Weekly Email

This week hasn't had too many exciting things. We've found more people to start teaching, and are continuing to work hard. Yesterday we set up a basketball game with some youth and had 2 non-members show up! Now we just need to contact the kids that invited them and see if we can't start teaching them.

I just got an email today asking me to share my testimony on my mission so far. So I'm going to do that on this email and have it take up the bulk of my email. The email asked for me to send a video with my testimony, but that would mean I would have to record myself talking, which aint gonna happen. Sorry.

But I am more than happy to share my testimony. My whole life I've planned on going on a mission. Not because I necessarily was excited to spend 2 years waking up at 6:30 every day just to get yelled at, but I planned on it because a Prophet of God has commanded it. I hadn't really done any missionary work before I came to Utah. The idea of inviting my friends to church or to meet with the missionaries was a scary one, and I didn't have the spirit of missionary work strong enough to overcome that fear.

When I came nearer to 19 years old, I started to become more serious about going on a mission. As I worked on my paperwork, the idea of serving a mission became more real to me, and honestly I was not looking forward to the next space in my life. Once again, doing all this out of a sense of duty, not because I had any personal desire to do it.

But once I entered the MTC, and then the mission field, my views of being a missionary have flipped completely around. A quote I love from President Hinckley is "What a glorious season it has been and now is. A new day has come in the work of the Almighty." Every single day, I get the chance to do the work of the Almighty. Every day I get to tell people of what I know to be true, through my testimony. I get to look someone in the eyes, tell them what makes me happy in this life, and what I know will continue to make me happy, and invite them to see how this knowledge will impact their lives. It's Awesome!

I've served in some very diverse areas. I've talked to just about every kind of person. I've talked to the poorest of the poor and homeless, to the very very wealthy. I've talked to White people, Hispanic people, I've even found a good amount of Black people in Utah. I've talked to people on every kind of drug, people who are drunk, past murders and adulterers. I've also talked to people who are trying their hardest to follow Christ, and hadn't found the path to follow yet. One thing that they all, and WE all have in common is a desire to feel loved. A need for our Savior.

No matter how someone is, or what level of pride they have, our Savior, Jesus Christ has suffered an unimaginable amount of pain and anguish for them so we would never be alone. He loves us all, so we need to love everyone. Being a missionary has brought me to the depths of humility and sorrow, and raised me to the heights of joy and love. I feel a desire for people's salvation who I've never met and wouldn't otherwise talk with them.

A scripture I have grown to love is Ether 12:6. It reads: "faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore dispute not because you see now, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Making the decision to serve a full-time mission was a trial of my faith. Everything I knew and wanted told me that this would be the biggest waste of time and money, that I would be miserable the whole time. But because I went through that trial, I have a witness of that faith. I trusted President Monson and the Apostles when I turned in my papers. And because they are inspired men of God, and his servants, this has been the best 16 months of my life. I would not trade the experiences and knowledge that I've obtained for anything this world might have to offer. Seeing a soul saved in the waters of baptism, or watching a wayward child of God find the path to righteousness, has given me more joy than I would of thought possible.

I'm so glad I have this opportunity to be where I am. I encourage missionary work for anyone who trusts in the Lord. Whether serving a mission away from home, or inviting a friend at home, your love will grow and your testimony will flourish. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.