Dear Sister Murset

Dear Sister Murset, 

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 México Saltillo Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, October 15th, 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.


It came! Everyone gathered in our living room Sunday evening and watched as I opened it. My knees were knocking together (literally) and my arms went numb! As I was pulling out my call I caught a glimpse of "México." I thought, okay, either I'm going to the México MTC or I'm actually going to México. I decided to just skip ahead and see, haha. I was so shocked! I started crying as soon as I started reading, but managed to get through it. I was still shaking 10 minutes later.

Now let's get to the real talk.

Unlike most people, I did not receive an instant confirmation that I was supposed to be there. In fact I wasn't really feeling anything. I was in shock. I knew that I was going to be going Spanish speaking, but I had never ever considered México! I don't know why it never entered my mind, I just kind of skimmed over it when I was thinking about the places I could go. I had been expecting somewhere in South America. So when I read "México Saltillo Mission" I didn't know what to think. I kept saying what people wanted me to hear, "I'm so excited!" But I really wasn't feeling anything. Don't get me wrong, I had no problem with going to México, but for some reason I was discouraged.

As the evening wore on all I could think about was the weather of Saltillo. I knew I was emotionally detaching myself, but I couldn't help it. I was in shock still and I had no idea what I was supposed to be feeling. But even through all this emotional turmoil, I kept thinking one thing; this mission was made for me.

So I grasped onto that. I held onto that thought with my entire being and I hope that eventually I would feel joy in being able to serve the people of México. The next day as I was making the four hour drive back to Orem, I realized that I was absolutely terrified. I would be going to a country that I have never been to, speaking a language I barely know how to speak, and I would be spending 18 months of my life there. As soon as I got home I hopped on the computer and looked up my mission. I found out that it has a Facebook page, so I went and scoured it. I looked it up on Wikipedia, I looked at Google images, I did everything I could to learn about it. Over time I could feel that glimmer of calm that I had been seeking.

Although it was discouraging not being able to instantly know, I am grateful for the experience and I am receiving blessings every single day because of my choice to serve.

México, here I come!

Sister Megan Murset

Look at that beautiful white envelope. Inside it holds information about the next year and a half of my life. 

WHAT.

Right now it's sitting at home, four hours away. Today is Thursday and I open it on Sunday. However I'm driving down tomorrow. That means almost three days of staring at it. 

I don't know if I'll make it. 

I actually thought it was going to come next week. The stake president said that I could expect it to come within 10 days. Except by the next Sunday my call status was still saying that it hadn't been assigned. My bishop gave me a sad shake of his head and told me to expect another week delay. 

I started being a tad selfish; praying that I would be sent somewhere cool or somewhere that I wouldn't be embarrassed about. 

Tsk tsk, Megan. What were you thinking? Then a wise person told me that when he was waiting for his mission call to come he prayed that he would be sent somewhere that would help him grow to his best potential. It seems so obvious that I should have prayed for that, but it honestly didn't enter my mind. I stewed over that for a couple of days, then yesterday I decided that it was relevant to me and I better get my act together and stop being so selfish. The next morning (today) my bishop informed me that my call had been assigned!

An hour later my mom called me and said "I think you better come home tomorrow." Except my phone kept cutting out so the conversation went like this:

"I think you better come home tomorrow."

"WHAT?"

"I think you better come home tomorrow!"

"SORRY WHAT?"

"Come. Home. Tomorrow."

"YOU'RE FEELING SORROW?"

"COME HOME TOMORROW YOUR CALL IS HERE."

"OH MY GOOOOSSSHHHHH!"

I was paraphrasing it, but that's how it felt. 

But it's hhheeerrreeee! I'm a lot more calm than I thought I would be. That will all change when I'm actually able to hold it in my hands. 

Sister Megan Murset.

Dun dun duuuunnnnn.....

And now I wait.

Patience is a virtue.

So is my mantra of life because I am an incredibly impatient person. 

My papers were turned in last week and it should come within two weeks! But alas, I have nothing to do to pass the time until my call comes. I've tried everything; Pinterest, math homework, movies, long drives, reading, journal writing, etc. Time still drags on. But hey, time will fly and I'll have my call in no time. Just... patience. 

Everyone keeps asking me where I want to go. I always used to get so frustrated when I would ask missionaries waiting for their call where they wanted to go. Most of them would answer "wherever the Lord sends me." WELL OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING WHERE HE SENDS YOU. But now that I am a future missionary I understand what they mean. Our preferences don't matter. I don't want to dwell so much on one place and then be disappointed when I get called somewhere else. Sure I have places in mind, but thinking too much about them will make me go crazy. After all, missions are not for the destination. Missions are for the people. 

I feel so inspirational. 

Cue inspirational picture. 

Almost there!

The family has been told!

I stood up on a park bench and said that I had an announcement. Like clockwork the yells started.

"YOU'RE ENGAGED!"

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!"

I don't know where the pregnant one came from.

Most of my family was shocked but they were also excited for me. I'll be the first girl to serve a mission in my immediate family. Seeing as I've been the introverted type all my life, most of them didn't think that I would ever consider a mission! I like proving people wrong.

Since then I have finished my medical work and I am all set to go! I talked to my bishop yesterday and he said that by this next Sunday I will have an interview with the stake president and then my papers will be in! 

I'm so close!

Life decisions, man.

"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work."
D&C 4:3

I was never going to go on a mission. In primary I didn't raise my hand when my teachers asked who wanted to go, and I didn't get the point of singing I Hope They Call Me on a Mission. I was a trouble child, really. 

When the age changed for missionaries I stuck to my decision. I WAS NOT GOING. Even through all the pressure I stuck to my decision. I would not be moved! 

All my friends started preparing for their missions and I was happy for them. I could see them growing spiritually and I knew that they would all be amazing missionaries. Bbbbuuutttt it wasn't for me. I was going to college to pursue dance. 

So here I am, at college, minding my own business. La dee dah, dancing to my heart's content. A mission had crossed my mind a couple times, but I never really thought seriously about it. How could I go on a mission when I was doing so well in dance? Taking 18 months off certainly wouldn't help. 

I'm sure you know where this is headed. 

Yes, I, Megan Murset, changed my mind. 

It all started when my friend texted me to tell me that she had started her mission papers. She had been like me, pretty set on not going. When I asked her what changed her mind she simply said "The Spirit, I guess. One day I didn't want to go, the next day I did."

A paradigm shift occurred in my head. I realized that I had been waiting for myself to want to go on a mission. I had always subconsciously known that I was going to go. I attended Mission Prep in high school by my own free will, for goodness sake. 

I started "considering" a mission. I say "considering" because who was I kidding, I already knew I was going. Within a week I had told my parents, told my friends, and had made an appointment with the bishop. 

Don't get me wrong, I had my fair share of trials. It took me quite a while to become truly excited about serving. 

All of this happened within three weeks. I knew that I needed to stop running from the Lord's call. Once I knew that there was nothing stopping me. 

Currently I am working on my papers and I have all my appointments set up! I filled out my paperwork super fast so I've been twiddling my thumbs for a while now. I must have patience...

I actually haven't told my siblings yet. I don't really know why, but I figure it would be easier to tell them all at once. 

I will keep you updated.

The church is true, the book is blue, I'm going on a mission, and so should you! 
(At least think about it. You have agency. No pressure.)