Here's the thing: I have this friend named Brett. He is a really good kid with a huge long list of excellent qualities. He has a great sense of humor, he's very respectful, he's a very loyal friend, he's really smart, he cares deeply about the things that matter to him, he's a family guy, and he has long been at the top of my list for "people to call for help." He's pretty much the closest I've ever gotten to having a brother (beside the fact that I do have a brother-in-law of course), and I love that kid to death.
For a long time, Brett didn't plan on serving a mission. Serving a mission is, well, service (and therefore optional). It is an individual decision, but most LDS young men grow up simply planning and expecting that they will dedicate their two years to a mission when they reach the age of 18 or 19. I believe Brett was likely in that boat with all of the young men his age until he reached 19 and decided he should actually stay home to continue school and work.
After high school, most of Brett's male friends scattered around the world (Mexico, Georgia, Argentina, New York, Colombia...ok maybe just North and South America), so he became great friends with us females from the high school clan. I don't know about everyone, but I know many of us were very much hoping and praying that he would choose to serve a mission eventually. But Brett mostly just clammed up anytime the subject of a mission was brought up, so we learned to leave it alone.
Fast forward almost two years, to when I received a text which said that Brett had received his mission call to the California Roseville Mission and that he would be leaving June 12. I FREAKED OUT. The little sneak didn't tell any of us that he had submitted his papers! But obviously it was wonderful news, and I don't doubt that anyone was more excited about it than Brett. In his words:
"Some people know that I wasn’t planning on a mission. It was not in my plan. But God knows me. He knows that I love others, He knows that I love to share the gospel, He knows that I love to serve. And when I knew those things, God let me know that I was to serve a mission and that it was the right time."
Brett gave his final talk before leaving this last Sunday in our home ward. I sobbed like a baby through the whole thing because a) he did a wonderful job of inviting the Spirit, and b) I am apparently going to miss him more than I originally anticipated! But seriously, it was possibly the best pre-mission talk I have ever heard in all the friend farewells I've attended. He really does know his purpose in serving a mission, and he will most certainly change lives.
That kid is going to do incredible things in Roseville. I can't wait to see his success as a missionary, and I'm so so grateful for his friendship and example of Christlike service. Like our bishop said, "I wanna be like Brett when I grow up."
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