Mission/Marriage Update

So I met with my Branch president, and it was great! We had a verrry long conversation about Stephen, marriage, missions, schooling, and all that good stuff. He gave very wise council as a realist (his motto is hope for the best but prepare for the worst). He read to me from the Bishop Handbook that if women are in a position to get married they should. But he also told me a story of an experience he had in which the moral of the story was, sometimes the Lord wants you to choose a specific decision that might not work out, so you can know for sure that the former was the right one. In addition, he said that they’re in great need of more missionaries, and I would make a great one, and I would never regret it. He also said it might be ideal for Stephen as well, to get more schooling out of the way (provided he’s still around). He made a point that he would not sway me either way, and that it definitely had to be my decision. I filled him in on how I viewed things.

I told him how I had felt the Lord confirm that both getting married to Stephen and going on a mission are both worthy experiences and that it was up to me to decide. I told him that since the Lord had already confirmed that marrying Stephen was a righteous decision, he would not tell me not to marry him, but if I chose to go on a mission, if he wanted me elsewhere, he would tell me. I also said that I felt it was too soon to back out because I know I would regret not knowing if I should have gone or not. Plus I WANT to serve! So badly! We decided (meaning I decided and he said it was a good idea) to continue with the process and submit my papers.
President Larkin had a similar experience with his wife to me and Stephen (like almost identical) and he said that things change when you’re in person. It either is confirmed that it’s definitely right, or it’s not, definitely not. I may go home and see Stephen and it doesn’t work at all, so I’ll continue with my mission. I may go home and see Stephen and it works out great, and I still decide to continue. Or I may go home and meet Stephen and decide that’s where I want to be, and that’s where I want to stay. With any of those possibilities I’m covering all my bases. I’m registering for classes in November (you can’t submit a missionary deferment until you have your call, and your report date has to be before the end of that semester date). But if I end up following through with a mission, then I can easily defer the next 18 months. When I register for school, I’m going to register for all online classes in case I do decide to stay home. I can look into the institute in Bellevue and get some roommates, a job, and do my schooling from there so we can be in the same city.
So what am I doing? I’m filling out my papers, seeing physicinas, going to the dentist, getting a picture taken, all the while getting a wedding dress made and buying bridesmaid dress fabric. Let me tell you, I have to be on two separate tracks to function….hahaha, but for right now, I’m just going to live in the now, and let the future take care of itself J