And So It Begins..

It's crazy to me that in just a couple of days, I will be in Philippines! I feel like I have had to wait forever and now it's finally here! Don't ask me how nervous I am though because I will probably throw up on you (sorry, was that too much?).

I guess it never hurts to write a little something about myself. Right? 

Well the biggest question I have gotten besides "are you excited to eat dog?" is why I decided to serve a mission. I think about the age of 16 I decided that I was going to go on a mission if the timing was right. When the age announcement came out that I was able to serve when I was 19, I was excited, but I was also conflicted.

 If you know anything about me, you know I like to have a plan. And at that moment, my plan was to finish school, get my degree, and then go on a mission. I would be 21 when I finished and everything would work out perfectly. So at first I thought, well sisters can still go when they are 21 right? I'll just stick with my plan and everything will be perfect! Nope.  

So I signed up for housing for fall semester with some friends. Well, the time to register for fall classes came around and my schedule would just not work out and I was getting so frustrated. I wasn't terribly excited about the place I was living and I just felt kind of stuck.

 And then it dawned on me, I wasn't feeling great about my plans because those are the plans that I had for myself. I should have realized sooner that the Lord's timing is perfect, while mine is not. And maybe I had to experience that to realize that I need to trust more fully in the plan that Heavenly Father has for me, because it is far better than anything I have planned for myself. I may not know exactly why I got called to the Philippines Angeles Mission, but I am sure that over the next 18 months, I will find out. 

It's amazing all the little things that have made me feel like I'm supposed to go to the Philippines. So many tender mercies for me. I was so excited to have a camper this summer (I worked at Oakcrest LDS Girls Camp) who had a dad from the Philippines! She taught me a few phrases in Tagalog. It was a blessing and continues to be a blessing to have another counselor from Oakcrest with the same mission call as me. She is a wonderful person and such a spiritual strength to me. I love that Floresa Thruston is from an area in my mission! I loved talking to her about the Philippines and she even made me a Filipino meal! Yum. No dog even ;) Many different experiences have helped me to know that I am supposed to go to the Philippines. That's where the Lord needs me, and I am beyond happy to serve there. 

Here is the address for the mission home and also some instructions for pouch mail! I would not be offended if you wrote me or sent me a package. I will do my best to reply! :) 

Mission Office Address: (this is also where you send packages!)

Sister Callie Marie Holmes

Philippines Angeles Mission

F. Tanedo Street

Barangay San Nicholas

Tarlac City, Tarlac 2300

Philippines

(Include phone number if you are mailing a package)

Phone: 63 045-491-0587

OR: You can use pouch mail!! Exciting stuff. 

Pouch mail leaves Church Headquarters every Friday. Only postcards or one page correspondences written on one side of the page can be sent.

 Instructions: Lay the letter blank side down. Fold into thirds and secure the long side with two pieces of tape about one inch in from each end, but do not seal the ends. In the top left corner write your name and complete address. Attach postage in top right corner and address as follows:

Sister Callie Marie Holmes

Philippines Angeles Mission

POB 30150

Salt Lake City UT 84130-0150