Goin' on a mission, start the countdown!

So as most of you have heard, I'm going on a mission! After a lot of hoops to jump through, I finally submitted my papers on Sunday March 16th and got my call on Thursday March 27th. I was so incredibly lucky to have my whole family (minus Shane, who unfortunately couldn't come til the weekend) here. They were here for spring break and Kallie's baby blessing and lucky for me my call came!! It came as a surprise to a lot of people because I really only told my family and my roommates. I have been deciding to go on a mission for a long time. About last time this year I decided I for sure wanted to go and was waiting til the summer to put my papers in, but then I started dating someone so I had a change of plans. When that didn't work out, the idea of going on a mission once again entered my mind. I wrestled with the idea for a long time wondering if it was right for me. Finally things just sort of fell into place and one thing led to the next and I felt strongly once again that I wanted to go on a mission. My fears of going dissolved as I got excited for the opportunity to go on a mission. Each week that I worked on putting my papers in, the excitement escalated and I became rather impatient as I was so super anxious to put them in!

There's nothing like opening an envelope that not only decides where you will be for the next 18 months of your life but also will change the rest of your life. Some of my close friends and family were there to witness the much anticipated opening of the call. Here's what it read: "Dear Sister Morris, 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 Illinois Chicago North Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 moths..." I go into the MTC May 21, I am SO excited! I can't even type this blog without feeling the spirit and getting a warm fuzzy anxious feeling to serve the Lord. I know very little about Chicago but I have heard nothing but good things...well except for the cold :) I was also excited because Christie Baird served her mission there so I can have an insider as to the ins and outs of the Chicago mission.

I am going on a mission to baptize and bring people unto Christ. I'm excited to serve the people in Illinois. Here is a picture of me opening my mission call and my friends anxiously waiting for me to open it and I thought I would stick one in of Chicago :)