Missionary stories

Our current District

I am a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I joined when I was 17 years old.  Thinking back, I am humbled that Heavenly Father sent me his representatives with a message of my Savior Jesus Christ, of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ.  I am so very grateful for the young men who taught me, who patiently answered my questions, who brought me the greatest gift I have ever received.

When I left to serve a mission to Cali, Colombia a few years later, I was hoping that I could have the same impact on someone else's life.  I was again humbled that the Lord would be able to use me in teaching and bringing to someone else this wonderful gift.

Panama City, Panama has some of the most amazing young missionaries.  Their stories are inspiring.  As the mission nurse (no I'm not a real nurse), I have been able to come to know many of our missionaries.

Our first multi-zone conference with President Current

I will share some pictures here.  I want to share a little of what I am able to experience and what I see.

The missionaries love to pose at conferences.

Our Elders from Santiago riding to a meeting with us.

Young men have to be at least 18 to serve a mission.  Young women need to be 18.  They leave their homes, their friends, their schooling, their sports, their scholarships, their lives for 2 years (young men) or 18 months (young women).

While on their missions they are allowed to send and receive emails once a week.  They can call home on Mother's day and Christmas.  They miss weddings, funerals, graduations, new births in the family, etc.

I remember as a young woman leaving for 18 months.  We didn't have email back then.  I rarely received mail from home.  The mail system in Colombia was not really reliable.  What happens though, is that you become so involved in the work that you put your other life sort of out of your mind.  You are so focused on others that you don't worry about yourself or your family.

Many of our missionaries are the only members in their family.  They come with little support but great desires to serve the Lord.  I am so inspired by their testimonies and desires to serve the Lord.  We had a sister at Christmas who called home on our computer.  She had joined the church just the year before she left.  Her mother was not a member.  Her mom missed her.  When she talked to her at Christmas it was very emotional.  The  mom missed her, wanted her to come home.  Our dear sweet sister tried to encourage and be brave.  Lots of tears were shed.  I remember needing support on my mission.  This dear sister had very little.  She had lots of faith that the Lord would be with her family while she served.

New missionaries arrive every 6 weeks to the mission.  There is an orientation meeting, I get to tell them about drinking lots of water and if they aren't willing to do what I say- don't call me 😐  I really do say that.  They are so excited to be on their missions.  I love hearing where they are from.  We get lots of missionaries from Central America.  We also have missionaries from Peru, Argentina, and Colombia.  When I hear that their parents were missionaries I remember the Latin missionaries I served with so many years ago. Most of them were first generation missionaries.  What a great legacy to now have missionaries serving who are grandchildren of my generation.

New missionaries during orientation

We always take pictures of new missionaries arriving

It's pretty exciting for them to meet their trainers.

Every six weeks missionaries finish their missions.  It is so hard to say good bye to missionaries you have grown to love and admire.

Elder Erias had been our zone leader with Elder Lau

Love Elder Lau (left).  He's home but I sure miss him.

I just love the meetings where we see lots of missionaries.  It's great to see ones that we know well and hear how they're doing in their new areas.

Missionaries are assigned a trainer.  What a hard job that is.  If the new missionary is from the States, they help them learn the language, how to teach, the mission rules and help them adjust to missionary life.  This is one of the hardest assignments as a missionary.

Sister Ramsey (Right) trained Sister Campbell

We love to take the missionaries to dinner on the way home or to meetings.  They love it too.

Our very first district.

What an amazing group of Elders in one location.

Mondays are our preparation days.  We get to clean, do laundry and sometimes play together.

Missionaries are representatives of Jesus Christ.  They have been called by a prophet of God to take the world His Gospel.  They are worthy, they are prepared, they are obedient.  They are humble.

Sometimes we get to be with them when they're teaching.  What powerful testimonies they have.  They teach with great power.

Some suffer through pain as they try to finish their missions with honor. Sometimes the heat, the walking, the stress can make enduring to the end a bit of a challenge.  I am so impressed with the effort many make to offer their all to the Lord.

I have been amazed at the impact these sisters have had.  We have worked since we arrived for Karina to get baptized.  These sisters are amazing- through love the got it done.

I am so very thankful for the past year and a half of being associated with such incredible young people.  They have taught me and inspired me to be better.  Often, people refer to them as angels.  They truly are.

May we all try to be a little more like them.  Be willing to leave behind things in our lives now to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to bless His children.