Choosing to Serve in a Different Capacity

Since I'm LDS, I get a lot of questions on whether or not I'm going to serve a mission. A few years ago the missionary age for young women changed from 21 to 19 which caused a HUGE increase in the number of sister missionaries. Because of this incredible opportunity for young women, it has become more of a social norm within our church to serve as a sister missionary. 

Growing up, serving a mission was never in my plans. I had always wanted to go to college, get married in the temple, and start my own family right away. But as the idea of serving a mission became more popular, I questioned my future plans. Did I want to serve a mission? I prayed for a very long time about what my true desires were. I emailed my friends on missions and talked to friends who had been recently called to serve and asked for their advice. I prayed for a very, very long time...

I received the answer to my prayers over a course of time, I kept getting the answer to just relax, let things happen and let the Lord handle it. But you know me... Impatient is my middle name. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. Then, as if out of nowhere, after one of my morning prayers, I heard very clearly that this is not the path in which I was to take but that I was to focus on my schooling and look elsewhere for my calling. Elsewhere?! What?! Where else am I suppose to look for something that could even come close to a mission?

As my high school chapter was coming to a close, a highly respectable teacher gave us his final lecture and told us that before we settle down, before we decide on what we want to do in our life, and before anything else, we should travel. I kinda just laughed and was like... Alright, just get me out of here and I'll do what I want. Traveling was also not in my future plans so I disregarded that bit of advice..but this part of my story will come back a little bit farther down the road.. 

So once again, I prayed about what I should do to fulfill this purpose of mine. And once again, after a very long morning prayer, pleading with the Lord and asking in sincerity about what it is that I should do, I got the answer. A humanitarian trip.... What. The. If you know me, that's really not my kind of deal... I was shocked. But the feeling of happiness and joy that filled me was unlike anything else. 

I immediately told my mom about the revelation that I had received and her face was just about as shocked as mine... Like I said, this is really unlike me. But after the fact, all she said was "that's great, let's start researching!" So after a bit of research, one of my moms friends suggested we look into an organization named OSSO. So I did, and found it to be exactly what I was looking for.

OSSO stands for Orphanage Support Services Organization. You can chose to serve in Ecuador, Thailand, or Mexico but in my case I chose Quito, Ecuador. The program follows all the LDS standards and is actually less than a mile from my college campus! In Quito I will be serving for a month and a half during my summer break after my first year at BYUI. There are many tasks that come with working in the orphanage but I know that it will all be worth it due to that fact that I will be working with the most adorable children. I have always had a special love for children and I'm so blessed to have come across this humbling opportunity. 

I am very thankful to be able to serve in this capacity and for the time that I will be able to spend with these wonderful children. This experience is something that I've prayed for a very long time about and I know it is exactly what I need to do. I am looking forward to travel, to serve, and to fulfill my calling. Even though most everything I'm about to do is typically out of my comfort zone, I feel so at peace and I am beyond excited for this adventure. I am truly honored to be able to have found this opportunity and I'm looking forward to all that I can do to help these children.  

Much love, 

Hai 

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." -Mosiah 2:17