Dear Sister Franklin

His Truth I Will Proclaim

The last 16 days have truly changed my life forever.
I'd say it's a story worth telling.

Waiting for my mission call to come was a very long and lonely process. I felt like I had been forgotten. (Impatient? Yes.) But that was a very real concern.

Why did everyone else get theirs, and not me?

The answer to this question came in a rather unexpected way.

The day after I was on the brink of just giving up, Shelby asked me if I wanted to come to Utah and be there for her mission call opening. How could I go? How could I possibly hide that I was feeling sorry for myself? This was HER special day. And I didn't want to ruin that for her. After getting no sleep the night before I decided to use exhaustion as an excuse not to go. But when it came time to tell her I wouldn't be going... I couldn't. I literally felt like someone was shoving me toward the door. Something was telling me, "You NEED to go." So I did.
When we arrived in Salt Lake City we went to Temple Square. A friend of ours gave us tickets to Savior of the World. I'd seen it several times before, so I wasn't expecting it to be all that different from past experiences.
But I was wrong.
Much of the second half of the performance is dedicated to the story of Thomas, and the doubts he had when the Savior returned as a resurrected being. As Thomas recognized his redeemer and friend, he fell down at Jesus' feet and cried. In that moment, I was Thomas. I knew that I needed to take this sorrow, worry, frustration, confusion and doubt from my heart and lay it at the feet of the Savior. He would take it from me. He was the only one with the power to do so.
"But how? How will I do this Lord? Help me to Believe without seeing."
The next day I went to Shelby's ward. All the lessons I learned were beautiful and profound. And I couldn't help but feel excitement about the gospel. 
I hadn't felt this hopeful in quite some time.It was good to remember.
I felt something that day that I can't really explain. I felt... Love. Love that was pouring over me from all directions. I didn't know why, at the time...I only knew that Heaven was not so far away after all. 
And that I was not forgotten.
When we came home from church we began preparing for people to come watch Shelby open her call. Before, I had been afraid to come because I was fearful that wouldn't be able to be happy for my best friend on such a special day. But that was hardly a concern now. ALL I could feel was happiness. I just knew that all was well.
All was well.
About 10 minutes before Shelby opened her call I checked my phone and found that I had missed a call. I listened to the voice mail. It was my dad's voice telling me that my mission assignment had been made and that it was on it's way in the mail.

What a miracle. That was the answer I spoke of earlier. 
This was not really about a mission call anymore. This was about the choice to believe. 
This was about having faith, hope, and charity. This was about affirming my testimony. 
I know God lives. 
He is there always and forever. I have hope because Christ has overcome the world. He lived on earth, he lives now, and he will come again to reign over his people. 
He paid the price of sin when he suffered in the garden and hung on the cross. 
He loves each and everyone of us individually and perfectly. He loves us perfectly because He knows and understands WHO WE ARE. 
I know that if I were the only person on earth who needed the atonement He still would have done it all for me alone. 
I have faith in His everlasting love and mercy, and I will trust in him.

With tears in my eyes I listened to Shelby read allowed her assignment of service to the Lord. She is going to Cleveland, Ohio to preach the gospel for the next year and half. And what an amazing missionary she is going to be. She is an angel.

By definition an Angel is a class of spiritual beings; a celestial attendant of God, represented with wings, usually clothed in white robes.
Who knows, maybe they do have wings and white robes in heaven. 
However, I know lots of angels without wings or white robes.
Words can't really express how thankful I am for all the angels who come in and out of my life, those who are beyond this world and th

ose of you who walk around like ordinary people here on earth. To me, you are far from ordinary.
All I know is that I've always had someone, tangible/visible or not, to help me fight my battles and protect those I love.
I've had several reminders in the last week that life is short. Really short. Too short to go a day with out expressing gratitude and love. So thank you, to all my angels out there.

I know many of you were with me, praying, fasting, and thinking of me that day. And words can't say how much it meant to me.

 

"Be a living, breathing example of the Highest Truth that resides within you."

Neale Walsch

After such a wonderful weekend spent celebrating Shelby and her decision to serve. I got to spend a beautiful five days with my family for thanksgiving. We went to my aunt Jane's home in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Such a beautiful place, I'm overjoyed every time we get to visit her. It was great to spend time with all four of us together for the holiday, that doesn't always happen. 

Thanksgiving gave me a good opportunity to reflect on all that had happened and be truly thankful for that many blessings I have.

I live a good life, and I hope I never forget it. 

When I arrived back in Rexburg, my mission call was waiting for me. 

This was it. The moment I'd been prayer for, for what seemed like a long time.

I walked up to my empty apartment (everyone else was in class), mission call in hand, along with another letter that had just come from Tanner Christensen, who was in the MTC at the time. I had always wanted to open my call by myself in a secluded area where I could react exactly as I wanted. This was the perfect opportunity. 

I decided to read Tanner's letter first. Good thing I did. He encouraged me to read a couple scriptures in preparation to open my call. They were EXACTLY what I needed to read. He wrote me his testimony in Spanish. It was so powerful and my heart beat a little stronger and faster as I read it. I had a feeling Spanish was going to be a big part of my life for the next little while. I felt God's arms of love around me as I knelt in prayer to thank Him for the people in my life who had helped me get to this point. I felt so much gratitude for this opportunity I had been given.

My hands were shaking. As I gently tore open the envelope, I was hardly breathing.

I slowly pulled out the letter signed by the prophet, everything felt surreal.

"Dear Sister Franklin,

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

You have been assigned to labor in the New York, New York South mission. 

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

You will report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on February 20th, 2013. 

You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language."

Joy. True joy.

I didn't know what it felt like until that moment. I am ready to serve my brothers and sisters in New York. Every minute of waiting was worth it.

God knows each of us. He really does. He knows our needs, and he is no stranger to our sufferings. He sent his perfect son to be our Savior, to suffer and die for us. 

"At the throne I intercede;

For thee ever do I plead.

I have loved thee as thy friend,

With a love that cannot end.

Be obedient, I implore,

Prayerful, watchful evermore,

And be constant unto me,

That thy Savior I may be

That thy Savior I may be."