Beus’ ancestors who first joined the Church, Michael and Marianne Beus, are from the Piedmont valley in Italy - which is part of the area where she will be serving. More specifically, though, she prayed to be sent to Italy. She told me that it would all work out.”īeus prayed for weeks, even while filling out her paperwork, hoping that she would be called to the right place. “I called my mom and she helped me find peace. “Right before I got, I was just sure that it wasn’t going to come, or that I was going to get sent somewhere that I wasn’t comfortable going,” Beus said. On average, the students at Southern Virginia University receive their mission call two weeks after submitting their paperwork, and according to Katie Beus, a senior called to the Italy Milan Mission, those two weeks can feel like an eternity. “You know, it would be cool if I could just hand them a bunch of articles to show them how worth it serving a mission will be,” Brieden said, “But in reality, you just have to tell them to take a leap of faith and let them know that it will definitely be worth their time for all of the blessings they will receive from it.” “First, I had to find out what I actually believed in by reading the scriptures and coming to the understanding that the gospel is true…and I did,” Leake said.īrieden acknowledged that deciding to serve a mission may be harder for some young men, especially when there is so much to keep them at home or at a school like Southern Virginia University. “Hearing all the prophets talking about how good missions are, and how they help you spiritually and help you on your journey through life - they all helped me to decide to go.”ĭeciding to spend time in a new place, without seeing their families is a big decision for these young men and women. “The first time I heard about all of these people going on missions was when I knew I wanted to go,” said Brieden. Sam Brieden, a freshman called to the Russia Samara Mission, said being at Southern Virginia has strengthened his lifelong resolve to serve a full-time mission. Almost 9 in 10 male students in fall 2011 said they have served or plan to serve a mission. Southern Virginia University receives its fair share of mission calls. When called, these young men and women serve for 24 and 18 months, respectively, teaching the gospel to those investigating the Church worldwide. There are high fives, hugs and chest bumps, some tears, lots of smiles and overall a jubilant spirit as Leake, beaming, makes his way around the room to the forty ecstatic students shouting his name with pride.Īll young men of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are highly encouraged to serve a mission when they reach the age of 19, and young women also are granted the same opportunity after they turn 21. Everyone steps forward to personally congratulate Leake. You are assigned to labor in the Washington Spokane Mission.”Ī giant peal of shouts, hurrahs, gasps and exclamations reverberate throughout the house. “Dear Elder Leake,” he reads, “You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The envelope, one side torn haphazardly, falls into the seat of a pinstriped armchair, and Leake begins to read. There’s a thick booklet with a picture of two people dressed in white on the front and a letter from President Thomas S. Shoulders hunched and fists clenched in excitement, one blonde girl in the front bites her lip as the small packet of papers comes out of Leake’s envelope. However, receiving a mission call at Southern Virginia University is more than opening an envelope it’s a celebrated milestone never to be forgotten. Several shivering girls enter the room and anxious laughter contributes to the holler, until, suddenly, a hush settles over the crowd Leake has the envelope in hand and he is going to reveal its contents.Īfter countless Church lessons devoted to preparing young men and women to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the letter that tells this future missionary where he will serve has arrived. An old floral print couch creaks against the worn polished floors as the weight of seven male students shifts from side to side. Slowly, a herd of 40 people clamor into the living room. These Southern Virginia University students are arriving to celebrate the opening of John-John Leake’s mission call. However, the throngs of loud, excited students flocking through the screen door of the Chestnut House are not here to party. on a Friday night, and on most other college campuses, it might seem like a raucous weekend party is about to begin.
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