Update...

Just by way of a quick update, I had my mission interview with my bishop on Sunday, February 1, 2009.

Groundhog day was the next day, on which day Punxsutawney Phil apparently saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter. This doesn't really bother or affect me that much, as here in Rexburg we will probably have six more MONTHS of winter, regardless of whether or not a silly groundhog n Pennsylvania "sees" his shadow.

The very next day, Tuesday the 3rd of February, I had an interview with my stake president, President Kevin Packard. In it was determined my full eligibility to serve a mission. Actually, it really was a wonderful experience to be able to have a personal interview with my stake president. He helped me better understand what my responsibilities as a missionary will be, as well as explaning exactly how the call process works. He is an awesome, inspired man, and I'm grateful to have him as one of my local priesthood leaders.

He let me know that my papers would be sent in that night, and that if everything was in order as it should have been on Wednesday, I should have my mission call in about 10 days.

He also asked if I would speak for 9 minutes in our Stake Conference on March 15th...

Today is Wednesday, 11 February, 2009, eight days after my papers went in. That means that there is a very real possibility that my call could come tomorrow. TOMORROW!!!!! However, it might not...which is fine. I can wait patiently.

I am very excited, though it's not an anxious, running-to-the-mailbox-every-10-minutes-even-though-the-mail-has-already-come-today, sitting-on-pins-and-needles-through-every-class kind of excited. It's a very calm, somewhat subdued excitement. Part of that comes, I think, from the fact that this is still so surreal to me. I can't believe that I'm actually going on a mission. Like, for real.

But for all that, don't get me wrong, I am VERY excited!!! I do think about it all the time, and wonder, "have they made my call yet?" "Is one of the apostles sitting at a computer screen looking at my picture right now?" "I wonder where on earth I'll go? Maybe Scotland, or Kansas, or Canada, or Nauvoo?!" "hmmmmmm..." So yes, I am excited, and I do think about it a LOT, but the wait isn't killing me.

(see, this is my excited face :)

However, you better believe that the day it does come, I'll be waiting on pins and needles, probably unable to concentrate on anything in my classes, anxious to get home, gather my friends and roommates, call my family, and open that big white envelope to find out where in the world I'll be spending the next year and a half of my life!

So far, the guesses for where I'll go (collected from my "Sallie's Going on a Mission!" facebook group, as well as random friends I've talked to)have included:

Australia (4 times, including one for Chinese-speaking), Sweden, Texas (Dallas, San Marcos, and one just Texas), Phoenix Arizona, Temple Square (7+ times - by far the most guessed), Florida (twice), Provo Utah, the Phillipines, Spain, Las Vegas, Portugal, the South, Spanish-speaking in the States, the Dominican Republic, American Sign Language, Canada (3 times), Europe (twice), California (LA, Long Beach, and one just California) , Connecticut, Yekaterinburg Russia (as well as one for just Russia), Oregon, the West Coast, Boise Idaho, Argentina, Northwest US, "somewhere in the US," Bolivia, Columbia, Venezuela, "some European country with a different, hard kind of language," and South America.

It'll sure be interesting to see, huh?

hmmmmmm...

Where do YOU think I'll go???

Wherever it is, I can't wait to sign my letters "I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!"


In the mean time, I'm keeping busy with school, etc, enjoying the snow (it's snowed a good 4 or 5 inches already today), and doing my best to just love life!


:)

ps
For those who are wondering about the call process, Pres. Packard said that the apostles have certain days that they are assigned to go in and make calls. They sit down in a room and have two computer screens in front of them. On one comes up a picture of the prospective missionary. On the other appears their info. The apostle looks at the missionary, and at their info, and by revelation makes the assignment of where they are to serve. In a matter of 4 hours, the apostle will probably make about 500 (yes, that's five hundred) calls, and all by revelation. So no, missionary callings are not made by any sort of "missionary committee", but by revelation to one of the Lord's prophets.

Cool, huh?


pps


Pres. Packard does have the above information on good authority -- Elder Cook, who set him apart as a stake president told him. I'd say that's a pretty good source, don't you think?