My feelings are changing about becoming a missionary. (Personal Entry)

(Foreword: The Facebook privacy settings are set so only the people under the "Church Friends" and "Former Missionaries" sub-list are able to see this entry at this time. If any outsider reads this somehow, let me know because the site then has a glitch!

However, on the Blogger blogs, it is posted to the public because not that many people read here anyway.)

I learned from Doug Harrison that I can get loans deferred when going on a mission (upon showing documents of proof, of course) so there appears to be hope after all.

However, I've started feeling different about becoming a missionary; their ascetic lifestyle is something I may not be compatible with, so I doubt I'd tolerate going two years giving up so much.

What I could do however, is choose where I want to serve and tag along with missionaries there as the "third missionary," doing many of the things they do, but without the rigid, restrictive lifestyle. Possibly I'd be happier serving God this way, and/or that may be how he wants me to serve.

Whereas church officials (or ostensibly the Lord himself) would choose where they want to send me (which could include unexciting places like Oklahoma, or saturated places like Utah,) I'd get to choose where I want to live, work, and be the "Third Missionary."

That place is Korea, where I'd expect to have the time of my life and do mission work whenever I please, helping missionaries and accompanying them to assist in their duties. At least I won't get bored stiff when I work in the country I hope to live in for the long term.

I'll keep praying and somehow figure out where the Lord wants me to go in all this. Hopefully Korea will still be in his plans for me. There probably isn't much for me here anymore.