Solothurn - Week 8

WHY I STAY

Hey guys! This week has been a great one. We had some extremely cool experiences and got back on track after a rough week last week. Here's some of the highlights.

On Wednesday, the Assistants called and asked if they could come work with us the following day on their way through to Bern to exchange with the Zone Leaders there. I know both of them pretty well. Elder Hunt was my Zone Leader a while ago, and the Assistant when I was a Zone Leader, and Elder Jakobi and I got to know each other well at MLC's when we were Zone Leaders together. We aren't exactly sure why they wanted to come work with us, but it was way fun. I worked with Elder Jakobi together, (he's from East Germany), and I had a blast. He's hilarious. We all went finding for about 2 hours, and had numerous great conversations, and found 9 new people that day who said yes to giving their number out. Elder Jakobi and I played really well off of each other and had a great time. I was disappointed when we had to stop.

After that we went to the temple together. Another great experience there, I'll send pictures.

We had a lesson with A, I think I told you about her last week. The lady who has evil spirits. She's Italian, so we had an Italian member make her some cornbread, then we took it by with him. Turns out THEY'RE RELATED. Whattttttt?! We had such a good lesson with her and it was just another super tender mercy.

We got a referral this week for F from Columbia! It's that good South American blood. He's so prepared and really interested. We will hopefully have him in white soon.

We set a baptism date with M family this week. Wife and 3 kids. June 25. We are on fire lately!

So what I really wanted to talk about, and will make this email probably super long, is our Zone Training on Tuesday. At the end of it all, we were asked to prepare a short bit on why we stay on our missions. Pretty easy right?

I had mine prepared, and was pretty sure I had THE correct answer. The ZL's started off sharing, and then I shared. Then a bunch of other people shared and I realized there is about a million great answers to the question. As I thought about it more, I realized that there's a lot of reasons I stay on my mission and I feel like I should share some of them with you. So why do I stay on my mission? Why do you stay on yours?

Most of us come on missions and realize it isn't exactly what we expected. We aren't baptizing millions (especially here), there are disobedient and tough companions, the rules aren't always easy, the daily schedule takes quite the toll on one after a while, and we realize that missionaries, the people we grew up worshipping, don't have any type of magic and are still just normal people ordained to a calling. Being 20 months in, I can look back and tell you a lot of the reasons that I stay. 

1. I stay because I see myself fulfilling my purpose     - I don't mean the 'Inviting others to come to Christ'. That purpose is a means to an end of me accomplishing my own purpose. To return to my Father in Heaven. I've learned that the only way to do that is to change. I've changed a lot here in the past 20 months. Change is the central purpose and blessing of life. To become more like our Savior and adapt His qualities into our lives, until we stand face to face with God and know Him as well as He knows us.

 2. I stay for those who can't serve     - I have quite a few friends back home who I know weren't able to serve missions, or who came home early. One rings especially in memory, who wanted to serve so badly but was told it was not a good idea by doctors. A couple of my best friends, and one in particular, fought for their lives for a year to even get on a mission. I spent the first year of my mission often thinking of them, hoping they would get on missions, and they made it. The push that gave me was always a reason to stay and work harder.

3. I stay because as I develop godly love for people, I recognize how much God loves me     - This one is pretty simple. It's quite the feeling to start understanding how God feels about you. I have been able to teach people, pray my heart out for their success, watch them stumble and get back up again, have my heart break when they choose not to listen, and have my joy completely full as they enter the waters of baptism to enter a covenant. It's just a small portion of God's love, but it helps me to picture how much God loves me.

4. I stay because of the success of the people I've learned to love - Alma 26:35-37

"Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding... [He] is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever."     - I've seen people's lives changed as they recognize the meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know God loves them, numbers them, and is mindful of them

5. I stay because I have a vision of the work I'm doing and its meaning  - JSH 1:25

 "I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it."

I have seen the vision that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can implant in one's life. I've seen examples of the truth of it over and over in my life. Coming here, hundreds of people just want to prove me wrong, and prove Joseph Smith wrong, by personally attacking me. It's not easy to deal with and I seem to always be raised with questions that I can't fully answer over and over again. But as I search the scriptures I find answers, and always come back to this verse here and know that I've seen the vision, and I can't deny it.

6. I stay because I see God's promises to me being fulfilled - D&C 84:88

 "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

This being the beginning of those promises, I have felt His presence every single day about me. On the hard days, where I'm so frustrated with myself and with other people, or so tired that I can't take it any more, I feel a special strength that takes the place of those feelings. To be able to bring those angels to somebody else, and especially to BE that angel for someone, is the greatest gift I have to offer; to help another person see God fulfill His promises to them. 

These are just a few of the reasons as I've been brainstorming throughout the week and that I felt inspired to write down. I'd consider to all you who are missionaries to ask yourselves, why do you stay? Write down the thoughts that come to mind and remind yourself of them in the hard times. Staying will always beat quitting. That's lifted my spirits this week.

 Love you all, enjoy your week. 

Elder Hadfield