Ain't No Polaroid

Just like every other teenage girl, I LOVE to do photo shoots! So when the opportunity to take cute pictures in new clothes appears (which I will have a post later showing my mission wardrobe), you'd be crazy not to take it!! So here are some of my favorite Mission Pictures. Some were taken on my iPhone and the rest were taken by my mother's friend's friend, Jamie (who did an amazing job!)

The journey continues soon!
Love, Dee Marie

A Big White Envelope From Salt Lake

The moment my Stake President told me that my mission papers had been sent to Salt Lake City, I waited by the mail box. I was so excited to see where I was going to go. Of course I had my dream missions which were England, Australia, New York City, and New Zealand, but I knew in the back of my mind I wouldn't be lucky enough to go to any of those places. I kept telling myself that where ever I went, it's where I was suppose to go and it was where Heavenly Father needed me to go.

When two weeks passed and I still had no mission call, I grew very nervous. What if my call had been lost in the mail? What if they couldn't receive an answer of where I was to be called and I wouldn't get my call for a month? Tons of 'what ifs' came through my mind, but luckily, on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, my mission call finally came. 

My close friend, Emma, and I had decided to go and do baptisms for the dead that afternoon and as we were meeting outside my house, the mailman had arrived. We decided to ask him if he had my call and as we made small talk with him, Emma said "I think I see it!" My heart seriously jumped in my chest as the mailman, very protectively, looked inside his mail car at the tubs full of mail. He asked what the name and address was as he looked at a big white envelope that was from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I told him my name and address and he said that the letter was mine. I almost started crying tears of joy in front of the mailman. Emma asked if we could have the letter, but the mail man said that he couldn't, the excuse so stupid I forgot what it even was, and said I would have to wait till he put it in my mailbox. I was a tad angry, Emma more so finding the mailman's excuse idiotic. But we left for the temple anyways.

After we did baptisms, I raced home. MY CALL WAS HERE, MY CALL WAS HERE!!! I raced through the door and into my bedroom. There, lying nicely on my bed was a big white envelope from Salt Lake City, Utah. As I held it in my hands I grew more excited to open it. I finally had my call!

That night, at 6:30, I opened my mission call. I had family and my closest friends around me as I read out the long awaited words: 

"Dear Sister Dee Marie Hall:

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

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 you will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language."

When I read the words " Nebraska Omaha" the thought that ran through my mind is probably not a surprising one...

"WHAT?!"

I would have never guessed in a million years I would go to Nebraska! I never ever thought about Nebraska as a state and now it was going to be my home for a year and a half. 

Then there was the fact I was leaving for my mission in 5 weeks... 5 WEEKS!!!! That was so soon! My good friend, Hyrum had had his mission call for months and was leaving September 2 and I could hear him say after I read my report date, "that's like no time!". I became very worried. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to do this. But the more I talked about Nebraska that night with people and people told me what they knew about it, I could feel myself grow excited to go. I knew that it was where I was meant to be. It was the perfect mission for me! Farm land and ranches! Football fanatics! Beef! Church history sights! It was perfect and I became so excited! Yes, it is still scary now, I mean, it snows A TON, it's FREEZING, there's tornadoes, and it's very windy, but I know that I am going to have the time of my of my life in Omaha Nebraska! 

The journey continues soon!

Love, Dee Marie

Here's some photos! 

Taylor, Lauryn, Scotty, Me, and Ashlyn

Taylor, Me, and Sheryl

Sheryl and I 

My mom, me, and my dad

(Back row) Quinn, Jarom, Brigham, Jace

(Front row) Taylor, Korby, me, Ashlyn, Kortney, Lauryn, Hyrum, Scotty

Me and Ellie

My call and my area

It Started Out With A Feeling...

I had had the desire to serve a mission way before the mission age was changed. When I was about 14 or 15 I watched an LDS movie about a sister missionary called "The Errand of Angels"

As I watched this movie I had this sudden wanting to go out and experience a mission, but at that time the mission age for sister missionaries was 21 and like all other girls then, I decided that if I wasn't married by the time I was 21, I would go on a mission. But our Heavenly Father had something in store that would change everything.

At the October 2012 LDS General Conference Pres. Thomas S. Monson said the words that changed the course of my life:

"Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21."

(watch/read the announcement here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng)

Unfortunately I had currently been in the shower when this announcement was given (way to go Dee). When I had gotten out of the shower my mom called me into the TV room and re-winded Pres. Monson's announcement to the beginning. The moment he said the young women were now able to serve at the age 19, I felt a feeling that is completely indescribably, but it told me that I was to serve a mission; that serving a mission had always been what I was suppose to do and that this age change was for me. Because of this I could now go on a mission right after I graduated from high school. 

It became more clear that I was always meant to serve a mission throughout the years leading up to my 19th birthday. My mom would tell me many times of how when I was younger, she was trying to decided on if she should put me in preschool once to make me younger in my class or twice, to make me older since my birthday was right when school started. She prayed and prayed on what to do and she got the answer to make me the oldest in my class. She didn't understand why she was suppose to, but when the age change announcement was given, she knew that it was so that I could leave on a mission right after I graduated. 

Isn't it amazing how Heavenly Father prepares us and sets us on the path we're suppose to be on way before we even know it? I mean, I was 3 or 4 years old  and a mission was something I didn't even know about! I was thinking about watching The Little Mermaid and playing with my cousins, but Heavenly Father was thinking of setting me on the path to serve a mission. This event alone makes bares witness to me of how mindful Heavenly Father is of me and my life, as He is with everyone's lives. He truly is a loving God and I am so thankful that He needs me to serve Him out on a mission.

The journey continues soon!

Love, Dee Marie