Called To Serve

after 19 years of anticipation and 2 hours in the van with our family and branson, the moment arrived. we drove down to a rest stop in spanish fork, where we waited for austin and the price girls to come meet us. every car that passed was disappointing. but every pair of headlights was encouraging. we counted cars as they passed, until finally, a little silver car pulled into the parking lot and the intense excitement grew! they jumped out of the car and we had everyone pile into the van - nice and cozy! austin went over everyone's guesses as to where he was going to go and said whoever was the closest in mileage would get a steak dinner.


you can't see it too well, but you can hear just fine in this little video clip...


CANADA TORONTO WEST!
i couldn't believe it. but as he read the words i knew it was perfect. he's going to be such a great missionary. *tear* and i'm going to miss him so much! *sniff*tear*

it was quite an emotional experience for me. and i'm trying to pinpoint exactly why...
i was so overwhelmed - that my brother was actually holding his mission call and was called by the Lord through President Monson to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

my little brother's going to canada!

truthfully, a small part of me was almost jealous. for the past few years i've tried to envision that moment, when the mission call came. and i usually saw myself sitting next to austin, holding a white envelope myself, waiting until his excitement settled and then carefully opening said envelope to reveal my own mission call. ever since i was 8 years old, i've wanted to go. and i still do. someday. but as i sat there and watched him open his call, it was made very apparent to me that that wasn't my calling. i have other things to do, and that i have to serve in a different way. but serve nonetheless. it was the first time in my life i felt like i had been hit by a ton of bricks. it was almost like a slap in the face. granted, the past 6 or 7 months, my mission aspirations have been greatly hindered by a boy i like to call branson, making me really evaluate whether or not i should go. and since then its been a question in my mind. and now i know.

i'm not going to wear a black name tag. i won't go to a foreign country to serve my brothers and sisters in the gospel. i'll have a different way of serving. member missionary work. being a mother someday (though not in the near or foreseeable future at the moment). i'll be more like my mom and serve in every capacity that i can. church callings, being a good neighbor, etc.

and i think i'm gonna be ok. its funny how God answers our questions and lets us know what the true desires of our heart are.

along with my soul searching, mildly jealous state, i was so excited. austin is going to be the best missionary out there. seriously. the. best. i'm thrilled for those toronto-ans. they won't know what hit them - or maybe they will... a book of mormon, the gospel, baptism perhaps...

but i will say one thing - sending him off will be the hardest, most bittersweet thing i've ever done up to this point. not sure i'll be able to handle it all that well. i'll be a wreck the whole month of june. and i'm hoping that i can spend some time with him before he reports to the mtc on june 18th. he is in price until sometime in may and then a month later he's gone for 2 years. 2 years! that seems slightly like forever. but i'm sure it will fly by.

Elder Austin James Ashcraft. Called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Canada Toronto West Mission. Report to the Provo MTC on June 18, 2008.

the first of the ashcraft boys to go on a mission. the start of a dynasty... 10 consecutive years of missionaries out in the field. i can only imagine the blessings my family will receive.
go bring them in, boys.