Very Much My Choice

My decision to serve a mission was an important one, but not something that was drastic.  I didn’t hear a voice from heaven or have an overwhelming feeling to go.  My decision to serve was very much my choice, but one that I couldn’t have made without my Father in Heaven.

I prayed for a long time about whether or not to go.  There were several different directions my life could take, and they were all good, so I didn’t know which one to go with.  I was praying that He would tell me which was the right path, and I was praying in that manner for about one month.  I listed out all the pros and cons to each scenario, but still didn’t have a clear answer.  One night, I was praying yet again, when the story of the brother of Jared (found in Ether 2:18-25 through Ether 3:1-5) literally popped into my head.  It was so random- I had been reading in a very different part of the Book of Mormon at that point.  I reviewed the story again in my head.  I remembered how the brother of Jared asked three different questions to the Lord and the Lord answered them in three different ways: He gave him a way; He was the way; and He let the brother of Jared figure it out himself. 

That last point would not leave my head and it left a very strong impression on me.  At that point, I knew that I had been going about my decision all wrong.  I had just been expecting that God would tell me when I had taken “no thought save it was to ask [Him].” (D&C 9:7)  In that moment, my prayer changed from “Tell me what to do” to “Here is what I’ve decided- can you let me know if it’s wrong?”  And what I decided to do was to go on a mission.  From then on, all I felt was peace.  I knew that I had made the right choice, because God “[spoke] peace to [my] mind concerning the matter.” (D&C 6:23)

I learned from this experience that we often need to make a decision and then ask the Lord if it is right.  He will rarely just give us the answer- we need to study it out and then seek for confirmation.  My decision to serve a mission was completely my choice.  God was happy with any of the paths that I had, and He will support me in any good thing that I do. 

               

Sister Jessica Hendry

Argentina Resistencia Mission

What Do Missionaries Do All Day?

This is stolen shamefully from Just Say Amen Already. You should follow them, like, now.

6:30: Wake up, exercise

7:00 Breakfast

8:00 Personal study

9:00 Companion study

(10:00 AM: Language study, if appropriate)

10/11:00- 9PM: Missionary work, which includes (but is not limited to):

Proselytizing 

Finding people to teach…

…and then teaching them

Lots of praying

Waiting for mail

Serving

Hoping people will feed them

Dealing with jerks and willfully-ignorant people

if they’re really lucky, possibly leading someone to baptism

and getting home by 9PM!

Giving Your Heart to the Lord

“Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that [you] serve Him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, that [you] may stand blameless before God at the last day.” (D&C 4:2)

When you get your call letter, it tells you “ you are expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs [including your heart].” At the time I got my call, I didn’t truly understand why I needed to leave my heart back at home. So I brought it with me on the mission, thinking that it wouldn’t be a big deal. I didn’t understand that the feelings in my heart would distract the greatness of the Lord’s work. The Lord had asked me to do something that I didn’t have the desire to do. I didn’t want to give up my heart to the Lord. I had already given Him so much of me, I didn’t understand why I had to give Him my heart too. My heart, I felt, was the only thing that I had left of “me”. 

For the first 4 months of my mission, I struggled to give the Lord my heart. I felt weak and, at times, discouraged. At times I thought to myself that maybe someone else could do my job better as a missionary; someone who could actually give their heart to the Lord without a problem, someone who was willing to give it. Who was I to be in His service if I couldn’t do what He had asked me to do a long time ago? These feelings and thoughts burned in my heart. I searched my heart. I asked myself why I was here if I wasn’t willing to give the Lord all He asked of me. My friend sent me a quote that I pondered upon for a while: 

“The Lord says to us: Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents; money; so much of your work; I want you. All of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man, but to kill it. No half-measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and another there; rather, I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants; wishes; dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you myself. My will shall become your will. My heart shall become your heart.”

I knew that I needed to give the Lord my heart, I just didn’t know how to have the desire to give it all to him. I prayed diligently for a month. I was waiting for my heart to change right away but it didn’t. Instead, I had so many challenges along the way, and I realized that the more I relied upon Him, the more I yearned to humble myself before him.  I had the desire to give him my whole heart. I knew that if I became more diligent, humble, faithful, and I do his will, rather than my own, he would bless me for my obedience. He would help me to become what He knew I could become. Even though I didn’t see what He could see in me, I knew that I had to trust Him. I had to give Him my heart, my time, my everything in order for Him to make something great out of me. I finally realized that I need to because I knew that if I didn’t, He couldn’t help me to become something better. Even if that meant sacrificing and giving it to Him, I was willing to do it. Because I know some day He'll give it back in a better condition, and because of it, I will be better. I will become something greater. I will be the person He wants me to be. The person I'm meant to be. Giving your heart may be the hardest thing you have to do on your mission, like it was for me. But as you submit your will and your heart to His, He will make you a new self in His image.

Sister Jenni Johnson

Massachusetts Boston Mission

dress and grooming guidelines get a facelift.

Have you seen the new Dress and Grooming Guidelines released by the church in June 2013? A few things have changed for the guys (khakis, what?), but it's pretty much the same for the girls since the previous changes in 2010 that included knee length skirts, more colors, and--hallelujah--optional nylons. However, the layout, design, and pictures make it much more fun  than ever before to figure out what's mission approps.

Here it is: https://missionary.lds.org/dress-grooming/sister

Still, lots of questions remain. A big one: where do I find these clothes? News flash: Forever 21, H&M, and the rest of your go-tos probably won't work. Department stores like JC Penney and Macy's will have some options that cover more. This will be especially helpful in warm climates where you won't want to layer to make it modest. Plus, these are likely to be in your hometown so you can try on in store instead of ordering online. The general rule is that you'll have to spend more to get the quality and modesty you need here (note my new found J. Crew obsession), but secondhand stores like Goodwill and DI will have always have good and unique options that often fit your style perfectly. I also love Dress Barn, even though my mom shops there, too. Finally, stores that sell department stores' leftovers like Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack can offer quality, style, and low prices.

A few other things to keep in mind:

1. Your mission president may have his own revised set of dress and grooming rules for your mission, so be sure to check with him before you get too far (for example, my mission required blazers for every meeting).

2. When buying skirts and other pieces, look out for slits, tightness, sheerness, and other things that can make a seemingly modest piece immodest. Skirts should cover the knees even when you're sitting (you might find yourself in homes sitting on those couches that swallow you up, making it super hard to keep the garments covered).

3. Always check for fabric care instructions. You probably don't want to spend your time and money dry cleaning on the mish.

4. If you're in a cold climate, don't buy long garments. They are the worst. Just buy regular long underwear to go over your garments. I really liked all my Under Armour pieces.

Hope that helps!

L

Perfection and 100% Obedience

In the Missionary Training Center, our teachers would always encourage us to be 100 percent obedient on the mission. Anyone who has lived for a bit has probably noticed that it is pretty hard to be 100 percent obedient. Those who have had to live by even stricter mission rules* recognizes that it's an almost impossible task. Yet, as a new missionary I was excited for the challenge and determined to succeed.

Once I hit the mission field, I realized how impossible the task really was. Not only did I have bad days that made it hard to be perfect, I was attached at the hip to a companion who also had bad days. It was a losing battle and I felt overwhelmed with guilt for not meeting up to my own and my teachers' expectations for my mission.

It took me a few years to realize that when these teachers advised me to be 100 percent obedient, they understood that I would fail. In fact, God never intended us to be perfect on our own. In the Book of Matthew, Christ counsels his disciples, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5: 48) That's a pretty impossible task for us mortals. However, the Greek translation of the Bible doesn't use the word perfect, it uses a word that more closely signifies completeness or wholeness.

A scripture in the Book of Mormon further clarifies the meaning of "whole". Enos was a young adult who had been taught the gospel by his parents. While hunting in the forest alone one day, he took the opportunity to ponder his life path and feel shame and guilt for the things he had done imperfectly up to that point. He remember the teachings of his parents regarding repentance and the healing Christ offers, and he prayed for forgiveness of his sins. As he prayed, he felt his guilt swept away. He prayed, "Lord, how is it done?" The Lord responded through the spirit, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." (Enos 1:1-8)

Therefore Enos became perfect, or whole, only after repentance. Because of the human condition he existed in, he was bound to make mistakes despite his best efforts. He could only become complete after repentance through faith in Jesus Christ. This applies to us as well. It doesn't mean that we should stop trying to reach perfection. The Book of Mormon says that it is by "grace we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23) It also doesn't mean that we should be hard on ourselves when we make mistakes. A loving Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for the sins of the world. We couldn't return to God's presence unless we were perfect, and we couldn't learn and grow without making mistakes. Christ repaired this disconnect by paying for our sins and allowing us to be whole again.




*Not only are missionaries commanded to (among many things) say their prayers, be kind to others, and remain chaste like regular members of the church, they are also required to arise and retire at a certain time each day, remain with their companion at all times, and fill each waking moment with productive activities that pertain to missionary work.

The Mission Decision Part II

Thank you, Candice Martineau from Sorella Bella for the graphic.

http://sorellabella.blogspot.com/2013/03/missionary-prep.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SorellaBella+%28Sorella+Bella%29

Should I Serve a Mission?

Now that the age requirement for sister missionaries has been lowered, the world has seen an influx of sister missionaries to the field. The mission I live in just received their first group of 19 year old sisters and it couldn't be more exciting. As a friend of mine mentioned, this is truly a sign of the last days as efforts are increased to bring the gospel to the whole world.

Though I don't believe that missions are for every sister, I do think that many sisters will benefit from the growth and blessings that come from serving full-time. So how do you decide whether a mission is right for you? The January 2013 Ensign has an article that gives some nice perspectives on the decision.

No one can make the decision for you. This is a deeply personal decision between you and the Lord. For me, I had ever really had plans to serve a mission, but the idea came on to my radar when I turned 20 and had friends around me making decisions to serve. A higher priority for me at the time was doing a service internship in a poverty-stricken country. However, as I prayed about these opportunities, I kept my heart open to a mission as well. As I prayed, fasted, studied the scriptures and the words of the living prophets, and attended the temple, the answer became clear that a mission would be the best for me. In one particular instance as I read a talk from Elder Richard G. Scott, the spirit confirmed to me that a mission would be the best thing for my life at that time. It truly was.

Good luck as you make that decision for yourself! Remember, "If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work" (Doctrine and Covenants 4:3), whether it's home or abroad.