A Missionary Experience

WOW, it's been awhile since I've posted, as Swanson pointed out to me! And I had an awesome Saturday night that I had to post about.

For those of you who don't know, Provo has this awesome place called the MTC, or missionary training center. It's right across the street from the Provo Temple and it's the place you go for a few weeks to learn how to teach the gospel and possibly a language, if you go on a foreign speaking mission.

MTC!

Anyway, about two weeks ago, my roommates started volunteering at the TRC, aka Teaching Resource Center. They go in and roll play with missionaries so the missionaries can get experience before they are out in the field.
On Saturday, I asked if I could tag along and our whole apartment went! It was crazy cool to walk into the MTC cause it kinda felt like we were breaking the rules...and I was super giggly because I had been in the library for 5 hours with Lydia...so I was brain dead!
Anyway, we all went in and met for a prayer meeting, sang a Christmas hymn and got directions on where to go. Then, we went to another building and there were MISSIONARIES everywhere! And you see, we've had experiences with the missionaries when we go to the temple and they don't talk to us. I don't blame them, but they act like we're not there and it's funny cause we never know if we're suppose to say hi or ignore them as well.
Well, apparently, when you're in the MTC, all the elders say HI or how's it going Sisters? I was like....hello....I don't think I'm suppose to talk to you!!!
Anyway, so Whit and I were together and basically you decide how it's going to go-who's going to be the investigator, what your story is, etc. So we're sitting in this little tiny room, 6 feet by 6 feet, with 4 people. CRAZY SMALL. So the elders came in and Whitney and I decided we had live in Utah all our lives went to UVU and had a lot of Mormon friends but weren't members.  We said we were just interested in learning more. The elders started teaching us and bearing their testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel.  In this tiny little room, I felt the Spirit so strongly, it almost brought tears to my eyes. They asked about our family situation and my curiosity got the best of me so I said my parents were divorced. One of the elders began to bear his testimony about how through the Atonement, Christ had suffered for me and my sins and felt the pain I had gone through. I really felt the Spirit so strong from these two fresh on their mission elders. Their testimonies strengthened mine so much. At the end of the lesson, one of the elders said that they weren't sure if they could teach us our second lesson but that he could go find us a Book of Mormon right now if we were interested! The Spirit was so strong in that little room and I couldn't deny the fact that the Church is true.

 Also, for those of you who do not know, the missionary age changed in October.  Now, boys can serve when they are 18 and graduated from high school and girls can serve when they are 19. It caused quite a commotion, especially because I was about to turn 19 and most of my roommates and friends are about that age. Suddenly, girls everywhere were posting on Facebook that they were going to leave and friends and family were texting me and asking me if I was going to serve. If I'm being honest, I never thought about serving a mission because, in my perfect life, I thought I would be married by 21 (scary thought, as I'm nearly that age!). I've felt every pressure from everyone to serve a mission and I was one of those girls who shied away from the conversation and never said a word when the missionary age was brought up. After lots of fasting, prayer and temple attendance, I have gotten the answer not to serve a mission...right now. It's been hard, as 3 of my roommates are going to leave and many of my friends are...and I want to. I'd love to give 18 months of my life to the Lord but right now, I feel like it's not for me. I hope to serve one day, whether as a couple missionary or in a year from now, but for now, I think I will stick to sharing the gospel through my testimony and helping out at the TRC. I know this gospel is true and that it brings so much happiness to me. I can't imagine my life without it. I know Christ is my personal Savior and that He suffered for my sins. I know that through the Atonement of Christ I can be made whole and be clean again. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.