Dear Bishop Stucki

I was lucky/unlucky/mostly lucky enough to have my father serving as my bishop. So he keeps pretty close tabs on me & my life, like any father should. I was somewhat concerned that he wouldn't take me seriously when I told him I wanted to start my mission papers to serve a full time mission for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

So like any determined & stubborn young eighteen year old independent woman would do.... I wrote a list form essay. :) 

So I started my papers & next came the meeting with the stake president. That was quite nerve wrecking to me, considering this was the first interview I had ever had with a higher authority than my bishop! & to my astonishment, when I walked into his office he flipped open a file with my medical records & etc. & low & behold... My essay was stapled right in the front. MAN WAS THAT COOL. My stake president got to read all my reasons & intentions & true desires of my heart. He even made the comment that he should start requiring this of every young member seeking to serve a mission. (Your welcome guys;)

So here is the charm that admitted me into this whole mission experience- I hope that if you have ever considered serving a mission, you will ponder some of these insights & pray about the decision to serve. It has been the best decision in my life this far. I love you all! 

Dear Bishop Stucki (& Dad)

Reasons I Want To Serve

By: Madison Paige

1. To serve The Lord. I was fortunate enough to have been born & raised in the gospel, 18 months of my life is the least of which I can devote to The Lord by giving service & helping others find happiness & become close to the savior. I want people to have the opportunities that I have had in my life & to have a knowledge of the only true church & the comfort it can bring.

2. To find myself. I have faith & believe the the gospel is true, but I want to know for a sure fact & I believe a mission will double & triple the growth of my testimony & create an even more solid foundation on which I want to build the standards of my life & my future families lives as well.

3. I want to accomplish hard things. I want to prove I can do anything I set my mind to, & I want to do something useful with my time, as stated in my patriarchal blessing, about calls & responsibilities I will hold. I want to prove it right & I want to be able to look back & be proud of my accomplishments as a sister missionary.

4. I want to make a difference. I've always wanted to make a difference, even if its just to one person, I want to change their life. I want to be in the right place at the right time & say exactly what one person needs to hear. I can't imagine the feeling I would get knowing that I changed somebody's life around.

5. I want to be an example. I want to be a role model & a leader. I want my younger brothers, cousins, sister, friends & relatives to see that doing the right thing brings happiness. And that a mission isn't just something that is talked about, it is doable. I want them all to see that.

6. I want the experience. I want to be able to tell people what I did, how I felt, & why it is important. I want to be able to say I've experienced serving a mission, & I want to be living proof it can change your life.

7. I don't want to waste time. I want to be busy doing meaningful service for The Lord & for others & become a better person.

8. I want to develop lifelong habits. Habits such as reading, writing, patience, endurance, prayer, leadership, speaking, politeness, modesty, spiritual strength, etc. habits that will help me personally.

9. I want to have the opportunity to serve. I want to give service & I want to help others find happiness & security in the gospel & have the opportunity to learn bout Jesus Christ, the Plan of Happiness, & the temple.

10. I want to learn. I want to know more about the gospel & it's teachings & others way of life. I want to have spiritual experiences that will help me & others as well. I want to make new friends, meet new people & learn about different cultures & ways of life.

11. I don't want to look back & regret not going.

12. I want to be able to look back on my life & be proud of the things I have accomplished. I want to be able to stand before God & tell him that I gave it my all, & that I used all of my talents & blessings that he gave me to further improve his work & his kingdom & that I tried my very hardest. I feel if I didn't go on a mission, I wouldn't be able to honestly say that I truly used my full capacity to be an example, & faithful follower of Jesus Christ. & more than anything, that is what I want to be. Because that is what is most important, & that is what will ultimately matter in the long run. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior & that through him I can accomplish anything. I know that Joseph Smith restored this gospel to the earth because no man could derive such things without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost & our Heavenly Father. I know that the standards & the teachings of the church have played an effective role in my life & kept me clean & worthy & happy & pure. I'm so fortunate to have been born into such a family & amazing city with inspirational people all around me who have kept me on the right paths of where I need to be so that I can have the opportunity to serve others so that they might find the happiness & peace & comfort that I find in the gospel. & that is why I want to serve.

Now go read D&C 4 ASAP & be spiritually uplifted be Shae missionary work is awesome! Have a fantastic evening readers!