Looking for a Christian Church
Last week my husband, our kids, and I were able to go to the beach. Yay! Since we're from Utah, we haven't had that many opportunities to go to the beach. It was wonderful. My husband played in the water with the 2 year old while I watched with the baby. A lady, who was also watching her family in the water, came up and started talking to me. It started with the usual stuff - babies, the beach, where we're from, etc. Then she asked if we were Christian. I, of course, said yes. This started a conversation about what we believed in. She said she and her family were looking for a Christian church to attend. I gave a very brief summary of our beliefs and asked her if I could give her information to the missionaries. She said yes! She also said that she believed in prayer and personal revelation and would pray about what the missionaries said to see for herself if it was true. Isn't missionary work amazing?! I don't really feel like I did much... that opportunity pretty much just dropped from the sky and landed in my lap. But, I was in the right place at the right time and was able to answer her questions. This is what missionary work usually is. Have a desire and pray for opportunities. Be in the right place at the right time and be prepared to help with whatever they are seeking. Listen to the Spirit and trust yourself! You can do it. :) My husband and I were pretty bummed that we didn't have a copy of the Book of Mormon to give her. We have given her information to the missionaries though so now we just pray that everything will work out. Missionary work makes me so happy! There's nothing in the world like it.
Teaching about temples
"Why are there so many Mormon Temples? What goes on inside them anyways? Why are you guys always so 'secretive' about it? Why can't I go inside?"
If you haven't been asked these questions yet, I'm sure you will some time in your life, especially as a missionary. How do you answer these questions? What can you talk about when it comes to temples? Most members of the church have a hard time with this. The Church just came out with this wonderful little video answering all of these questions. Whether you are wondering these questions yourself, or wondering how to answer them for others, I recommend watching it.
I want each of you to know that I have a strong testimony of temples. I know that because my husband and I were married in the temple, we will be together forever. My beautiful little family will be mine forever! What a wonderful blessing! I love the gospel.
Missionary power
A few days ago, my family and I moved. Again. We move a lot for my husband's job. Anyways, when the sister missionaries in our ward found out we were moving, they offered to come help me pack. This really meant a lot to me. My husband works a lot and we are thousands of miles away from family and most of our friends. They came over for about an hour and a half and helped pack up the kitchen and the kids' clothes. They helped us pack, yes, but more than that, they brought such a wonderful Spirit into our home. It just gave me such hope and such peace that everything would work out. Missionaries can be so powerful. Never forget that. We try to keep the Spirit in our home with appropriate media, scripture study, prayer, etc, but I don't think there's anything quite like the power of a full-time missionary. As a representative of Jesus Christ, you'll spread His light wherever you go.
Advice from a 6-month-old missionary
So it's been six months and five days since I left home to go on what's been THE neatest adventure of my life!
... it's in Idaho, yes. But still an adventure nonetheless! How could being part of the hastening of the work be anything less?
... it's in Idaho, yes. But still an adventure nonetheless! How could being part of the hastening of the work be anything less?
And in the last six months, I've gathered some information that has seemed pretty useful, so I thought I'd pass it on to the world via my sister dearest.
1) Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel.
I can't say it enough. Seriously. This stuff is scripture. It's revelation from God to convert both us, the missionaries, and the rest of the world! Use it in everyday life, because it applies to everyday life! And do *not* skip over the scriptures, especially the Bible Dictionary ones. Those are super valuable.
2) Find scriptures by topic (faith, repentance, prophets, etc) that explain what they are really simply and shortly. Write them down on a sticky note in the back of your scriptures for quick reference. You'll start to memorize these as you use them, but for now... it's WAY useful.
3) Don't be afraid to be yourself! You're put where you are because your unique personality will stand out to or connect with someone else. Plus, people can tell when you're being fake. It impresses no one. Realness makes them open up, which helps you know their needs, which helps you help them come unto Christ! Let them get to know you and learn to trust you!
1) Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel.
I can't say it enough. Seriously. This stuff is scripture. It's revelation from God to convert both us, the missionaries, and the rest of the world! Use it in everyday life, because it applies to everyday life! And do *not* skip over the scriptures, especially the Bible Dictionary ones. Those are super valuable.
2) Find scriptures by topic (faith, repentance, prophets, etc) that explain what they are really simply and shortly. Write them down on a sticky note in the back of your scriptures for quick reference. You'll start to memorize these as you use them, but for now... it's WAY useful.
3) Don't be afraid to be yourself! You're put where you are because your unique personality will stand out to or connect with someone else. Plus, people can tell when you're being fake. It impresses no one. Realness makes them open up, which helps you know their needs, which helps you help them come unto Christ! Let them get to know you and learn to trust you!
4) Learn how to listen. Don't think about the dog chewing on your bag. Don't worry about how you're going to fit in a scripture or end right on time. When they're talking, listen to what they're saying, what they're implying, and what the spirit is telling you they need to hear. The lesson is not about you learning how to teach, it's about them and their needs, and helping them come closer to God.
5) It's okay to be scared. Everybody is. It's scary talking to strangers, eating with strangers, sharing what's most important to you with strangers. It's scary moving to some seemingly random place and being expected to actively be a part of a life you've never experienced before. But the fear passes. You learn to trust in the Lord, in your companions, and in yourself. You learn that you can do hard things. And people understand and relate to your fear most of the time, anyway!
6) Love your companion! Your companion is your one ally. (Besides your Heavenly Father, of course.) Do everything you can to make that relationship a good one. Be open. Be honest. And be kind. You'll notice little things that will be annoying sometimes, but get over it. Everyone does little things like that. Find ways to serve them and express appreciation for them. Point out their strengths. Be humble enough to let them help with your weaknesses. They can become your family in the field if you let them.
7) Love your peeps! The only way you'll be willing to work hard for these people and consider their needs is if you care about them. If you're struggling in the work, it's because you don't love the people enough. So pray for help to love them, because loving people is hard!
Well, that's my 7 bits of knowledge. Hope it helps! Keep moving forward and remember that this is God's work and he will not let you fail!
Work hard, Pray hard, Play hard!
Work hard, Pray hard, Play hard!
"Together we'll learn"
Being a parent is such a humbling experience. When many people become parents, they can't help but wonder if they are really good enough to take on such a task. Many young people preparing for missions wonder the same thing. While it is important to have a strong testimony and a keen knowledge of the gospel, no one has to know everything to be a parent or to serve a mission.
One of my favorite songs to sing to my kids is Teach Me to Walk in the Light. I especially love the second verse. (Text and music by Clara W. McMaster)
Come, little child, and together we'll learn
Of his commandments, that we may return
Home to his presence, to live in his sight--
Always, always to walk in the light.
"Together we'll learn." When I start doubting myself and wondering if I can really do this mother thing, I remember these words. I am learning right along with my children. My mom always said that she was often learning with me since I was her first child. I finally really understand what she meant. It's okay that I don't know everything. It's okay that I am not the "perfect" mother. I am doing my best to learn and to become a better mom every day as I teach my children. It's the same way with missionary work. It's okay that you don't know everything. It's okay that you are not the "perfect" missionary. As long as you are doing your best to learn and to become a better missionary every day as you teach others.
P.S. Congrats to my cousin who is leaving for the MTC this week!! I'm so excited for you. You'll be awesome. :)
One of my favorite songs to sing to my kids is Teach Me to Walk in the Light. I especially love the second verse. (Text and music by Clara W. McMaster)
Come, little child, and together we'll learn
Of his commandments, that we may return
Home to his presence, to live in his sight--
Always, always to walk in the light.
"Together we'll learn." When I start doubting myself and wondering if I can really do this mother thing, I remember these words. I am learning right along with my children. My mom always said that she was often learning with me since I was her first child. I finally really understand what she meant. It's okay that I don't know everything. It's okay that I am not the "perfect" mother. I am doing my best to learn and to become a better mom every day as I teach my children. It's the same way with missionary work. It's okay that you don't know everything. It's okay that you are not the "perfect" missionary. As long as you are doing your best to learn and to become a better missionary every day as you teach others.
P.S. Congrats to my cousin who is leaving for the MTC this week!! I'm so excited for you. You'll be awesome. :)
Mission Exercising
Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT an exerciser. Especially running. I hate running. It was really hard for me to wake up every morning as a missionary and exercise for 30 minutes. Part of that was because I really didn't know how to exercise other than going running or doing crunches. And you already know how excited I was about running.
So my question to you is... Do you know how to exercise? It may seem like a simple enough question, but when you have 30 minutes to exercise, what do you do? What if it's really cold outside? Okay, most of you probably know a lot more about exercising than I did. But, it's still something to think about. Remember, you won't have access to a gym, or a treadmill, or work-out DVD's. They will give you an exercise band at the MTC (or at least they did when I was there, anyone know if they still do?) but most of us didn't know how to use it. So you will have the floor, probably a towel or a blanket for an exercise mat, and possibly an exercise band. I ask again, what would you do? If it's good weather, you could go outside and run. Would you get bored of just running all the time? What if your companion is like me and doesn't run? Remember you have to be within sight of your companion at all times. What outdoor exercises are there other than running? You might have a bike, you might not. It depends on the mission and the area.
Today's tip is this: Make sure you have a list of different exercises before you leave for your mission. Make sure you know how to do these exercises correctly and that they help strengthen the part of your body and/or the skills you want to focus on. Also, be sure you find exercises you will enjoy doing. You will be doing them at 6:30 in the morning so make it something worth getting out of bed for! And if you're obedient, you'll be doing it every morning (except Sundays) for 18 months or 2 years so you'll want a variety. You don't want to get bored with it.
I am probably the last person you'd ask for advice about exercising so I will need help from all of you out there. Please comment! RM's, what did you do for exercising on your mission? Anyone have specific work-out DVD's they like? What about Wii Fit Plus or other exercising video games? While you won't have these on your mission, they might be good to use now to get ideas. I bet you could also find tons of ideas on Youtube.
Well, I hope this post was helpful. In a nutshell, learn how to exercise before you leave. You won't regret it.
So my question to you is... Do you know how to exercise? It may seem like a simple enough question, but when you have 30 minutes to exercise, what do you do? What if it's really cold outside? Okay, most of you probably know a lot more about exercising than I did. But, it's still something to think about. Remember, you won't have access to a gym, or a treadmill, or work-out DVD's. They will give you an exercise band at the MTC (or at least they did when I was there, anyone know if they still do?) but most of us didn't know how to use it. So you will have the floor, probably a towel or a blanket for an exercise mat, and possibly an exercise band. I ask again, what would you do? If it's good weather, you could go outside and run. Would you get bored of just running all the time? What if your companion is like me and doesn't run? Remember you have to be within sight of your companion at all times. What outdoor exercises are there other than running? You might have a bike, you might not. It depends on the mission and the area.
Today's tip is this: Make sure you have a list of different exercises before you leave for your mission. Make sure you know how to do these exercises correctly and that they help strengthen the part of your body and/or the skills you want to focus on. Also, be sure you find exercises you will enjoy doing. You will be doing them at 6:30 in the morning so make it something worth getting out of bed for! And if you're obedient, you'll be doing it every morning (except Sundays) for 18 months or 2 years so you'll want a variety. You don't want to get bored with it.
I am probably the last person you'd ask for advice about exercising so I will need help from all of you out there. Please comment! RM's, what did you do for exercising on your mission? Anyone have specific work-out DVD's they like? What about Wii Fit Plus or other exercising video games? While you won't have these on your mission, they might be good to use now to get ideas. I bet you could also find tons of ideas on Youtube.
Well, I hope this post was helpful. In a nutshell, learn how to exercise before you leave. You won't regret it.
Packing a suitcase
My cousin posted this little video on Facebook. I haven't tried it, but it looks awesome! Someone should try it out and then let me know how it goes. :)
"Come Take Your Place"
This is a song that has helped me on multiple occasions in my life, but particularly as a missionary. It will always have a place in my heart.
I want all of you to know that I know these words are true. I know that you are a child of God and that you have a "place in the Father's design." I also know that everyone you come in contact with as a missionary and throughout your life is also a child of God and has a "place in the Father's design."
"Come take your place" as a servant of our Savior, Jesus Christ. You can do it!
~Check out more of her music at hilaryweeks.com
I want all of you to know that I know these words are true. I know that you are a child of God and that you have a "place in the Father's design." I also know that everyone you come in contact with as a missionary and throughout your life is also a child of God and has a "place in the Father's design."
"Come take your place" as a servant of our Savior, Jesus Christ. You can do it!
Come Take Your Place by Hilary Weeks
Can you hear it, Can you hear it,
Angels are calling your name.
Do you feel it, Do you feel it,
Heaven is lighting a flame.
There's a voice in your heart
Whispering who you are.
Can you see it, Can you see it,
Your place in the Father's design.
Are you ready, Are you ready,
This is your season to shine.
There's a voice through the dark
Gathering noble hearts.
You carry the light of His Son
and running through your veins is royal blood.
You're the brave and the strong, you're the faithful.
You have been saved for this moment in time.
You hear the call, you feel the flame, you've been prepared.
Come take your place.
Can you hear the angels calling you
Do you recognize your name
Can you see your part in His design
No one else can take your place.
There's a voice clear and strong,
You're right where you belong.
You carry the light of His Son
And running through your veins is royal blood.
You're the brave and the strong, you're the faithful.
You have been saved for this moment in time.
You hear the call, you feel the flame, you've been prepared.
Come take your place.
You are the brave, you are the strong, you are the faithful ones.
You are the brave, you are the strong, you are the faithful ones.
You carry the light of His Son
And running through your veins is royal blood.
You're the brave and the strong, you're the faithful
You have been saved for this moment in time.
You hear the call, you feel the flame, you've been prepared.
Come take your place.
~Check out more of her music at hilaryweeks.com
How do I stay focused as I prepare to serve a mission?
It is so overwhelming preparing for a mission. There are so many things to think about. "How am I going to find everything I need?" "How do I know what to bring?" "There's so much I want to learn and study before I leave!" "What if I don't know enough? What if my testimony isn't strong enough?" "I don't know if I can do this... am I really good enough to go on a mission?" Here are some ideas to help you stay focused as you prepare.
- Start incorporating a missionary schedule. Wake up at 6:30 am, exercise, study for a half hour or more. Starting your day this way will help you get used to the missionary lifestyle, will give you a great boost for the rest of the day, and will invite the Spirit into your day. Make sure to go to bed by 10:30 pm too! :)
- Study scriptures. Study by topic, or read a story and apply it to your life. See how all four of the standard works link together. Read missionary stories in the scriptures.
- Study other books by the Church. Learn more about Church History and individual prophets.
- Study Preach My Gospel. Study each subject and each principle you will teach about as a missionary. One way to study the lessons is to take each bold heading (for example, God is our Loving Heavenly Father) and write three sentences for each of them. Then practice describing each section as simply as you can out loud. This is something my sister has done in the mission field and it has helped her a lot. Too often we throw so much information on our investigators when really, we just need to focus on the basics. Simple, powerful statements.
- Study "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmage. Be careful with it, though, it is best in small dosages. There are a couple of chapters that focus particularly on the apostles and their relationship with Christ, as well as their growth as ministers of Christ. It is wonderful to learn from that book, that they too were inexperienced once, and vastly unprepared at first to be Christ's messengers. But their relationship with Christ was tender and helped them grow, the same way our relationship with Christ helps us meet our challenges.
- Read conference talks about missionary work.
- Read missionary stories from family history. Ask family members and friends for mission stories - both positive and uplifting stories and difficult and discouraging stories.
- Attend mission preparation classes.
- Pray sincerely. Talk to Heavenly Father like you would your best friend. Tell Him what's going on in your life and how you feel about it. Thank Him for the opportunity you have to serve a mission and ask Him for help preparing. Be sure to pay attention to how you feel and to listen for any answers He may have for you.
- Go on exchanges with the missionaries.
- Be a member missionary! Invite any friends who are not members or who are less active to activities. Don't be afraid to open your mouth and talk about the gospel. Befriend any investigators, new converts, and less actives that come to church with the missionaries.
- Attend the temple often. I would recommend at least once a week, if possible. It helps to be spontaneous too and go whenever you feel like it instead of planning ahead. This way Satan doesn't have a chance to stop you.
- Meet with your bishop/branch president regularly. He can help you stay focused on a more personal basis. He can also give you any encouragement that you may need.
- Try to think of Heavenly Father and Christ at all times and ask yourself if you are currently serving Him. Try to see other people as He would see them. As a missionary, more than ever before, you will be constantly thinking of Heavenly Father and Christ and your relationship with them, and you will be thinking "I want to help that lady over there trimming her hedges to have a relationship with God, too."
- Do your best to have a positive attitude with whatever is going on in your life and with anyone you interact with. Pray for help, if you need it. I have a family member who texts uplifting thoughts to her friends and family members a few times a week. This is a great way to keep happy thoughts going not only for you, but for those you know as well.
- Write lists. Write a list of things you want to do to help stay focused. Write a list of items you still need to get. Write a list of things you want or need to do before you leave. Set goals and make plans of what you want to accomplish in the next week, month, before you leave. I don't know about you, but it really helps me sort out my thoughts and be more relaxed if I write everything down.
And most importantly...
- Know that it is perfectly normal to feel Satan's presence more now than ever before. Satan works hard to tell us we're not good enough and to tempt us to do things we wouldn't normally do. You are good enough. You are a child of God and He will help you. It is very normal to feel discouraged, but do your best to push aside those feelings and focus on doing what God wants you to do. You can do it!!
Why should I serve a mission?
No, I did not fall off the face of the Earth. I'm still here! I just... well... life is crazy. But I'm back! At least for now...
Ever since the announcement of the new ages for missionaries, a whole new slew of people started thinking "Should I serve a mission??"
This is a decision between you and your Heavenly Father, but hopefully, this (as well as my other posts) will help you with that decision.
Here are some reasons why I will be eternally grateful that I served a mission. If you are an obedient and hard-working missionary, I'm sure you will experience these as well.
- I learned how to love like Jesus Christ does
I certainly haven't mastered this yet, but my mission helped me get one big step closer to it. I learned how to get along with people who are very different from me. I had some companions that I loved and became very good friends with. I had some companions that I did not get along with very well. It was very hard working with these companions. But I learned how to see at them like Christ would. I learned to forgive them of their weaknesses and focus on their strengths.
I learned not to judge others just by their appearance. I learned not to be picky about who to talk to and how to just talk to everyone I see.
I learned that I could love others even though some of them are so very different.
I love pictures like the one above. You can see the love in Christ's eyes. How do you think Christ would look at YOU? Can you see other people with that same love?
- I learned how to live on my own
I grew up in a home with spectacular parents who taught us how to do chores and how to take care of ourselves from a young age. Learning to live on my own was not that difficult for me. However, it was more difficult than I thought it would be. I thought I already knew everything I needed to know. But it's different not having your mom there to ask questions whenever you need to. It's different planning your own meals and going grocery shopping for yourself.
- I played a part in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ
I had the opportunity to teach people from many different countries. Some of them, including some of my most positive investigators, were from countries where missionaries are not allowed yet. China, Iraq, and Iran to name a few. In my last area, we often had a copy of the Book of Mormon in Arabic with us since we gave those away almost more than Swedish and English.
Like most European missions, Sweden did not see a lot of baptisms. However, I still gave away countless copies of the Book of Mormon, talked to and taught who knows how many people, and brought a little more of the Light of Christ to Sweden.
Spreading the gospel brings a joy into your life that nothing else can.
- A California Redwood -
The author of this blog took this picture and
has all rights and privileges associated with it.
- My testimony and my understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ and His gospel became more complete.
Like most missionaries, I had a very strong testimony when I entered the mission field. Serving a mission made it grow in a new way. I guess you could say that it didn't really grow a lot "taller," it was already a pretty tall tree, but it grew "deeper" or "thicker," if you know what I mean.
My knowledge on the basic principles and doctrines of the gospel was challenged. Why do we have prophets? What does it mean to really forgive? I had to study these things thoroughly and really come to an understanding of the gospel like I had never had before.
- I learned that I can do more than I think I can. I learned how to work hard. Because I served a mission, I was more prepared for future hard times.
I learned how to work until I felt like I was going to collapse, and then kept working. And then woke up the next day and worked even more. I learned that if I was obedient and had faith in Christ, I would have the power to do whatever I needed to do (Moroni 7:33).
Being a mother is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. At the time, a mission was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. I not only survived serving a mission, but I look back on it with great happiness and with great satisfaction. As I go through today's trials and struggles, I remember my mission and I remember that I can do hard things! I can do this! With God, anything is possible!
Ever since the announcement of the new ages for missionaries, a whole new slew of people started thinking "Should I serve a mission??"
This is a decision between you and your Heavenly Father, but hopefully, this (as well as my other posts) will help you with that decision.
Here are some reasons why I will be eternally grateful that I served a mission. If you are an obedient and hard-working missionary, I'm sure you will experience these as well.
- I learned how to love like Jesus Christ does
I certainly haven't mastered this yet, but my mission helped me get one big step closer to it. I learned how to get along with people who are very different from me. I had some companions that I loved and became very good friends with. I had some companions that I did not get along with very well. It was very hard working with these companions. But I learned how to see at them like Christ would. I learned to forgive them of their weaknesses and focus on their strengths.
I learned not to judge others just by their appearance. I learned not to be picky about who to talk to and how to just talk to everyone I see.
I learned that I could love others even though some of them are so very different.
I love pictures like the one above. You can see the love in Christ's eyes. How do you think Christ would look at YOU? Can you see other people with that same love?
- I learned how to live on my own
I grew up in a home with spectacular parents who taught us how to do chores and how to take care of ourselves from a young age. Learning to live on my own was not that difficult for me. However, it was more difficult than I thought it would be. I thought I already knew everything I needed to know. But it's different not having your mom there to ask questions whenever you need to. It's different planning your own meals and going grocery shopping for yourself.
- I played a part in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ
I had the opportunity to teach people from many different countries. Some of them, including some of my most positive investigators, were from countries where missionaries are not allowed yet. China, Iraq, and Iran to name a few. In my last area, we often had a copy of the Book of Mormon in Arabic with us since we gave those away almost more than Swedish and English.
Like most European missions, Sweden did not see a lot of baptisms. However, I still gave away countless copies of the Book of Mormon, talked to and taught who knows how many people, and brought a little more of the Light of Christ to Sweden.
Spreading the gospel brings a joy into your life that nothing else can.
- A California Redwood -
The author of this blog took this picture and
has all rights and privileges associated with it.
- My testimony and my understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ and His gospel became more complete.
Like most missionaries, I had a very strong testimony when I entered the mission field. Serving a mission made it grow in a new way. I guess you could say that it didn't really grow a lot "taller," it was already a pretty tall tree, but it grew "deeper" or "thicker," if you know what I mean.
My knowledge on the basic principles and doctrines of the gospel was challenged. Why do we have prophets? What does it mean to really forgive? I had to study these things thoroughly and really come to an understanding of the gospel like I had never had before.
- I learned that I can do more than I think I can. I learned how to work hard. Because I served a mission, I was more prepared for future hard times.
I learned how to work until I felt like I was going to collapse, and then kept working. And then woke up the next day and worked even more. I learned that if I was obedient and had faith in Christ, I would have the power to do whatever I needed to do (Moroni 7:33).
Being a mother is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. At the time, a mission was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. I not only survived serving a mission, but I look back on it with great happiness and with great satisfaction. As I go through today's trials and struggles, I remember my mission and I remember that I can do hard things! I can do this! With God, anything is possible!
Live from the MTC advice
I have to admit, one of the biggest reasons for this blog (my sister) left for the MTC a couple weeks ago. So my motivation has gone down a little. BUT, I know there are still plenty of you out there who want missionary advice, either for yourself or for a friend/family member, so I will be thinking of more things to post. I am always open for suggestions so let me know if you think of anything!
Anyways, on to today's post. I got an email from my sister today with some "live from the MTC" advice. Cool, eh? Here's what she suggests for the MTC:
-Bring a robe. Showering without it is a right pain. You've got to bring your clothes into the showering area and make sure they stay in a little dry spot. If they fall on the floor, they're goners! But if you bring a robe, you can just bring a set of garments and not have to worry about bulky skirts n such.
-Bring a bathroom bag that you can hang on a hook. It's a lifesaver for the reason above
-Bring Airborn or vitamins or *something.* We're rubbing elbows and shaking hands with hundreds of people over here! Colds travel faster than Professor Snape confronted with shampoo.
-Wake up a little early to beat the shower rush. It's worth it.
-Love your bag--you'll be taking it *everywhere.*
-Use the planner they give you! It's a total lifesaver!
-Don't use others' disobedience to excuse your own. I was somewhat surprised to see that not all missionaries here follow the rules with exactness. Just remember that their obedience (or lack of) has little to do with your own. 100% obedience will bring blessings for you, and that's all you need to focus on.
-Not everyone loves the MTC naturally. In fact, there are bits of it that drive everyone nuts. (For me, it's laundry. Urgh.) It's important to pray for help and decide to love it. You'll have a much better time if you do.
-Be humble. You'll receive lots of helpful criticism here. There is so much to learn, being unteachable and easily offended would severely limit you.
-Eat healthy! It's reeeally tempting to eat all the yummy desserts they have here, along with the soda pop and hamburgers... but really. Their salads are delicious and water keeps you extra healthy. Take care of yourself! It'll pay off!
-Study *before* the MTC. Not only will it be less of a culture shock when you have to come here and study for a long time, you'll get a lovely head start. You'll be glad you did. Trust me on this one. S-T-U-D-Y. Become familiar with the Preach My Gospel. It's *amazing.*
-Don't always believe the rumors. There's a lot of news going around. But unless it's from the mouth of a leader you trust, take it with a grain of salt.
-Practice being worthy of the spirit. Everything you could possibly learn is *useless* and a waste of energy without it! You could be the best teacher ever, but without the spirit, you will convert no one.
-Be patient with yourself and others. You'll be doing so many new things and learning in so many new ways... it's *perfectly normal* to feel overwhelmed. It's perfectly normal to feel discouraged. Just remember that the Lord is on your side! He wants you to succeed even more than you do!
-It's not about you. If you come to give, you will gain. If you come to gain, you will waste your time. Get your act together early so that you can make the most of your time here.
UPDATE: To read Advice from a 6-month-old missionary (from this same sister) click here
Anyways, on to today's post. I got an email from my sister today with some "live from the MTC" advice. Cool, eh? Here's what she suggests for the MTC:
-Bring a robe. Showering without it is a right pain. You've got to bring your clothes into the showering area and make sure they stay in a little dry spot. If they fall on the floor, they're goners! But if you bring a robe, you can just bring a set of garments and not have to worry about bulky skirts n such.
-Bring a bathroom bag that you can hang on a hook. It's a lifesaver for the reason above
-Bring Airborn or vitamins or *something.* We're rubbing elbows and shaking hands with hundreds of people over here! Colds travel faster than Professor Snape confronted with shampoo.
-Wake up a little early to beat the shower rush. It's worth it.
-Love your bag--you'll be taking it *everywhere.*
-Use the planner they give you! It's a total lifesaver!
-Don't use others' disobedience to excuse your own. I was somewhat surprised to see that not all missionaries here follow the rules with exactness. Just remember that their obedience (or lack of) has little to do with your own. 100% obedience will bring blessings for you, and that's all you need to focus on.
-Not everyone loves the MTC naturally. In fact, there are bits of it that drive everyone nuts. (For me, it's laundry. Urgh.) It's important to pray for help and decide to love it. You'll have a much better time if you do.
-Be humble. You'll receive lots of helpful criticism here. There is so much to learn, being unteachable and easily offended would severely limit you.
-Eat healthy! It's reeeally tempting to eat all the yummy desserts they have here, along with the soda pop and hamburgers... but really. Their salads are delicious and water keeps you extra healthy. Take care of yourself! It'll pay off!
-Study *before* the MTC. Not only will it be less of a culture shock when you have to come here and study for a long time, you'll get a lovely head start. You'll be glad you did. Trust me on this one. S-T-U-D-Y. Become familiar with the Preach My Gospel. It's *amazing.*
-Don't always believe the rumors. There's a lot of news going around. But unless it's from the mouth of a leader you trust, take it with a grain of salt.
-Practice being worthy of the spirit. Everything you could possibly learn is *useless* and a waste of energy without it! You could be the best teacher ever, but without the spirit, you will convert no one.
-Be patient with yourself and others. You'll be doing so many new things and learning in so many new ways... it's *perfectly normal* to feel overwhelmed. It's perfectly normal to feel discouraged. Just remember that the Lord is on your side! He wants you to succeed even more than you do!
-It's not about you. If you come to give, you will gain. If you come to gain, you will waste your time. Get your act together early so that you can make the most of your time here.
UPDATE: To read Advice from a 6-month-old missionary (from this same sister) click here
Personal missionary experiences #3
9/24/2007
I absolutely love being a missionary! We gave away 3 copies of the Book of Mormon today on our way home from dinner with some members! It makes me so happy! We're really working towards "tala med alla" [talk to everyone] this transfer and Sister Carlson is really good at it. She's only been in Sweden for 2 months yet she still opens her mouth and does her best at preaching the gospel. She's such a great example to me! If she can do it, I certainly can!
9/25/2007
We have a baptismal date! for Janelle!! Feb. 7th! I'm so excited! She still needs her dad's permission [she was only 15] so we're going to pray and fast with her. "With God, all things are possible"!
And I want to write about one more thing today... We got home at 8:30pm and still hadn't given away a copy of the Book of Mormon so we decided to go back out for a little while. I ended up stopping this young couple with a baby. We talked to them for 10-15 minutes about the gospel. They're Catholic but not really religious. She took the Book of Mormon and promised to read and pray about it and sounded really interested! We didn't get their number [her husband really didn't seem interested], but still, it makes me so incredibly happy to help wonderful people find the truth. I love being a missionary!
11/27/2007
What a funny day we had today... hehe. We taught Billy today - He is really interested! He's 20 something, Swedish, AND he believes in God and Christ! It was an awesome lesson. We tracted into this lady today who let us in and then talked about all kinds of crazy things, like how Islam isn't a religion or something. Anyways, it was interesting. [She wasn't the least bit interested, it turns out. Just likes to talk, I guess.] Then we taught this Bosnian family, or rather tried to. We're not sure how much they understood. We ended up walking out with a bag full of fruit, bread, wafers, and this sausage/salami/pepperoni thing that we'll probably never eat. Haha. Life as a missionary...
12/30/2007
It's interesting to read what I wrote when I was first here in Sweden. It's amazing how far I've come with the language and with being a missionary. It's cool to see how many really hard times I've had and how I somehow got through them every time. I've forgotten how hard it was for me to understand Swedish at first. I can understand almost everything now without concentrating that hard. It's so cool to see how I've changed. I really have grown, I think.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 1, click here.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 2, click here.
I absolutely love being a missionary! We gave away 3 copies of the Book of Mormon today on our way home from dinner with some members! It makes me so happy! We're really working towards "tala med alla" [talk to everyone] this transfer and Sister Carlson is really good at it. She's only been in Sweden for 2 months yet she still opens her mouth and does her best at preaching the gospel. She's such a great example to me! If she can do it, I certainly can!
9/25/2007
We have a baptismal date! for Janelle!! Feb. 7th! I'm so excited! She still needs her dad's permission [she was only 15] so we're going to pray and fast with her. "With God, all things are possible"!
And I want to write about one more thing today... We got home at 8:30pm and still hadn't given away a copy of the Book of Mormon so we decided to go back out for a little while. I ended up stopping this young couple with a baby. We talked to them for 10-15 minutes about the gospel. They're Catholic but not really religious. She took the Book of Mormon and promised to read and pray about it and sounded really interested! We didn't get their number [her husband really didn't seem interested], but still, it makes me so incredibly happy to help wonderful people find the truth. I love being a missionary!
11/27/2007
What a funny day we had today... hehe. We taught Billy today - He is really interested! He's 20 something, Swedish, AND he believes in God and Christ! It was an awesome lesson. We tracted into this lady today who let us in and then talked about all kinds of crazy things, like how Islam isn't a religion or something. Anyways, it was interesting. [She wasn't the least bit interested, it turns out. Just likes to talk, I guess.] Then we taught this Bosnian family, or rather tried to. We're not sure how much they understood. We ended up walking out with a bag full of fruit, bread, wafers, and this sausage/salami/pepperoni thing that we'll probably never eat. Haha. Life as a missionary...
12/30/2007
It's interesting to read what I wrote when I was first here in Sweden. It's amazing how far I've come with the language and with being a missionary. It's cool to see how many really hard times I've had and how I somehow got through them every time. I've forgotten how hard it was for me to understand Swedish at first. I can understand almost everything now without concentrating that hard. It's so cool to see how I've changed. I really have grown, I think.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 1, click here.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 2, click here.
Personal missionary experiences #2
Some more parts of journal entries. :)
5/22/2007
We had some awesome lessons today! We finally talked to Matthew about why he doesn't want to get baptized. He hasn't gotten an answer yet and he doesn't want to get baptized until he knows it's true. So he said he'll read the Book of Mormon every day for 2 weeks (which he hasn't been doing) and pray about it. Yay! And our other lesson... we're working with Robert and Jessica and their little girl, Isabella. Robert and Jessica were members but were excommunicated and want to come back now. We watched the first half of The Testaments with them. They loved it and they promised to read the Book of Mormon together as a family! Yay again! I love this gospel!
5/31/2007
We were walking home from the train station today and we ran into a couple of ladies who were struggling to carry a lot of stuff. We stopped and helped them to their apartment which wasn't that far away from ours. They're from Turkey and don't speak English or Swedish very well. So our "conversations" were pretty interesting. Haha. They were really cool though. They invited us into their apartment for some juice to thank us for helping them. We gave them a pass-along card and told them about the website but we're not sure how much they understood. Oh well, they'll remember that we helped them and maybe, hopefully, they'll meet some missionaries they can talk to some day.
6/8/2007
Sister Madsen and I were talking the other day about how interesting it is that we can have 6 hard, discouraging days and 1 wonderful day in a week and all we'll remember is that one wonderful day. That one wonderful day makes up for all the hard and discouraging days.
We've been having a hard time staying motivated lately. It's actually not the fact that we keep getting turned down that's hard for me. What's hard, I think, is waking up exhausted and with sore feet, sore arms, sore back, sore everything, and we still need to go out and work. Then I concentrate so hard on everything people say and try to think of something to say back so my brain feels like it's going to explode. So at the end of the day I"m just totally exhausted yet I still should talk to that girl sitting at the bus stop and think about how I can help her rather than think about how much I want to go home. Then I do get home and know that I'm going to wake up and do it all again the next day. Just being out in public as a missionary is exhausting... being on our best behavior and happy all the time... oh well, it's good.
6/9/2007
Today I read an awesome quote about motivation (like I was talking about yesterday). Elder Neil L. Andersen quotes President Hinkley in his talk this last conference. Pres. Hinkley said: "When [an individual] is motivated by great and powerful convictions of truth, then he disciplines himself, not because of demands made by the Church, but because of the knowledge within his heart." Then Elder Andersen adds: "Are we sufficiently motivated by 'great and powerful convictions of truth'? Do our choices reflect this motivation? Are we becoming who we want to become? It's true, isn't it? Then what else matters?"
So I guess I need to be motivated because, well, I'm a missionary. I'm a representative of Jesus Christ and I'm on His errand. I should stay busy because I love Him. And because I love the people of Sweden. The best thing I can remember right now is that I"m doing this because I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I'll do anything for him... so here's my perfect chance to show Him.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 1, click here.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 3, click here.
5/22/2007
We had some awesome lessons today! We finally talked to Matthew about why he doesn't want to get baptized. He hasn't gotten an answer yet and he doesn't want to get baptized until he knows it's true. So he said he'll read the Book of Mormon every day for 2 weeks (which he hasn't been doing) and pray about it. Yay! And our other lesson... we're working with Robert and Jessica and their little girl, Isabella. Robert and Jessica were members but were excommunicated and want to come back now. We watched the first half of The Testaments with them. They loved it and they promised to read the Book of Mormon together as a family! Yay again! I love this gospel!
5/31/2007
We were walking home from the train station today and we ran into a couple of ladies who were struggling to carry a lot of stuff. We stopped and helped them to their apartment which wasn't that far away from ours. They're from Turkey and don't speak English or Swedish very well. So our "conversations" were pretty interesting. Haha. They were really cool though. They invited us into their apartment for some juice to thank us for helping them. We gave them a pass-along card and told them about the website but we're not sure how much they understood. Oh well, they'll remember that we helped them and maybe, hopefully, they'll meet some missionaries they can talk to some day.
6/8/2007
Sister Madsen and I were talking the other day about how interesting it is that we can have 6 hard, discouraging days and 1 wonderful day in a week and all we'll remember is that one wonderful day. That one wonderful day makes up for all the hard and discouraging days.
We've been having a hard time staying motivated lately. It's actually not the fact that we keep getting turned down that's hard for me. What's hard, I think, is waking up exhausted and with sore feet, sore arms, sore back, sore everything, and we still need to go out and work. Then I concentrate so hard on everything people say and try to think of something to say back so my brain feels like it's going to explode. So at the end of the day I"m just totally exhausted yet I still should talk to that girl sitting at the bus stop and think about how I can help her rather than think about how much I want to go home. Then I do get home and know that I'm going to wake up and do it all again the next day. Just being out in public as a missionary is exhausting... being on our best behavior and happy all the time... oh well, it's good.
6/9/2007
Today I read an awesome quote about motivation (like I was talking about yesterday). Elder Neil L. Andersen quotes President Hinkley in his talk this last conference. Pres. Hinkley said: "When [an individual] is motivated by great and powerful convictions of truth, then he disciplines himself, not because of demands made by the Church, but because of the knowledge within his heart." Then Elder Andersen adds: "Are we sufficiently motivated by 'great and powerful convictions of truth'? Do our choices reflect this motivation? Are we becoming who we want to become? It's true, isn't it? Then what else matters?"
So I guess I need to be motivated because, well, I'm a missionary. I'm a representative of Jesus Christ and I'm on His errand. I should stay busy because I love Him. And because I love the people of Sweden. The best thing I can remember right now is that I"m doing this because I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I'll do anything for him... so here's my perfect chance to show Him.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 1, click here.
**For Personal missionary experiences part 3, click here.
Personal missionary experiences
I decided today that I will post parts of some my journal entries from my mission. I hope they will help each of you know a little more of what to expect of missionary life. And hopefully get you excited to serve a mission. :) (All names have been changed.)
3/26/2007 (I had been in the mission field for just over a month)
We had an amazing lesson with Amy [an investigator about 40 years old] today! I didn't understand all of it, of course, but I understood what was important. Brother and Sister Hansen from the ward came with us, which ended up being a very smart decision. They're originally from Finland but have lived in Sweden for most of their lives, just like Amy. AND Bro Hansen has dealt with depression so he knows what Amy is going through. AND he's a convert. It was so wonderful to hear his testimony and to have someone she can relate with. They're getting her to come to general conference with them next weekend too! At the end of the meeting, Amy started crying! I don't really know what that means, but hopefully it's because she realized how much we care about her and want to help her. We had a really good lesson about prayer and how we can ask God for help whenever we need it. So hopefully, just maybe, she'll pray herself. We've asked her before, many times actually, but so far she hasn't. But maybe she will this time.
4/5/2007
Matthew's [an investigator about 25 years old] doing pretty well. We've taught him up through the 2nd lesson now. He's awesome and actually a lot of fun to teach. I'm getting to the point that I don't really care about making mistakes while talking to him. I guess it's because he's already heard me make tons of mistakes so why not make more. Haha. Anyway, the thing I'm worried about is that he says he hasn't gotten an answer about The Book of Mormon yet. He says he doesn't feel anything different about The Book of Mormon than any other book. And we he prays, he doesn't feel bad, but he doesn't feel good either. I want him to get an answer so bad. I know it's true and I know that he can know it's true too. He would make an awesome member. But what if it's not the right time for him right now? I would absolutely love to see him get baptized. But I know that as long as we do our best, whatever's right for him will happen.
We had the chance to get 3 new investigators this week! We were so excited! But all 3 of the appointments fell through. One of them was sick, so we'll reschedule with him, but one called and said she wasn't interested anymore and the other didn't show up (for the 2nd time). I guess we'll see what happens.
4/25/2007
Exciting news! We have a new investigator! His name is Steven and, well, I don't really know that much about him yet. We taught him the 1st lesson today and it went really well! He listened intently to everything we said then promised to read the parts of the Book of Mormon we asked him to and to pray about it to know for himself that's it's true. And he wants us to come back! He seemed to really like the fact that we want him to pray for his own testimony rather than just relying on ours. He must really like cats though, because he has 10 of them. Weird... Anyways. I think I did pretty well. I probably made a million mistakes, but he understood me so that's good. And in the middle of the lesson he asked me how long I've been here, and when I told him, he said that I speak Swedish really well for being here such a short time. And then he talked about how hard it must be to come to a new country and speak a new language. So that made me feel better. He's pretty cool. I'm trying hard to have faith that this very well could lead to another baptism, but the doubt and fear are still there. Satan is sure trying hard to destroy my faith... but he's not going to!
**For Personal missionary experiences Part 2, click here.
**For Personal missionary experiences Part 3, click here.
Mission meal ideas #3
Some more meals that I grew up with. :)
E-Z Chicken Tetrazzini:
- 2 cups uncooked spaghetti
- 4 cups diced and cooked chicken (or turkey)
- 1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup grated cheese (try different kinds)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup water
Cook spaghetti noodles. In casserole dish, add soup and water. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add chicken, noodles, cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees F until warm or zap in microwave for 10 minutes.
Tuna Casserole:
- 1 can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 can of milk (using cream of soup can)
- 1 cup cooked flat noodles
- 1 can tuna fish
- onion (or onion powder)
- grated cheese
- chinese noodles or rice krispies cereal
Mix all ingredients except cheese and chinese noodles or cereal together in casserole dish. Cook in oven at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or zap in microwave until heated through. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and let melt. Add Chinese noodles or cereal on top to make it crunchy.
Taco Salad:
- 1 lb hamburger
- 1 cup chopped onion (or onion powder)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2/3 cup rice
- 1 tsp oregano
- pinch of pepper
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 tsp cumin
Brown hamburger and onion. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Turn down to low and simmer for 30 min. Serve over/with tortilla chips and top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.
E-Z Chicken Tetrazzini:
- 2 cups uncooked spaghetti
- 4 cups diced and cooked chicken (or turkey)
- 1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup grated cheese (try different kinds)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup water
Cook spaghetti noodles. In casserole dish, add soup and water. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add chicken, noodles, cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees F until warm or zap in microwave for 10 minutes.
Tuna Casserole:
- 1 can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 can of milk (using cream of soup can)
- 1 cup cooked flat noodles
- 1 can tuna fish
- onion (or onion powder)
- grated cheese
- chinese noodles or rice krispies cereal
Mix all ingredients except cheese and chinese noodles or cereal together in casserole dish. Cook in oven at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or zap in microwave until heated through. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and let melt. Add Chinese noodles or cereal on top to make it crunchy.
Taco Salad:
- 1 lb hamburger
- 1 cup chopped onion (or onion powder)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2/3 cup rice
- 1 tsp oregano
- pinch of pepper
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 tsp cumin
Brown hamburger and onion. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Turn down to low and simmer for 30 min. Serve over/with tortilla chips and top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.
Mission meal ideas #2
Before I start with the meal ideas, here are a few tips for you:
Tip #1: Sit down with your mom or someone and type up all the recipes you have grown up with that you think would be mission friendly. I will warn you that they probably won't turn out just like you remember them (different brands of food, different pots/pans, different stoves, etc) but you'll still enjoy being able to cook things you are familiar with.
Tip #2: Like I mentioned above, remember that you will be working with different foods, different dishes, different stoves, etc. They may be very different if you go foreign. Be ready to be flexible and try new things! You may want to make sure you are comfortable enough with cooking that you can be flexible without too much stress. Even if you go state-side though, you will have to learn to cook with whatever is in the apartment, and that could take some getting used to.
Tip #3: Be sure to eat healthy as a missionary. It will make a world of difference in how much energy and strength you have if you are eating healthy. You all know how... now do it! Eat your fruits and veggies. (It's not that difficult - and pretty cheap - to pull out canned or frozen fruit or veggies to add to your meal.) You'll thank me later. :)
One of my favorite dinners is crock pot salsa chicken. But since you most likely will not have a crock pot as a missionary, here's an alternate. It's not quite as good, but it's still pretty good.
Baked Salsa Chicken:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/salsa-chicken/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=salsa%20chicken&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
- 4 chicken breasts
- 4 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup cheese
- 2 tbl sour cream
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2) Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
3) Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear
4) Sprinkle chicken with cheese and continue baking for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream, if desired, and serve.
It goes well with rice or pasta and corn.
Here's one I grew up with:
Pizza Casserole:
- 1 lb hamburger
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (or dash of onion powder)
- 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 2 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- pinch garlic powder
Brown hamburger and onion in large pan. Add tomato sauce and spices. Let simmer while cooking elbow macaroni. When macaroni is cooked, drain, and dump into hamburger mixture in frying pan. Top with slices of mozzarella cheese. Cover and let cheese melt.
Options: Can put anything on top of casserole that you would want on a pizza: pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, etc. Can also use different type of cheese if you want.
*This recipe makes quite a bit... maybe 6 servings?? So you could half-it or save the rest for later.
Tip #1: Sit down with your mom or someone and type up all the recipes you have grown up with that you think would be mission friendly. I will warn you that they probably won't turn out just like you remember them (different brands of food, different pots/pans, different stoves, etc) but you'll still enjoy being able to cook things you are familiar with.
Tip #2: Like I mentioned above, remember that you will be working with different foods, different dishes, different stoves, etc. They may be very different if you go foreign. Be ready to be flexible and try new things! You may want to make sure you are comfortable enough with cooking that you can be flexible without too much stress. Even if you go state-side though, you will have to learn to cook with whatever is in the apartment, and that could take some getting used to.
Tip #3: Be sure to eat healthy as a missionary. It will make a world of difference in how much energy and strength you have if you are eating healthy. You all know how... now do it! Eat your fruits and veggies. (It's not that difficult - and pretty cheap - to pull out canned or frozen fruit or veggies to add to your meal.) You'll thank me later. :)
One of my favorite dinners is crock pot salsa chicken. But since you most likely will not have a crock pot as a missionary, here's an alternate. It's not quite as good, but it's still pretty good.
Baked Salsa Chicken:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/salsa-chicken/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=salsa%20chicken&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
- 4 chicken breasts
- 4 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup cheese
- 2 tbl sour cream
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2) Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
3) Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear
4) Sprinkle chicken with cheese and continue baking for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream, if desired, and serve.
It goes well with rice or pasta and corn.
Here's one I grew up with:
Pizza Casserole:
- 1 lb hamburger
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (or dash of onion powder)
- 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 2 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- pinch garlic powder
Brown hamburger and onion in large pan. Add tomato sauce and spices. Let simmer while cooking elbow macaroni. When macaroni is cooked, drain, and dump into hamburger mixture in frying pan. Top with slices of mozzarella cheese. Cover and let cheese melt.
Options: Can put anything on top of casserole that you would want on a pizza: pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, etc. Can also use different type of cheese if you want.
*This recipe makes quite a bit... maybe 6 servings?? So you could half-it or save the rest for later.
Simple, mission friendly meal ideas
My sister-in-law had the brilliant idea to include mission friendly meal ideas on this blog. So, every once in a while, I will write up a post that includes a few ideas. Here it goes. Enjoy!
One of my companions and I often made homemade burritos. We usually made them with black beans, cheese, and whatever veggies we happened to have. Sometimes we'd add rice too. We would assemble them and then stick them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. Delicious, cheap, easy to make, and healthy!
Another easy but yummy lunch idea is toasted cheese sandwiches. There's the typical grilled cheese that most people know how to make, but then there's the gourmet toasted cheese sandwiches. Toast a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster, then spread mayo (or whatever other sauce you have/like) on them. Layer your choice of cheese(s), any type of meat (or no meat at all), and sliced tomatoes on the bread. You could also put spinach, mushrooms, onions, etc on top although those are less common in a missionary apartment. Top with basil and/or oregano, or whatever spices you have/like. (Notice that these are open face sandwiches.) Then toast in the oven for a few minutes. You can be very creative with these as you play with the ingredients and see what you like best. One of my favorite variations is simply bread, mayo, cheese, a slice of tomato, and basil. Yum!
**When toasting/broiling these in the oven, be very careful since they can burn quickly.
Instead of making a sandwich, put the same ingredients in a tortilla and make a wrap. I love adding a little ranch to mine.
One of our family favorites is broiled bagels. We'll put cream cheese and lunch meat on bagels then broil them in the oven for a few minutes. Mmm! You could also do tuna fish and cheese on the bagels instead.
**When toasting/broiling these in the oven, be very careful since they can burn quickly.
How about quesadillas? Fry a couple tortillas with beans, meat, peppers, or whatever you want and of course lots and lots of cheese inside. Delicious served with salsa.
Or maybe egg salad sandwiches. Boil a couple of eggs, mash them up and add mayo (and maybe mustard) until spreadable. Sprinkle with seasoned salt or any other seasonings you like. Spread on a couple pieces of toast and enjoy!
Canned chili is a yummy, relatively healthy lunch. Especially delicious with cheese and Frito's or tortilla chips.
To see more simple, mission friendly meal ideas, read Part 2 or Part 3!
A dictionary for mission lingo
zone = Each mission is separated into zones. They are comparable to stakes (and districts). It depends on the mission, but there are usually about 2 - 4 districts in each zone.
zone leader = Two elders are called to be the leaders of each zone. They lead each zone conference (generally once a month or once a transfer) and are responsible for the missionaries in their zone. It's their job to make sure everyone is safe and working hard.
district = Each zone is separated into districts. These are comparable to wards (and branches). It depends on the mission, but there are usually about 6 - 12 missionaries in a district.
district leader = One elder is called to be the leader of each district. He leads each district meeting (generally once a week) and is responsible for the missionaries in his district. It's his job to make sure everyone is safe and working hard on a more local and personalized level.
assistants to the president (assistants or AP) = Two elders who are, well, assistants to the mission president. They are at the top of the line as far as missionary leadership goes. Their responsibilities vary depending on the mission. Some may travel around the mission, some may not so much. Basically they are there to help train missionaries.
investigator = An individual who the missionaries have taught at least one lesson to and has set another appointment for the next lesson.
potential investigator = An individual who the missionaries found while out working and who is interested in the gospel, but has not received a complete lesson yet. There is a spot in the area book where previous missionaries have written down potential investigators. One good type of finding work is to go through that list and find out if they are still interested in hearing the lessons.
former investigator = An individual who has heard at least one lesson but then for some reason or another stopped visiting with the missionaries. Another good type of finding work is to go through the list of former investigators in the area book to see if they are interested again in hearing the lessons.
area = The place where (usually) two missionaries are assigned to work. Areas can vary from a few blocks to a few hundred miles, depending on the mission. Missionaries are not allowed to leave their area without permission from their leaders.
area book = Each area will have a big binder called the area book with all the information about investigators, members, the area in general, etc. This helps the missionaries stay organized and keep track of any important information. It also helps new missionaries who have just come into the area learn about their area and the people they are going to teach.
referral = A name that is received from a member or investigator of someone who is interested in learning the gospel. This is the number one best way to find people to teach.
contacting = A type of missionary work that includes going out and talking to everyone you see on the street, on the bus, on the train, etc. and inviting them to hear the gospel.
tracting = A type of missionary work that includes knocking on doors in order to find people who may be interesting in the gospel. This is probably the most well-known type, but also probably the least effective.
transfer = One transfer is typically 6 weeks long. This does depend on the mission, however. Our transfers were usually 9 weeks long. The word "transfer" is also used when a missionary is "transferred" or moved to another area.
That's enough for now. Please comment if there's a word you'd like me to define in a future post!
zone leader = Two elders are called to be the leaders of each zone. They lead each zone conference (generally once a month or once a transfer) and are responsible for the missionaries in their zone. It's their job to make sure everyone is safe and working hard.
district = Each zone is separated into districts. These are comparable to wards (and branches). It depends on the mission, but there are usually about 6 - 12 missionaries in a district.
district leader = One elder is called to be the leader of each district. He leads each district meeting (generally once a week) and is responsible for the missionaries in his district. It's his job to make sure everyone is safe and working hard on a more local and personalized level.
assistants to the president (assistants or AP) = Two elders who are, well, assistants to the mission president. They are at the top of the line as far as missionary leadership goes. Their responsibilities vary depending on the mission. Some may travel around the mission, some may not so much. Basically they are there to help train missionaries.
investigator = An individual who the missionaries have taught at least one lesson to and has set another appointment for the next lesson.
potential investigator = An individual who the missionaries found while out working and who is interested in the gospel, but has not received a complete lesson yet. There is a spot in the area book where previous missionaries have written down potential investigators. One good type of finding work is to go through that list and find out if they are still interested in hearing the lessons.
former investigator = An individual who has heard at least one lesson but then for some reason or another stopped visiting with the missionaries. Another good type of finding work is to go through the list of former investigators in the area book to see if they are interested again in hearing the lessons.
area = The place where (usually) two missionaries are assigned to work. Areas can vary from a few blocks to a few hundred miles, depending on the mission. Missionaries are not allowed to leave their area without permission from their leaders.
area book = Each area will have a big binder called the area book with all the information about investigators, members, the area in general, etc. This helps the missionaries stay organized and keep track of any important information. It also helps new missionaries who have just come into the area learn about their area and the people they are going to teach.
referral = A name that is received from a member or investigator of someone who is interested in learning the gospel. This is the number one best way to find people to teach.
contacting = A type of missionary work that includes going out and talking to everyone you see on the street, on the bus, on the train, etc. and inviting them to hear the gospel.
tracting = A type of missionary work that includes knocking on doors in order to find people who may be interesting in the gospel. This is probably the most well-known type, but also probably the least effective.
transfer = One transfer is typically 6 weeks long. This does depend on the mission, however. Our transfers were usually 9 weeks long. The word "transfer" is also used when a missionary is "transferred" or moved to another area.
That's enough for now. Please comment if there's a word you'd like me to define in a future post!
Dealing with persecution
Fortunately, I did not have to deal with very much persecution as a missionary. However, I know that some missionaries do so I thought (after receiving ideas from family members) it'd be a good topic to bring up.
The number one rule here is to remember that you are a representative of Jesus Christ. Be sure that you are acting and behaving like He would.
Here's an experience my dad had on his mission in France and Switzerland:
"I had a companion that was a very "spirited" individual. When someone would shout obscenities or throw eggs at us he would get defensive and shout back - I taught him how to just wave back and pretend it was a greeting. Whenever we were bombarded with eggs we noted that not one egg hit us. Our bikes got hit, and they landed all around us, but never did they hit us directly. One time an egg hit me in the chest as I leaned forward. I suppose my suit coat cushioned the blow enough that the egg fell down unbroken. We stood there stunned, looking at the egg on the ground (it had broken when it hit the ground)... a simple thing, maybe. But to me it was a testimony that missionaries are protected - even if it only meant we were saved from having egg on us for our next appointment."
Once on my mission, we taught a young man who was from the middle east and yet was interested in Christianity. While in his home one day, his uncle, who was very against Christianity, came home. The uncle started yelling all sorts of things at us that were not true. (I don't remember exactly what they were but they were not nice.) We were very tempted to yell back and try to correct his beliefs about us, but we didn't. We just got up and left.
It is very hard sometimes to just ignore persecution and leave. The persecutors will often be saying things against what is very sacred to you. However, it will just make it worse to get defensive and fight back. They want you to fight back. So don't. Take a deep breath, and walk away. If you need to, sing hymns to yourself or say a prayer. Like my dad and his companion were, you will be blessed for it.
Like it says it 3 Nephi 11: 28-30:
What are we, as missionaries, there for? To talk and preach of Christ. To bring peace, not contention.
In D&C 42:14, it says:
...if ye receive not the bSpirit ye shall not teach.
What would happen if you fought back? You'd lose the Spirit. Losing the Spirit makes it impossible to be an effective missionary.
You are a representative of Jesus Christ. Act and behave like He would and you will be an effective missionary.
The number one rule here is to remember that you are a representative of Jesus Christ. Be sure that you are acting and behaving like He would.
Here's an experience my dad had on his mission in France and Switzerland:
"I had a companion that was a very "spirited" individual. When someone would shout obscenities or throw eggs at us he would get defensive and shout back - I taught him how to just wave back and pretend it was a greeting. Whenever we were bombarded with eggs we noted that not one egg hit us. Our bikes got hit, and they landed all around us, but never did they hit us directly. One time an egg hit me in the chest as I leaned forward. I suppose my suit coat cushioned the blow enough that the egg fell down unbroken. We stood there stunned, looking at the egg on the ground (it had broken when it hit the ground)... a simple thing, maybe. But to me it was a testimony that missionaries are protected - even if it only meant we were saved from having egg on us for our next appointment."
Once on my mission, we taught a young man who was from the middle east and yet was interested in Christianity. While in his home one day, his uncle, who was very against Christianity, came home. The uncle started yelling all sorts of things at us that were not true. (I don't remember exactly what they were but they were not nice.) We were very tempted to yell back and try to correct his beliefs about us, but we didn't. We just got up and left.
It is very hard sometimes to just ignore persecution and leave. The persecutors will often be saying things against what is very sacred to you. However, it will just make it worse to get defensive and fight back. They want you to fight back. So don't. Take a deep breath, and walk away. If you need to, sing hymns to yourself or say a prayer. Like my dad and his companion were, you will be blessed for it.
Like it says it 3 Nephi 11: 28-30:
28 And according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize. And there shall be no adisputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.
29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit ofacontention is not of me, but is of the bdevil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things ashould be done away.
What are we, as missionaries, there for? To talk and preach of Christ. To bring peace, not contention.
In D&C 42:14, it says:
...if ye receive not the bSpirit ye shall not teach.
What would happen if you fought back? You'd lose the Spirit. Losing the Spirit makes it impossible to be an effective missionary.
You are a representative of Jesus Christ. Act and behave like He would and you will be an effective missionary.
Preparing to Leave #2
So, I found this site with TONS of awesome advice from many other returned missionaries. I will post the advice I liked (and haven't mentioned on this blog yet) here. To read all of it, here's the link:
http://www.ldsmissionarymoms.com/helptopics/Advice_From_Missionaries/
(Note: some of this advice is a bit out of date)
- Start mission habits now. Study the scriptures, study Preach My Gospel, wake up early, exercise, write in your journal, bear your testimony frequently, etc.
- Go on splits with the missionaries
- Learn to recognize the Spirit and to rely on the Lord
- Start saving money as soon as possible
- Bring a personal CD player or MP3 player with travel speakers (no headphones)
- Learn to cook in small amounts and be prepared to deal with whatever the cooking supplies in each area are
- Learn to eat anything and everything
(I had a companion who hated fish and unfortunately had to eat fish a lot. At one member's house, while the member was out of the room, this companion dumped her fish soup in my bowl and then I inhaled it. To this day I wonder if the member noticed that my bowl was empty when she left and yet I was chewing when she returned...)
- Bring a flashlight! And other things like scissors and markers. And music if you're musical.
- Bring pictures of family and friends (to look at and show companions on P-days)
- You will hear plenty of different things about the MTC. Some find it too confining. Some find it hard to sit in a desk for so long. Some hate the food, some love it. Most, if not all, will love the spiritual feast.
- Almost every missionary surveyed wished they hadn't left a girlfriend behind. Their advice was to drop the girl before you serve. If it's meant to be, she'll still be there when you return home.
- Many missionaries have a hard time adjusting to mission life. Top reasons why adjustment was difficult: Language, culture, immature missionaries, having to be with a companion 24/7, homesickness, schedules, leaving interests/hobbies, and leaving family/friends. Be as prepared as you can for a total and complete life change.
- Be social and work on your communication skills before you go
- Learn to love everyone, no matter how different they are
- Be prepared to work HARD
- Trust your mission president's advice
- Take every minute and be thankful. Time goes by so quickly so don't wish away your mission. It goes too quickly.
**For Preparing to Leave Part 1, click here.
**For tips on how to focus on preparing to serve a mission, click here.
http://www.ldsmissionarymoms.com/helptopics/Advice_From_Missionaries/
(Note: some of this advice is a bit out of date)
- Start mission habits now. Study the scriptures, study Preach My Gospel, wake up early, exercise, write in your journal, bear your testimony frequently, etc.
- Go on splits with the missionaries
- Learn to recognize the Spirit and to rely on the Lord
- Start saving money as soon as possible
- Bring a personal CD player or MP3 player with travel speakers (no headphones)
- Learn to cook in small amounts and be prepared to deal with whatever the cooking supplies in each area are
- Learn to eat anything and everything
(I had a companion who hated fish and unfortunately had to eat fish a lot. At one member's house, while the member was out of the room, this companion dumped her fish soup in my bowl and then I inhaled it. To this day I wonder if the member noticed that my bowl was empty when she left and yet I was chewing when she returned...)
- Bring a flashlight! And other things like scissors and markers. And music if you're musical.
- Bring pictures of family and friends (to look at and show companions on P-days)
- You will hear plenty of different things about the MTC. Some find it too confining. Some find it hard to sit in a desk for so long. Some hate the food, some love it. Most, if not all, will love the spiritual feast.
- Almost every missionary surveyed wished they hadn't left a girlfriend behind. Their advice was to drop the girl before you serve. If it's meant to be, she'll still be there when you return home.
- Many missionaries have a hard time adjusting to mission life. Top reasons why adjustment was difficult: Language, culture, immature missionaries, having to be with a companion 24/7, homesickness, schedules, leaving interests/hobbies, and leaving family/friends. Be as prepared as you can for a total and complete life change.
- Be social and work on your communication skills before you go
- Learn to love everyone, no matter how different they are
- Be prepared to work HARD
- Trust your mission president's advice
- Take every minute and be thankful. Time goes by so quickly so don't wish away your mission. It goes too quickly.
**For Preparing to Leave Part 1, click here.
**For tips on how to focus on preparing to serve a mission, click here.
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