Why I Want to be a Missionary

One of the missionaries (Sister Christensen) who served in our congregation the summer before I left for BYU.

I just want to write how I came to know I wanted to be a missionary. When we got sister missionaries in our ward (congregation) around when I was 16, I loved going out with them and really just wanted to help with the work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and be a missionary. That was the summer before the age change for sister missionaries to serve at 19 instead of 21 was announced. I was super excited when that happened and just wanted to go right then and there. Then I continued to be super involved with the missionaries in Georgia. Then I went to college. I worked in the MTC ( the missionary training center), where missionaries learn to teach the gospel, and really enjoyed my time there, but it wasn’t the same kind of missionary interaction I had back home. After fall semester that excitement I had felt like all my life had died down. I think it was because I was so caught up in school and ward member-missionary interaction in Provo is so small. So winter semester I decided to change my interaction with the missionaries. I got the sister missionaries number and went out with them to teach people about the church. The first time was just soo goood. I was in tears at like every appointment I went to. Then, I knew I had forgotten what I wanted to do. I still prayed about it and never got a super crazy experience, but I decided I just needed to go forward and do what I wanted. I did. Ever since sometimes when people are speaking and everything I can get a prompting of mission. It is awesome.  Also my sister Erin being on a mission in Japan has just made it that much more real to me of wanting to go. Her example of being a missionary makes me want to become better in the efforts I make. This is such an exciting time to be out in the field telling people about Jesus Christ and his gospel. That is what Heavenly Father has asked us as members of the church to do. I want everyone in the world to have the knowledge about faith, Jesus Christ, his suffering, and how they can feel joy. 
The most important reason I want to serve a mission is to serve my Lord and help others come unto him through faith, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. I know that by putting 18 months of life up for him I will grow to love him more. I expect those months will be some of the hardest of my life, but I will come out so much different and better than before. 
I have been called to serve in Tahiti. I want to help the Tahitians know what I know and gain joy because of  the good principles of the gospel.               
I want to show my Father in Heaven that He can trust me with the truth I know. I want to help his children and be a part of the restoration of the same gospel he established in Jesus’s day and the gathering of his people.  
                   

My sister, Erin and I at Cafe Rio before we dropped her off at the Missionary Training Center in January.