The Waiting Period is Almost Over

     You know ever since I was a little girl I have always wanted to serve a mission. When the age changed I was in complete shock that well I could be gone in a year and a half.
       At the end of Senior year several of my friends left which was exciting, but at the same time it was weird being 18 and having friends leave already. Then I went to college, met a guy, and then had to send him off on a mission in January. After he left on his mission, it slowly started to hit that I would be leaving in 6 months or so. Two months after he left I opened my mission call and realized I had four and a half months left. Which to me seemed like an eternity away.  During those four months I prepared and was working hard to build myself into the missionary my Father in Heaven needed me to be before I left on my mission. I have always been excited to go, but I guess you could say I have always been in denial that it would actually come. In better terms I have been in the 'Honeymoon' stage. Two weeks ago, two of my close friends left on their missions, and after they left it really hit me that I am leaving.
     Waiting all of these years to serve a mission and waiting these past four and a half months to go is almost over. There is no more time to be in denial, there is no more time to sit in the 'Honeymoon' stage. This is it.
     As I look back at this waiting period I now understand why certain trials occurred. My Father in Heaven was shaping me into the person he needed me to be for this next chapter. I'm not perfect, I don't have a perfect body, I'm not the most outgoing person in the world, I'm not the most spiritual person that exists, I'm not patient, I have not been the easiest person to get along with. But I do know one thing, my Father in Heaven, with all of these imperfections sees me, Jennifer Skaggs, fit enough to serve in his place on Temple Square. My Father in Heaven, has never required of me to be perfect. He most certainly doesn't expect me to be the perfect missionary. But I do know that he expects me to strive to be a diligent hard worker, one who is in-tuned to the spirit and is willing to submit themselves to his will.
    This waiting period is pretty much done. I'm excited, I know this is going to be hard, trials will be thrown my way that I have never experienced before. I will be challenged with things that I never thought he would challenge me with. But I do know one thing, he trusts me, trusts me enough to allow me to go on a mission and to serve in his place on Temple Square.
    I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

With all of my love,
Jen Skaggs