Don't Give In!

     The daily life of a missionary isn't the easiest thing in the world-- back home, I was used to taking a midday siesta whenever I was tired.  Alas, it is no more so.  When I first started, I would crash at around 2-ish PM-- luckily, getting up early was never hard for me.  Now, it's better, but it's still awfully difficult.  You're outside working your butt off knocking on peoples' doors, visiting businesses, or just driving.  Because of which, I did pack on some pounds.  Sometimes, the mission can make you really depressed because of what suddenly have and also because of what you don't have.  It can make you really frustrated because of the people that mock you and neglect the words that come out of your lips.  Now why would anyone want to spend 2 years of their lives doing something that would cause such difficulty in their lives?  Why have I done so myself?

     A lot of kids that come on missions are kind of forced into it by their parents, but then you get the occasional "woah I had the biggest, deepest conversion story in the world that made me come out here asap" person.  I'm not judging-- I love meeting those kinds of people, because they really do have neat experiences!  However, there have been very many struggles being a missionary and a newbie with the gospel doctrine.

     Since joining the church and going on this mission, there are a lot of things I have considered.  Why the heck am I preaching something I scarcely know?  There's a social stigma (mostly in Utah) that if you leave your mission prematurely just because you don't want to serve anymore or you flub up and get the boot, you're life is pretty much ruined-- no chance for marriage, no chance for a higher education, and being shunned by the people in your local church (ward).  For me, probably from living in the East Coast, I didn't have any of that-- one of my mentors from the priesthood quorum back home told me that if I did come home, that everyone would understand; I was a convert relatively new to the gospel and that if my faith was tested to its limit, coming back home would be okay.

     I told this to my very first companion in the mission and boy was he surprised!  Being from the heartland of Mormonism (Salt Lake City), he told me that you were pretty much hopeless if you came back home prematurely or didn't go on a mission at all.

     Mulling the thought out a bit, I felt very fortunate to have this button-- a button that I can just press and I can come back home and lead a normal life back where I was with the friends I was with-- maybe a bit changed; but, there's a lot of things that are stopping me from going back home before my 2 years.  As difficult as it is, it has given me so much to live for.  It's given me so much more than the couple hundred dollars spent a month to keep me here.  The language is just a small part of it!

     Summed up, here's the pro's and con's of the mission is for a missionary.  However, it isn't all-encompassing as there are a LOT more pro's that aren't even mentioned:

Pros	Cons
Learning a new language	Costs money
Meeting awesome people	Homesickness
Changing a lot of lives	Two years (4%) of life is gone
Growing in maturity	No worldly entertainment
Increasing self-reliance	Only see parents twice a year
Knowledgeable in the Bible	Uncomfortable weight gain/loss
Trying new and different things	No dating
Better study skills	Your companion's little habits
Better social skills
An increased appreciation of service
Faith in God
Better at money management
Learning to deal with others
Better coping skills
Fights laziness
Increased general spirituality
Seeing loved ones afterward is so much more rewarding
Ultimate college/life prep

     So for those of you [missionaries] struggling to find purpose on why you're out here, look at all the good that you're doing-- for others and for yourself.  Even if you already have all of these skills under your belt, you'd be surprised with what you have yet to learn!  Just being out here is a blessing.

     I, too questioned why I was out here.  I almost started not believing in any of the stuff that Mormons believed in but little by little, as I learned more of the fundamentals, it came to me-- this stuff is really important.  There are a TON of people who aren't even aware that these answers are true let alone existent!  So as a missionary, it is our duty to bring to light the truths we have to share with others-- so that they're informed to make the decision whether to follow it or not.  Every single missionary, no matter their behavior-- delinquentesque or otherwise-- are doing a good job.  If not, they will do a good job.  To the rest, here them out.  They each have a story to tell.

Running Men

     I wasn't able to post anything the last few days because I had to allot my time on other ventures.  As you can see here, hand sewing flags isn't the easiest thing in the world.  With 20+ hours of labor, my eyes kind of withered away and my hands developed an intermittent occurrence of carpel tunnel.  That's okay though, because the flags had a purpose--  I'll get to that in a jiffy.

     Last Saturday was a youth event activity in the Korean branch called "Running Man."  Although I'm not familiar with the actual Korean TV show, it was supposed to be based on it.  A bunch of the youth from all over SoCal came over and we just had a really good time!  Activities like these are a great way for missionaries to get to know the youth and have them participate in missionary work by simply bringing friends!

There were a bunch of activities inside this "Running Man;" this was perhaps one of the more popular ones-- the two teams with blue and orange pennies try to fit as many of their people as possible inside the frame of a camera to determine which side wins.  The kids [and the missionaries] were jumping, playing, pushing, pulling, and most importantly, having fun!







Dinner was served too-- a good time for the kids on both sides to kind of come together, set aside differences, and just mingle!  With burgers and Korean food, there's no reason for animosity!












All-in-all, the point of this youth social event was to get the kids to know that church, as full of doctrine and "grown-up words" as it has, does in fact focus on the family-- including the kids.  Yes, church can be boring sitting on the bench and listening to a guy (or a couple of people) talk for an hour, but it's times like these where the youth, whether people from church or otherwise can just relax and have fun!  Church is a place to gather together-- a social place!  Congregation.  Iglesia.  Eglise, Kirche.  Church.  These all derive off of the fact that the place to worship is a place to gather-- a place of society.


As for the flags, though, they were used to play the last game in "Running Man--" capture the flag.  Seeing how inexperienced I really was with the TV show and what exactly happened, the first couple of hours were spent kind of suffering through what the design would be.  At the end of Wednesday, I had a brief idea-- but how was I supposed to put it on fabric?


The pole holder was sewn and something resembling a flag was completed that Wednesday night-- I cannot imagine the duties of a seamstress and how hard that could possibly be.

With a pair of safety scissors, the shapes were cut out and something of a design plan could be seen.  I have never actually done something like this before, but I suppose with prayer and diligence that a feat could be done.

 After much sewing on Thursday and Friday, the flags kind of resembled flags.  At this point in time, it has already been around 15-ish hours working.  My hands were sore, my head was aching, and my eyes were very worn out.  Two of the three flags were made and I was more than thankful for the progress that I've made.








The final outcome, working all night and all day until Saturday resulted in such an unforgettable activity.  For the youth and for the members of the church, the effort that it took to make these only made me a stronger individual (albeit a very tired individual).  From this activity and even from "Running Man," there can be a lesson to be learned.  God can give us strength to do whatever we may be demanded of-- conditionally.  In the Book of Mormon, the book of Ether, there's a verse in the twelfth chapter that reads like this:

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men to humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27).

A prophet, WAY before the people in the Book of Mormon, was told of this by God in order for him to have enough faith to see Christ.  A miraculous anomaly, like him, if we have faith and ask God for strength, we too may be able to move mountains, perform miracles, and do the things that we suck the most at.



Aside from it all, the flags' symbolism carries a rather interesting connotation; even the one with the reverse-sided eighth note.  That's up to you to figure out;)

 

Will Work for Love

In a nutshell, this is what we do as missionaries-- not necessarily panhandle or beg, but work out of appreciation of man rather than for profit or worldly gain.

We dedicate 1.5-2 years of our lives to teach and serve everyone in where we are assigned.  For me, that would be the Korean people covering 2/3 of the Orange County area.  Carrying no more than a hundred pounds of luggage from home, we settle down in the area, restricted to wearing western dignified attire for the given years, and basically proselyte.  I love it and wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

We teach the gospel.  As many already know, "gospel" means "good news."  We teach Jesus' "good news" throughout the area in whatever language we can speak.  The most important of this is of love.

In whatever opportunity we get, tutoring, yardwork, fixing things, teaching English, and even teaching our fundamental beliefs, we do it with love.  We didn't have to come out here to do what we do; we did it because we felt like it was the right thing to do-- it was an exercise of our free will.  Our love for our fellow men knows no bounds.

So if any of you need help in any way, shape, or form, contact you local missionaries or chase one down (they're easy to spot) and ask!  They'll be glad to help!  I'm no exception.  We'll work not for food, nor money, nor fame, nor popularity, nor prestige, nor extravagance, nor pride, nor compulsion, nor physical gain in any form, but we'll work for love.

Patience and Longsuffering

     For those of you who share rooms with siblings, live with a roommate, or anything else where one may share a living quarters with another, you may sometimes feel like the things that the other person is doing bothers you-- a great deal.

     As for me, for two years, this is my life.  I share a living space with one or two other people.  It can be quite stressful dealing with the habits of others, but the most important thing I learn from this experience is tolerance.

     While living with others, this tendency to frown upon many weird habits of others may be quite natural to you-- maybe you get irritated for not cleaning up that mess in the kitchen.  Maybe they wake up late and just sit around the quarters doing nothing but sit next to the computer and eat chips all day.  It's fascinatingly stressful, but it's something that we have no say on.  From these negative thoughts, we build more and more negative thoughts about that person and the faults that he or she has until that person becomes unbearable to live with.

     In the mission field, I thought to myself "good riddance" to my previous companion every time I got assigned a new one.  However, more and more, I found myself saying that to every companion I've been with for the longest time!  Good riddance to waking up late.  Good riddance to eating too much.  Good riddance to using my things without my permission.  Honestly, it was empowering for me-- for the best of a day.  Then, when the next companion rolled along, you couldn't think of anything but the faults they make!

     This kind of negative, sardonic thinking isn't going to make life any more tolerable.  In fact, it'll probably only make it worse, satiating the hateful desire for the shortest time.  We all have people we may not get along with-- they may roam around our very premises!  The attitude of disdain sucks.  So, when you encounter a situation like this, look at all the good things about the person you're living with!  Tell them about those things!  And if any of their actions are bothering you, don't be afraid to ask them and resolve it with love and forbearance!  It's probably the hardest trait that you're ever going to have to learn if you want a family of your own.  I admonish you to start early so that it doesn't become a problem later.

     In the words of a wise, wise, anonymous person, "turn that frown upside down!"

Dinner Bell!

     Chopping up some vegetables, I was thinking to myself of something rather funny-- when I was 5 or so years old, I was one of those kids who hated eating the very things I was preparing!  Green beans, celery, and the like, they weren't exactly the most appetizing of foods.

     As kids growing up, we were probably told at least once by our parents to eat [all of] our veggies.  When dinnertime rolled along and our mothers brought out our plate of food,  On that plate were a variety of different things-- probably something like pasta or dinner rolls with some marinara sauce, meatloaf, and the green bean salad.  Of every meal, we would tend to eat only the sweets everything except whatever was green.

     In today's society, there's a plate of divers races, ethnicities, creeds, and religions.  We may love everyone who may support us.  We may love everyone who believes in the same thing as what we do.  We may even love everyone who doesn't like the same things we don't like!  However, what about those who doesn't believe in the same things we do?  What about those who doesn't like the same things we do?  We may not know it, but we may love everyone except the green beans or brussel sprouts of humanity-- the ones we tend to avoid because we may not exactly like associating with those types of people.

     It can be noted that in the Bible, even, Jesus' Twelve Apostles, no matter how amazing they may have been, have behaved this exact way.  They rebuked Jesus for what they thought was a waste of time, accepting the company of little kids.  They tried shooing away a blind man from the healing powers of Jesus because of his poverty-stricken state.  Peter, the leader of the apostles, chopped a soldier's ear off because he came to take away and eventually kill Jesus!  These people had their faults with their dealings with man-- just like us.

     The world is our dinner plate.  In order to be strong and healthy, morally and physically, we must eat all that is given to us by our parents at the moment that we have.  If we avoid the nutritious foods and just eat what tastes good, like candy, how will we grow?  How will we become strong?  Next time we see someone (or some people) we don't like, remember this.  The foods on the plate is there so that it may help us, not hurt us.  Eating it all will be a blessing upon us in the long run, far exceeding that of the immediate satisfaction of quelling hunger.

Ten Essentials (Digression)

As it today I get to write back to family and friends, why not have a little fun and share something that makes missionaries a little more human?  After all, missionaries are just like you-- except they want to share a wonderful message with you.  In whatever language they're assigned.  With the resources that they're given.  With a name tag.  Every day.  Until 9PM.  Including weekends and holidays.  For two years.

So this is my list of 10 things I don't leave home without.  The Bible and Book of Mormon are a definite given, so I won't put that on the list.

1. Daily Planner - A missionary's day is always filled with things to do!
2. Bath and Body Works Cashmere Glow Lotion - Quickly moisturizes skin while making it smell super good!
3. Parker Jotting Pen - These things are tanks-- plus, they (the blue, medium tip cartridge) never run out of ink while you write down an inspirational thought or two.
4. Karabiner - A convenient way to carry a vial of "healing" oil, an inspirational keyfob, apartment key, and car key all in one place!
5. Wallet - For obvious reasons
6. Burt's Bee's Lip Balm - For the arid California weather, chapped lips don't make for good lessons.
7. Wristwatch - You'd be surprised how much punctuality is an issue in the mission field!  Plus, if not the Bible, Book of Mormon, or your planner, you're going to be looking at this all day!
8. Name tag - You're a representative of Jesus Christ; how else are people going to know that?
9. Wisdom from the World according to Mister Rogers - Perhaps the most inspirational and most uplifting little booklet money can buy.
10. Notepad - If you're someone like me, it drives you nuts if you forget something that you had in mind about anything introspective or inspirational.

 

"If I Didn't Care"

     The title is a nod to one of my favorite songs by The Ink Spots-- a group of very talented musicians of the mid-20th century.  I'll explain the reason why I chose that title in a bit.

     Today marks one of my favorite times of year: it's the start of Black History Month!  If there's anything you should know about me, I LOVE the richness of the culture of African Americans!  Among my favorite authors, poets, and musicians were black!  From Toni Morrison to Nat King Cole, the incredible literature, art, and music-- what's not to love about it?  Now many a rumor has surfaced from the dawn of time about the church's stance with black people.  Many believe [still] that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discriminates black people due to their "Caucasian superiority."  I myself thought that the church had this stance before I knew anything about the church, but it is simply not true!  Let me explain.

     When the Restored Church was officially organized in the late 1820's, Joseph Smith and his buddies took in EVERYONE to hear the gospel, regardless of race, creed, and ethnicity.  Many new converts in the time were actually African American.  In a time when slavery was rampant and every other pastor, preacher, and professor of faith owned a few, disregarding their stance as people, the Latter-day Saints were firm on their stance on abolition.  Many were persecuted for this stance, yet still, they held strong to this belief.  Throughout church history, there has not been a single instance of segregated services while other churches have made it the norm.

     Oh, then, what about the priesthood?  Why weren't they allowed to have the priesthood until 1978?

     Simple.  A church leader named Brigham Young said that the times were not right for them to have so, but they were allowed to be baptised and likewise perform baptisms for the dead.  Mr. Young then went on to say that one day they would receive the priesthood and the blessings thereof even more than anyone else.  The day came on June 8, 1978.  This trial of faith has proved to be one of the greatest blessings to the church and to the African people:

Dear Brethren:

 

 As we have witnessed the expansion of the work of the Lord over the earth, we have been grateful that people of many nations have responded to the message of the restored gospel, and have joined the Church in ever-increasing numbers. This, in turn, has inspired us with a desire to extend to every worthy member of the Church all of the privileges and blessings which the gospel affords.
 Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God’s eternal plan, all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance.
 He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color. Priesthood leaders are instructed to follow the policy of carefully interviewing all candidates for ordination to either the Aaronic or the Melchizedek Priesthood to insure that they meet the established standards for worthiness.
 We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.*
 

Sincerely yours,

Spencer W. Kimball

N. Eldon Tanner

Marion G. Romney

The First Presidency

 

     A trial of faith.  No other phrase puts this ordeal best than that.  God has put it upon the African people because He knew that those who accepted the gospel were capable of staying strong to the faith enough so that the blessings would appear.  Emphasizing, God did not put His children on Earth to fail.  He knew the tremendous strength of His children enough to put a challenge or an adversity like that.

 

     So this time in history, remember what the church has done for the advancement of ALL people, not just white people.  Like me, the church loves black people.  Standing shoulder to shoulder, we remember their contribution to the betterment of society and the love that we have as children of God.

*Official Declaration 2 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.