I am sorry that time is short. This week was great and we
had a terrific combined zone meeting. We met two more Spanish potential
investigators, and the work is on the up and up. I spent some time responding
to a good friend about some things to think about as you prepare to head out on
a mission. I decided to just include it for you as my 2.0. Here are some things
that I learned and I hope that it may help some of you!
2.0
Deal! SO you are wondering what to do, huh? Well, first I'm
sure you're doing great, but I'll just give you what I wish I could have done
better in the MTC and prepping for the field.
1. Read PMG. A lot. Like read it cover to cover again before
you enter the MTC or CCM or whatever and keep reading it regularly throughout
your mission. It has the words of the prophet for you and what you can do in
your ministry. Always relevant. I suggest what I'm doing right now: read it
cover to cover once a transfer.
2. Exact obedience. This may be hard to believe, but I had a
hard time going to bed at 10:30. Shocker. And consequently I would stay up a
little late to journal more or just review Korean grammar at my desk. I didn't
suffer from lack of sleep but I bet I missed a couple blessings. One missionary
I love said "There isn't a big difference in getting up at 6:30 or 6:31,
but if you want to be with the Lord you'll get up at 6:30." Sounds tough but it's true.
3. Love. This is your most powerful teaching tool and
finding tool. And everything! If you love and they feel your love, the Spirit
will be there. Remember the way that missionaries show their love is through
finding, teaching, and baptizing people to bring them closer to Christ. What
greater gift can there be than that? Hello!.... Eternal life! Doesn't get
better than that!
4. Show your love. I have learned that faith without works
is dead. Thanks you Seminary and James 2:17 for pounding that into me.^^ Just
as true is "hope w/o works is dead" and "love without works is dead".
How do you show works for hope? I do it through my celestial smile. (Celestial
not in a narcissistic way, but because I want to be smiling eternally and
through smiling we can share a little glimpse of that forever-happiness that
we're working towards.) And we show our hope-works through being optimistic,
trusting God, and truly believing that all things will work together for the
good of those who fight the good fight. Show your love. We are people, and
people need to feel that they are valued. Tell people you love them! Don't let
them assume anything! I know that as you regularly share you love it will grow
stronger and will brighten and embolden you.
5. Pray hard. Trust God. Let Him become your best friend and
your confidant, and tell him your wants, hopes, desires, and dreams. I have
always known that God is there and that He loves me. But I come to more greatly
realize how infinitely concerned He is with the everyday and trivial parts of
my life. He is the greatest support and on your mission make that relationship
central in all that you do.
6. Onward and upward! Always push the envelope. Demand your
best, expect wobbling and some stumbles. Be ready to brush of the dust, kneel
back down in the dust, then get up and keep going. Missions are pretty hard.
but they're pretty much the best thing
ever, too. Endure to the end. Do it with grace. (both His grace and grace on
our part) All will be well. All is well! You are on His team.
I hope this helps a little. I know you will do fantastic!
Fabulous! You are on the errand of angels and God will be your guide. Be
nervous, but don't be nervous^^ One foot in front of the other. It is an uphill
battle but I hear the hike is pretty fun. Ok, I love the hike! Especially
because mine has all sorts of cool Asian tourists and stuff^^
화이팅!! (rough translation of "good luck^^")
Onward and Upward
Elder Tucker
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| Elder Hernandez told me that he used to eat Roli Poli's all the time when he was little. So we found one. And documented it. |
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| You know that scene in Lion King where Simba tries the grub and is like "Slimey yet satisfying!"? |
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| Yeah, not real life. |
Does your library look like a smile?
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| Thanks, Korea, for awesome architecture! How can you not smile when you see books living in a house that cool? |
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| Man, SeJong (the new capital) is off the chain. The only problem is how there are like no people to talk to on the streets....but we're working on that! |
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| I saw this sign the other day with all three of my areas on it! |
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| Go right for greenie area, left for 2nd or straight for my current one! Neat-o! |
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| Yeah, for some reason I had no idea that hakuna matata was Swahili. I'm not quite sure how I missed that tid-bit... I'm usually pretty good with that kind of random fact thing. But luckily our member Anthony is from Kenya and totally speaks Swahili. |
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| He served his mission in South Africa and is the best ever! So great for member lessons with our foreigner investigators. Man, I love him! |