Mandy Ministers: A Slow Start then Quick Beginnings!

I've finally begun!!! (Well actually, I've been on my mission for a little while now, but I'm just now getting my blog/email working)

It's been a long time coming, but I am officially a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! I serve in the Arizona Tempe-Chandler Service Mission and I could not be happier to be where I am.

I started my mission papers in January 2021 hoping to complete them by April and be out by July, but that obviously did not happen. A few setbacks occured, such as:

-The dentist I went to in Provo for my dental exam said I had 11 cavities (we later went to my regular dentist at home and they said I had none)

-My blood pressure kept getting abnormally high when going to the BYU Student Health Center for my physical exam (turns out I just have white coat syndrome)

-I was under the impression that I needed a passport and wasted about a week or two trying to get one

-I got busy with school and ultimately decided to put my papers on hold until I went back home after the semester

-I had to wait for a pre-mission evaluation from LDS Social Services which added about a month or two

-It took six weeks for my call to arrive (average is 2-3 weeks)

So all in all, my papers took around seven months to complete. On August 19th, I opened my call and it said I will start my mission by September 17th. Well, by August 23rd, I was already doing missionary work. That whole week consisted of getting to know the rest of my mission as well as tying up loose ends.

Service missions are a bit different from proselyting missions. We serve the same length of time, we have the same application process, we both receive calls signed by the prophet, we wear nametags, we have companions, and we have very similar schedules. However, service missionaries live at home, can consume media (to a reasonable level), and of course, serve instead of teach.

The next three weeks after that, from the 30th through September 17th, I was doing more preparation (like getting endowed), beginning to serve at a few locations (Queen Creek Performing Arts Center and Casteel High School Seminary), and going through the Service Missionary Training Center!

So a little bit about the SMTC, it's a pretty new program and included people from places like Arizona (obviously), Virginia, and even Canada. For me, I had classes every Monday and Wednesday from 1-3pm in person and then a Friday Zoom class from 3-5pm.

On the 12th, I was set apart as a missionary, and on the 19th, I gave my launch talk. Another difference about my mission is that it's not called a farewell talk since I won't be living away from home. So we call it a launch talk and my farewell party became a launch party. That brings us up to now, where I am a part of the following places/projects:

-Queen Creek Performing Arts Center where I help backstage working on shows

-Gathering Humanity where I will be doing apartment pulls for refugees

-Sequoia School for the Deaf where I will be a teachers aide in a classroom for deaf and hard-of-hearing children

-Pioneer Village where I will be wearing pioneer clothing and spending the day outside teaching students on field-trips about how people lived without air conditioning or indoor plumbing

-Casteel High School Seminary where I will be mentoring about 35 students on life issues and relating it to the gospel

-Social Media Team where I help work on the daily videos for the mission morning show

-Christmas Concert Committee where I will help organize the concert in December

So I'm pretty busy with the seven different projects I'm a part of. I'm super excited to be a part of this mission and I hope you enjoy the pictures to follow!

When I opened my mission call. The iPad has a picture of Arizona on it. From left to right, it's Elder Johnson and Elder Tucker who are also service missionaries, then James, my boyfriend before the mission, and then my friend, Taylor

Me with two other service missionaries. Sister Critchfield on the left and Sister McCurdy on the right

Sister Critchfield, McCurdy and me again with the service mission leaders, Sister and Elder Steadman in front of our missionary door. Every proselyting missionary serving in our ward/branch and every service missionary that has been in our house since my sister left on her mission about six years ago has signed this door. I'm so happy that I got to sign it!!

My new car! I needed a much more dependable one than my nearly 20 year old Honda Civic so now I have a Chevy Spark. Meet Appa, he's really small and I love him. And yes, he is named after the Avatar: The Last Airbender character

This was taken the day before my temple endowment. I thought it would be funny to make a satirical post about being able to serve in Arizona and learn about their culture and language, but I then proceeded to forget to do that

Right after I was endowed at the temple. There's Elder and Sister Steadman, Sister Gardner, me, Sister Conover, Elder Tucker, Elder Johnson, and Elder Parrish

Me with my family after my endowment

My pioneer wear for Pioneer Village. I ended up wearing a different hat, new boots, and a new apron

Right after I was set apart as a missionary with my family

A closer picture of me with my new missionary tag!

Me with Sister Skousen at St. Vincent de Paul

Me with the totally real life Pope

Me with Sister Daines and Sister Skousen at St. Vincent de Paul

Right after giving my launch talk. There's Elder Tucker half cut out of the photo, Elder Da-Re, Sister Steadman, Sister McCook, me, Sister Conover, Sister Critchfield, Elder Parrish, Elder Otey, then Elder Mlazgar

My family tried taking a family photo for Christmas afterwards, but the sun hates us. There's my brother, Nick, me, my mom, my dad, my sister, Cilla, and her husband, Matt

Me pulling my hair back that same day realizing I wanna cut my hair someday

Me and Sister Daines at Pioneer Village

Me again at Pioneer Village in the church building with lovely acoustics

Me with Sister Critchfield in the same church building. The piano is out of tune, but it fits the vibe

A better picture of the whole church building. Despite how warm it is inside, I love being in it

Me donating blood with Vitalant. Donate blood if you can!!

Me after donating blood. Honestly, the worst part is when they prick your finger to check your hemoglobin

At the Mesa temple open house with Elder Wells and Elder Tucker

Mesa temple again with a better picture of Elder Wells, Elder Tucker again, Elder Johnson, and Sister Critchfield

The temple was soooo pretty at night

The whole gang at the open house. Top row: Elder and Sister Christensen, the Phoenix service mission leaders, an area seventy (I forgot his name oops), Elder Tendick, Elder Davis, Elder McCurdy, Elder and Sister Steadman. Middle row: Elder Tucker, Elder Wells, Elder Egg, Elder Newton, Elder Perkes, Elder Arnold, Elder Garcia. Front Row: me (bc I'm short), Sister Kriser, Sister McCook, Sister Daines, Sister Critchfield, Sister Conover, Sister McCurdy, and Elder Otey

Me at Gathering Humanity organizing pots