I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

A year and half ago in the 2012 October General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints President Monson announced a change the affected our family. Young Men can now serve a mission at 18 years old if they would like to as long as they have graduated from high school. A whole year earlier than before. Exciting! A new revelation that really has become part of our family!

Bruce immediately was the most excited about this change. He can't wait to be a missionary! He says he's going as a soon as graduates from high school.

Dallin had some thinking to do about it. For a while he didn't say much about it. He was pondering and thinking. I was shaken up a bit thinking about it. Ever since I found out he was a boy that would be born in July 1996 these were my plans for him:

Grow up
Graduate from high school in 2014
Go to college for a year
Come home
Start filling out mission papers
Get a job
Work until you turn 19
Go on a mission for two years

That thought process was now different. There were other options now! I said to him several different things.
"You could right after you turn 18"
"You could still go to school for a year if you want, you'll still be 18 after one year of college"
"It's all up to YOU. You get to decide what you want to do."

Then in November or so of 2013 Lance took Dallin to an open house at a Boise hotel for Utah State University. As soon as Dallin walked through the door into the dining room the first thing out of his mouth to me was, "Utah State will hold my admissions and scholarships for up to 2 1/2 years." And there it was. His mind must have been settled at that point. He's going was on a mission first.

We started seeing how good it will be to go first. No wasted time in college not knowing what to really study and just waiting to go on mission. Just go and serve the Lord first. Everything else will fall into place later.

So when his senior year started this year we started planning a little bit more. Mission papers can go in around the end of March (120 days before his availability date). So he needed doctor appointments and dentist appointments. Lance was the first to schedule one. He took Dallin to his cleaning (which we've been doing yearly since we pay cash for all dental work) and he came home and said, "I scheduled his next appointment earlier because he'll need to get his mission papers filled out."  Wow! Okay. What a great plan. We picked a new doctor (time to move on from the pediatrician) and went and saw him in August just so we'd know him before mission physical time. 

The beginning of March Dallin meet with Bishop Roger Christensen and started everything going. Doctor and dentist appointments were easy! No problems. This kid is healthy! Then he filled out all the information on-line that he needed to. (I LOVE that the church is SO tech savvy! It's amazing how simple things are when everything is done on-line.) Then Dallin meet with our stake president, President Shane Beus on March 30th. After President Beus talked with Bishop Christensen he sent the paperwork and his recommendation to the church offices in Salt Lake City.

There the papers were reviewed by a missionary committee and then a mission is selected by inspiration by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles and reviewed by the prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. Then the call is signed by him and sent to Dallin.

I truly believe that a mission call is given by inspiration. I believe that the Lord has a specific plan for each us and callings help us grow and achieve our own potential, which He knows. Where a missionary is called to serve is important. There are people the Lord knows need that missionary and I believe the missionary needs those people too--to help him grow and learn what he needs to be successful in his calling.

The waiting for the call started right after that interview with the stake president. We knew it would take a few weeks because of General Conference. During the waiting time, our nephew Austin got his mission call. Philippines Bacolod Mission. He enters the Provo Missionary Training Center on August 13th. And Dallin has several friends receive their calls too. It really is fun to see where they all are getting called!

On Tuesday, April 15th Dallin send me this text: 
FWD-BISHOP: Your status says assignment made! 

So the mail comes around noon. I guess. I never really paid attention. Thursday I kept myself busy all morning and went out to the mailbox right around noon so I could send Dallin this text:

Melissa: The mail!

Dallin: Yes!!!!!!!!!!(:

And I could send this text to my parents:

"It's here! Opening later tonight. Lance went to Pocatello today and will be home late. Thinking around ten at this point"
 

I thought I might be a bit weepy about my oldest getting his mission call. I did have a few tears in my eyes when I very first saw it in the mailbox. But then I just started grinning! I was so excited! 

Then I cleaned. Went to the middle school track meet, which happened to be in Kuna. Thayne was throwing and Bruce did triple jump. Dallin helped work the discus event. It was good to keep busy. 

Lance called and said he'd really be home around 7:30. So I contacted grandparents to let them know we'd be calling or skyping at 8:00. 

I took the four young ones homes and we fixes up quick nachos for dinner.
Dallin got home and Andrea Johnson came over to hang out until it was time to open it.

Lance got home. The rest of the Johnson family came over--and they brought brownies too. (Thank you Rhonda!) Jake Wing, Ben Christensen and Josh Hellewell came over too. 

8:00!

Jake, Josh, Ben and Dallin

from left: Kyle, Russ, Hunter, Abby, Kylie, Andrea, Jake, Josh, Ben  (Thayne on the floor--getting ready to Skype)

Rhonda took pictures and video for me so I could just watch. I'll try to figure out how to add the video later. But here's a rough transcript:

Me: "Hey you guys, quit talking"

Dallin opening envelope with his pocket knife, "You guys, this is freaky!"

Someone: "This is awesome!"

Someone else: "Don't cheat!"

Dallin: "I won't cheat. I'll read it line by line, (whispered) precept upon precept."

Reading:"April 15, 2014

Dear Elder Warnick (little sigh of whooh)

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the New Mexico Farmington Mission. (mouths 'All right' smiles and continues skimming the letter) Serve for 24 months. English! WHOOOOOOOOO!" Pumps right fist straight into the air! 

"I'm SO HAPPY to speak English!" 

Everyone laughing.

Dallin puts paper down on fireplace. Claps hands a little bit while smiling.

Me: "When do you have to go?"

Dallin: "Oh!" grabs letter and looks at it, "August 20th."

After reading the call

Talking to Grandparents (one set on each phone)

Time to check out the map!

A little research

The call: New Mexico Farmington Mission

Yep! He's a bit wired with excitement and kind of goofy!

April 17, 2014