Opening the Call!

Let's start way back in October- my birthday month! At the beginning of the month, Prophet Thomas S. Monson made this announcement:

If that does it work, you can watch the video here.
I've always wanted to go on a mission, and since that announcement, I've made the decision to go now. Since I turned 19 later in October, I completed my papers over Christmas break and put my availability date as May 1st. That way I could finish my freshman year at the best university ever- BYU!

After anxiously waiting, my call finally came. I was in class when my dad texted me, saying that the Cannon Center called to inform me that they had my mission call. I have never walked back faster from campus in my life!! There were 56 total mission calls that came that day, and I couldn't stop grinning as soon as I picked up the envelope. All I could think was I've got a golden ticket! Which is, of course, completely irrelevant.

I opened my call before work that night in my hall lobby. Although my family wasn't able to be there in person, they were on Skype and FaceTime. I was surrounded by the wonderful people of my ward and the best roommates anyone could ever ask for! Minus Sister Amanda Hedrick, because she left for her mission in March and therefore hadn't come back for the winter semester. I was shaking inside, trying to breathe, and my eyes were reading faster than my mouth. Here's how it happened:

If the video doesn't work.... Sorry!!! Here's what it said:
"Dear Sister Shell:
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ to Latter Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Brazil São Paulo South Mission."
I'm reporting June 5th, hopefully for the São Paulo MTC.
The following picture basically describes my reaction pretty accurately.

Yeah, it was a pretty great moment for me :) I cannot wait to go serve the people of São Paulo, Brazil! I know this is what I am supposed to do with my life right now.