Why I've Decided To Serve On A Mission
7:05 PM
“Why did you decide to serve on a mission?” Many of my
friends and leaders asked me that same question so I asked myself, “Why I’ve
Decided To Serve On A Mission?”.
The decision I made about serving on a mission made my friends, leaders as well as my acquaintances shocked (and happy of course) because they thought I don't have that desire and courage to serve as a Full-Time Missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Thomas S. Monson
said: “We affirm that missionary work is a priesthood duty—and we encourage all
young men who are worthy and who are physically able and mentally capable to
respond to the call to serve. Many young women also serve, but they are not
under the same mandate to serve as are the young men. We assure the young sisters
of the Church, however,
that they make a valuable contribution as missionaries,
and we welcome their service.” (Thomas S. Monson, "Welcome to Conference," Liahona, November 2012, 4). On that year, I am still in the youth and I am 15 years old. Since then, the answer to the question "Are you going to serve on a mission?" is being answered by "NO" already.
However, time flies and people change. Right now, I can say there are lot of reasons what makes me decide to serve the Lord as a Full-Time Missionary.
I want to share all of you the things I've done before making this great decision in my life. These are 3 "i":
1. I Prayed to our Heavenly Father
In Doctrine and Covenants 9:8 it says, "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." I don't remember how many times I asked God about serving on a mission, but the answer every time I pray was the same. And the answer was a "YES."
Last month, I joined for a half-day mission on other ward. From one of the leaders there, II learned that after we pray, we should pause for a minute so that we can receive inspirations and personal revelations.
2. I Joined in the Half-day Missions and Visiting Teaching of our Ward
I actually developed my desire through joining these activities. I saw how the Full-time Missionaries and the members of our ward (Malolos 1st Ward | Malolos Stake) joined and helped together to preach the gospel to help the investigators be baptized, the less-active be active again and the potential non-members be referred and when the time has come, they will also be baptized.
3. I Asked for Counsel of my Parents
I always asked my parents about serving on a mission. However, they also said what President Thomas said that we, the sisters, are not mandate to serve on a Full-time Mission, which is really correct.
Before I became a Young Single Adult, there's an opportunity for me to study at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. However, my application for the scholarship there was denied twice already because there are lots of people who also wanted to study there.
On one Monday of the month of July 2016, we held a Family Home Evening. My mother and my father counseled me about serving on a mission. On that very moment, I remembered when I was a primary student, our
leaders always asked, “Who among you wants to serve on a mission someday?”, I always stood up
and say “Me! Me! Me!”. I actually said to my parents that I really want to serve on a mission and from that night, I felt that they are very proud of me and they are all supported for what decision I made in my life.
I worked on my missionary application for just 3 weeks and waited for 6 weeks before I received my mission call.
On September 11, 2016, I opened my mission call. It's really hard to explain what emotions I felt that time. I am about to cry when I read "Dear Sister Karizza Nadean Querido Llanera,"
I was assigned to labor in the Chile Santiago West Mission for 18 months and I will enter the Chile Missionary Training Center on November 16, 2016.
I know that I will not regret this decision I made. For all the young women of the church who is still struggling about making the decision, please pray for it. And if you already received your Patriarchal Blessing, please, follow what it says.
Learn more about serving a mission: http://mormon.org/missionary-work
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