Fruits of my Mission

Today in my Book of Mormon class, we were discussing what would be considered a successful missionary. Also, I was looking at a web site that someone put up on the church in Thailand and I was amazed at all the actual churches that have been built since I was there. When I was in Thailand in 1983, there was only 1 church and that was in Bangkok. The other branches met in buildings but they weren't specifically built as a church. It made me realize that though I wasn't one of the first missionaries in Thailand, I was still a pioneer, helping the church to gradually grow there.

Sometimes when I have reflected on my mission, it was a great experience for me, but I do sometimes wonder if I did any good. I only saw a few people come into the church as a result of my service there, and I don't know how strong they were and if they have stayed faithful.

But in the class today, we were reading a scripture in Alma:

Alma 26: 27
27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Sis. Wilson said we need to redefine what we consider "success". It is more than having actual converts. It is showing God our willingness to do what He tells us to do. So that made me decide to make a list of what I feel were the best experiences of my mission, the "fruits" of my mission, if you will.

1. The way I felt when I was trying to ignore the spiritual promptings that I should go on a mission. It was not comfortable and was very hard to do!

2. Even with these spiritual promptings, it was still very challenging to step into the dark and turn in my mission papers. It was very much a leap of faith for me. I was scared to death. I still remember the calm, reassuring, peaceful feeling I had as I walked home from church after handing my papers to the bishop. I knew at that point that I was doing something Heavenly Father wanted me to do. This strong feeling sustained me through many hard times on my mission when I wanted to give up. Even when I think of it today, I can still remember the force of that feeling. Therefore, when I think of that feeling I know was from God, then I guess I served the mission I was supposed to, even though I didn't seem to accomplish much.

3. The first day I was called to serve in the Phanat Nikhom Refugee Camp, I observed Pat Barica teaching a class of Hmong children. They were notorious for being dirty, rambunctious, wild children. Pat had combed and fixed their hair and washed their faces and played classical music. As I saw them there, in my mind's eye, I could see them all in white and I realized that God didn't see them as wild, dirty, and rambunctious. He saw them as His children with the divine nature inside each of them to become as He is. I saw them as God saw them. I felt His love for them. This is one of the most sacred experiences of my life.

4. I had only been in the country about a month, when my trainer, Sister Record, had to go out of the country for a few days to renew her visa. I was assigned a Thai companion while she was gone. We were supposed to go visit a member, Radsamii. I was the only one who knew where she lived. I felt pretty confident that I could find the right place to get off the bus. As we were going, the bus got quite crowded as they tend to do. I hadn't counted on that. I couldn't see out the bus. How could I see where to get off the bus when I couldn't even see out? I was panic-stricken. As a "green" missionary, you try so hard to actually be useful. Here was something I could actually do and people were counting on me. I couldn't see out. I didn't know what else to do but offer up a humble, silent prayer for help. Just as I finished my prayer, someone got up and I got their seat. I was able to look out just in time to see the landmarks that told me we needed to get off at the next stop. We were able to get off in the right place and get to Radsamii's house. Not being able to speak the language well, I wasn't much help when we got there, but my companion was able to speak and give comfort and help. Heavenly Father answered my humble prayer and get this new member the help she needed.

5. I left the country and, particularly, the refugee camp, with such a profound love for the people that it broke my heart to leave.

As I think of more experiences, I will post them here. But, really, these are the main strong memories I have of my mission. Though they are very meaningful to me, they don't seem like your typical mission stories that you hear others give. I don't know how much help I was to others, but I do know that I was supposed to be there.

A couple favorite thoughts

This has become my life's quote. I think it is so important to try to determine what is most important each day and do that first.

Satan would have us fill our days with things that are not essential to our salvation. ~Jen Nielson

The first time I ever heard this was at the Hope of America presentation that Casey was in at the Marriott Center when she was in 5th grade. I love it because it is so true!

Be someone's example and not their excuse!

Be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Shafts in the Whirlwind

For Girl's Camp a few years back, the Stake wanted everyone to memorize the scripture theme, which is Helaman 5:12.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I started thinking about this scripture. I wondered, "What is a shaft?" so I looked it up in the dictionary and this is what it said:

shaft (shft)
n.
1.
a. The long narrow stem or body of a spear or arrow.
b. A spear or arrow.
2.
a. A projectile suggestive of a spear or arrow in appearance or configuration.
b. Informal A scornfully satirical comment; a barb.
c. Slang Harsh, unfair treatment

I think of all weather conditions, my least favorite is wind. Even on a nice day, a cold fierce wind can ruin it and on a cold day, wind can make it unbearable! So then to think of shafts (spear or arrow) in a whirlwind conjures up a very dangerous situation. Even some of the other defintions of shaft can help us understand some of the things Satan uses to trap us. How about a scornfully satirical comment? Sometimes Satan tells us things that undermine our confidence and faith and things that make us not feel good about ourselves. How about the slang term, "giving you the shaft". Talk about the ultimate in giving us the shaft! Satan will tell us anything to get us to follow him and then he will not support us in the end. He will leave us!

How different is the sure foundation of Christ. This is a foundation we can ALWAYS trust. In such an ever-changing world, how reassuring to know there is one thing that we can ALWAYS rely on or depend on. That is Jesus Christ. If we build our foundation on Him, He will ALWAYS be there for us and help us whenever we need it. If we follow Him, He will ALWAYS be there to help us and support us.

What a wonderful scripture to help us to understand the great importance of following our Savior and the help that is ALWAYS there for us.

Jesus is Mighty to Save

Once when I was working in Primary, in one of the Sharing Times, the children were trying to find in the scriptures all the names of Jesus. When we see other names Jesus is called by or ways He is described, it helps to give us a better sense of what He is all about.

I think of this because, once, when I was feeling discouraged about the "sins which do so easily beset me", Mary Keller in a Young Women lesson, gave a scripture where it says Jesus is "mighty to save." I had never contemplated that before. I know I am basically a good person, but I sometimes get discouraged with my ability to improve myself and become more like Jesus.

On that particular day, I was feeling that I just wasn't Celestial material and I didn't think I could make it. Then when I heard that phrase "mighty to save" I knew it was God wanting me to know that Jesus could do all things, even save me. I need to have more faith and trust in His ability to save me from my sins and shortcomings and weaknesses. This phrase really spoke to my heart and everytime I hear it, I am reminded of this experience and remember that a loving Heavenly Father gave me a reminder that Jesus would be able to save even me if I will allow Him to help me and if I keep going even when it seems hopeless.

I don't remember which scripture she was quoting that day, but here are some scriptures that contain that phrase:

Isa. 63: 1 1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

2 Ne. 31: 19 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

Alma 7: 14 14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Alma 34: 18
18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

D&C 133: 47
47 And he shall say: I am he who spake in righteousness, mighty to save.

I was just listening to the song Amazing Grace. It is such a beautiful hymn. It reminds me of something Bishop MacKay said at Youth Conference a few years ago. He helped us to understand what is meant by "we are saved by Grace". He said that in the Bible Dictionary it says grace is: the enabling power of Christ. So when it says we are saved by grace, it means that we are saved by the enabling power of Christ. This helps us to understand the statement, "We are saved by grace, after all we can do." This is also similar to Jesus being "mighty to save" so I thought I would include it in this entry.

Find a different fan!

So, my experience at the gym this morning gave me something to think about....

I have been going to a new gym for a few weeks and so I am still figuring out where everything is. I walk/run on the treadmill and sometimes I like to do it with a fan on. It makes it much more comfortable. This morning I looked around for the fan that I usually use and someone had moved it down by some other machines so I didn't want to go get it in case someone else had it over there and was going to use it. So on I walked, sweating, and finished. When I got off, I walked in front of the treadmill and there was a fan that I could have used.

Okay, here is the gospel application. Sometimes we are looking for an answer to a prayer or some direction from Heavenly Father and we don't think we are receiving anything. But sometimes the answer or direction we are looking for comes in a way we don't expect or aren't looking for, or it doesn't come in a way that it usually comes. That's when we need to look around and see if there is a different "fan" we can use.

There are many ways to receive direction from our Father in Heaven. Here are some of the ways: prayer, scriptures, words of the Prophets, talks at church, conversations with others, lessons at church, patriarchal blessings, other types of blessings, quiet contemplation time, attending the temple, counsel of parents, listening to hymns and other worthy music, etc. When we are looking for an answer, we need to make sure our hearts are open to any of the ways the Spirit will speak to us.

Stories I would like to find again.

I am going to make a list of stories I have read so I have a uniform place to find them again.

Robert Layton, “What about Abstinence?,” Ensign, Sept. 1996, 65–66

Ezra Taft Benson, “Seek the Spirit of the Lord,” Tambuli, Sep 1988, 2. This is the story of the young man that died and wanted to tell his father he was okay but he couldn't get through to his father, so he went to his mother.

More on fault finding

Ensign » 1978 » March

The High Cost of Inactivity
By Lindsay R. Curtis
Another family: Bob and Edna have always stressed education in their family. But Primary somehow runs a poor second to music lessons. Sunday School is talked down because the brother teaching the class speaks with an uncultured accent. Grammatical errors in Church talks are promptly pointed out to the family. Anyone who doesn’t have a college degree, including the bishop, is automatically second rate in their estimation. Small wonder that their children were soon finding fault with everything and everybody in the Church.

Although Edna was unusually talented as a storyteller and writer, the ward newspaper has always been beneath her ability. She might have rendered a fine contribution to the Saints with her talent, but she has yet to accept an assignment in the ward.

We have known Bob and Edna for over twenty years. Their children are now grown and have moved away. One of these children has requested and been granted excommunication from the Church, and the others have simply dropped out. Yet both Bob and Edna come from pioneer stock, from people who would have given their lives for the gospel of Jesus Christ.