The Decision to Serve

       Ohh my goodness! 2014 has most definitely been one of kind. Im not sure I even know where to begin.

       I have wanted to serve a mission since before I can remember. I used to joke that "I was goin on a mission, leavin him wishin"! If it was in Heavenly Fathers plan for me to serve a mission, I would without any hesitation go as fast as I could. In the October 2012 General Conference, President Monson announced that the age requirement for missionaries had changed. Young Men could now go at 18 years old and Young Women could go at 19 years old! After hearing this I was so excited and wanted to go as soon as I could! At the time I was a senior in high school and still had a few months before turning 19.

       I graduated in May and moved to Rexburg end of June. Months passed and I wasnt sure I wanted to go on a mission anymore. The date that I could start my papers came and went. I honestly think I was more scared than anything. Scared that I wouldnt be able to do it... Scared that if I did go out, what if it was for the wrong reason like just because everyone else was going on missions. Scared that I didnt know the gospel well enough... And scared about what in the world (literally, haha) I would eat since I cant have gluten. Fast forward to mid-fall semester. I wanted to start my papers. After deciding I wanted to go on a mission, I just felt sick to my stomach. Everything over the next few days things were just crazy and nothing was going as I expected. I could not figure out why everything was so crazy. It was like I just couldnt get a handle on things, and I was beyond stressed. Over the next couple of months, I just tried to avoid the idea of going on a mission. Before I knew it the semester was over, and I went home for the holidays.

        Fast forward a few weeks, I started having thoughts about serving again and I just kind of tried to avoid it again. But the thought of going on a mission just kept coming. Each day it would bring a bigger prompting. It began with just thoughts about missions, and they grew into stronger promptings and more and more thoughts about it per day. It seemed as if it would not leave my mind. I would lay awake at night just thinking about missions and trying to not think about it. I would do everything I could to ignore it (Awful? Probs.. but can you blame me?!)

        So one day I was at work and I was cutting the kiwi's. I heard this voice say to me so sternly, "Stacey, you need to go on a mission." After hearing that I was like heck no, I cant, I dont know enough for myself let alone to teach someone the gospel! So I continued to cut the kiwis as if nothing had happened. And its a good thing that I was sitting down because it was if the wind was knocked right out of me! Again, I heard the same voice a little stronger, "Stacey you need to go on a mission!" It was in that moment that I knew without a doubt that I needed to go on a mission, and I could not put it off any longer.

       Feeling so overwhelmed, I immediately broke down into tears. I was so nervous about serving a mission for so many reasons. Im sure I looked absolutely ridiculous to the costumers in the store but I couldnt help it! I then heard the voice again saying, "Stacey, call David (my wards executive secretary) now." I texted him right away knowing that if I didnt, I would again push this whole experience aside as if it had never happened. But I knew that I needed to go on a mission and that I needed to act on these feelings right away.        My appointment was for that following Sunday. I had decided long before this moment that I wouldnt tell anyone about the thoughts of going on a mission until I had officially started my papers. I did this because I didnt want to get anyones hopes up and then disappoint them if I didnt end up deciding to go. So by this time its been almost a month of thinking about going on a mission again and I finally decided to go. So I decided that I would start my papers and then tell my family. After my appointment on Sunday I called my parents and told them the exciting news. I decided to keep it on the down low until they were officially submitted. I had a few complications with my papers but they were minor.

       I experienced so many tender mercies while working on my papers. I was able to get into to the doctor for my physical, my dentist back home was quick to fill out his end of the paperwork, etc. I completed my papers within 9 days of starting them, which was killer fast. Everything was falling directly into place which is another tender mercy. I waited about two weeks to get into see the Stake President. After my interview to see him, he sent my papers to Salt Lake City. The next morning, they were sent back because I was more than 120 days before my availability date which was August 20, 2014. I immediately decided to move up my date to July 27th and my papers were sent to Salt Lake City for the final time! EEE! The excitement that I felt is indescribable! It felt so right! I received my call 10 days after sending them to Salt Lake. It went a little something like this... (Haha):

Dear Sister Allred,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

You are assigned to labor in the Virginia Chesapeake Mission.

It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo MTC on Wednesday, August 20, 2014.

You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language.

       I am so excited to go teach the gospel to and serve the people of Virginia! What an incredible opportunity it is to become a servant of the Lord. If you didnt notice, I report to the MTC on my original report date. That was my original availability! What an incredible reminder that Heavenly Father is mindful of us in every aspect of our lives. He knew exactly when I would be really ready to serve a mission. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve!

My roommate Ashleigh took these pictures, it was a fun afternoon and they turned out so cute! Thanks Ash!

The Day that I got my call was a pretty crazy one!

I had opened at work that day and was scheduled to work all day. Not too long after getting to work, my best friend Krista texted me saying she got her call! So of course I am naturally freaking out for her, but then I was like wait wheres mine?! Haha the whole process of filling out our papers, our availability dates, when we turned in our papers, Krista and I have been at the pace. We did everything at the same time, not on purpose or anything, it just happened like that. Crazy huh?

Anyways so I text Carissa and she says she is pretty sure mine came too! (I had it mailed to her house because I wasnt sure if it would come before the end of the semester.) But anyways she then sent me this snapchat.

If you cant see it, it says "Sister Stacey Lynn Allred" on the front.

But Kyle had the mail key so carissa had to run to go get the mail key from Kyle at the school,

go back home, to get my call and then she brought it to me at work just so I could hold it and see it for a minute haha. Its safe to say that I was not focused at work at all that day! Haha

So Carissa and I decided that it would be best if she took it and put in a safe place so it wouldnt get dirty or bent until I opened it that night. By the time I got off of work, I had 47 unread texts, 13 missed calls, and I cant even rememebr how many snapchats! Haha

So that night, I opened my mission call, I had tons of friends and family there with me, and I skyped my parents and Brielle and Jared so that they could see it too. I also did a Ustream video so anybody else who wanted to see me open my call could. It was great. I am so grateful for the technology that we have so that we could all be together.

I am so excited and happy to serve and teach the people of Virginia! I am also beyond nervous, but I know that this is exactly what my Heavenly father wants me to do and He will help me as I put everything I have into my mission.

I report in 96 days!! :)