This IS Worth It

As a senior in high school, I remember specifically a voice lesson in which my teacher mentioned the Nauvoo Young Performing Missionaries. She thought I would love that experience and urged me to audition. At the time I thought it sounded interesting, but was not serious about auditioning. I tucked the idea safely in the back of mind and forgot about it.

Freshman Year at BYU, I thought of it again and looked into auditioning. I was scared by the competition and decided not to try. Sophomore year was the same story.

In January 2012, I began thinking seriously of having my under-bite fixed by surgery. Braces were put on my teeth and surgery scheduled for April. In about March, I learned that the surgeon thought April was too soon and I could have surgery in May or in the fall, which would interrupt my junior year at BYU. One night, I knelt in prayer pleading with the Lord to know if May was right and whether I should have the surgery at all.

I wanted to be in choir again-would my voice experience problems? What about complications to my face? As I prayed, I felt a great calm and peace settle in my heart and mind with such a unified force I could not deny my answer. I went ahead and had surgery in May and then spent the summer recovering in Manila, Philippines where my parents are currently living.

At the conclusion of the summer, I was planning for fall semester and pondering my desires to serve the Lord. I was about to turn 21 in September and I was praying about a full time mission. I received a father's blessing and the impressions I received during it were to call my voice teacher and start lessons again and prepare for the Nauvoo mission auditions. These impressions startled me because I assumed I would never serve in Nauvoo, that it was only a dream I could wish for in years to come. However, when I returned to the U.S., I started voice lessons and immediately began researching audition requirements for Nauvoo.

In October, I had practiced a few times a week but had not seriously been preparing for the audition video. I distinctly remember, while I was in my room preparing for sleep one night, thinking "Maybe it's not worth it. Maybe I'll just audition next year, like the past two years." Immediately following this thought, I felt an added strength and determination with the thought, "No, this IS worth it and I can do this. How will I know if I don't try?" I determined to keep going and to increase my efforts to practice my audition pieces every day and continue in praying to be led to do the Lord's will for me.

Not long after that personal decision, I learned my best friend and folder partner in Women's Chorus was auditioning as well. We helped encourage each and knowing she was auditioning too helped motivate me to continue practicing.

On Friday night of October 26, 2012, I was home studying for an upcoming exam. At about 10 pm, I was bored of homework and remembered a ward member's birthday party in the apartment below mine. I casually thought I could stop by for a moment and then return to studying. I put on my BYU Women's Chorus jacket and went to the party. As I picked up a slice of cake, a blonde-haired girl with a kind smile came up and asked me, "You're in Women's Chorus? So am I!" We chatted for a while, and eventually a boy in my ward came up to join our conversation. I learned he was new in the ward and his name was Jake Slater. I asked Jake, "So how did you two meet?" They smiled at each other and Eden Brown said, "Well, we actually served in Nauvoo as performing missionaries this past summer...." No way. Excited to meet these two experienced YPMs, I told them I was considering auditioning. Happy by this exchange, they both told me of a fireside that Sunday in Salt Lake for prospective performing missionaries. Jake promised to send me the information via facebook. When I returned to my apartment, I prayed in gratitude for this tender mercy.

That Sunday, my best friend in Women's Chorus joined me in driving up to Salt Lake an hour before the fireside at 7pm. While in the car, I felt anxious and felt the need to pray. Nauvoo is a mission and I wanted to go in the name of the Lord with His Spirit, especially with the Spirit to discern if this is His will for me. I interrupted our conversation and asked if I could pray aloud while driving. My friend agreed. After the prayer, I felt a great peace in my heart that settled in my car. We were silent for a moment and we both felt the spirit enter our hearts. It was a neat experience! The fireside was wonderful and it was a great blessing to meet people and learn about Nauvoo.

After that experience, I continued to practice daily. I went to a second fireside given in the Harris Fine Arts Center at BYU by the Camps. I was grateful to have gone to both firesides, as I learned tremendously from both experiences.

Thanksgiving quickly approached and I planned to film my DVD over Thanksgiving weekend. The weekend before Thanksgiving I realized I needed to film then because the people I needed to help me create the DVD would be on vacation and unavailable. I found a student teacher of clogging to help me film my clogging routine and the Lord blessed me to find what I needed-a video camera and help filming. I thought of my cousin who knows how to create DVDs and I asked for his help. He was very busy, but the Wednesday before Thanksgiving he offered his help and while I was working with him, his other obligations that day were cancelled, one by one. Because of that, he was able and willing to give me hours of his time to finalize my DVD.

When I finally sent my DVD for the November 30th deadline, I prayed over it and reviewed the past few months. Learning I was called back was so exciting and evidence to me that I knew the Lord had been leading me along. The call-backs were an incredible experience and I felt so joyful and explicitly happy by the end of the day. I can't deny that I felt a push and a need to prepare an audition DVD. I felt like the tender mercies extended me were so clear and I feel very blessed and led along.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve in Nauvoo! I know that the Lord knows our righteous desires and leads us to where He wants us to be. I am so grateful!