12/03/2014
I have lots of friends who are always asking how this whole "mission thing" got started for me.
So,
I thought I would share my story today.
Let's start at the very beginning.
I grew up in the church, and learned about missions since I was 3.
At the time, missionaries were always boys to me, sister missionaries just didn't seem like a thing.
Growing up, I thought missions were wonderful things, but it never even crossed my mind that I would even possibly serve a mission.
In fact, I knew I wasn't going to.
I would have to turn 21, by then I would be too old, I couldn't go that far in college and then put my life on hold for a year and a half.
No way.
For the first 16 years of my life, "mission" just didn't fit into my life plan.
yes.
I was one of those people that planned out every aspect of their entire life by sophomore year of high school.
I know.
insane.
October 2012.
The prophet Thomas S. Monson announced the missionary age change.
Boys could serve at 18 instead of 19.
Girls could serve at 19 instead of 21.
19.
what.
I could go on a mission and still go through school and finish the rest of my life on time.
but I pushed that thought aside.
Well, then junior year came around.
I turned 17.
First semester went by.
Second semester started.
January 2013.
That's when things started to change.
I had a very close friend who started investigating the church. I started sitting in on missionary lessons with him, and spent a lot more time with the missionaries.
I grew close with some of the missionaries in my ward.
The thought entered my head.
hmm... maybe I'll go.
but no, it would ruin my plan.
I can't.
I pushed the thought aside again.
But, it stayed in the back of my mind.
I was at a point where I was 50% in on both sides.
I'll go.
I won't go.
I battled between these two for a while.
I wanted to, but I got scared.
Then, I got my answer.
July 2013.
A patriarchal blessing.
And that was exactly what I needed.
The answer was in there.
And that's when I knew.
I was going on a mission.
August 2013.
I served a mini mission.
mini mission : spending a couple days or a week with missionaries 24/7,
You go with them contacting, teaching lessons, and you sleep in their apartment.
pretty much a pretend missionary for a short while.
After the mini mission
there wasn't a doubt in my mind about my decision.
I was going.
Michelle Liu was going on a mission.
Who would of known?
Fast forward almost a year, and then I started my papers.
Doctors appointments.
Dentist appointments.
Getting blood drawn.
Shots.
It was really happening.
I went to BYU for summer semester and came back to California
for two weeks before fall.
And what happened during those two weeks
was a day I'll never forget.
My papers were submitted the morning of August 19th.
My call was issued on August 26th.
August 29th 2014.
It came in the mail.
Taiwan.
Taiwan Taichung Mission.
Reporting January 7th.
Provo MTC.
Oh. my. gosh.
I knew in my heart that this is what I needed to do.
And that is where Heavenly Father needed me to be.
So...
that is the story of how a shy little girl made the crazy decision of serving a mission.
Here we are.
It's December 3rd, 2014.
I turned 19 two months ago.
I am leaving in exactly 35 days.
and I couldn't be happier.
XOXO