The call.

Well, after that the whole thing seems like such a blur! I started my papers in November and had them in before the end of December. Crazy stuff.  But the good stuff was just about to begin! For the next 2 weeks I played the waiting game as my call was to be finalized by the 1st Presidency and then mailed to me. That was seriously the longest 2 weeks of my life. Focusing on school work? Ha. Ya right. (Sorry mom :) ) But then after what seemed like forever it was Wednesday!!!! (which is the day mission calls usually come here in Provo) The night before I was up all night because I was so excited and kept thinking of all the places I could get called to.  That week I had had two dreams of going places: 1 the Philippines and 2. Brazil.  So I decided my guess for myself was going to be Brazil.

All day Wednesday I was in classes and focusing on my school work was just out of the question. I got to my last class of the day at 2 (which was mission prep) and it was just wonderful. I left feeling ready to face this new challenge and take this next step in my life. Walking home was an adventure in itself as I had to keep stopping myself from running the whole way and nearly tripped and fell to my death on the stairs haha. Typical Jessica... Anyways I ran upstairs, grabbed the mail key and ran out to the mailbox. I inserted the key, turned it and..... there it was!! Just sitting there like it was no big deal! I took it out and looked down at it knowing that the next 18 months of my life lay in my hands. I ran upstairs and had a mini freakout with my amazing roommate Mallory who tried her best to keep me calm haha.

That night all my friends and family that were in the area came over to watch me open it. It was so nice to look around and see so many people who I love here to support me in this big decision I have made to dedicate 18 months of my life to serving the Lord. Once I got my family who live in Kentucky on skype it was time to open it! As I took out the paper I can honestly say I have never felt so excited/ nervous in my entire life. I flipped it over and began to read the words:


Dear Sister Lowe,

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 Philippines Olongapo Mission. You should report to the Provo MTC on Wednesday, May 8th 2013. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Tagalog language.

After reading those words I just started crying and laughing all at the same time... I probably looked insane haha. I just felt this amazing feeling of peace, comfort, and pure joy that is indescribable  I know that this is exactly where God needs me to serve. I have never felt so at peace or so close to God and my savior Jesus Christ than at that moment. I am just so SO happy and can NOT WAIT to start serving him and all the amazing people of the Philippines. I don't even know them yet, but I just love them already :) I can not even express how happy and amazing I feel knowing I have the opportunity to give up my wants and just serve my heavenly father and his children in the Philippines for the next 18 months... it is just incredible. It's just crazy to think in 5 months i'll be in the Philippines! It's so funny because my best friend is actually over there right now serving his mission in Cebu (which is on another Philippine island) and I used to laugh and make fun of him for having to eat mongoose and all the crazy things he's has to deal with over there and what do you know? That's exactly what I'm going to have to do haha. But I am just so so SO excited and cannot wait to serve! Bring on the crazy humidity, rain, hot sun, mongoose, no AC and imposible language I don't know yet! Challenge accepted :) Olongapo Philippines here I come!