Dear Family and Friends,
You may be surprised to hear that the
title of this week's post is not referring directly to the mass murders
that occurred nearly 600 Tuesday's ago. I did, in my own quiet way,
honor the memories of the thousands of innocent men, women, and children
who were killed that day and in the subsequent conflicts, but I feel
that sharing any more of my feelings on that subject may breach the
guidelines set forth in the Missionary Handbook that counsels me not to
discuss politics.
The main topic of this week's letter to those I love is the 5th of
the 5 Blessings. They are Health, Prosperity, Good Fortune, Happy
Children, and Natural Death.
This week I was invited to attend a
memorial service for Brother Lee, a member of our Ward that had been ill
and unable to attend Church for a very long time. Missionaries are not
often invited to go to such ceremonies, so Elder Marrott and I were
deeply touched by the invitation extended to us by the deceased's niece.
It was a very peaceful service in which Brother Lee was remembered, the
goodness of God and the Plan of Salvation was extolled, and his mortal
remains were taken to be protected until he is called up by the Father
on Resurrection Morning.
The thing that makes Natural Death the 5th blessing, in my way of
seeing things, is that it gives one time to reconcile oneself with God.
As a person ages they begin to understand that their hour soon will
come to lay down their bodies and prepare to meet their Lord. I'm sure
this gives the aged time to ponder their lives and the chance to correct
any mistakes they may have made.
Unfortunately, as we were all reminded as we mourned on Tuesday, not
everyone is given the 5th Blessing. If you were to receive it, would
you be ready to meet the Father? Are you confident that you would
receive Eternal Life? I'm sure that, with the decades of quiet
introspection that usually proceed natural death, all of us would be.
But what if you didn't pass in your sleep in the sunset of your
life? If you were called back to the Judgement Seat tomorrow, would you
be ready? My purpose is not to frighten you into action, but to cause
you to search your soul and, if needed, correct yourself. Let me quote a
book I've been reading recently to help me clarify my words;
Alma 34:34 "Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess
your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit
will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."
The message here is very direct and simple to me; it doesn't matter what you outwardly do, but what you inwardly are. "That
same spirit" means YOU. If you have no desire to follow God's
commandments now, you won't in the next stage of your progression. If
you "set at naught the things of God" now, you will not be given more of
the things of God in the Post-Mortal world. To make it a bit more
clear; if you cannot abide by the laws and statutes of America, then you
cannot be a happy and free American. If you regard the laws as a cage
that needs breaking out of, you will be punished and your liberty will
be taken away. If you view these laws as a scaffold to help you grow
upwards to fulfill your full potential, you will receive happiness,
freedom, and be allowed to continue doing the things that make you
happy.
If you cannot follow the commandments of God, you cannot dwell with
Him. If you view the Word of Wisdom, the Laws of Chastity, of Tithing,
of the Sabbath as a cage, then you will begin to grow bitter as you
create an imagined prison around yourself. If you view these
commandments as a scaffolding that ensures you are building yourself
safely upward, and not dangerously outwards, you will feel yourself
being added upon. I know that it's not easy to accept at first that the
Gospel is a scaffold, not a cage, but I know that as you use the
doctrines and principles taught to govern your life and guide each
choice, our Heavenly Father will bless you with His Son's care and the
Holy Spirit's guidance.
I hope to be ready to meet my Father when the time comes, and that
each of you can also be so ready. I love you all, and I know that this
is the Lord's Restored Gospel. Love it, live it, and you will receive
true and unending joy and happiness.
Love,
Elder O'Gara
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Blog Post #21
Dear People Whom I Love,
Today I got to jugar futbol (AKA da jeukbou) with the rest of the Missionaries in my Zone. All 20 of us met up at a park in Cheung Sha Wan and played 3 rounds of volleyball (there were 3 teams of 7 because a really cool member of the Church named Kenneth Fong came with us), then we played soccer. I loved it so much! If you're curious as to how soccer in a sauna would be, this is the place to experience it! I lose SO much water weight, and it's not uncommon for me to drink a gallon of water a day. That may sound excessive, but I still don't feel 100% hydrated at the end of the day, which means I always have water with my breakfast.
Speaking of breakfast, let me talk a little about my diet. I typically have a few pieces of fruit or maybe curry fish and potatoes for breakfast. I used to do noodles for breakfast, which is delicious but SUPER time consuming. Lunch is noodles, curry fish and potatoes (if I didn't have it for breakfast), but most often I'll have vegetable stir-fry. I can eat a TON of veggies for lunch and still be hungry for dinner! Dinner is either noodles, veggie stir-fry, or chicken. If we eat out it'll typically be for dinner, and cost less than 3 US Dollars. I like to get almond flavored tofu (which is delicious), grass jelly (think not-sweet-mint jello), and fresh fruit. Also, I'll randomly add rice to any meal; as one of my Apartment Leader things I do is ensure we always have rice in the fridge if anyone wants it (which is usually at every meal, here in China).
On rare occasion (once or twice every six weeks) I will get a #7 with fries and fanta from McDonalds. I've done that 4 times so far; and I think I may have eaten more Big Macs on my Mission so far than I did in my entire life before my Mission. Don't worry, I saw "Supersize Me", I'm keeping it real. There's also a million bubble tea places around, so I'll occasionally get mango and red bean smoothies with fat tapioca pearls in them. Bubble tea is even more rare than McD's, though.
But usually I eat fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains. That's what I want you to remember about my diet.
Anyways, the work of a Missionary is tiring, but infinitely more rewarding than it is tiring! We have people coming to us slowly but surely, and they are great! We are helping people who are interested in the Gospel experience the power of Jesus Christ's Atonement. We help those who have strayed from the Gospel remember the peace, comfort, and happiness that knowing their purpose and potential brings. We help those who are strong members of the Church strengthen their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we help them know how they can share their joy and excitement with their friends, neighbors, and coworkers. We also work with many people who have just recently received Baptism to continue to grow closer to the Savior and understand His teachings better.
No matter what we do; we have one goal in mind; invite all people to come unto Christ. No one is perfect, so everyone can grow to understand and apply His teachings better, everyone can improve in some way, and everyone can share the peace and joy the Gospel brings with a few more people. That's why being a Missionary is great! I don't have to worry about school, my phone, my pet fish, my car, or anything else getting in the way of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ! This is an amazing experience! All I do all day is try to make everyone around me happier! No matter what you do or don't believe, that's got to sound pretty amazing.
I love this work! I know I have been called by God to help others accept His Son's Gospel. I have never seen either of Them face to face as Joseph Smith has, but I see the hand of the Creator of Heaven and Earth all around me. I feel it in the world around me, see it in the miracles that people take for granted, and experience it every day! This knowledge did not come because I had some huge amazing experience, but because everyday my faith is built line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Conversion is not an event, it is a process. It may have a clear beginning, but it will never end.
I love you all. I know this work is true, and I invite all of you to pray and receive the answer that I have; that God has given us a modern-day prophet to lead, guide, and direct us to Life Eternal.
I write these things in the name of our Lord, Savior, and Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Elder O'Gara
Today I got to jugar futbol (AKA da jeukbou) with the rest of the Missionaries in my Zone. All 20 of us met up at a park in Cheung Sha Wan and played 3 rounds of volleyball (there were 3 teams of 7 because a really cool member of the Church named Kenneth Fong came with us), then we played soccer. I loved it so much! If you're curious as to how soccer in a sauna would be, this is the place to experience it! I lose SO much water weight, and it's not uncommon for me to drink a gallon of water a day. That may sound excessive, but I still don't feel 100% hydrated at the end of the day, which means I always have water with my breakfast.
Speaking of breakfast, let me talk a little about my diet. I typically have a few pieces of fruit or maybe curry fish and potatoes for breakfast. I used to do noodles for breakfast, which is delicious but SUPER time consuming. Lunch is noodles, curry fish and potatoes (if I didn't have it for breakfast), but most often I'll have vegetable stir-fry. I can eat a TON of veggies for lunch and still be hungry for dinner! Dinner is either noodles, veggie stir-fry, or chicken. If we eat out it'll typically be for dinner, and cost less than 3 US Dollars. I like to get almond flavored tofu (which is delicious), grass jelly (think not-sweet-mint jello), and fresh fruit. Also, I'll randomly add rice to any meal; as one of my Apartment Leader things I do is ensure we always have rice in the fridge if anyone wants it (which is usually at every meal, here in China).
On rare occasion (once or twice every six weeks) I will get a #7 with fries and fanta from McDonalds. I've done that 4 times so far; and I think I may have eaten more Big Macs on my Mission so far than I did in my entire life before my Mission. Don't worry, I saw "Supersize Me", I'm keeping it real. There's also a million bubble tea places around, so I'll occasionally get mango and red bean smoothies with fat tapioca pearls in them. Bubble tea is even more rare than McD's, though.
But usually I eat fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains. That's what I want you to remember about my diet.
Anyways, the work of a Missionary is tiring, but infinitely more rewarding than it is tiring! We have people coming to us slowly but surely, and they are great! We are helping people who are interested in the Gospel experience the power of Jesus Christ's Atonement. We help those who have strayed from the Gospel remember the peace, comfort, and happiness that knowing their purpose and potential brings. We help those who are strong members of the Church strengthen their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we help them know how they can share their joy and excitement with their friends, neighbors, and coworkers. We also work with many people who have just recently received Baptism to continue to grow closer to the Savior and understand His teachings better.
No matter what we do; we have one goal in mind; invite all people to come unto Christ. No one is perfect, so everyone can grow to understand and apply His teachings better, everyone can improve in some way, and everyone can share the peace and joy the Gospel brings with a few more people. That's why being a Missionary is great! I don't have to worry about school, my phone, my pet fish, my car, or anything else getting in the way of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ! This is an amazing experience! All I do all day is try to make everyone around me happier! No matter what you do or don't believe, that's got to sound pretty amazing.
I love this work! I know I have been called by God to help others accept His Son's Gospel. I have never seen either of Them face to face as Joseph Smith has, but I see the hand of the Creator of Heaven and Earth all around me. I feel it in the world around me, see it in the miracles that people take for granted, and experience it every day! This knowledge did not come because I had some huge amazing experience, but because everyday my faith is built line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Conversion is not an event, it is a process. It may have a clear beginning, but it will never end.
I love you all. I know this work is true, and I invite all of you to pray and receive the answer that I have; that God has given us a modern-day prophet to lead, guide, and direct us to Life Eternal.
I write these things in the name of our Lord, Savior, and Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Elder O'Gara
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Blog Post #20: Western Girls
Dear People Whom I Love,
I love you! This week I didn't make any huge mistakes with the language (I've gotten some coaching in regards to how to say fishing).
I've been very busy, as today is my Trainer's birthday, so instead of a rundown on my week; here's an interesting thing that proves that written Chinese is all just one big joke!
This is "west" or "western"
西
This is "girl" or "woman"
女
This is "need" the verb, or "needs" the noun
要
The slight difference is only because of how the computer displays the character. Someone, somewhere, a long long long time ago realized that white girls are very high maintenance, and payed homage to this well known quality of theirs by inventing this character to be the visual representation of the concept of "needing".
Of course, everyone has needs, not just white girls. The great thing about Heavenly Father is that He knows exactly how to fulfill your needs so that you will be in the best circumstances for you to learn and grow! I know He loves each and every one, He knows you all by name, He knows what all of you truly need, and He would LOVE to give it to you, if you will be humble, exercise faith and patience, and pray daily!
Have a great week!
岳長老
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Blog Post #19: "Get in Here!"
So my goof this week was only slightly rude! "Yap laih, yap laih" is a command, but sort of a softened command because it's repeated. I ought to have said "Cheng" mid-rising before it. I'll learn eventually...
I have had such a great week, but I regretably have no time to blog about it! Suffice it to say God is good, He is love, and He watches over His servants! I love what I'm doing, I love that I have so many friends getting home from their full-time missionary service, and I hope that even more will be heading out soon! I love y'all, and I hope everyone is happy, healthy, and well!
Love,
Elder O'Gara
岳長老
P.S. Congrats to Morgan Kidd on finishing her novel! I'll buy a copy... In 2 years.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Blog Post #18: Barf Milk
I might as well just rename my blog "Misadventures in Cantonese"! It's such a fun language and such a fun place, and at least my major goof up wasn't profane this week!
In China people eat many kinds of pickles and drink many kinds of milk. You have to specify what kind of pickles (cabbage, carrot, kimchi, eggs {and you have to specify the animal the eggs came from} etc.), and you have to say goat or cow or buffalo or duck milk. Babies drink just milk, big kids drink cow or goat milk. For some reason Soy Milk doesn't have the word "Milk" in it.
Anyways, the word "cow" is pronounced "ow" with a low-falling tone. The word "to vomit" is pronounced "ow" with a mid-rising tone. Therefore, when instructing people on how to make Horchata (I'll tell you why next week), it is important to tell them to use "cow milk", not "barf milk". We all had a good laugh, and I also found out that cooked rice and raw rice have different words...
Anyways, I'm doing great! I spent a little longer that normal on my emails to family (I love y'all!) today, so I'm gonna wrap this up before too long.
Right now we've got Typhoon Signal One hoisted, which means pretty much nothing. In Cantonese we say "Sap Sap Seui" (sup sup soy) which basically means "No Big Deal". Typhoon Signals one and two are sap sap seui, three is a decent storm, eight is a minor hurricane. We do have wind that's throwing around shopping bags but, once again, sap sap seui.
Even though this language is tough and the weather is funky, I am still SO grateful to be out spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to the AmAzInG people of Hong Kong! So many people here are so ready to receive the Word, and even though I can't articulate the peace this Gospel brings, they can feel it when I teach.
I know that God loves us! We are His children, and He, like any good father, has given us rules to keep us safe, healthy, and happy. Yes, they restrict us from doing some things, but does anyone really want to put their hand on a stove burner? I know I did when I was little, and I got horribly burned by it. Spiritual burns last a lot longer, and hurt a lot more. Even though the Gospel may not seem like fun all the time; it's there for a reason; to keep us safe! Follow the teachings of the Prophets, they are the Lord's words! I love y'all, have a great week!
P.S. No, there is no such thing as duck milk! But we do call butter "cow oil"
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Blog Post #17: The Lazy Fisherman
Cantonese is a tonal language. That means that the pitch of your voice changes a word, and that the trajectory of your pitch changes it more. So, when you go from a no tone language to a tonal one, there are, naturally, some words that you also mess up. They can be small and inconsequential, or huge and embarassingly funny for everyone around you.
For example; I tell people I love to go fishing. The problem is that fishing and the Cantonese equivalent of "the F Word" have only very subtle sound and tone differences that escape me. I usually get it right, but I sometimes get 60% puzzled, 40% mortified-that-you-just-said-that-in-public looks when I say "fishing".
The word for "lazy" is low-level, and the vowel is the "aw" from an East Coast person's "lawn mower". I found out that low-falling with the "aw" from my "lawn mower" (think "awesome") is not quite profanity, but NOT a word you use in the Church gym to explain why you can't come play basketball.
I love learning!
I also love families! When people learn the Gospel as a family they feel the Spirit more. Why? Because the Gospel is centered on families! Like we sang in Primary "God gave us families/ To help us become what he wants us to be!" It's so true! I've talked before about how, through the lessons of early childhood, we learn Eternal truths and principles. So, when this amazing learning environment finds the Gospel being taught within it, miracles start exploding into existence! Not only that, but miracles start to happen more and more as you search harder for families!
That's why families are so important to the Church, why so many of my amazing young friends are getting married in the Temple, because we believe that Families can be together forever because Heavenly Father has given us the Plan of Happiness. We can experience the joy of a happy home for the rest of forever with the people we love!
There are many people I know who do not come from happy homes, and no one's family is perfect. That is why I share this Gospel; because I know that you can have a perfectly happy family for Eternity.
That's why, even though a very close friend's grandfather just recently passed away, I am still happy. Sure, I'm going to miss talking about his time in the Army and being an Olympic Skiing coach and all his other great stories, but I know that he's happy now, that he's free from the pain that plagued him for so many years, and that before too long he'll be able to enjoy life again with a perfect body.
I'm excited for the day that Grandpa Bob gets to teach me how to ski.
I love you all, and to those who have lost family members, whether Grandpa Bob last month, Grandma Verda years ago, or your loving husband a decade ago, you are all in my prayers, always. Have a great week, everyone, and think Eternally.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Blog Post #16: Mi Amigo
In 10th Grade I met a tall skinny ginger kid in Choir. We stood next to each other, sang the same part, chased the same girl for a week, and just had a great time of it.
In 11th Grade I somehow ended up at the same school 2 years in a row, and my new friend was still in Choir with me. We got to know each other really well, even to the point of man-hugging.
In 12th Grade we chased after the same girl for a month or so, went dumpster diving for pizzas, drifting in blizzards, TP'ing people's front doors, making midnight cream puff deliveries, making midnight nightmare deliveries, going to midnight premieres of movies, and cooked up delicious home-made bleu cheese toether... not at midnight. We had lots of fun, played with lots of fire, and spent buckets of time together, including planning Senior Prom.
I just read the email from my mother informing me that my best friend, Elder Brandyn (Thomas?) Pierce is going to be serving in the Mexico Culiacan Mission! I am almost crying with joy! My very favorite person from High School is going to be using his AP Spanish skills! Not gonna lie; I secretly wanted to train him, but I will get over myself when I get to welcome him back at the Boise airport in November of 2014. I TOTALLY call him for my sous-chef for my 22nd Birthday Dinner-Party! Get ready for Chinese-Mexican Fusion!
I love my friends so much! Valorie is Sealed for time and all Eternity, B-Dawg is buying short-sleeve shirts, Rob is probably also buying short-sleeve shirts, Deji Dahling is writing a book, and who knows what else is going on! Honestly, the class of 2011 is the Best Class Ever! Who else is being amazing?
But I suppose you want to hear about me...
Last week my loving Heavenly Father lead me to 2 great families to teach! Our Mission President (AKA Boss) has asked us to focus on families, so we've been praying very hard about how to do this. We went to an area where we've never been before (TST is HUGE), and we found a family! Then, at English Class, we realized that Simon has a family (a son and daughter)! It's so good to see the Lord guiding you in your endevours, cuz trust me; I did NOT want to walk the hour to Kowloon Bay!
I went bowling this morning, an epic picture of my gutterball fit will be up next week (I forgot my MiniUSB adapter). I bought 3 pounds of chicken, and it looks like a lot to me, but I think that's about what the food pyramid says I should eat in a week. I am too busy (lazy) to find good veggie-saurus food in HK that's not in Buddhist monasteries on the tops of the mountains. No really, that's the only stuff I've been able to find that wasn't just plain-flavor soy protein nuggets.
Going back to not-me; I met an Elder Welker who is a cousin to my like-named friends in Boise, we had a fun chat about them. I got one of the Summer Missionaries to sniff my Itch-Eraser; a stick of gelatinous ammonia to rub on mosquito bites, I really should have filmed his reaction, it was great! I also went on an exchange with Elder Hazen to HK Island, taught the father of a part-member family, ate great food at a member's home (century eggs are best in congee), and went on a boat! It smelled like salt and dead fish AKA my best and most fond memories of where I grew up.
My companion asked me what the difference between a Faithful Missionary and a Missionary of Great Faith is. I took a moment and chewed a Snickers (it was really a Vitamin C pill so my allergies are less), and thought about it. Here's what I came up with;
A Faithful MissionaryThis Elder or Sister wakes up on time every morning, exercises, studies, and diligently teaches and finds. This Missionary will return home happy because he or she has worked hard and brought many souls unto Christ. It is a great thing to be a Faithful Missionary for 24 or 18 months.
A Missionary of Great FaithThis Elder or Sister wakes up on time every morning, exercises, studies, and diligently teaches and finds. The difference comes in how the Missionary of Great Faith opperates. They constantly pray for guidance from the Lord, apply what they learn from studies, Church, meetings, and experiences, and seek to draw closer to Jesus Christ every day. This Missionary acts not just out of the love of God, but also because he or she has a deep and abiding faith that God loves the people they are serving, so they love them too. The Missionary of Great Faith returns home happy because he or she has worked beyond their mortal capacity to help bring souls to Christ. The Missionary of Great Faith also knows that the Full-Time Mission is merely preparation for parenthood and being a Home or Visiting teacher. They recognize that, even though they are only part-time now, they still have a calling to serve God with all their Heart, Might, Mind and Strength.
Rob, Brandyn, and everyone else preparing to serve; strive to be Missionaries of Great Faith. I'm not really that much older than you in Missionary terms, but I have already seen the difference there is between those who serve because they love God, and those who serve because they know God loves the people they serve. I'm not a Missionary of Great Faith yet, but I hope to be long before I come home May 21st of 2014 (that's a rough estimate). I know this Gospel can help everyone, and if you have the opportunity to share it at any time in any capacity, do it! I love y'all, have a great week!
In 11th Grade I somehow ended up at the same school 2 years in a row, and my new friend was still in Choir with me. We got to know each other really well, even to the point of man-hugging.
In 12th Grade we chased after the same girl for a month or so, went dumpster diving for pizzas, drifting in blizzards, TP'ing people's front doors, making midnight cream puff deliveries, making midnight nightmare deliveries, going to midnight premieres of movies, and cooked up delicious home-made bleu cheese toether... not at midnight. We had lots of fun, played with lots of fire, and spent buckets of time together, including planning Senior Prom.
I just read the email from my mother informing me that my best friend, Elder Brandyn (Thomas?) Pierce is going to be serving in the Mexico Culiacan Mission! I am almost crying with joy! My very favorite person from High School is going to be using his AP Spanish skills! Not gonna lie; I secretly wanted to train him, but I will get over myself when I get to welcome him back at the Boise airport in November of 2014. I TOTALLY call him for my sous-chef for my 22nd Birthday Dinner-Party! Get ready for Chinese-Mexican Fusion!
I love my friends so much! Valorie is Sealed for time and all Eternity, B-Dawg is buying short-sleeve shirts, Rob is probably also buying short-sleeve shirts, Deji Dahling is writing a book, and who knows what else is going on! Honestly, the class of 2011 is the Best Class Ever! Who else is being amazing?
But I suppose you want to hear about me...
Last week my loving Heavenly Father lead me to 2 great families to teach! Our Mission President (AKA Boss) has asked us to focus on families, so we've been praying very hard about how to do this. We went to an area where we've never been before (TST is HUGE), and we found a family! Then, at English Class, we realized that Simon has a family (a son and daughter)! It's so good to see the Lord guiding you in your endevours, cuz trust me; I did NOT want to walk the hour to Kowloon Bay!
I went bowling this morning, an epic picture of my gutterball fit will be up next week (I forgot my MiniUSB adapter). I bought 3 pounds of chicken, and it looks like a lot to me, but I think that's about what the food pyramid says I should eat in a week. I am too busy (lazy) to find good veggie-saurus food in HK that's not in Buddhist monasteries on the tops of the mountains. No really, that's the only stuff I've been able to find that wasn't just plain-flavor soy protein nuggets.
Going back to not-me; I met an Elder Welker who is a cousin to my like-named friends in Boise, we had a fun chat about them. I got one of the Summer Missionaries to sniff my Itch-Eraser; a stick of gelatinous ammonia to rub on mosquito bites, I really should have filmed his reaction, it was great! I also went on an exchange with Elder Hazen to HK Island, taught the father of a part-member family, ate great food at a member's home (century eggs are best in congee), and went on a boat! It smelled like salt and dead fish AKA my best and most fond memories of where I grew up.
My companion asked me what the difference between a Faithful Missionary and a Missionary of Great Faith is. I took a moment and chewed a Snickers (it was really a Vitamin C pill so my allergies are less), and thought about it. Here's what I came up with;
A Faithful MissionaryThis Elder or Sister wakes up on time every morning, exercises, studies, and diligently teaches and finds. This Missionary will return home happy because he or she has worked hard and brought many souls unto Christ. It is a great thing to be a Faithful Missionary for 24 or 18 months.
A Missionary of Great FaithThis Elder or Sister wakes up on time every morning, exercises, studies, and diligently teaches and finds. The difference comes in how the Missionary of Great Faith opperates. They constantly pray for guidance from the Lord, apply what they learn from studies, Church, meetings, and experiences, and seek to draw closer to Jesus Christ every day. This Missionary acts not just out of the love of God, but also because he or she has a deep and abiding faith that God loves the people they are serving, so they love them too. The Missionary of Great Faith returns home happy because he or she has worked beyond their mortal capacity to help bring souls to Christ. The Missionary of Great Faith also knows that the Full-Time Mission is merely preparation for parenthood and being a Home or Visiting teacher. They recognize that, even though they are only part-time now, they still have a calling to serve God with all their Heart, Might, Mind and Strength.
Rob, Brandyn, and everyone else preparing to serve; strive to be Missionaries of Great Faith. I'm not really that much older than you in Missionary terms, but I have already seen the difference there is between those who serve because they love God, and those who serve because they know God loves the people they serve. I'm not a Missionary of Great Faith yet, but I hope to be long before I come home May 21st of 2014 (that's a rough estimate). I know this Gospel can help everyone, and if you have the opportunity to share it at any time in any capacity, do it! I love y'all, have a great week!
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