A last exchange

Yet another week has flown by. It was a good one too.

This last week we went on a couple exchanges with some elders in our zone. The first one was from Tuesday night to Wednesday night with our district leader. I went with the district leader's companion into his area. Boy oh boy did my feet get a workout that day. "The [missionary] children [talked] as they walked and walked and walked and walked and walked...." Haha. One of the elder's bike was broken and we didn't have a car, so we walked all day long from house to house and from one side of town to the next. We did talk to quite a bit of people and were able to teach a few here and there too. The elders lived in a little "hobbit hole" of an apartment. The ceilings were just a few inches taller than me and if you weren't careful, you'd bump your head -- and I did a few times.

I was not surprised to be taught more from the elder I was with on both exchanges, than I felt I taught him. I'm sure that the Spirit can teach all of us regardless of our age or position, and I'm confident that I still have much to learn from the missionaries I serve around. They are a strength and inspiration to me.

The second exchange we went on was from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon with a missionary who was training. This time I stayed in my area. No matter how many times you move into a new area and get used to the transitions of missionary work, I still end up being clueless a few times after exhausting a list of probably 5-10 people I actually know in the area. When you run out of those options, the only thing left to do since you don't really know where you are or who lives nearby, is pray and go tracting. Haha. It is quite the humbling experience being reminded time and again that you know very little about your area, regardless of the experience you've had on your mission as a whole. We will always have to rely on the Spirit.

The elder I was with helped me think quite a bit about what I've learned over the course of my mission. At one point, he asked me what was one or two of the most important things I've learned on my mission. It was a very deep question and I realized I hadn't really taken the time to list out only a few things, despite the many things I have learned. There's just so much. But as we talked, I came up with a few of the following:

--Hard work and diligence: whether you were a hard worker before your mission or not, I have learned that the mission helps you become one. It will either make or break you, so it's up to you, but when I'm doing all I can to do the right thing, it's inevitable. You figure out the secret to missionary work.

“I have often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.” - President Ezra Taft Benson
I know it, I hope you do too! I love each of you.
I know it, I hope you do too! I love each of you.

--Patience: No matter what your situation or circumstance is, you'll learn patience. Whether it's through the frustration of an investigator not coming to church week after week, or a less-active member not coming to church for years even though they have a testimony, or even if you and your companion disagree on what the definition is of obedience and disobedience is -- you will either learn patience or just become frustrated with the lack of it.

--Love: Everything will boil down to how much you love the Lord, how much you love the people you teach, serve, and serve with. What are you willing to do in the long run? Are you willing to thrust in your sickle with all your heart, might, mind, and strength? If you do, God will bless you with that love. It's not easy, but what more could someone want than the love of God and fellowman? Everything else seems a little trivial.

I could go on for days about the things that I've learned on my mission, but these are just a few. And the beautiful thing is - I've still got three weeks to learn more, love more, serve more, and become more! I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity. Everyone asks me how long I've been out, and I just say... a long time. When they pursue it further, I change the subject. I want to use all that I can to focus and serve with all my might, mind, and strength. The time is nigh at hand, no doubt. But I want to be able to say that I've "fought the good fight." I know that this gospel is true, and it only becomes more true in my mind as the days go by.