An Announcement

Anthony and I after his Farewell

This week I want to share with you a message and an update of sorts of where this blog will be going. I have a very exciting announcement to share with you all this week. This is something that is changing my life. Something I never thought I would be doing. Something that was inspired and I know is right. 

Let me start with saying thank you to my cousin Anthony. One, because this post was inspired by him, and second because he has been such an example to me and I will miss him as he goes to serve a mission in Mozambique, Maputo Africa. The people there will be truly blessed. Anthony made the choice to graduate early so that he could go and serve The Lord. I really look up to him and his strength to make this decision in his life. 

As I was with Anthony this weekend, (He had his farewell this weekend before he leaves on his mission for 2 years) I found this video and wanted to share it with all of you. This video is about serving LDS missions. It is entitled: A Day For Your Mission 

I love this video as it tells how sometimes leaving to serve a mission isn't so easy. Sometimes there are a lot of things, besides family, that you have to choose to leave, and risk loosing opportunities for. It is a very scary choice for some people. Anthony chose to leave high school early and put furthering his education on hold so that he could serve his Elder Brother, our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. What an amazing example he is to me. 

With being with my family this weekend for Anthony's farewell, I wanted to share with them a very special announcement and now I want to share it with you: 

  I have decided to go serve a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. I plan on going to a semester of college in the fall and leaving on my mission around Christmas 2015! I am so excited for this opportunity in my life, and although I am scared, have to leave nursing and dance behind, and put school on hold: I am ready to do this for my Savior. After all He has done and gone through for me, the least I can do for Him is "put my life on hold" for 18 months and serve a mission to spread the truth of the gospel for His true church. I know that the LDS church is the only true church and I cannot wait to share that message with the people I will serve. I know it won't be easy, but I know it is worth it and I know that with God on my side I can do anything I am asked. I know it will be an amazing experience and it will bless my life, and my family's life for generations to come. I know that I will change lives by the power of God and that serving a mission will be one of the very best decisions I have ever made. I know it's true. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, 

Amen 

Love, 

Samantha