Called to Serve!

Hello! It is practically old news now, but I am finally ready to blog about it I think. Even though I still cannot comprehend that I am actually going to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I think I am getting closer to the reality.

If you have not heard yet, I practically bombarded social media with my excitement, I have been called to labor in the Massachusetts Boston Mission. Speaking the English language, I will report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on September 9th, 2015.

Less than 4 months.

The parcel of my call packet came surprisingly early this last Friday, I did not anticipate it to come until Saturday so as soon as I found out I was shaking so much and all other plans went out the window as I contacted everyone that it was here and I am opening it as soon as possible. Hard to believe such a penultimate moment in life could happen so quickly. Anyway, my parents were passing through my town to go to a church wood-cutting service project for the weekend at a nearby church camp. The plan was to meet them halfway at a fruit-stand to follow them to the campsite where I would then open my mission call. The time came in a breeze of joy, I waited a lot longer than expected but I did not care, I was going to find out that very night! I was not going to wake up another day wondering where the Lord would have me go! How could I be anything but grateful..?

The whole week of waiting for my call to arrive I was in prayer a lot asking Heavenly Father to help me humble myself because I knew I was not going to go somewhere I wanted, or somewhere easy, I was going where I am needed, and that was a lot for me to understand. I wanted to be ready to receive His will will love and full purpose in heart. All my prayers and receiving my call so soon I thought that I must ready to accept where I am called to go, wherever He wants me to go. When I read Massachusetts Boston Mission.. I was emotionally compromised. There were no tears of grief nor joy. Thoughts entered my mind of, "Heavenly Father, what did I do wrong..? What did I forget to make me a more capable missionary than to go stateside and English speaking? There were all these magnificent places and languages all my close friends and family told me I would go and say.. was I not enough..?" As I became disappointed and my heart breaking, the Holy Ghost testified to me, stronger than any of the other thoughts, "But THIS IS NOT THE CASE." I know I am going exactly where God wants me, He knows me perfectly, unlike myself, along with all his precious children of the Massachusetts Boston Mission and I am grateful to be able to teach and learn with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know they are His jewels and I was completely wrong in my thinking that stateside missions are any less than going foreign. We are all God's children, we are all special to Him. I had forgotten that.

So now that things are settled for the better, I am absolutely obsessed! I cannot stop looking up facts or finding out every little thing about my mission. Did you know the Big Green Monster green is pat-toned so no one else can use it? And that the term "happy hour" is illegal in Boston? My Bostonian accent it getting pretty wicked awesome as well. Hope you get to hear it sometime.

My experience in opening my mission call was probably strange, but I would never trade it for anything in the world. Time to get to work, only 120 days until I am a missionary!

Keep smiling and enjoy looking at this beautiful temple of my mission!

Future Sister Lybbert

Boston Massachusetts Temple (100th)

Waiting on the Call...

It has been too long since I have last posted. College has definitely been keeping me busy! But I had to tell you all that I am awaiting my call. My papers were sent to Salt Lake the last Sunday in April and yesterday I was notified that I have indeed been Assigned (!!!!!!!!!!) hopefully meaning my call is on it's way in the mail to my door right now.
I am going to be a missionary. This lifelong vision is becoming a reality right before my very eyes. I can't believe it! And I can't talk about it without getting all emotional..! I am so grateful. I never imagined it would feel like this, so full of anticipation but so calm because of my Savior; I know no matter where I go doesn't matter all that much, it is the reason and why I am going and what I will do there that really matters.
This will have to be a short post because I need to go practice today but I encourage you all to read President Thomas S. Monson's talk in the October 2014 General Conference called, "Ponder the Path of Thy Feet", I listened to it today and I felt so much peace and I know the Holy Ghost will bring you joy and peace through that talk too if you let it. I know this is the true church upon the entire Earth because Jesus Christ truly is at the head of it. I know He blesses His servants, His friends.. He blesses us all everyday if we but open our hearts. I will let you all know where I am called as soon as I get word! Have a great day!

I love you all,

Future Sister Lybbert

4 weeks and my papers are in!

Wow, it has been forever. How is everyone? I am doing awesome! My papers are almost complete! This morning I had my physical with my doctor, where I was poked 5 times and got all checked up to make sure I was in ship shape for such a hard task of 2 years to serve God's children! I am beyond excited. All the staff in the clinic were so excited for me too. I have two appointments today, the other is for my dental work to make sure I am healthy as well, and that is at 2 o'clock today. But I had my doctor and dentist appointments switched for some reason in my brain this morning... So I was not exactly as on time to my physical as I maybe should have been, but through our Heavenly Father's perfect plan all worked out and I am right on schedule.

I still have a little less than a month to be eligible to turn in my papers (April 22nd is the magic day I get to press the SUBMIT button!) but I am grateful to have so much time to prepare and really focus on my testimony so that when I enter the Missionary Training Center, or even my mission at all, I will be as strong as I can in knowing that we have a Savior and through Him we can be eternally happy. I am still studying Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon; being in Institute and Missionary Preparation classes really help keep my mind focused on the big picture when the world tries to entice me to stay home.

Satan is so real, he tries everything to get you to let him in to your life. In the past two months I have had countless temptations that really were difficult for me to keep my eye single to God and remember all the goals I have set for my life. And sometimes what the devil persuades us with is not exactly "bad" but the "good, better, and best" decisions. These are the hardest decisions in my opinion, because no matter what you choose you will be happy, but the amount and expiration date of your happiness per-say is limited.

I want you to know that I know the Lord wants me on a mission. I know there is someone out there in the world that needs me to share with them Jesus Christ's message of His gospel. I know He lives and we are His hands on the earth today and always. He needs everyone of us to take a stand and share what we know and help one another the best we can. We are literally brothers and sisters, begotten valiant sons and virtuous daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us with an infinite love. He is always there for you, you are never alone. Call to Him and He will answer all your prayers. Trust in Him and you will succeed. I know we have a true living prophet of God today, Thomas S. Monson, and he is the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I am very excited to hear from him and all the apostles in a few weeks at General Conference. I know Jesus Christ is the head of this church and I am beyond blessed to be able to know it is true and be apart of it and proclaim it to all the world. I am so happy! I hope we all will look unto the Lord today and thank Him for something in our lives and that He may every bless you is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thank you for reading! I love you all very much.

Future Sister Lybbert

p.s. Please let me know if you have any questions I would love to hear from you! And if that is uncomfortable for you, please visit lds.org or mormon.org or ask God because He really does have all the answers.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Hello again all! I apologize for how long it has been since my last blog, still trying to get used to this--But I had to let you know I finally got to meet with my bishop to start my mission papers!!! In order to be a missionary, you have an interview with your bishop in your ward or branch to figure out if you are sincere and if you are worthy to become a missionary because it is a big commitment. But I got approved on Tuesday and I have been filling out my papers ever since. I am so excited! It feels like it's really happening. I love it so much. I am learning a lot too because of all the information I have to fill in, it's really great. The next steps will be to get my physical examination from the doctor and my dentist paperwork completed! I got my wisdom teeth out at the beginning of Decemeber so I am almost there! I can't remember if I have mentioned this yet, but I found out I can turn in my papers as early as April 22nd, 2015.
In the meantime, I will be preparing spiritually by studying Preach My Gospel, a very important text to help missionaries teach. Also, I will thoroughly search and ponder The Book of Mormon; the keystone of our religion. But mostly what a missionary needs constantly is the Holy Ghost, also referred to as "the Spirit" and "Comforter". We believe the Holy Ghost is a being without a body that testifies of all truth and speaks to individuals in different ways such as: feelings, thoughts, or even an actual voice. Kind of like your conscience. The Holy Ghost is how God communicates with His children. This is needed for missionary work, so if I can improve my way of keeping the Spirit with me as much as I can, I know I will be a better missionary for my Savior. (I will try to put a link to some a mormon messages about revelation through the Holy Ghost by one of our twelve apostales Elder Bednar.)
I am very excited to be a missionary and that I can practice by being one now! I have had 4 missionary moments this week that I have been able to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ with my wonderful friends and I want you to know, if you have any question I would love to talk with you about anything, but if that is uncomfortable to you, please vist lds.org or mormon.org.
Thank you so much for reading!
God bless you!
I better fill out my papers now!

Future Sister Lybbert

My story:

When my older brother left on his mission and I heard about such amazing things that happened to him, not to mention all the blessings our family received from his service, I knew I wanted to go someday too. He left when I was 12 but the years since have passed all too quickly. I cannot believe the time has come to start my papers (kind of like an audition or application process). It is so exciting! I have been waiting for this moment my whole life.

All the preparation that has happened through my adolescence is definitely beneficial, I had so many opportunities with missionary work all through high school thanks to the Mission Prep class offered at my church when I was 16 and I have been taking it everywhere I go since. Every moment seems to really make a difference, just having sister missionaries around my junior and senior years of high school really fed my crave for being a missionary and solidified my decision to go as soon as I can.

Now, I have a missionary out in the field as well, he has been out almost a year! And I am completely drawn aback at how fast this year went by! I know what you are probably thinking, but I have to get this out-- he is my boyfriend. I don't know if I can tell you where he is serving, but he is doing very well and I am so proud of him. We have been together about two years, we've always been long distance but still only communicating through email and letters is always difficult. The soonest we will see each other again will be February of 2017.., that's 3 years of service between the two of us! 5 months of double duty! Haha! It's going to be the best decision we will ever make, I know that. There will be nothing better for our eternal family someday (except out temple marriage of course). So definitely worth it.

Okay, here is some needed information: to be a Sister Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you now need to be 19 years of age. I currently am underage and won't be eligible for service until August 2015. However, I am allowed to submit my papers 6 months before my availability date (August 22, 2015)! Also I am in college at the present time, so this winter break is the best time to complete my papers! Therefore, I am starting them when I come home!!! I am so excited!!!!!! It will be a little bit after I am home, I must confess, because I am getting my wisdom teeth out for my papers the morning after I drive home. Haha, you can't wait to hear about that, huh?

Alright, what's my deal-- why is this "blog worthy" or whatever..? I'll tell ya! This is one of the biggest times of my life so I was impressed to document it, not only somewhere that I can see it, but anyone! That way, I can share my story and help others either in the same situation or curious about it, etc. It is also a great way for me to learn how to express my thoughts to strangers, which I will be doing A LOT this time next year!

So I'll keep you posted! Thanks so much for reading, I gotta head to class!

Future Sister Lybbert