So for about a year now I had been thinking about serving a full time mission for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As a sister missionary, I could go anywhere in the world and I would serve and teach people for 18 months. I would have no contact with family or friends other than writing letters, and a phone call for Christmas and Mothers day to my family.
It was a big decision and I was very uncertain. For the past 2 1/2 months I was praying really hard to know if this opportunity was the right one for me. I was not feeling I was receiving an answer and I began to get frustrated with god and with this decision. So for a few weeks I had kind of put it aside.
Randomly a few weeks ago the mission got brought up again with my roommates. (They knew its been something I've been thinking about). It got me a little frustrated talking about it again though, because its something that still was not resolved. That night I prayed with everything I had to my lord and savior and asked him to please help me make the right decision and to know what would be the best opportunity for me. For the first time ever I felt I TRULY had an open mind about the whole idea.
In the morning I woke up as if it was like any other day. I ate breakfast, got ready and did my other daily routines for the day. Two of my roommates and I started talking and again the subject of going on a mission got brought up. I began stating all the pros a mission would offer me, and what a great opportunity it would be for myself. I just felt good about it, and right then and there I decided I really wanted to go on a mission!
As tears filled my eyes my chest began to burn with almost a painful feeling! I know the spirit was in that room and was telling me I had made the right decision! My roommates said they could feel the spirit so strong too, and they began to cry. I can't even explain the feeling I had in that moment other than peaceful, reassuring, and amazing.
The rest of that weekend was extremley spiritual. My roommates and I had some amazing experiences. One night we just camped outside on the grass with our pillows and blankets and just read scriptures for hours on end. As busy college students things like that hardly ever happen, and it was such a spiritual night!
That following Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. My family and myself were fasting and yet again that was a very emotional and spiritual day. As sacrament meeting started a guy from the ward was just baptized and was confirmed. He spoke spanish and so the prayer was in spanish. Even though I could not understand what was being said, I could feel the spirit SO strong! The spirit was so strong and tears began to fall from my cheeks. One of my roommates was sitting next to me and she doesn't cry very often and after the prayer she turned to me and said "holy Kari stop! You're going to make me cry! I can feel the spirit resonating off you so strongly right now!" I know I needed to go up and bare my testimony. My chest was just full to the point it hurt. I got up and bore my testimony on the power of prayer and how I had been seeking for a big answer to a big decision in my life that was recently answered. The rest of sacrament meeting everyone was baring their testimonies on missionary work and on how if you have the opportunity to go on a mission you should go! It was interesting because our ward has a lot of older people in it, and not many young men and women who are the age to go on missions. I felt that sacrament meeting was just for me! The rest of the day all my classes had to do with missionary work and service. I will never forget what a spiritual day that was and I know this is what the lord wants me to do! I will be getting my call here in the next few weeks and will find out where I will be serving for the next 18 months! Yes.. I am going to be Sister Turner!
