RM. Temple square and back.

I think the best advice for anyone going on mission is to hear stories about people who have done the whole mission thang. Their experiences  and why they decided to serve can really uplift the soon to be missionary ( that would be muah) They know what they are talking about and I have received the best information from them. Whitney Ward is my beloved sister. We were on trek together, and we all know that once you're in a trek family with someone, you're family for life. We also went to school in Arizona together. She really is the bee's knees. I don't understand that saying at all. Someone explain that me? Anyways, I love her. I know she was an incredible missionary. I saw her once at Temple Square in all of her glory. and she gave me a hug. BEST DAY EVER. Her story made me tear up.. 

You can tell a lot about a person from the way they introduce themselves. Mine goes like this.

 “Hi I’m Whitney Ward. I’m from Fredericksburg VA, I’m currently pursuing a degree in biology, at BYUi, and I’ve been home from my mission about a year and I LOVE PIE!”

I never thought I was funny growing up, maybe funny looking, but I never thought I was humorous. In fact when people laugh at my jokes or things I say I still look at them strange, like” why are you laughing at me I’m not funny.” But I guess it makes sense, I can’t take anything serious (like ever) so in a world of stressed out college students, the one laughing at them self is funny. In like a, there’s something seriously mental with you type of way. For example I love telling people that I can make duck noises just by chugging water, Or I the fact that I hate purple otter pops. Have you ever seen Marcelle the shell with shoes on? It’s like my favorite you tube video ever! Sometime when I have a lot of homework to do I’ll just put it on and work away. I love looking back at notes I’ve taken from class because I right in a different color of pen every day. My favorite is purple.

I served my mission from August of 2011 to January of 2012 in the Temple Square Mission. At first I was like, what, no way! Temple Square? GROSS. I want to serve in like Africa and eat bugs and rough it out. Instead I was sent to a mission, where grace, charm and freshly ironed we a must. Definitely not my style. However I grow to love it and found that different events though out my life had prepared me for specifically for my mission. That is one thing I love so much. Our Heavenly father knows all of his children so well and so thereby he knows where we will do the most good. Wherever a missionary is sent is exactly, where they are supposed to be.

                I always wanted to serve a mission. I can remember as I nine year old telling my mom I wanted to serve a mission to china or somewhere, and then come back and marry the man of my dreams.(Little did I know at that time, china isn’t open currently for missionary work.) However I had the opportunity to serve with many sister’s from main land china. My favorite companion, Sister Zhang (Pronounces jang), who had only be a member of the church a year was from China. Anyway I’ve been back a year and still no man of my dreams to be found.

                There was a brief time in my life, where I wasn’t very active, and I knew that I needed to shape up my life. I never once had a doubt the church was true. I was just being spiritually lazy. In 2008 I meet Bryan Bryce. We worked together tutoring math at Easter Arizona College. I fell hard for him. I knew that if I wanted to marry a man like that I needed to turn into a type of woman he would marry. That was the kick in the pants I needed to get my life back in order. Once in order I became very excited again about serving a mission. I was getting ready to put my papers in when I met Jordan Lee.

 He played the guitar and spoke Hungarian. I was super into him. We started dating and I put off putting in my mission paper. I can remember the first thing I ever said to Jordan was “I’m going on a mission soon.” I had to laugh when he proposed that I don’t go a mission, and that we get married instead. I highly considered it until one day we were sitting in devotional together and I was told in a very clear way,” you will not marry Jordan you will go on a mission.” I actually looked over to see if anyone else had heard that loud booming voice. No, they hadn’t. It was just for me.  It was an answer to the question I had been asking in my prayers for a month. So with that I told him no, he said he wait, but he didn’t. We broke up, and he got engaged to another girl, two weeks before I entered the MTC. I’m so glad he did. The really funny thing is, he was the only one to guess where I would serve my mission.

 I was set apart as a missionary and I never looked back. I was fully committed to the work the Lord gave me to do. For all of you wondering if you should stay together with you boyfriend, don’t. Break it off fully and save yourself the heartache. If you guys are truly meant to be, he will be there when you get back. But let me tell you. You probably won’t want him. You will have changed and grown so much, your tasted in guys will have changed too. The guys I date now are nothing like Jordan.

 You will come home a returned sister missionary, the cream of the crop, and because you gave the Lord, your very best for 18 months, he will give you best in return. That covers boyfriends.

                I had been home 9 months when they announced the age change for sister missionaries. I was watching general conference with my FHE bros. We all shouted for joy when we heard. Later that night when my roommates returned from being out of town we all hugged. All of us had served missions and agreed that we were mighty jealous of the new age limit. For me personally I knew I wasn’t mature enough at 19 to go. I needed those extra to years to learn and to grow to serve the Lord better. However I see today’s 19 year olds and I know they are ready. I feel lied to sometimes. Growing up, we were told we were the chosen generation. Now I look at the youth and know they were wrong. You guys are indeed the chosen generation. I’m so excited so many sisters are going. I think this has really taken away the stigma of sister missionaries. When I left for my mission, there was still a little bit of the “Oh she went on a mission because she couldn’t get married” mentality. I’m so glad that is gone now.

                The best part of serving a mission is the love to gain for others. Wait no, I take that back, the best part of a mission is how much you come to love the gospel and how much your testimony is refined, wait, no I take that back too. The best part of a mission is seeing people’s life change for the better. Wait, no….I think you get my point there are so many wonderful things you gain from serving a mission. Enjoy every moment of it, because before you know it, you’ll be home a year writing down advice for future missionaries, tearing up because you mission meant so much to you. It will be hard, so be prepared. I’ve heard it called the Best two years of your life. I tend to disagree with that. It’s not so much the best two years of your life, as it is the best two years for the rest of your life.  Your mission will refine you. Every day you will think of the lessons you learned on it. Good luck to you all and keep the faith. You have 14 million members of the church praying for you. That’s a lot of blessings.  

Doctrine and Covenants 80:3-5

3 Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss.

 4 Therefore, declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true.

 5 Behold, this is the will of him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sister Ward in all of her glory