Last Sunday I gave my mission farewell talk in my home ward. I can easily say it was in the top three best days of my short 22 years. It was wonderful and beautiful in every way. I was so blessed to have such amazing family members and friends there to support me. It really was a day to remember and cherish.
Thank you to all who made it so special.
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"I would like to start off with a
letter from the future.
September 20, 2014, exactly 18
months from my entry date into the Missionary Training Center, marking the end
of my mission.
Dear Yo,
Welcome home. Welcome back to a
world that you left behind 18 months ago. Welcome back to your family and friends
who have missed you dearly, especially little Allie May. She’s almost ten now
and more beautiful than you could have imagined. She’s pretty smart too and she
still believes that boys have cooties. (whew) Skylee’s been doing great and so
has your little Jetta, even though it’s slightly more manly now and smells a
lot like him. You wished he had written you more letters, but you understood
because he was busy taking control of his life and rocking at everything he
did. So many blessings have been sent to him while you’ve been away, and he’s
come so far. You’re really proud of him.
Your mom missed you lots too. She
didn’t miss your daily closet raids and shoe borrowing, but she sure did miss listening
to your worries and lending out the best advice that could only come from a
mother. She also missed mending your heart after a trial or reminding you of
how important it is to pray.
And Dad? Believe it or not, he
missed you most. Even though, before you left, he was convinced you spent most
of your time living in a space bubble without a clue, the past year and half
he’s been in awe of how much you’ve grown. He no longer worries about your
future or where you’ll end up in 5, 10, 15 years, the only thing he has to
worry about now is whether or not you can find a man who even comes close to
being good enough for his daughter. He knows that someday he’ll have to give
you away, but you’ll remind him not to fret because you’ll be sure to find
someone that’s at least half the man he is.
Now that you’ve been home for a
little while and have taken the time to reflect, everything feels like a dream.
Looking back you can’t believe that you accomplished all that you did. The best
18 months of your life are behind you now and what you gather from your
experience is all you have left. It’s all you have left, but the memories and
lessons learned are more than enough to carry you through the next 50 years.
The past 500 days have been more than you could have ever expected and you’ve
been blessed to accomplish every single one of your goals that you set before
you entered the MTC.
Goal 1: Strive to live in constant harmony with the spirit
After I received my call back in
December, the very first thing that Bishop Snyder told me during our first
weekly meeting was, “ If you want to be a successful missionary, all you need
is the Spirit.” He explained to me that even if I struggle with the language,
teaching the lessons, or understanding the culture, none of that will matter as
long as I have the spirit with me always.
Heavenly Father promises in Doctrine
and Covenants 45: 15-16 that as a missionary I will be blessed with the Power
of the Holy Ghost. It reads,
“Again I say, hearken ye elders (or
sisters) of my church, whom I have appointed: Ye are not sent forth to be taught,
but to teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by
the power of my Spirit. And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify
yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have
spoken.”
Bishop Snyder also explained to me
that the power of the Spirit will not automatically be given to me simply
because I am set apart as a missionary. I
can still hear him as he described the three things that would help me to
always have the spirit.
Worthiness. You
won’t be perfect. You’ll make mistakes, but remember to always repent and
promise yourself that “tomorrow I will be better.”
Get along with your companion. Easier said than done, but do whatever it takes to work out
differences and tension before you try to teach. A recently returned missionary
told me just this morning that, “I wont necessarily like all my companions, but
I’ll always love them.
Love the people. This
goes without explanation. Pray for those you teach, listen to their needs, and
always search for opportunities to serve them.
As it is written bold in my
missionary handbook, “Enjoying the gifts of the Spirit should be one of your
most earnest desires.”
Goal 2: Learn about true love and sacrifice
It’s a different for everyone,
and choosing to serve a mission is a very personal choice, but I have come to
know, without a doubt, that serving a mission is one decision in my life that I
will never regret. I will do my best to learn lessons and teachings that will
help me become a better wife, mother, friend, daughter, and better in all other
callings that will be expected of me in years to come.
Goal 3: Forget yourself and go to work
-
1 Nephi 3:7, “And it came to pass
that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord
hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the
children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish
the thing which he commandeth them.”
- My prayer is that the second I set
foot in the MTC, I will have successfully left the world behind me. I hope to
find humility and ease in obedience and a constant desire to have the power of
God with me throughout my service.
- So, the other day my mom snuck (more
like barged) into my room in the wee hours of the morning and tucked this
months Ensign under my pillow and whispered “read this today.” Thanks mom. Well,
usually when my mom tells me to do something like this, she has good reason, so
later that morning I began to flip through the magazine. One of the articles that
I was instructed to read titled ‘Raising Resilient Children’ seemed to be
written specifically for me.
In the article Elder Burrup
explains, “The original definition of the word resilience had to do with a
material’s ability to resume its shape or position after being bent,
stretched, or compressed. Today we commonly use the word to describe our
ability to bounce back from adversity.”
“We
know two things about adversity and resilience: First, there is “an opposition
in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). Second, obtaining
anything of great worth often requires great sacrifice. “
That morning I learned that my
mission will most likely have some hard times and I will most likely be tested
more than once.
I also learned that morning that I
have been blessed with amazing parents who have taught me that life is
challenging and ever changing, but I do have the ability to cope with those
challenges and changes. They have also taught me that I can “influence and even
control my mission’s (and life’s) outcomes through effort, imagination,
knowledge, and skill.
Continuing with the letter:
Yo, you now realized that not only
did you accomplish those three goals that you had set before you left last
year, but you also accomplished so much more with the Lord’s help.
Remember those few months before you
left on your mission, when you were so excited to share with others about what
your were preparing for? Well, you’re favorite question during that time
leading up to your mission was, “Why are you going on a mission? What made you
decide to put your life, studies, everything you’ve ever known on hold and move
half way across the world?”
You loved that question. You loved
it because it’s one question that you actually had an answer for. It might not
be the most correct answer or the same for everyone, but going on a mission was
one thing in your life that you had never been more sure about.
Why do I want to serve a mission?
Since that moment in September of last year when I called my mom, with tears in
my eyes, explaining to that I wanted to serve a mission, I have not once
questioned why.
I want others to know what I know. I
want a young bride to know that the man she’s about to marry isn’t just hers
“Until death do us part,” but he hers for eternity. I want a struggling
teenager to know that he has a unique purpose in this life and that his
Heavenly Father loves him despite his heavy mistakes and forgotten path. I want
the old lady who now lies alone at night with a broken heart and an ache to
hold the hand of her late husband to know that he’s waiting for her. He’s
watching over her and patiently awaiting for her to join him beyond the veil,
but only when her life’s purpose is complete. I want to testify to others of
the undeniable peace and understanding that can come from reading the Book of
Mormon and of the blessings and happiness that can come from temple attendance.
I want to testify of our loving prophet, Thomas S Monson, and his desire for
people across the world to learn of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Most of all, you know why I want to serve a
mission? Because when I smile at strangers from across the street or meet
someone on an airplane or at the grocery store, I want them to walk away with
one question on their minds, “What was that light in her eyes? What makes her
glow the way she does? What does she know that I don’t?”
A good friend of mine shared a quote
with me a couple months ago that left a huge impression on me. It’s a quote
from the mother of Joseph Smith, her name was Lucy and this is how I want to
live my life from this point forward. I know that as I keep her words in mind,
I will be able to overcome anything.
After so many years of hardships and
struggles that I cannot even begin to imagine, She comes to this
conclusion.
“I am part of the fellowship of the
unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision
has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I wont look back, let up, slow
down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future
is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees,
colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed
goals. I no longer need preeminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or
popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded or
rewarded.
I now live by faith, lean on His
presence, walk with patience, am lifted up in prayer, and labor with power.
My face is set, my goal is heaven.
My road is narrow, my way is rough,
my companions few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be
bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed, will not flinch
in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presences of the adversary, negotiate
at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in
the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed
up, stored up and paid up for the case of Christ. I must go till He comes, give
till I drop, preach tell all know, and work till He stops me and when He
returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.”
-Lucy Mack Smith (Mother of Joseph
Smith)
At the close of this letter I remind
my future self to always remember what I learned on my mission and to refer to
my journals regularly. I promise myself that I will never forget the miracles
and tender mercies of the Lord and that the best years of my life are not behind
me, but they’re still to come.
Me gustaria compartir mi testimonio
con ustedes en espanol:
Sé que la
Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Días es la única iglesia verdadera
en la tierra. Sé que José Smith fue un profeta y el Libro de Mormón es
verdadero. Sé que Thomas S Monson es el profeta verdadero viviente y lo amo. Sé
que podemos lograr lo mas alegría por
vivir el Evangelio y que las familias puedan estar juntas para siempre. Estoy
muy agradecida por mi mamá y su ejemplo para mí. Estoy agradecida por el templo
y la oportunidad de recibir muchas bendiciones por el. Yo sé que Dios me ama y
que tengo un propósito en esta tierra. Estoy muy emocionada para poder a servir
una misión en España y no puedo esperar para amar a la gente de Madrid. Yo amo
a todos de ustedes muchisimo. Digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo,
Amén."
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Love,
Hermana Scheu
