Welcome to my mission blog and my pre-mission thoughts

Wow, I Melinda Fitzgerald have been called to serve an LDS mission in Frankfurt Germany! I received my call on October 11, 2008. I was at work in the potato fields when it arrived. My mom drove all the way out there to find our crew to show me the envelope. When I saw it my anticipation grew and I couldn't believe it had already come. I had just submitted my missionary application on September 30, so it had only taken a week and a half for my call to come. The Stake President had told me it would take at least two and most likely three weeks for it to come so you can imagine my pleasant surprise when it came so soon. That was an exciting day waiting in anticipation to open it.

I figured I had probably been called to Canada or the United States. I was hoping for Nauvoo just because I had spent the past summer there and had loved it so much that I wanted to go back and serve as a missionary. When I finally got to open the letter it was 12:45 am October 12 (we waited for my dad to get back from work). As I read through I squealed with delight as I read I had been called to serve in the Germany Frankfurt Mission. Germany had passed through my mind just because I had a friend that got called there a few months before. We had both thought how neat it would be if we got called to the same country and it happened! Although different missions, at least we would know we had a friend in the same country.

Since then I have been busy preparing for this wonderful time in my life. Back then I thought two months seems so far away I wish I could just go now. At this point in time I have about three weeks left before entering the Provo MTC on December 17 and I am thinking, wait there is still so much to do, time is going too fast. Sometimes I can't believe that I am really about to leave for a mission. Growing up I never really had the desire to serve a full time mission. Once I got into college there were a few experiences I had that made me want to serve a mission, but not until I went to Nauvoo Illinois this past summer did I really decide that a mission was what I really wanted to do and what I felt the Lord really wanted me to do. Many things went in to making that decision. It was definitely a process. Now that the decision is made though and as I look back I see all the things the Lord did to prepare me for this. I know He was truly guiding me all along, all the experiences He let me go through have helped me make this decision. I look forward to this mission experience, I know that it will be hard but I also know that it will be good.

I know that this is the Lord's work and He will not leave us alone to accomplish it. He will send His spirit to help us, to guide and direct us. Yes, this is the Lord's work and this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is His true church restored to the earth once again through the prophet Joseph Smith. His gospel is here to help lead us back to live with Him. I know that families can be sealed for time and all eternity in the temple and that they can be together forever. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Thomas S. Monson is His true prophet that has been called of God to lead this church on the earth today. I know that as we keep the commandments of God we have true happiness and experience more joy than anything else in this world. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world. I am grateful and feel honored to have the priviledge of serving as a full time missionary for this church.

This blog will be updated each week while I am on my mission by a member of my family as I email them each week. Then if there are any comments a member of my family will mail them to me. I look forward to hearing from you!