The Calling

This is the Life I've Lived:

     Well, this story is about my original mission call. It sort of jumps the gun based on where I left you off in my last post, but I just wanted to share this part of my life. I definitely feel that this is the part of my life that put things into perspective.

     This was the epitome of joy in a young Latter-day Saint's life. It was the moment that you are called of God to go forth into the world and proclaim His everlasting truth to all mankind. To teach about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to watch the blessings in other people's lives as you share this joyous message. I was so excited to be getting my calling from the Prophet of God, and I knew not where I would be going.

     My dreams had always been to go French speaking, but also to go to Uganda in Eastern Africa, so I wasn't sure if I would ever get both of these wishes. I had my doubts that I would be able to do either of these if anything. I had taken five years of German throughout Middle School and High School, and so many of the kids I had taken German with were being called to head off to Germany, so I figured it was inevitable that Deutschland had my name on it.

     It was November, and my sister was about to head of to the Missionary Training Center to learn Croatian in preparation to her call to Croatia. Funny how that works, the language is close to the country's name... I wonder who thought that up... Anywho, it was a week or so before she left, and our good friend that works up in Salt Lake brought down my call so I didn't have to wait the extra few days before getting it. So he and his family, his son being one of my best friends, Bolo Branco, all were there with us as I was going to be finding out where in the world I would be going.

     At this moment my head is swirling over all the possibilities, from Louisiana to Idaho, from Berlin to Paris, from Vietnam to Hong Kong, from Ghana to South Africa I had no clue where I would be going. All my friends had their guesses as well, and so now all that was left to do was read the call. It was extremely nerve racking.

     I began to read, 

"Dear Elder Haggard,

.....You have been called to serve in the Benin Cotonou Mission...."

     At first I struggled over reading it. I read it about three times out loud, but my brain kept running those words through itself. I looked up from my call, everyone there was in silence. An unanimous bewildered look was on each of our faces, except our Missionary Department friend, he was smiling as we all tried to figure things out. Bolo Branco then said, "Isn't this the point where we are supposed to cheer?" So then followed the half-hearted cheer, then back to the question, "Where on Earth is that?!?!?"

     I felt ridiculous, I had passed my geography classes, and I felt that I knew the locations of plenty of countries around the world. I had never heard of Benin in all my life, and apparently no one else had in the room either. I looked to the friend, and he asked me, "Where did you want to serve?"

     I responded, "In Africa... Why?"

     "Well," he was leading up to telling me the obvious. "Benin is in Africa, I had asked Bolo Branco about it and was surprised that that is where you were called."

     That is when the true excitement filled the air. We all celebrated over the fact that I got my mission to Africa, and that it was right next door to where another of my friends would be serving. He was called to the Ghana Cape Coast Mission, but that has been reorganized since he has been there so he is now in the Ghana Kumasi Mission, still the next country over though. So there was a great party happening. A perpetual smile across my face as I looked into my packet and saw the map.

Mission Department friend then said, "what language is it?"

     In all my excitement I had completely forgotten to continue reading the actual letter. So I picked it back up, it got quiet again, and I read,

"You will prepare to teach in the French language...."

     

     Not only did I get Africa, but I got my French as well. This was a dream come true. There have been countless missionaries that have received calls that were not what they wanted nor what they were expecting, and for me to have gotten both, it made me feel like I was on top of the world. I just couldn't believe what had just happened, and I was so astonished by it. It was a day that I will always remember in my life.

     This was amazing, and I never think words will ever fully describe how I felt that day. I am always going to be truly grateful for that mission call, it set a lot of my life into deep contemplation.