I have my mission call to the Brazil Vitoria Mission and I report April 10. When I got my call on the 6th of December, I was not too excited about the prospect of waiting 4 whole months until I could leave. I wanted to go right away. But as I get closer to my date and as I prepare to go out and teach His gospel I realize that I had a very skewed view of what missionaries are.
It was my understanding that baptisms are all that matters in His eyes. And baptism does matter, but missionaries are not just meeting with people to baptize them.
(The series that is on LDS.org right now, titled The District and The District 2 is what helped me come to this very important understanding)
They grow with these families that they teach. The missionaries start at the beginning, with the fact that we have a loving Heavenly Father, and work their way up from there. The spirit is constantly working with them to help the investigators with their specific needs and while the end goal is eternal life with our Heavenly Father, and baptism must be the first step in that journey, it is not the only thing that matters.
It's the people that matter. It's the truth that matters. It's eternal happiness that matters.
I promise right now, to not be the straight laced, no fun, numbers are the biggest thing, type of missionary. Numbers are important. Being serious sometimes is important. But the most important thing is to help these people to come unto Christ. And to LOVE THESE PEOPLE.
I got my call to the Vitoria Brazil Mission on Black Friday. I report April 10th also!
ReplyDeleteThat is so great! I'd love to talk with you some more about it! There are a few of us going to that mission that same day!
DeleteI'll be an Elder once I'm ordained apart as a Missionary. Do you know any Elders going the same day? I don't know anyone else going to that mission that same day although I know a guy in my stake going to the same MTC about half a month before hand.
DeleteI don't know any elders going, but I know of a few sisters reporting that same day. One is going to the same mission and the others are going to the Sao Paulo mission. Anyways, do you happen to fly out of Detroit around 7 pm on the 9th? Or are you not from the US?
DeleteI'm from the US, I fly from St. Louis to Atlanta. And then I fly to Brazil from Atlanta at 7pm on the 9th. I have a friend from my grandma's ward whose older sister's old roommate is leaving for Brazil around the same time we are.
ReplyDeleteThat's way cool...do you know what her name is? It's basically going to be a Brazilian/Americano party!
DeleteI've sent a message to the person I know her through for her last name since she'll be known as sister (insert last name here). I haven't received anything back yet, but once I do I'll let you know. Is there a way to just message you through blog spot? I wouldn't want to post her last name online.
DeleteAnd it is basically going to be a brazilian/americano party. When did you submit your Visa? Mine was submitted early january
My email is tarryn.lillian10@gmail.com if you want to email there...I didn't read the visa directions super well so I didn't get everything submitted until the end of January. Fingers crossed, eh?
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