Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This is a great article!  I have known some who were a bit let down from where their missionary call was, but after they have been there, they love it! What’s the Most Exciting Mission Location? By Joni Hilton  · May 22, 2019 Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE Right now I’m picturing some young men and women who are awaiting their mission calls. They’ve prepared all their lives, they’ve “put in their papers,” and now they—and their families– wonder where they’ll be spending the next 18 months or two years of their lives. But they have no idea the phenomenal surprises that await them. First, let’s be honest. Even though we know the most important thing is  that  they serve, we all see the screams of delight in videos of the announcement when an exotic location and language are revealed. As a people, we still struggle to get over the  where. Let me tell you where I would pray with all my heart for my chil...

The Red Rose and the Mission Call By Daris Howard  · May 21, 2019 Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE Lewis had fought through World War II in the Pacific. He had seen many of his friends die, and he had himself been wounded. So when he was assigned as a guard at the war crimes trials in Japan, hatred burned in his heart for those he felt had been the cause of this destructive war. In his work at the trial, he did not associate too much with the Japanese people, and Lewis was happy about that. He wanted nothing to do with them. And as he did his guard duty day after day, he had lots of time to think about the war, and his hatred increased. But one little Japanese lady bothered him the most. Whenever she saw Americans, she would offer them a solitary red rose. She especially took notice of Lewis and would single him out for her simple offering. He would reject her gift, as did all other Americans. She seemed hurt by this, b...

I posted this 2 years ago today, and it is appropriate now also.  Many missionaries leave for their missions in the summer, and are coming home now also.  I hope these ideas help. 479. How a Returned Missionary can Adjust to Being Home. Great advice! This is a great article for returned missionaries, with ideas on how to make the transition coming home from a mission, and utilize the skills and strengths you made while a missionary.  Also counsel on how to stay strong! How to Help Your  RM  to Adjust to Being Home by Clark and Kathleen Hinckley, Sunny Morton & LDS Living Staff  |  Mormon Life One moment a missionary is fully focused on the needs and concerns of investigators, new converts, and less-active members. They’ve worn a name tag and haven’t been without a companion for the last 18 or 24 months. Their life is so focused on inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive th...

I just realized that I haven't posted pictures of our Senior Missions together for a long time!  We have been on 2 missions, the first of which was to Sweden, where Wayne had served his first mission in 1950 to 1953.  We later went to the Hartford, Connecticut, mission.  I'm going to tell more about them in these posts about Wayne -- up to February 21st, which is one year since he has been gone.   (Undoubtedly doing missionary work up there!) The picture above was taken in 1994, when we entered the Senior MTC on our way to Sweden. First posted on December 27, 2013 # 51 When I was about 18 years old, I received a lovely comforting blessing from the 88 year old Patriarch, for whom I typed blessings.  He said the day would come when I would serve a mission.  At that time (1953) a girl had to be 23 years old to serve a mission.  I didn't expect to be able to go then, and I did get married about 2 weeks before I turned 21.   We began ...

This has been a most inspiring Sabbath Day.  Early this morning, I went to a Sacrament Meeting in a town about 20 minutes away, with a young returned missionary with a wonderful bass voice, and his fiance'.  I played the piano while he sang "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul".  The senior couple who also talked have had amazing experiences, being on missions in Mongolia and also the Phillipines, and worked for the Church in Hong Kong, helping get land to build LDS Church buildings in many Far Eastern countries.  They related many exciting and inspirational experiences.   After the wife spoke, this young man, Caleb, sang his song, and really put a lot of feeling into it.  Then when we sat down, he was wiping tears from his eyes, and his chin was quivering.  I could see that just singing that beautiful song about the Savior had really touched his soul.  And it touched the congregation as well.  Then the husband of the couple spoke, and had some ...

This sounded really interesting.  I hope it will help some of you out there who have missionaries in the field, including grandmas and grandpas! 8 Weekly Questions to Help You Stay Connected to Your Missionary Missionary Blogs Missionary Moms Missionary Parents Feb 6, 2015 0  37 Do you ever feel like there is a disconnect between you and your missionary? Is it hard to feel like you are connected to them from the communication that you receive? Well, one missionary mother (Julie Hess) has shared some really useful questions that can help you find out what is in that missionaries heart. Here is what she said. When our daughter was on her mission, we used to write her on Sunday mornings and would receive her emails on Sunday evenings. I would share the group email she would send out each week here, but there were other, personal, emails that only passed between her and me. Her first few emails were a little lacking in the details I was hoping for. ...

This was mentioned on KSL, and sounded interesting!  Preparing for a mission actually begins at an early age, and includes many things which will help you be a successful missionary.   Of course, the first thing is a solid testimony of the Restored Gospel, and a desire to serve, having lived worthy for it.  The ideas below may give you insights on other things which could be helpful to you.  Knowing how to cook basic healthy food, and do your own laundry top the practical list! ---------------------------------------------------     (Ideas from Grandma Pal)  --- These ideas can help you spend the time from when you get your call to when you actually leave.   Sometimes you have 4 to 6 months, and those months can provide valuable time to get your basic habits and knowledge of what a mission will be .   Learning get up and go to bed early and to not be so tied to electronic devices, etc. will help you be able to adjust to mission lif...