To Serve!

Dear Sister Dean, 

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 Texas San Antonio Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months. 

You should report to the Mexico Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!!! I am so excited! I am pretty sure these last three days have been the longest days of my entire life. I received my call on Wednesday, but waited to open it until today, so that as much of my family could be there for it.

Opening and reading my call was an extremely emotional and powerful experience. I could barely make it through "Dear Sister Dean" without choking up and starting to cry. I am so excited to be apart of the Lord's work!

I feel it is such a blessing to be able to preach in Spanish. I took Spanish all through Junior High, and for two years of High School. I love it! It is such a beautiful language, and I am excited to share the Gospel through it.

I will definitely write more as I get more information about my mission, and as I am purchasing the supplies I need. For those of you reading this to help prepare for your own mission, please remember to do everything for your mission prayerfully, even if it seems a little silly. Heavenly Father knows our individual needs, and He knows there is a lot to get done beforehand.  I know He will be with you every step of the way as you try to figure out what kind of shoes will be best, or how to really strengthen your testimony as you study. Remember, if it matters to you, it matters to Him.

Until next time!

TTFN,
-Hermana Dean

Pulling My Hair Out

Oh. My. Goodness. This last week has been painful!! I am so excited to get my call.. It should be there today... if it isn't... I just might go crazy! O.o... Jk. I'll be fine. I think the hardest part is remembering that even if it does come today, I won't be able to open it until Saturday..... "Curse you aqua scum!!!" Saturday is the soonest all of my siblings can be all together...Yeah. I'm going crazy. I have this... restlessness about me. I can't sit still for longer than... 30 seconds. Thank goodness I have T-Lo to help keep my sanity. I love that kid.

omy g o s h.

IT IS ONLY NOON. I don't get home until 4... Gah! Hopefully seeing my call in the mailbox will help me to calm down. *sigh* Who are we kidding. I've read tons of other Sister Missionary blogs, and they all said when they got their call they were almost too excited to wait for that evening when everyone could be there. I am seriously going to go nuts. Just thinking about seeing my call gives me goosebumps every 5.67 seconds. True story. I timed it.

Even though all this excitement is running through me, there's still that part of me that can't believe it is actually true! I am going on a mission. Holy wow. I am going on a mission. I've tried to get into the mentality of a missionary... I've read countless Sis-Miss blogs, studied PMG, read the BoM.....(wow... we sure use a lot of abbreviations....) And there's still the part of me that hasn't caught up to the rest.  Hopefully, reading my call will help ;) Although, I expect this feeling to stay until I'm out of the MTC (ha.. another abbreviation... LOVE IT!)

Anywho... I'll write again on Saturday.... :) I am so excited to find out where the Lord needs me to spread His Gospel.

TTFN!

-Sister Dean

Anxiously Waiting....

Hey all! I meant to write this on Wednesday... but totally got sidetracked. Oh well. Better late than never!

I am so anxious and nervous! I was thinking I was going to get my call either this last Wednesday, or the week after. And I'm guessing the week after. Nothing was in my mailbox on Wednesday. ha. It must have been funny to watch though... I was shaking in anticipation of my call being in there.. I opened it up, and nada. zilch. Now I get to experience the nervous-ness for another week!! The two weeks since I submitted my papers have been very interesting. Every night takes me forever to fall asleep. Like Christmas Eve, or the day before the first day of school....The excitement! It is exhausting! I lay awake in bed thinking of all the possibilities of where I could be called. Will it be stateside? Europe? Africa? South America? I am so excited to find out. These next couple of days will be nerve wracking! Are there any guesses from my followers? :)  I will post when I find out !

That's all for this week. TTFN!

-Sister Dean

I Love To See The Temple!!

Hello! Last night, my mom and I went and participated in an endownment session in the Bountiful Temple. I loved it. I had not been to the temple for a while, so it was definitely needed. I am so grateful that I live so close to so many temples!!

*Ahem* sorry. Anywho... As I was sitting in the Celestial Room, pondering about my upcoming mission.... I made a goal. I have not yet received my call, so I don't know when I will be leaving, but I made this goal anyway. Here it is: I want to do a session in all of the Utah temples before I leave. I have already done baptisms in them (one summer vacation with my mom and bruddah a couple years ago). So far, I have already done a session in the Logan, Bountiful, and Salt Lake Temples. Also, the Las Vegas... woo!

I love the temple so much. There is such a sense of peace that I feel every time I go. If it has been a long time since you have been,  I encourage you to go!! Be worthy of it, and go. You will be blessed.

That's all for now!! I'll write again soon.   XOXO

-Sister Dean