Amanda's Mission Call

We waited 10 long weeks for Amanda's mission call to come!  She turned in her papers on December 16th and her call didn't arrive until February 20th.  That is an unusually long time to be waiting.  All around her friends and friends of friends were getting calls returned in as little as 1-3 weeks.  We were all starting to get discouraged.  Due to the new lower missionary age requirement we had been hearing that the MTC was being full to over flowing and we were beginning to worry that she wouldn't head out for her mission until late summer.  Not really what she planned on!  The last few weeks were especially difficult and I could tell Amanda was beginning to question and wonder if she had made the right decision and why in the world this was taking so long. It was so crazy!

In the mean time Amanda and I had planned a trip to Seattle to visit Grandma Martenson and celebrate her 88th birthday!  I wanted Amanda to be able to see Grandma before she left on her mission because I'm not sure if grandma will be around when she returns because of a heavy duty cancer diagnosis 2 years ago.  So we had planned to leave on February 20th never dreaming the mission call would not be here.

As events would unfold the mission call arrived exactly on the day that we were supposed to leave for Seattle.  I got a call at 7am from the Pleasant Grove post office and they said, "We have your missionary's call would you like to come and pick it up or wait to have it delivered by the mail carrier?"  So of course I ran down to pick it up!  But before I could do anything else,  the phone rang again and this time it was Delta Airlines.  They explained that our flight at 2pm was over sold and wondered if we would like to take $200 ticket vouchers and go on another flight? I was so flabbergasted I couldn't even think for a moment but I quickly realized it would be so perfect to go the next day so Amanda would have time to invite over her friends and family to be there when she opens the call.  Instead of having to rip it open and run to catch a plane.  The turn of events was spectacular!  I was so aware all day of God's tender mercies as he diligently took care of every little detail that I had been worrying about and there was much more to come!

So the planning began and since several people couldn't be there until then, we settled on 8:30 pm.  It was a long day and that letter was just sitting there allllll dddaaaaayyyy long!

I was so tempted to get out the steam iron.....

I was going to write all about the big reveal but let me give a try at uploading this snazzy little video that we took with the Ipad and then you can experience the rest for yourself!

There were great lessons that I learned from this experience and the biggest one is that Heavenly Father is mindful of each one of us individually.  Sometimes it might seem like our prayers are going unanswered but there is something really beautiful in waiting on the Lord.   In the D&C 98:2 it says "2Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament--the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.

3Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord."

This experience reminded me in a big way that Heavenly Father is in charge.  The result of her mission call was too big for me or Amanda or anybody else to plan.  To be delivered all of the elements of her dreams wrapped up in one huge package with a big red bow on top!  This is the essence of waiting on the Lord.  

There you go Amanda!  Now go and LIVE your dream!  We'll all be watching!  We love you!