Glen and I had always planned on going on a mission when we were "older". After all our kids were married and settled and Glen was retired and . . . well, when we were really ready! We thought we might be ready in about February or March of next year and then we would put our papers in. But the totally unexpected happened! We were requested to serve in the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission by the mission president, President Jerry Black! Glen knew Jerry from high school and then they were in dental school together. President Black called Glen on the phone on March 5 and asked him if we would serve there. We were totally shocked and blown away and wondered if we'd been hit by a truck. But during the week we had some amazing experiences that told us plainly that we should accept this call to serve in Las Vegas. Here's what happened:
On the afternoon of Sunday, March 4, I was reading the Church News and noticed an article about the missions of the Church. I noticed that they were realigning the boundaries of the Las Vegas and the Las Vegas West Mission to create the Reno Mission. I studied it carefully and even at the time, wondered why I was studying it.
On Monday, March 5, I was studying 2 Nephi. I was loving being in the Isaiah chapters this year and was getting more out of it than ever before. I was trying to understand it deeply, and more important, to apply it. I was reading in 2 Nephi 12:11: "And it shall come to ass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down." Although I have read this passage many times before, this time it really affected me. I searched my heart for the pride that was there and knew I needed to be more humble. I went to volleyball, as I usually do on Monday mornings, and when I cam home, Glen was on the phone and it sounded like a serious phone call--the phone call with Jerry Black. Since Glen was well aware of my negative feelings for Las Vegas, he was a little hesitant to tell me about the call. But when he told me, I was in turmoil--Lindsey was engaged and we were in the middle of planning her wedding, and I had always wanted to choose when we would go on a mission.
On Tuesday, March 6, I read 2 Nephi 16:8: "Then [Isaiah] said: Here am I; send me." The words pierced me to the core. I read them over and over.
On Wednesday, March 7, I read 2 Nephi 18:11-13: "For the Lord spake this to me with a strong hand. . . Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear. . . And he shall be for a sanctuary." I knew the Lord was talking to me, and had been for the past four days. I read it over and over and contemplated the endless times that He had been a sanctuary for me and I was filled with gratitude. I read the quote by Richard G. Scott that said, "When you trust in the Lord, when you ask to be led by the Spirit to do His will, you are assured of the greatest happiness along the way and the most fulfilling attainment from this mortal experience. If you question everything you are asked to do, or dig in your heels at every unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to bless you." (Ensign, May 1996, p. 24.)
On Thursday, March 8, Glen and I were on our way to the temple and I brought along the LDS Living magazine that had just come in the mail. I opened it randomly to a page and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what page I had just opened to:
Now I knew for certain that Las Vegas was where we were supposed to serve our mission. What more of evidence would I need? It was confirmed again as we attended the temple and reviewed the covenants we make there.
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