Why Serve a Mission?

When did I know?
     I knew I was going to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when one of my friends brother left on his mission in 2008! I had thought about serving a mission ever since I was 10, but I was dead set on serving when he left. 
When was I going to serve?
     I always thought I would serve at the age of 21. But in the October 2012 General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson announced a change to the missionary age for Elders and Sisters. He said that Elders would be able to serve at the age of 18 instead of 19 and Sisters would be able to serve at the age of 19 instead of 21!
My Reaction..
     I was ecstatic when I heard the news! I was very sick and all my pain went away when I heard the announcement! I knew right then in there that I needed to serve at 19 instead of 20 :)
Why do we serve missions?
    LDS Members across the world serve missions every day to further the work of the Lord. A member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigns prospective missionaries to one of more than 300 missions of the Church. We are here to do the Lords work, to bring others unto Christ, to help others know that they are children of their Heavenly Father and that He loves them. We do not serve for us, we serve for Him. We dedicate either 18 months (sisters) or 24 months (elders) to the Lord and only the Lord.