nashville bound

Yesterday was a funny series of events. I'll start at the part where we woke up at an ungodly hour to catch a flight at the airport in Michigan.

The past few days we had been in Michigan selling my dad's scrapbook invention at a show. It's good money so I decided "what the heck why not" so I went and it wasn't all so awful. I got to spend time with my mom, dad and Brance. We went to Iron Man 3 which I thought was great. We went to a delicious restaurant called "Brio" and it is close to heaven on earth; we stuffed ourselves silly. Long story short, it was a good trip but I was READY to be home. Mostly because there was a big white envelope with the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" logo that will tell me where I'm headed for the next 18 months. 

We woke up around 5 and left for the Detroit, Michigan airport. We got on the plane. As we were lowering in elevation, I looked out the window and said, "where are we?" and Brance replied, "Nashville, Tennessee. We have a layover." I remember looking out the window thinking it looked like a really cool place. There were lots of cool buildings, rivers like mad, and a bridge that looked fun. It was also very green and hilly but there were no large mountains so I came to the conclusion that I could never settle down there (I always do this when I travel). We landed and went into the airport. This airport was different, I remember thinking it was extremely clean and nice for an airport. Thought to myself, "Hm. Must be new." We walked a little ways to our next gate and patiently waited for our next flight to Vegas.

Every time we landed, even when we were headed TO Michigan, I said to myself, "What if you go here on your mission?" And during the flight I thought about every mission possible. Literally. I think I covered all of earth. I had a lot of time to think! That call was in the mail the day I left, on Wednesday, and I wasn't able to come home until Sunday. It didn't help that my family was taunting me with things like, "McKeeelle your call is in the maaaiill!" or "What if you go to *insert place*." or "You could know right now." or "If we wouldn't have came here, you would've opened it days ago!" None of those helped my situation. Actually, I convinced myself the day would never come.

When we landed in Vegas, we headed home right after. I slept most of the way, trying to clear my head. I woke up and we were on Bluff. Great surprise, that was. We headed straight to Vernon Wirthlin (?) Park and had a picnic. I was acting really weird and I didn't know why. Maybe because I had just woken up? I don't know. I felt really disgusting too; traveling just does that to you. Anyways, my call was sitting there and I just looked at it and sat there. It was an odd moment for sure. FINALLY it was in my hands. 

After our little picnic we went home and I went a little nuts. I was just walking all over my house, forgetting everything, and my mind was going crazy. Long story short, I barely got in a shower. I went downstairs with fully wet hair, skyped/facetimed loved ones that couldn't be there, and opened my call. It was so surreal. It feels like I've been waiting for months. 

When I read Nashville Tennessee, I knew that was where I was supposed to be sent. It is stateside English speaking and I was 100% okay with that. I literally did not care where I would be called because I knew that I would love it no matter what. Obviously I would have loved to go foreign and speak a language but God's will is greater than mine will ever be. I was never disappointed, I was just so happy when I read that I was "CALLED TO SERVE in the Tennessee Nashville mission". I cannot wait to teach those people! I am beyond excited. The work I am about to do is of great value and I know I am being sent there to bring what I know to be so true and sacred to those people in Tennessee. 

(Sorry for the wordy post but it was an odd yet perfect series of events and I had to share/document.)