How long have you talked with Olivia about serving a mission?
Serving a mission has always been part of the conversations in our home. From the time Olivia was very young, we talked about when she served a mission, not if she served a mission. It was simply part of our family’s culture and normal discussions about the future. Olivia herself would talk about serving a mission from the time she was probably four years old. With that mindset, it naturally became part of her future plans from an early age. It was never something that was forced; it was simply something she always envisioned herself doing.
What prompted her to turn in her papers now?
When Olivia graduated from high school, the mission age for sisters was still 19, so she began college. She was accepted to an out-of-state university and received enough scholarships to cover nearly all of her expenses. That made the decision to serve a mission even more difficult because the non-church university would not defer her scholarships for more than one year.
Last December, she decided she would finish her degree first and then serve a mission. However, the following month, while attending an endowment session at the temple during her first year of college, she received a very strong prompting that she needed to serve a mission now. She came home from the temple with complete certainty that this was what the Lord wanted her to do, regardless of what might happen with her scholarships.
What were your first impressions as you learned about your daughter’s assignment to the California Santa Rosa Mission?
When she read, “California Santa Rosa Mission, Spanish-speaking,” I immediately felt a deep sense of peace. I knew without question that it was the right place for her.
Did either of her patents serve a mission?
Neither of her parents served full-time missions. However, Ed is a convert to the Church. His family joined the Church in Venezuela when he was 14 years old. He witnessed firsthand the dedication and sacrifice of the many missionaries who taught his family, and he remains deeply grateful for the role they played in changing the course of his life.
Both of her patents look forward to serving a mission together in the future.
Can you share a miracle that helped you know that God was behind this calling? Something that made her mission a reality or helped you feel that God would watch over her?
For me, the first miracle was Olivia’s own experience in the temple. Watching her receive such a clear spiritual prompting transformed a lifelong plan into a divine calling. It was no longer simply something she wanted to do someday, it became something the Lord was asking her to do now.
Another tender mercy involved her scholarships. After she had received her mission call and returned home for the summer, she unexpectedly received an email from her university informing her that they would defer her scholarships for three semesters. That was something we never expected. I truly believe it was a blessing from Heavenly Father for putting His work first.
Even more remarkable, the timing worked out perfectly. Her mission dates align beautifully with those three deferred semesters, allowing her to return and continue her education without losing those opportunities. It was another reminder that God’s timing is always perfect.
Throughout this entire process—from submitting her papers to dropping her off at the airport—I have felt an overwhelming sense of peace. During a time when I probably should have felt stressed trying to prepare everything, I instead felt calm and reassured. I knew it would all come together, and I know the Lord will watch over her while she serves.
What do you hope your daughter will gain from serving the Lord?
Olivia has always had a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and a deep understanding of the gospel. My hope is that through serving a mission, her testimony will become even stronger and her relationship with the Savior even deeper.
I also hope that the experiences she has as a missionary will bless her for the rest of her life. Helping her become an even more compassionate disciple of Christ, preparing her to build a strong eternal family someday, and giving her experiences that she will draw upon for years to come.