I can clearly see the problem of being in the mission for this long. Everything just blurs into one. Even though you have countless priceless spiritual experiences every week, it all blurs into one big spiritual blur. I guess that´s why I’m so grateful for my personal journal. As far as my weekly emails home go, it´s hard to think about what to write.
Brief update on the investigator front. Sylvina and Nicole are doing fantastic. We´re having a noche de hogar tonight with her family, and hoping to find her 18 year old son. I´m making Mexican food with my unlimited supply of Wal-Mart resources (where I´m emailing from right now. You´re the best Wal-Mart!) We taught her the law of tithing this week, which was a bit of a setback, but she really loves the church and feels the spirit strongly. She says she knows the BOM is true, and if she can believe in that she can take the other steps of faith necessary to make it to her baptism.
Speaking of baptism, one of our investigators Maria Angelica really wants it. She´s willing to live the commandments, it´s just been a nightmare getting to church. We´re thinking of letting her attend one or two more weeks before baptizing her. She is yet to go to relief society, and she doesn´t have that many friends within la iglesia.
We found a family of 4 this week who are doing amazing! Isabel and her kids (don´t remember the argentine names.) They have read and prayed about the BOM and feel good about things right now. Keep you updated on that front.
Rocio, our investigator that we found two weeks ago miraculously told us that she knows the BOM is true after our first visit. She lives across the street from some of the best members in the ward, so they´re always able to accompany us to the appointments. It´s a wonderful situation.
And the work overall...
Here in Avellaneda there are good days, and there are bad days. It´s a test in endurance. Things get better, but very very slowly.
This kind of slow progression has afforded me with some real introspection, and some hard lessons learned. The real attribute I´ve had to develop here is that of patience.
For example, on Tuesday we went out to Dominico, the most productive section of our map, where the most and best investigators are. It was so hot the tar on the road was sticking to the bottoms of our shoes. And every single appointment we had on the day fell through. Every single one. All our good investigators, all our bad ones. Every backup plans. We essentially spent the entire afternoon visiting every single person we had ever talked to anywhere close to where we were working, but with no success. Even the family who we eat dinner with every Friday night fell through.
We went back to the Pension exhausted and very discouraged, feeling like we had wasted an entire afternoon of the Lord´s time. We were willing to blame anyone from the Bishop, to the man eating dog on Beazley Street for our horrid afternoon. (The man eating dog really is a man eater, and it is intimidating.)
Amidst what started as ranting, I stopped and thought about what was happening. It was just one bad day. A bad day in a week that was still very redeemable. I thought of all the successes we had seen over the past few weeks, and humbly acknowledged all the ways that the Lord had helped us. We could see the key indicators start from the beginning of the past two transfers, and slowly increase. Our discouragement was just coming from a lack of perspective, an inability to see the big picture.
That´s where patience comes in.
The next day, we expected to be another miserable walk on the surface of the sun. The inferno that was the Argentine summer, but we were pleasantly surprised on several occasions. The investigators that we had planned on visiting were actually in their houses at the times they had specified, they were ready to listen to us, and willing to act on the message. We had amazing success during the afternoon, going house to house, spending the entire day indoors. We finished having found three new investigators and made some very good prospects. All this in a part of our map where missionaries haven’t worked for years. We felt the spirit very strongly in our appointments, and distinctly felt the love of missionary work come back to us.
Things can turn around just that quickly.
I´ve noticed that having faith in the Lord requires patience. We believe that the Lord will fulfill His promises to us, but in His own due time. I´ve thought a lot about my time here in Avellaneda, how nothing has come easy. Investigators, unlike apples and ugly Argentine Larks, do not fall out of trees. Why is that? This is God´s work. He loves His children. Why can´t we just be led every second of every day to every elect person that is ready to receive the Gospel?
If it were that easy, would anyone ever learn anything?
If we´re patient with our circumstance, even if it seems unbearable at the time, eventually we will see the Lord´s hand. We were able to gain comfort Tuesday night by looking at the big picture of our work. I believe that we can do just that upon the challenging ledges of our life. Step back and see the eternal picture.
I know as we do so, the Lord will fulfill His promises.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
El Campo Blanco
Once again another beautiful day in Buenos Aires. Which actually means heat. A lot of heat. The little fan we have in the Pension is just not doing the job.
So a shout out to Texas and Elder Lauritzen. Last week at transfer meeting one of the new Elders, whom I had never seen in my life, came up to me with a little note from Elder Nick Lauritzen. I was rather confused, seeing as how I was thousands of miles away from anyone who had the slightest idea what or who a "Lauritzen" is I found it quite strange that one of the random greenies would. Turns out he was from Texas and in Elder Lauritzen's ward before coming here to Buenos Aires South. Wow, random right? Small world eh? Small small world... Well Nick, I got your message.
Anyways
Ok, the work in Avellaneda is up and running. It only took a transfer and a half, which all things considered, has been nothing less than a miracle.
We had a great finding week last week and the week before adding considerably to our teaching pool. We really are teaching all over our area map, not just in one area like missionaries have been for nearly a year.
Other highlights have included working in an area that hasn´t been touched for over a year and finding there. Taking out Baptismal dates with Sylvina and her daughter Nichole, and Maria Angelica. And working with members to plan a double ward mission activity with our mission president as the speaker.
We´ve been busy bees out here in Avellaneda 2.
The ward here is a big city ward with over 300 members. ....Unfortunately only about 40-50 of those are active on a weekly basis. Our church is the stake center also, and we share it with our neighboring ward Avellaneda 1.
Our Bishop is probably one of the hardest working men I´ve ever seen. Especially with the weight of his calling. The Bishop here takes on such great responsibility. If a faucet is leaking in the church, the bishop is the first one to be called. Regardless, he´s got a vision for the work here. Working with him, we´ve managed to create a ward mission plan we´re now implementing to build excitement around missionary work. Hence the big double ward activity in a few weeks.
The drawbacks here are the drawbacks anywhere else. People get offended. Very easily. Or worse, with reason. We have the responsibility as missionaries here of strengthening many of the less active converts. Most of these people left the church because of rumors, gossip, or because they didn´t feel the church was helping them the way they deserved.
It´s hard to be the middle party.
Just last night we talked with an ex bishop who had left the church because he felt it had destroyed his family life. He explained to us that he kept all the standards of the church, read and prayed in his scriptures daily, fasted every month, hung pictures of the temples on his walls, and all sorts of other rationalizations to compensate for his failed attendance at church. But it didn´t matter what his justification was, the bottom line was he wasn´t receiving the blessings that come from the sacrament every week and he was keeping his family from doing so as well. We invited him to pray to God to ask what He wants for his family at this time. To which he only gave us more rationalizations.
I marveled at how many ways we justify sometimes.
We hear stories like this as missionaries at least several times a week and it gets more frustrating every time. People can´t seem to distinguish between what is the perfect structure and organization of the church, and it´s imperfect leaders.
On the other hand, there are some very firm members out here. Solid men and woman that stand as modern pioneers, the frontier of the Church in a new world. They are truly amazing people who build the kingdom regardless of circumstance or opposition. It´s amazing how we get references from the same determined people who seem so busy in their personal lives, but always seem to find time to help do a little good for someone around them.
Anyways, the ward really is growing with excitement for the work here. Dad wanted me to say a few words about the ward here, so here it is.
Sylvina and Nichole came to church with us on Sunday, and were very excited to do so. After gospel principles, Sylvina apparently had to leave, but Nichole, her 11 year old daughter was having too much fun in primary. "But mooom, can´t we just stay one more hour?" I loved Nichole's enthusiasm.
Funny story
We stopped by Sylvina´s and asked if Nichole had read earlier in the week. She looked at us and said "I only got a small part." We congratulated her on her effort and asked her what she understood. She gazed at us with big eyes and said "uh, ok, but I´m a bit nervous. I´ll try." Elder Valerin and I were a bit confused. She began to speak,
"Y aconteció que habia un gran multitud de personas..."
She had memorized the entire first three verses of 3 Nefi 11.
We assured her that she didn´t have to memorize the entire thing, just read it. But we also told her that if she did want to memorize it, it wouldn´t be the worst thing in the world.
So Nichole and Sylvina are getting ready for baptism. Maria Angelica as well. With a host of new investigators that are starting to progress. The work here is taking off. And I´m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.
So a shout out to Texas and Elder Lauritzen. Last week at transfer meeting one of the new Elders, whom I had never seen in my life, came up to me with a little note from Elder Nick Lauritzen. I was rather confused, seeing as how I was thousands of miles away from anyone who had the slightest idea what or who a "Lauritzen" is I found it quite strange that one of the random greenies would. Turns out he was from Texas and in Elder Lauritzen's ward before coming here to Buenos Aires South. Wow, random right? Small world eh? Small small world... Well Nick, I got your message.
Anyways
Ok, the work in Avellaneda is up and running. It only took a transfer and a half, which all things considered, has been nothing less than a miracle.
We had a great finding week last week and the week before adding considerably to our teaching pool. We really are teaching all over our area map, not just in one area like missionaries have been for nearly a year.
Other highlights have included working in an area that hasn´t been touched for over a year and finding there. Taking out Baptismal dates with Sylvina and her daughter Nichole, and Maria Angelica. And working with members to plan a double ward mission activity with our mission president as the speaker.
We´ve been busy bees out here in Avellaneda 2.
The ward here is a big city ward with over 300 members. ....Unfortunately only about 40-50 of those are active on a weekly basis. Our church is the stake center also, and we share it with our neighboring ward Avellaneda 1.
Our Bishop is probably one of the hardest working men I´ve ever seen. Especially with the weight of his calling. The Bishop here takes on such great responsibility. If a faucet is leaking in the church, the bishop is the first one to be called. Regardless, he´s got a vision for the work here. Working with him, we´ve managed to create a ward mission plan we´re now implementing to build excitement around missionary work. Hence the big double ward activity in a few weeks.
The drawbacks here are the drawbacks anywhere else. People get offended. Very easily. Or worse, with reason. We have the responsibility as missionaries here of strengthening many of the less active converts. Most of these people left the church because of rumors, gossip, or because they didn´t feel the church was helping them the way they deserved.
It´s hard to be the middle party.
Just last night we talked with an ex bishop who had left the church because he felt it had destroyed his family life. He explained to us that he kept all the standards of the church, read and prayed in his scriptures daily, fasted every month, hung pictures of the temples on his walls, and all sorts of other rationalizations to compensate for his failed attendance at church. But it didn´t matter what his justification was, the bottom line was he wasn´t receiving the blessings that come from the sacrament every week and he was keeping his family from doing so as well. We invited him to pray to God to ask what He wants for his family at this time. To which he only gave us more rationalizations.
I marveled at how many ways we justify sometimes.
We hear stories like this as missionaries at least several times a week and it gets more frustrating every time. People can´t seem to distinguish between what is the perfect structure and organization of the church, and it´s imperfect leaders.
On the other hand, there are some very firm members out here. Solid men and woman that stand as modern pioneers, the frontier of the Church in a new world. They are truly amazing people who build the kingdom regardless of circumstance or opposition. It´s amazing how we get references from the same determined people who seem so busy in their personal lives, but always seem to find time to help do a little good for someone around them.
Anyways, the ward really is growing with excitement for the work here. Dad wanted me to say a few words about the ward here, so here it is.
Sylvina and Nichole came to church with us on Sunday, and were very excited to do so. After gospel principles, Sylvina apparently had to leave, but Nichole, her 11 year old daughter was having too much fun in primary. "But mooom, can´t we just stay one more hour?" I loved Nichole's enthusiasm.
Funny story
We stopped by Sylvina´s and asked if Nichole had read earlier in the week. She looked at us and said "I only got a small part." We congratulated her on her effort and asked her what she understood. She gazed at us with big eyes and said "uh, ok, but I´m a bit nervous. I´ll try." Elder Valerin and I were a bit confused. She began to speak,
"Y aconteció que habia un gran multitud de personas..."
She had memorized the entire first three verses of 3 Nefi 11.
We assured her that she didn´t have to memorize the entire thing, just read it. But we also told her that if she did want to memorize it, it wouldn´t be the worst thing in the world.
So Nichole and Sylvina are getting ready for baptism. Maria Angelica as well. With a host of new investigators that are starting to progress. The work here is taking off. And I´m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Una Obra Maravillosa
First of all I am especially grateful to be out here in Buenos Aires, which for those of you who no habla Castellano, significa "good air." Which stands in striking contrast to the especially bad air that is plaguing my hometown right now.
It´s been quite hot here. Unreasonably hot. So hot I can feel my bones melting inside my body as we walk from house to house. And other than a small fan in our Pension there is no way to cool down. So I just think about Utah every time I´m about to complain and it cools me down.
Inversions, frozen snow, subzero temperatures.
Yup, it´s good to be in Buenos Aires this time of year. Of course, I´ll be singing a different tune in 6 months when the tables turn. Until then though.... disfrutenlo....
Have I talked about the miracles I´ve seen in Avellaneda? They happen every day now. Whether it´s finding someone on the street, being let into a house, or a random person showing up in church asking what they have to do to become a Mormon.
I have been especially impressed this week by a quote by Henry B. Eyring a few years back that goes something like "when we are on the Lord´s errand, he provides a way to get the job done."
Things that may seem impossible to us are never impossible to God. And out of the many discouraging trials of Avellaneda, I have realized that this is not my work, nor is it Elder Valerin´s. We are in the service of God. His work and His glory.
I have also been reading a great deal in the first book of Nephi, about their journeying in the wilderness. I find it especially interesting that the Lord allows them to suffer as consequence of sin or disobedience. But other times the Lord clearly states that they had trials to know that the Lord God is their guide.
When I was sent here to Avellaneda, I was indeed wandering through a wilderness. At first, it was easy to get discouraged by my circumstance. But fortunately, the Lord is running this vineyard, not me. This is a marvelous work and a wonder, and this past week my heart has been full of the goodness of God, and His willingness to impart of His blessings on His children.
Sylvina, the investigator that I talked about two weeks ago who we found from a reference, has now received all of the first two lessons and is very very faithful in her reading assignments. She now is trying to get her kids to listen, and we teach all of them together. 1 investigator has now turned into a family.
As we taught Sylvina the plan of salvation, we talked about eternal marriage. I showed her the pictures I have of Scott, and Jennifer´s wedding. She wanted to know what the beautiful building in the background was. We explained to her that that was the temple of God, and what we did there lasted us for all eternity. She expressed to us her sorrow that her husband had already passed away, and she didn´t have the opportunity to marry him in this life, they only lived together. We had the privilege of explaining a little about vicarious ordinances, that if she lived by the Gospel, she could enter the House of the Lord, and still be married to her husband for time and all eternity.
As we taught the pre-mortal life, and the counsel of heaven, we didn´t have to repeat it. She just looked at it and said "Aaaah, now I understand." Jeffrey R. Holland tells us the reason it is easy to teach the plan of salvation is because people have already heard it before. With Sylvina, we weren´t teaching the plan, we were just reminding her. She is one of the elect. As I said before, we have now begun to teach the family.
We contacted another reference this week and ended up with a woman named Rosio. She expressed her doubts about the catholic church, how worshipping saints was so clearly contrary to what it says in the bible. We were able to briefly explain the apostasy to her, as well as the restoration. As we got ready to leave, she expressed how different and peaceful she felt while talking to us. We were able to assure her that those feelings came from the Holy Ghost. As we left, we thanked the members around the corner for their reference and told them how wonderfully our lesson had gone. A new excitement for missionary work entered their eyes, and they anxiously wanted to accompany us to our next appointment.
One last experience.
As we arrived at church the next day, we were disappointed to see that our regular investigators were not able to attend because of the vacation season. At the end of sacrament meeting, Elder Valerin and I walked out with our heads hung. Suddenly a woman walked up to us as we stood in the door to our gospel principles class.
"Hi I´m new here, I live next door to one of your members and want to become part of the Mormon Church."
....
Both of us were slack jawed at first, then gaining our composure smiled politely and informed her it was "very possible" to become a member of the Mormon church, and she had come to the right place. She was about halfway crazy I think. Somewhat like Elder Ockey´s experience. I couldn´t tell. There´s never a free baptism.
So Avellaneda. The wilderness that is now bearing some very precious fruit. I, like Nephi of old, can now testify that the Lord has stood with me in my afflictions. He has prepared a way, even though it is still difficult, through faithfulness and diligence it is not impossible. I know now more than ever that this is not my work. If it was, I would have great cause to be afraid. But, I am now on the Lord´s errand. And when we are on the Lord´s errand, he provides a way to get the job done.
I love missionary work. I love this area. I love the opportunities I have here. I love the happiness this message brings to the lives of these people who need it so badly.
Thank you for your support and love. I found a correo (post office) this week, so I should be sending some letters off very soon. Thanks again!
It´s been quite hot here. Unreasonably hot. So hot I can feel my bones melting inside my body as we walk from house to house. And other than a small fan in our Pension there is no way to cool down. So I just think about Utah every time I´m about to complain and it cools me down.
Inversions, frozen snow, subzero temperatures.
Yup, it´s good to be in Buenos Aires this time of year. Of course, I´ll be singing a different tune in 6 months when the tables turn. Until then though.... disfrutenlo....
Have I talked about the miracles I´ve seen in Avellaneda? They happen every day now. Whether it´s finding someone on the street, being let into a house, or a random person showing up in church asking what they have to do to become a Mormon.
I have been especially impressed this week by a quote by Henry B. Eyring a few years back that goes something like "when we are on the Lord´s errand, he provides a way to get the job done."
Things that may seem impossible to us are never impossible to God. And out of the many discouraging trials of Avellaneda, I have realized that this is not my work, nor is it Elder Valerin´s. We are in the service of God. His work and His glory.
I have also been reading a great deal in the first book of Nephi, about their journeying in the wilderness. I find it especially interesting that the Lord allows them to suffer as consequence of sin or disobedience. But other times the Lord clearly states that they had trials to know that the Lord God is their guide.
When I was sent here to Avellaneda, I was indeed wandering through a wilderness. At first, it was easy to get discouraged by my circumstance. But fortunately, the Lord is running this vineyard, not me. This is a marvelous work and a wonder, and this past week my heart has been full of the goodness of God, and His willingness to impart of His blessings on His children.
Sylvina, the investigator that I talked about two weeks ago who we found from a reference, has now received all of the first two lessons and is very very faithful in her reading assignments. She now is trying to get her kids to listen, and we teach all of them together. 1 investigator has now turned into a family.
As we taught Sylvina the plan of salvation, we talked about eternal marriage. I showed her the pictures I have of Scott, and Jennifer´s wedding. She wanted to know what the beautiful building in the background was. We explained to her that that was the temple of God, and what we did there lasted us for all eternity. She expressed to us her sorrow that her husband had already passed away, and she didn´t have the opportunity to marry him in this life, they only lived together. We had the privilege of explaining a little about vicarious ordinances, that if she lived by the Gospel, she could enter the House of the Lord, and still be married to her husband for time and all eternity.
As we taught the pre-mortal life, and the counsel of heaven, we didn´t have to repeat it. She just looked at it and said "Aaaah, now I understand." Jeffrey R. Holland tells us the reason it is easy to teach the plan of salvation is because people have already heard it before. With Sylvina, we weren´t teaching the plan, we were just reminding her. She is one of the elect. As I said before, we have now begun to teach the family.
We contacted another reference this week and ended up with a woman named Rosio. She expressed her doubts about the catholic church, how worshipping saints was so clearly contrary to what it says in the bible. We were able to briefly explain the apostasy to her, as well as the restoration. As we got ready to leave, she expressed how different and peaceful she felt while talking to us. We were able to assure her that those feelings came from the Holy Ghost. As we left, we thanked the members around the corner for their reference and told them how wonderfully our lesson had gone. A new excitement for missionary work entered their eyes, and they anxiously wanted to accompany us to our next appointment.
One last experience.
As we arrived at church the next day, we were disappointed to see that our regular investigators were not able to attend because of the vacation season. At the end of sacrament meeting, Elder Valerin and I walked out with our heads hung. Suddenly a woman walked up to us as we stood in the door to our gospel principles class.
"Hi I´m new here, I live next door to one of your members and want to become part of the Mormon Church."
....
Both of us were slack jawed at first, then gaining our composure smiled politely and informed her it was "very possible" to become a member of the Mormon church, and she had come to the right place. She was about halfway crazy I think. Somewhat like Elder Ockey´s experience. I couldn´t tell. There´s never a free baptism.
So Avellaneda. The wilderness that is now bearing some very precious fruit. I, like Nephi of old, can now testify that the Lord has stood with me in my afflictions. He has prepared a way, even though it is still difficult, through faithfulness and diligence it is not impossible. I know now more than ever that this is not my work. If it was, I would have great cause to be afraid. But, I am now on the Lord´s errand. And when we are on the Lord´s errand, he provides a way to get the job done.
I love missionary work. I love this area. I love the opportunities I have here. I love the happiness this message brings to the lives of these people who need it so badly.
Thank you for your support and love. I found a correo (post office) this week, so I should be sending some letters off very soon. Thanks again!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Sacred
Six months have come and gone. Six months away from home. Six months of bed at 10:30 and an all too early 6:30 wake up call. Six months worth of memorized Castellano. Six months of being accompanied by another human being for 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
The last six months have been.... I´m looking for the word I need. The last six months have been......
I reflect on what my MTC teacher Hmno Gato told us. When he got off the plane someone asked him to describe the last two years of his life. The only word that came to mind was "sacred."
As I look back on six months, I´m hard pressed to find a different word. The mission really is a sacred experience.
Today, was transfer meeting. Elder Valerin is staying in Avellaneda another round, so we´re going to get real cozy. I haven´t been with the same comp for more than six weeks now to date, so we´ll see how I hold up for 12.
It´s nice to know that I have at least two more transfers to look forward to here. Barring a whitewash. I´m growing quite content here in Avellaneda. 2 Wal-Mart’s and an unlimited supply of microwave popcorn. Can it get any better than that?
Being already in an introspective and reflective mood, having lived a fourth of my mission already, I was especially stricken by the missionaries who bore their testimonies today in transfer meetings. The missionaries heading home.
Elder Bednar gave a well known talk some years back on the difference between becoming and doing. That just because someone goes on a mission does not mean that they become a missionary. As I sat and watched each one of the Elders getting up and give their last goodbyes, I wondered what they were thinking. If they could see the last two years of their lives, the two years they thought would never end coming to a close, and honestly say that they had no regrets?
I realized, about then, that you only get one shot in your life. Yes, you can serve a mission again when you’re older, but as Brother Bott emphasized it´s never the same. This is the time. This is the place. This is the hour of our lives that we have been waiting for our entire lives, and perhaps from an eternal perspective, a lot longer than that. As those missionaries left, they had passed through the proverbial day of this life into the night of darkness. The end of their mission where no labor could be performed.
Once again, I´m not suggesting that we can´t do missionary work once we get off a mission, that is our duty as members of the church. What I am suggesting is as young men these two years are the only years in our life to completely consecrate ourselves to God. No reservations.
As I looked into the eyes of those missionaries, I wondered if they had regrets. And then, I wondered if perhaps I did too. It´s so easy to think of the mission like an eternity, but one day, it will come to an end. I knew I wasn´t the missionary I wanted to be yet.
The fact is, we all know what we should be doing, but as Elder Bednar continually emphasizes, what we think and know isn´t always reflected in what we do. I would submit that the greatest trial of this life is to align our actions with our conscience.
So with the New Year we have the opportunity to have a new start ourselves. What we have in front of us is a lifelong task. To, as President Hinckley emphasized, "Try a little harder, to be a little better." It´s never where we start that matters, it´s how we finish. And if we really try with all our hearts to do the little things, the little things will become us.
What we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we become. Will we have regrets when the night of darkness comes?
I watched those Elders give their testimonies not as persons wobbling on their spiritual crutches, rather as converts. And I sat and wondered at what the Lord had done with them. Regardless of their effectiveness or personal disposition, they had endured faithfully to the end. Maybe once the end comes that´s all we can say for ourselves, but it says a lot. We didn´t throw in the towel when the times got tough.
You see, the mission has a lot of parallels to our life. I´ll tell anyone to live the perfect mission the same way I´ll say be perfect. It´s impossible. But we can be perfect in some ways. And once we really are facing toward the Lord, and doing the little things, as I said before, those little things will become us, and we´ll become something more than we thought we could be.
Six months down and a new year to look forward to. I haven´t lived the perfect mission so far, not even close. But I have learned so many things. And I thank the Lord for giving me the experiences that I´ve needed so much. I know this is the true church. The harvest is exceedingly great and the laborers are few. It may seem hopeless at times, but when we think who is laboring with us, it changes our perspective. This is the Lord´s vineyard, and He is working by our side.
What have I learned in six months?
I can´t exactly say it in words. I guess the email above is a good start. But it´s something more than that. It´s a testimony. It´s a conversion. It´s a sacred mission.
The last six months have been.... I´m looking for the word I need. The last six months have been......
I reflect on what my MTC teacher Hmno Gato told us. When he got off the plane someone asked him to describe the last two years of his life. The only word that came to mind was "sacred."
As I look back on six months, I´m hard pressed to find a different word. The mission really is a sacred experience.
Today, was transfer meeting. Elder Valerin is staying in Avellaneda another round, so we´re going to get real cozy. I haven´t been with the same comp for more than six weeks now to date, so we´ll see how I hold up for 12.
It´s nice to know that I have at least two more transfers to look forward to here. Barring a whitewash. I´m growing quite content here in Avellaneda. 2 Wal-Mart’s and an unlimited supply of microwave popcorn. Can it get any better than that?
Being already in an introspective and reflective mood, having lived a fourth of my mission already, I was especially stricken by the missionaries who bore their testimonies today in transfer meetings. The missionaries heading home.
Elder Bednar gave a well known talk some years back on the difference between becoming and doing. That just because someone goes on a mission does not mean that they become a missionary. As I sat and watched each one of the Elders getting up and give their last goodbyes, I wondered what they were thinking. If they could see the last two years of their lives, the two years they thought would never end coming to a close, and honestly say that they had no regrets?
I realized, about then, that you only get one shot in your life. Yes, you can serve a mission again when you’re older, but as Brother Bott emphasized it´s never the same. This is the time. This is the place. This is the hour of our lives that we have been waiting for our entire lives, and perhaps from an eternal perspective, a lot longer than that. As those missionaries left, they had passed through the proverbial day of this life into the night of darkness. The end of their mission where no labor could be performed.
Once again, I´m not suggesting that we can´t do missionary work once we get off a mission, that is our duty as members of the church. What I am suggesting is as young men these two years are the only years in our life to completely consecrate ourselves to God. No reservations.
As I looked into the eyes of those missionaries, I wondered if they had regrets. And then, I wondered if perhaps I did too. It´s so easy to think of the mission like an eternity, but one day, it will come to an end. I knew I wasn´t the missionary I wanted to be yet.
The fact is, we all know what we should be doing, but as Elder Bednar continually emphasizes, what we think and know isn´t always reflected in what we do. I would submit that the greatest trial of this life is to align our actions with our conscience.
So with the New Year we have the opportunity to have a new start ourselves. What we have in front of us is a lifelong task. To, as President Hinckley emphasized, "Try a little harder, to be a little better." It´s never where we start that matters, it´s how we finish. And if we really try with all our hearts to do the little things, the little things will become us.
What we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we become. Will we have regrets when the night of darkness comes?
I watched those Elders give their testimonies not as persons wobbling on their spiritual crutches, rather as converts. And I sat and wondered at what the Lord had done with them. Regardless of their effectiveness or personal disposition, they had endured faithfully to the end. Maybe once the end comes that´s all we can say for ourselves, but it says a lot. We didn´t throw in the towel when the times got tough.
You see, the mission has a lot of parallels to our life. I´ll tell anyone to live the perfect mission the same way I´ll say be perfect. It´s impossible. But we can be perfect in some ways. And once we really are facing toward the Lord, and doing the little things, as I said before, those little things will become us, and we´ll become something more than we thought we could be.
Six months down and a new year to look forward to. I haven´t lived the perfect mission so far, not even close. But I have learned so many things. And I thank the Lord for giving me the experiences that I´ve needed so much. I know this is the true church. The harvest is exceedingly great and the laborers are few. It may seem hopeless at times, but when we think who is laboring with us, it changes our perspective. This is the Lord´s vineyard, and He is working by our side.
What have I learned in six months?
I can´t exactly say it in words. I guess the email above is a good start. But it´s something more than that. It´s a testimony. It´s a conversion. It´s a sacred mission.
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