Things I Learned on My Mission

• Jesus is sassy.
• Inspiration from the Spirit is real – trust it will come and don’t over-think it.
• Faith brings miracles.
• Remember – people have their agency.
• How to properly eat an apple.
• No matter what you do as a missionary, even if it’s not your best, God uses every ounce of your effort for good.

Fired-Up

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Aragorn:  “The beacons. The beacons of Minas Tirith have been lit! Gondor calls for aid.”

Theoden: “And Rohan will answer!”

 

So, my mission president summoned all of the veteran missionary leaders to Lyon this week for a special Leadership Council. Every single missionary I go home with has been a Leader at some point in their mission, which doesn’t happen often, apparently. And all of us were gathered at this grand meeting for the sole purpose of figuring out what we could do to fire-up the missionaries.

Finding the Fire
Fire was a big part of the conference. There is a rising number of missionaries who have lost their spark and are struggling.  And with a large batch of new missionaries coming in, well, the president’s charge to us was to inspire others to rise up, and ignite the work again.  We all sat down in council and discussed it.

How do you inspire someone out of a slump?  What does it take to get someone from the doldrums on to high ground? From snuffed-out to burning bright?

Omit “Overwhelmed” from Your Vocabulary

“I’ve got my country’s five hundredth anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I’m swamped.”
Prince Humperdinck, The Princess Bride

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of Overwhelming obstacles.”
Christopher Reeve

Yeah, I know. ‘Tis the season…for BUSY. Am I right?  Your plate is full.  The lists, the planning, the work, the assignments.

Then…it gets fuller.

Expectations, duties, obligations, requirements, want-tos, have-tos. Then comes the proverbial curve-ball and things get officially wack-a-doodle. And you are tempted to say, because you have every right to, that you are honestly and truly “Overwhelmed.” But don’t.

Rise Up

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in Rising up every time we fail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Sometimes in life, soul is called to Rise even if it’s alone, leave all behind and Rise anyway!”
Coletha Albert

“Your life is yours alone. Rise up and live it.”
Terry Goodkind

Listen, I’m all for decompressing and relaxing, and mental health days.  I believe Italy has it right with taking 2-hour Pranzos in the middle of every day for food and family.  And, for heaven’s sake, a 4-day work week would do wonders for the collective human spirit, and therefore healthcare.

But this humble pep-post isn’t about kicking back or taking it easy.  No. This is about another form of well being:  Giving it your all.

Success Inspires, But Failure Connects

“You are human and mortal; we are the sum of our weak moments and our strong.”
Mercedes Lackey

“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.”
Criss Jami

“Failure makes your story worth telling.”
Jer Monson

How we portray our success as well as our failures has a great deal to do with how we relate to others.

It took me years to get this. I grew up with the “never let them see you sweat” mentality. And, because people only saw the polished success, they only got half the story.

“Success and failure are two halves of the same coin.  If we want our lives to be as impactful as possible, it’s important to share both!  By presenting a full picture, we can use our experiences to help other people acknowledge their individual potential, mitigate their fear of failure, and capitalize on their opportunities.”
Jer Monson

Success inspires, but failure connects.

So, what do you stink at?  Tell you what – I’ll go first.