The Anticipation has begun

So I have done lots of research online of San Pablo, and sheesh. I AM SO STOKED! I have sought out some friends of friends who have served there and am soaking up all the information they can give me. It is great. The more I hear about it, the more I know that my mission call is a divine call given from the Lord. I have read some blogs and these are their comments on the Philippines:

"this place. was more than good. spend some time there and it will steal your heart. gone. in a bag, kidnapped. your heart belongs there. that’s how much i love the philippines. one of the top 2 places in the world. in my opinion.... i kind of want to cry. i just want to go back. this place stole my heart. most of all. over everything else. it was the people that made the impression. they stop you on the street to see how you like their country. they are full of yes ma’am’s and will literally give you the shirt off their back. even if its their only one. the children run to you. all they do is laugh. and sing. and play. the town is filled with happiness, even though they have next to nothing. they see your boat pull up on their island and insist you join their picnic. they pour you their whiskey, give you their fish. they are the most. the most. wonderful people."


And another blogger said:

"Today we have been greeted by many with the few English words they know or just a huge smile. I cannot tell you how welcome we feel. Thank you Philippines for reminding me of all the reasons I have to smile."


I just have so many positive vibes from this wonderful place where I will live for a year and a half! Here are some pictures from a blog that make me excited to be in the Philippines

No One Guessed It...

Not a single person thought I would go anywhere even close to Asia. But I am so blessed to have been called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the Philippines San Pablo Mission.  And this is my story.

When planning it all out in my mind, I knew that my mission application could be submitted exactly 120 days before my availability date... So I knew that my papers could be submitted on December 24, 2012.  I made my availability date April 24th.  And call me crazy, but that is the last day of finals for the 2013 Winter Semester.  I did that on purpose technically because I knew I had to be back by January 2015 in order to attend the Winter Semester to be able to apply for my major, Special Education.  If I was not sent out before July, I would not have made it back for that semester.  I had A LOT weighing on my mind because I wanted to be able to serve a mission without it completely turning my academic life upside down.  But anyways, my papers were not actually received by the Church until December 27th which crushed me because if they would have been submitted the 24th, I would have gotten my call while still at home for Christmas break.  Sad day.  It never came.  So, since it was sent to my home, it took an extra two days to go to AZ from UT, but that Friday, January 11th, my call arrived to my home.  I could not wait.  I had to open it.  My parents faxed it to me that afternoon and then some of my friends gathered in my dorm lobby and I had my family in AZ on one computer, my sisters in DC on another computer, and my best friends from home on another computer. It was great.

What was going on in my mind: this one paper will change my life.  I need to open it.  Now.  Where will I be living?  I have never left North America.  I could be living one state away, or I could be halfway across the world... Oh my goodness.  What language will I speak?  I never liked my spanish classes in High School.  I hope I have heard of the language...  I haven't even opened my call and I already know it is right.  It is the place I am supposed to go.  I love my mission already.  I am so pumped.  Let me open my call already!!!!

I legitimately thought I was going to Scotland.  I thought I would serve where my dad did.  I had such a good feeling about it.  But then again I also had previously said, Norway, France, New York, and California.  No where even close.  Everyone is told me their predictions and all the guesses were in America, South America, or Europe.  Nathan, my brother in law was the only one who guessed in Asia and he said South Korea.

5 pm rolls around.  I had thought it out.  I wanted to say a little something about why I was serving a mission and how I knew the church was true, but no.  I got a little too emotional.  All I could say was "I am so excited... The church is true!"  That is it.  Way to go Morgan.  Anyways, I open my little white envelope because it was faxed, and skipped right to it before I read it aloud.  I squealed and was crying even harder.  I started reading it.  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 Philippines San Pablo Mission.  It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.  You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on May 22, 2013.  You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Tagalog language.

I was STUNNED.  The Philippines never even crossed my mind!  I was not even sure what it's exact location was.  But I knew it was right.  It is the perfect mission for me.  I know this is where I am supposed to be.  I know I am supposed to be in the hot and rainy weather that I love.  I know I am supposed to have the beautiful views of the beach and ocean.  But really though, it will be such a humbling experience to live in lowly living conditions, experience crazy weather, and be engulfed in a completely different culture.  I know I will have some culture shock.  But I am so excited!!!  I am so grateful for this opportunity because at this point in my life I am really molding into the woman I want o be and I know that serving in San Pablo will teach me so much and allow me to grow.  I love the Philippines already and have so far heard such good things of how wonderful it is and how much I am going to love it.  I am so ready to be confident and tell every person I see the message we have to share with them, the truthfulness of the gospel.  I want to invite everyone I meet to come unto Christ, use the atonement in their lives, and receive the blessings of having the knowledge of the gospel.

Well, it is still sinking in.  I am in awe.  Only 125 days to go!  I am so ready, so pumped, and so tremendously blessed.  I am grateful that I have the means to be able to leave for 18 months and to serve the Lord.  Such an amazing experience.  I just cannot wait to have that name tag on my shirt.

Hanggang sa susunod na beses (Until Next time),
Sister Waldrom

Me and my mission call in the cold snow... 

My best friends.  So glad they could be my physical "family" that night

Loving my favorite roomie.  Tommie is one of my favorite people.

Aw cute candid with my girls

The reason why I am serving a mission

And My Papers are In!

I am done.  My mission application was submitted today to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on December 27, 2012.  FINALLY!  I have been waiting for that thing to leave my existence for about three months because the ideas of where I will go, when I will leave, and what language I will speak is constantly on my mind.  I cannot wait to get my call!!  Gahhhhhh.  The knowledge that my mission assignment will be made soon brings such joy to me.  My family and friends have made some predictions... If you would like to know here is what they guessed for an in-state and a foreign prediction:

Mom- Texas, Canada

Dad- Spain, Scotland (doesn't have an in-state guess)

Emily- Temple Square, Mexico

Nathan- Anaheim, South Korea

George- Utah, Spain

Paul- Nauvoo, Peru

Lauren- Washington, Australia

Ali- Louisiana, France

Tristan- Alaska, Australia

Grandma- Connecticut, Italy Rome

Grandpa- Kanab Utah, Northern Italy

Morgan- California, Norway
Jeff- Florida, Mexico
Cady- Oregon, Bolivia
Jarrett- Oklahoma, Russia
Quinn- Brazil
Emily Dahl- France
Toby Guthrie- Georgia, Guatemala
Katie Kauffman- Maine, France
Shelley Esplin- Illinois, Canada
James Van de Graaff- New York, Argentina
Rivka VDG- Boston, Paraguay 

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

The past 18 years, I never would have thought that my life would change in a split second.  But, like Heavenly Father tends to do, he defies all odds.  On October 6, 2012, the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Thomas S. Monson, announced that not only had they changed the age for men to serve their missions at age 18, but also for women.  Women who are are "able and worthy" are eligible to serve full time missions starting at the age of 19.  When this announcement was made, my jaw dropped and tears lined my eyelids.  I couldn't believe what had just happened, not only to the church, but to me.  Immediately after this glorious announcement, I knew I was going.  I was with my friend Madeline, and we both turned to each other and knew we were both going to serve.  That day was the happiest day of my life.  Not only did I learn that I could serve a mission in a matter of months, but I was also blessed with the privilege to hear the prophets voice live as I attended the afternoon session of General Conference in Salt Lake City.

I had direct inspiration from the Holy Ghost that I, Morgan Waldrom, was to serve a mission.  I remember when I received my patriarchal blessing when I was 15, as my family and I left the patriarch's home, my sister Lauren said, "Morgan, you're going to serve a mission!"  I wasn't too assured about that.  I knew my particarchal blessing always said I would teach and share my testimony with others, but I finally understood the true meaning of it... I was to serve a full time mission.  Also, since the age has always been 21 for women, I was never sure if I was going to serve.  I knew I always wanted to, however.  In my opinion, serving a mission is the best thing you can do to serve the Lord and his people on this Earth.  Before I was in college, I knew I wanted to attend BYU and find my husband there.  I thought it was typical to get married at the age of 21 or even before then, so I never really knew if I was going to be able to serve my own mission.  But as I grew older, I found myself seeing the blessings of a mission and how my desire to serve grew stronger and stronger.  When I became eligible, I knew without a doubt that this happened at this time in the church's history to increase the number of missionaries and to bring the Gospel to every corner of the world.  I knew I needed to be apart of that army of God and bring the joy and happiness the Gospel brings me to others.

I cannot even explain the excitement I have to just get out on my mission and serve others for a complete 18 months.  These next two months until I receive my call are sure going to test my patience.  I am itching to just find out who I get to serve and what country they reside in.  I do not care in the least bit where I go, just as long as I can go.  I will teach people in the farms of Kansas, the mountains of Chile, the sights of Paris, or even the icecaps of Antarctica (even though there's not really a mission there... I would go if I were called there!)  But I am just venting about the excitement to know where I can serve so I can fully begin my preparation of serving, especially in my mind because knowing where I will go will just ease all of my nerves and stress.

This is a confession: I cannot focus on ANYTHING anymore.  My mission is on my mind. All. The. Time.  And it kills me.  I don't want to do my homework.  I don't want to go to class.  I don't want to go to work.  I just want to prepare for my mission 24/7.  I have never wanted to read a book more in my life!  Yet I have all these church books sitting on my desk sitting there, ready to be read.  But I am just too doggone swamped with everything else, that once I find the time to do it, I find myself much too tired to even keep my eyes open to read a page.  It is terrible.  Maybe it is Satan withholding me from my personal mission preparation, but may I say, it is dangerous.  But hopefully, I can finish this semester up and get on top of that.  I cannot wait to read all this church literature to prepare myself to teach others the gospel and all it's little details.

JUST GET ME ON MY MISSION PLEASE! :)

 

I have started a blog...

I am not making this blog known to the world yet, but I wanted to start it in order to keep track of my life before my mission.  I want to be able to record everything I learn, feel, and experience before my mission.  I turn my papers in on December 24th, 2012 and I cannot wait to receive my call.  I have no idea where I will go and have no preference as to where I will serve; I just want to serve anywhere the Lord would have me!  In my gut, my guess in Norway... but really, that's highly doubtful.  I count down the days till I can turn my papers in... 49 days to be exact.  YAY!  I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and cannot wait to share this wonderful gospel with others and bring them the happiness I have every single day of my life.  Sorry for the quick post, but I will hopefully post frequently!! xoxo