Thailand.

I am going to be serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints starting in January. I will be serving for 18 months and couldn't be happier. For those of you who aren't familiar with the mission process, I filled out paperwork with my personal information and had a few interviews. Everything was mailed to the church headquarters and a few weeks later, I received a letter in the mail with my assignment. The church sends missionaries all over the world and I have been assigned to serve in Bangkok, Thailand.

18 months is a long time for a college student to spend not doing college. 18 months is a long time for anyone to spend away from home. My mother is freaking out. But serving a mission has become the most important thing in the world to me.

A few years ago, I came to a point in my life where I needed to define what I believed the world to be and what the role of humanity is within it, more specifically what my role is within it.  I couldn't coast anymore. I have come to the realization that taking the time to identify what you believe truth to be can bring so much significance to your life. With time and patience, along with careful study, I continue to feel intellectually expanded little by little. While I am painfully aware of how much I don't know, here is my truth:

I believe in God. I believe in His son, Jesus Christ. I believe that people matter. We are all reflections of divinity.

If I really take my beliefs seriously, how could I deny an opportunity such as this? What could be more important?