Lillian's Mission Call to The Philippines, Angeles Mission

November 20, 2015 The Lord will have a new full time servant!  Lillian is so faithful, and thoughtful, and her testimony is so strong and true, and it just who she is.  She is the gospel in the truest form.  She radiates beauty from the inside out to her fingertips and toes.  Her lifelong goal has been to a wife and a mother, and oh what a worthy goal that is.  She has never considered a mission, but always knowing and especially as being instructed through her patriarchal blessing that The Lord has need of her missionary efforts.  She was thinking to teach her children about the gospel and to be a member missionary, which she is, and then to go on a mission with her husband some day.  Things were falling into place for her.  She received a full scholarship to play tennis for EAC, here in Thatcher. She received other funding that would help in her schooling, her life goals were set in motion.  As high school graduation came and went, and the summer began, she had a wonderful adventure to the Grand Canyon hiking with, some church friends.  Here she began entertaining ideas of serving a mission.  She also had a friend from Wilcox, Joshua Nolan, who they met at youth conference the October before, and since graduation began to become an item.  He leaves on his mission July 1, 2015.  The more she thought about a mission herself, the closer she and Josh became.  They have talked about their future together, and actually making plans.  I loved watching them together, although they didn't have much time actually together, mostly over talking and texting, because Josh was traveling with family and then we went to Rocky Point.  So after Lillian fasted and prayed with real intent she decided that it was time to talk to Scott and I.  Scott asked her the real thinking questions, that really did make her think, but she was still sure, and determined to go, and knew that The Lord needed her and was guiding her to this path.  During her studies and prayers she opened to a scripture D & C 6: 14-16 where The Lord said basically, "I have told you now go and do."  Because of her faith and testimony that is exactly what she is going to do.  She, Scott and I were cleaning the pool one Tuesday evening in June and she said that she was absolutely sure, so Scott told her that the Bishop was in his office and to go ahead and call him, she did and 5 minutes later she was in his office working on her papers.  Everything fell right into place.  I have never heard of someone finishing their papers as fast as she did.  All of the doctors work went quickly, the dentist, everything that had to be done, was basically ready.  She had even been attending Mission Prep in Thatcher mostly for the social, but now as she looks back on it, sees that it was all apart of the plan.  Bishop Smith saw her excitement and testimony about how her decision came about, and he told President Sanders about her and he was excited to interview her.  He actually saw her at Trek and heard her story, and he was sure as well that this is what she should do.  In fact he never does missionary interviews on Sunday, but he made an exception for Lillian and did it not only on Sunday, but Father's Day as well.  So her papers were turned in quickly.  We expected them to be at the post office, who was holding our mail when we got home from Rocky Point, so DeWitt, Lexie Jensen, Lillian, Polly, Scott and myself, all went down to the post office to check, and it wasn't there, nobody could have been more disappointed that Lillian.  That Saturday was the 4th of July so it was closed.  So we knew that we would have to wait until Monday.  So Monday morning, Scott, Lillian, Polly and I went to the Post Office as soon as it opened and begged the clerk, to go and look in our mail to see if it had come, and sure enough there it was.  Lillian jumped up and down, and then started to cry.  It was so so sweet and very emotional!  That night July 6, 2015 we along with about 60 family and friends learned that Lillian by inspiration from the Holy Ghost to an apostle of The Lord was called to the Philippines, Angeles Mission to speak Tagalog.  She leaves November 20, 2015.  I will admit that my first reaction was that of uncertainty, it was with the boys too.  I don't know why, and I feel bad about it, but as the days go by and as my prayers increase, my testimony is strengthened as this was a divine mission call, and that Lillian is The Lord's daughter and He needs her to help him gather his other children that do not know about Him.  Lillian will do just that, she will spread the gospel joy to those people in the Philippines.  I do love everything about the gospel and I am so grateful to my loving Heavenly Father for such a faithful husband and such faithful children.  I want to be more like them

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