JUST TWO MORE DAYS

3 more sleeps and then i will be in the Provo MTC starting my mission. Never could I have ever even imagined this would be happening to me right about now but there's nothing in the world I would rather be doing.

A mission has always been in the back back far corner of my mind. I know during many different times in my life (a lot of them happening while i was in the easter pageant) where I pictured myself as a missionary. It was always an option but nothing I thought too much about since it seemed like such a far away decision.

I graduated from Mountain View High School in May 2012. But before I graduated, I tried making a lot of college plans with my friends and tried working things out but nothing was. I was planning to go to Ecuador the summer following my first year of college but for some reason I couldn't get it off my mind. Suddenly I just felt like I needed to spend my first semester down in Ecuador. And once I decided I started preparing. I have never really been a proactive kind of person before but i was getting all the stuff done that was required. i was saving money, setting up doctor/shot appointments, doing interviews, taking quizzes and all sorts of things to get me down for this semester.
i left to ecuador september  6th, 2012 and absolutely fell in love.
we were working from sun up to sun down helping be any kind of loving and supporting figure we could be in these kid's lives. it was hard. but it was amazing. worth every penny and had an experience i wouldn't change for anything.

in october, me and my friends had come in from town that morning to come back to watch general conference on someones computer. as i was putting my stuff away upstairs, one of my roommates ran up to tell me "PAIGE GUESS WHAT THEY CHANGED THE AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR SISTER MISSIONARIES. NOW THEY CAN GO AT 19!"
i didn't think too much about it until i had made it downstairs to watch with everyone else. as i sat and watched that morning session, everything for me started clicking as i had little conversations with myself in my head.
"paige..you're birthday is next week.."
"i could leave on my mission?"
"well i was trying to make all my school/work/fiji/europe plans work over the next couple years.."
"yeah those were kinda going no where"
"i love serving and i love the gospel and i love people. isn't that mostly all you need?"
"can i really do it?"
"how can i not do it"
and as these conversations were playing in my head..all the sudden they just stopped. and i felt at peace. and in that moment i had never felt happier in my life. and i knew i needed to serve a mission. the next things i thought were paige, don't say anything for a while. just give it a couple weeks/months and just pray about it. so that was my plan up until the next talk in conference when the only line i heard be said was, once you receive a prompting...act on it. well i could hardly wait for that conference to be over because once it was, i went straight on my laptop and emailed my bishop. walked into the kitchen where 3 other girls who had had the same promptings as me and we laughed and danced and screamed and cried all so excited about this announcement.
called my parents. cried.
called my bishop cried.
called a few other close friends/family members. cried.
it was THE BEST day.

luckily before going to ecuador i had gotten all my medical and dental things done. i had a passport. all i needed to do was a few skype interviews along with a few other challenges my bishop had given me.
on december 7th my mom emailed me saying it was FINALLY here! getting over a few minor technical difficulties, i was able to figure out a way to video call my family so they could hold up my call on the screen for me to read.
PHILIPPINES QUEZON CITY MISSION. TAGALOG LANGUAGE. REPORT JANUARY 16TH!

what.

that meant i only had 5 weeks. and 3 of the weeks i was still signed up to be in ecuador for christmas with my family coming down! but i was overwhelmed and beyond excited. the most perfect mission call i could of ever imagined.
after a lot of online shopping and more preparing and a crazy perfect christmas with my ninos, friends and family.. i made it home just in time for my temple interviews. went through the temple the next day sat 29. gave my farewell the 30th. new years. then got my wisdom teeth out (worst decision). more shopping. quick and happy visits for hellos and goodbyes. and somehow it is sunday january 13th and i am almost gone again.

in the 5 minutes i have had to catch my breath while being home...this is what i've been thinking about.

i have been blessed with the most INCREDIBLE people in my life.
-my family. including parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, gpas and gmas. THE MOST AMAZING PEOPLE
-my close friends. or anyone i call my friend. meaning my best friends. my close friends. my good friends. my friends parents. my old friends. my new friends. etc...no matter the age. i could not have a better support system. they would do anything for me and vice versa. i'm just so impressed with everything they've taught me growing up. i didn't ever realize how HUGE an impact friends can make. and i'm lucky i've been blessed with the coolest in the world.
-my church acquaintances..meaning ward family, bishop, stake president. best examples.
-my OSSO (ecuador) people. meaning anyone i have met in the past 4 months who have absolutely been the hugest impact on my life who i can't ever thank enough. kids volunteers workers the same.. i miss them, pray for and think of them daily!

i have also realized how many overall blessings just aside from great people i have received throughout my whole life. all my basic necessities and most of any wants i could dream up have been covered. and i know where much is given, much is required.
so i have a long and exciting life of service ahead of me in order to pay back for all my gifts and blessings.

i realized how perfect my call was for me, a real answer to my prayers. i was really nervous about coming home and getting used to normal life after ecuador, maybe losing some motivation to get out there. so i was so happy i have been able to get home and get out fast and just keep going and going. i also knew that i had a strong testimony of Christ and of my heavenly father and of the holy ghost. but over the years it has seemed to be fading away and weakening. how lucky am i to be going to a place where i will be humbled and stretched and need full trust and help from the Lord. i cannot wait to strengthen those relationships and get my sensitivity to the Spirit back into my life.

God will never lie to us. life is simple. keep the commandments and love others and we can all be HAPPY.


its hard for me to understand how i am ever going to be able to love people more than i love my Mesa and Ecuador people...but i know i have people waiting for me to come love them in the Philippines. i'm excited to see how far my heart really can stretch. challenge accepted. these people are going to be loved more than any group of people has ever been loved before.


i love this gospel. i am a child of god. the atonement is REAL. i cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for all these new missionaries. we are as the army of Helaman.

it'll be the fastest 1.5 years
but God be with you till we meet again!

-sister tingey
ps sorry this was so long.