Missionary work

- WORK, WORK, WORK. If you're feeling homesick, work. If you're feeling depressed, work. If you're feeling happy, work. Haha. But really. Work is the solution to everything when it comes to missionaries.
- Talk to EVERYONE. They'll drill this in your head at the MTC, but it's so true. When you're in the habit of talking to everyone you see, you will always have people to teach. It will probably make you go out of your comfort zone, but that's a mission for you. ;)
- Knocking on doors isn't the best way to find great golden contacts but it will help you learn how to teach and talk when you do find a golden contact.
- Learn how to preach repentance without passing judgement.
- I had a companion who had a goal to give away at least one Book of Mormon every day. It was AWESOME! I loved giving away Book of Mormons. Another of my companions had a gift when it came to giving them out. No one ever said no. Or hardly anyone anyways. It was amazing. We gave out tons those transfers. And in return, we had lots of people to teach. Now, my husband said that they only gave away Book of Mormons to people who were really interested. They didn't want people throwing them away. I can understand that, but being in Arizona, they had a lot more people who were really interested than we did. So you decide what you think is best for the people in your mission.
- One of the hardest things as a missionary was dealing with other people's agency. Seeing someone feel the spirit and then turn it down because of some random inconvenience? Yeah, it'll rip your heart out. So be prepared for that. At least as prepared as you can be. :-/
- You will experience the hardest, most depressing days of your life but you will also experience some of the most wonderful days of your life. Get ready for the roller coaster of a lifetime. :)

A few things from my husband:
- The easiest way to let someone know you love them is to tell them. The same applies for letting people know that God loves them. I was blessed on my mission to gain a very strong testimony of God's love for everyone and I made sure to tell people often. Coupled with nearly every testimony of a gospel principle was a testimony that I knew God loved that person, and that God did not implement any of his laws, principles, etc, except for on the principle of his great love for all of us, and his desire for us to return to him. I made sure that they knew and understood that God knew them personally and wanted them to come to know him personally. We are not like ants on the ground without name or identity, but to God you are His child, and He tracks you and watches over you with more fervor and care than your own earthly father. Telling people this profound truth is a powerful way of bringing the spirit to a lesson. It is a truth that even latter-day saints need to hear often.
- Learn this early - Teachify - Teach and Testify in the same sentences. Bear your testimony within your lesson by teaching with obvious faith. "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes." (Mark 1:22) Remember, you are a messenger of God, given the call and chosen to preach repentance and salvation. You are a messenger of God! Do not be timid in your teaching, be bold and enthusiastic! Don not give a dry explanation of a commandment or principle, and then awkwardly shift into your testimony, teach in such a way so that before you even finish teaching the principle, they will already know you know it is true, and will wonder how they can know for themselves.
- Strive to feel God's love each and every day, and to spend a moment to appreciate it. Such moments result in a heart filled with gladness and quiet prayers of gratitude to God. Strive to speak with Him within your heart often and with sincerity.