Young and Old
Having served in the same area as a young missionary and now as a Mission President it is easy to see some of the differences and similarities between the two experiences.
As a young missionary your main focus and purpose is to teach the Gospel to individuals and families. Your focus is people, not where you serve or what language you speak. All these years later, the greatest memories of my young mission involve people and feelings. Great joy comes from helping people be happier and find greater meaning in their lives. When you see a family stronger or someone finding peace in their life, you feel true joy. That is a tender and meaningful feeling.
As a Mission President your focus is still on people, but different people. My focus now is upon my young missionaries, not people being taught. It is said that you never know how good a Mission President was until you see how many of his missionaries' children and grandchildren are sealed in the temple. It is easy to love these young missionaries. They are energetic and focused, appreciative, fun and inspiring. They put their heart into trying to fulfil their missionary purpose. One of my greatest joys of being here is just being around them. I pray that they may, as Malachi promised, be kept as “calves of the stall” (Mal 4:2). Only the prize calves are kept in the stall. They are kept there to protect them. The stall protects them from cold, from predators, from barbed wire and from many other threats. I guess that the focus of missionary work for the young and the old is the same........people. I guess that is not a surprise, because the best memories usually have a name and a face attached to them. The only difference is really which people you are focused upon.
Another difference between being a young missionary and an older missionary is companions. When you are young you do not get to choose your companion and often have never met them until they are assigned as your companion. Transfers always produce anxiety for young missionaries. "Will I get a new companion?" "Will I like them?" Often you are given a companion that you never would have been friends with at home. One is, however, usually pleasantly surprised to discover that they like their companion. One grows from this and begins to love a much wider group of personalities and types of people. Older missionaries only get one companion, and they DID choose them; years before. I am loving sharing this mission with my sweetheart. She is wonderful. Transfer day does not bring the same anxiety that it did when I was a young missionary!
There do remain several constants between being a young missionary and an older missionary. You still miss home. You miss favourite foods and places that evoke memories, but mostly you miss family. How I love and miss my family. While here, we have entrusted them into God’s tender care. It is our hope that removing us from their lives for a time will draw our children closer to their spouses, closer to each other, and most importantly, closer to their Father in Heaven.
The other constant between being a young missionary and an older missionary is doing your best to serve people and by that, serve the Living God. The feelings of purpose and the joy you experience are real and powerful. This is what my young missionaries miss the most because of quarantine. Some are becoming discouraged, because they miss the joy of service. I love being a missionary and I love serving beside these young missionaries.
As a young missionary your main focus and purpose is to teach the Gospel to individuals and families. Your focus is people, not where you serve or what language you speak. All these years later, the greatest memories of my young mission involve people and feelings. Great joy comes from helping people be happier and find greater meaning in their lives. When you see a family stronger or someone finding peace in their life, you feel true joy. That is a tender and meaningful feeling.
As a Mission President your focus is still on people, but different people. My focus now is upon my young missionaries, not people being taught. It is said that you never know how good a Mission President was until you see how many of his missionaries' children and grandchildren are sealed in the temple. It is easy to love these young missionaries. They are energetic and focused, appreciative, fun and inspiring. They put their heart into trying to fulfil their missionary purpose. One of my greatest joys of being here is just being around them. I pray that they may, as Malachi promised, be kept as “calves of the stall” (Mal 4:2). Only the prize calves are kept in the stall. They are kept there to protect them. The stall protects them from cold, from predators, from barbed wire and from many other threats. I guess that the focus of missionary work for the young and the old is the same........people. I guess that is not a surprise, because the best memories usually have a name and a face attached to them. The only difference is really which people you are focused upon.
Another difference between being a young missionary and an older missionary is companions. When you are young you do not get to choose your companion and often have never met them until they are assigned as your companion. Transfers always produce anxiety for young missionaries. "Will I get a new companion?" "Will I like them?" Often you are given a companion that you never would have been friends with at home. One is, however, usually pleasantly surprised to discover that they like their companion. One grows from this and begins to love a much wider group of personalities and types of people. Older missionaries only get one companion, and they DID choose them; years before. I am loving sharing this mission with my sweetheart. She is wonderful. Transfer day does not bring the same anxiety that it did when I was a young missionary!
There do remain several constants between being a young missionary and an older missionary. You still miss home. You miss favourite foods and places that evoke memories, but mostly you miss family. How I love and miss my family. While here, we have entrusted them into God’s tender care. It is our hope that removing us from their lives for a time will draw our children closer to their spouses, closer to each other, and most importantly, closer to their Father in Heaven.
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| Empty quarantine streets |
The other constant between being a young missionary and an older missionary is doing your best to serve people and by that, serve the Living God. The feelings of purpose and the joy you experience are real and powerful. This is what my young missionaries miss the most because of quarantine. Some are becoming discouraged, because they miss the joy of service. I love being a missionary and I love serving beside these young missionaries.
I'am looking forward to see you President Craig, still here in my hometown, putting the whole armour and ready to work. Somehow this is challenging for us new missionaries, but We are excited to meet everybody there. Sending are regards Cauayan mission Batch 697
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