John brought the mail in.

No letter today. Everyone says that the letters come on Thursday. It didn’t come today so we probably won’t get it until next week.

John checked the mail the next day. He checked the mail on Saturday.

As he walked in the door, I glanced at him. He tried to hide his excitement, but his face betrayed him. He tried to hide the mail at his side, but the big white envelope betrayed him.

The letter had come!

Shall we open it now?

Yes!

John slit the envelope open and pulled out a booklet and a typed letter with the following letter head:

 

The Church of Latter-Day Saints

Office of the First Presidency

47 East South Temple Street

Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-1200

June 18, 2013

My eyes were half way down the page before my brain registered that the information that I was looking for was in the first paragraph.

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Philippines Cebu Mission.

That’s so far away!

We looked at each other, and when we could breathe again, all we could say was, “Wow!”

Then we read the rest.

Your primary assignment is to labor as a member and leader support missionary. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Monday, August 26, 2013. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel…Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

We looked at the signature at the end.

Thomas S. Monson

President

Thomas S. Monson, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. It isn’t often that someone holds a letter from a prophet. It isn’t often that someone is personally addressed by a prophet by name. It is isn’t often that someone receives a direct call from the Lord through a prophet by revelation.

As we finished the letter, we received confirmation that the call was from the Lord and that the Philippines was where the Lord wanted us to serve.

We began calling our children to share our excitement.