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Monday, September 7, 2015

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



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