As a 14 year old Mia Maid, I knew I wanted to go on a
mission. Now all of us don’t discover our mission dreams when we are 14, and
honestly, when the time came for me to be able to go at 21, I didn’t want to go at
first. I had a boyfriend, life was good: well that is another story. It is important to prepare physically,
spiritually, and mentally/emotionally for your mission. There were some things I did to prepare, and
some that I wished I had done.
Here we go!
Physically
·
Exercise
30 minutes every day even if it is just
walking
If you haven’t
learned to ride a bike…now would be a good time
You can also practice in a skirt
and different techniques to cinch up your skirt so it doesn’t get caught
somewhere in the bike and send you flying.
·
Learn to
deal with bugs…just in case
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| Mosquitoes....love...me.... |
Spiritually
·
Read your
scriptures everyday
Not only is this a commandment but you will
seriously need some armor now that you have decided to be a missionary. You will find opposition, but hold on to the
rod. Besides the protection, an Angel
told Nephi that scriptures lead you to feel the love of God which is “most
joyous to the soul.” That is so much
better than ice cream or your favorite desert.
·
Pray
This is one of the best things you can
do. A suggestion from Elder Bednar is to
write down the things you asked for in your morning prayers, and then thank
Heavenly Father for everything he answered specifically at night. You will be surprised how much he blesses us
even when we mindlessly ask for things.
·
Read
Preach My Gospel
Don’t only read it but write down your
thoughts about it, live it! You might consider
practicing giving commitments. For
example: “insert name of loved one, will
you take out the garbage?” …. “I promise you that when you take out the
garbage our house will not stink and my appreciation for you will grow.” You can also make commitments with yourself! Set goals, they will change you, and that is
what commitments are all about.
Emotionally
A mission is emotionally taxing. Here are some things that you might
experience that you might not have had to deal with before.
- Having an issue with someone but not being able to leave, walk away, or not be their friend
- Loving someone so much, seeing them get baptized, and watching them fall away
- Depression
- Feeling like you are not doing all you can to share the gospel and wanting to do more, but feeling like you physically and emotionally can’t
These are just a few, and don’t get me wrong, the mission is
a most wonderful experience, but hard things do happen. The best preparation I can give you here is
to know Christ. If you can come to
understand the atonement, you will have sacred experiences where the Lord will
deliver you out of the most deep dark hard places you have ever been. That goes for life in general, but we are
talking missions so here are a few reads I recommend.
The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality: David A. Bednar
Ask in Faith: David A. Bednar
Church website on preparing for a mission
Church site specifically for women wanting to serve
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| DOWN POUR! I know! It looks like we just jumped into a swimming pool. |
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