Doing the right thing

Sometimes there are people who do or say something grand that changes our lives. There are parents that try to do their best to teach us what is right. There are teachers that train so they can teach us important concepts and principles. People in our lives like parents and teachers even study and pray to know the best way to help us. There are also those people that affect and change our lives simply by doing what is right without even knowing they are making a difference in the lives of others. I started my mission in the wonderful town of Arica, Chile. Everything was new and exciting. My first companion was very energetic about the work and we worked hard. As we ran from appointment to appointment I tried to keep a positive attitude even though I didn’t like anything about running. Understanding and speaking Spanish was challenging. The days were long and hot. Fleas were abundant and thriving on my blood. Yet, I was so excited to be on my mission. I had been looking forward to my mission since as far back as I could remember. The Missionary Training Center had been hard, fun, spiritual and educational. I had no doubt that I was supposed to be on my mission. At the MTC we were taught how to work with people and teach the gospel. We were taught how to help others feel and recognize the spirit. We were taught how to help people resolve their own doubts about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We were taught how to respect others' agency while still helping them through what can be the difficult path of conversion. I left the MTC so excited to go to Chile while still knowing that I still had A LOT to learn about being a missionary. As the days and weeks went by with my trainer I began to experience feelings I had never felt before. I wanted to go home. I wanted to be done with my mission. This was only a few weeks in and I was very sad that I felt that way. I only knew two ways to be a missionary. The way I was taught at the MTC and the way my companion was a missionary. My companion was a great person with a lot of love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a very hard worker and obedient to mission rules. None of us are perfect and I have no ill will toward my companion. Instead of helping others to resolve their doubts he chose manipulation as one of his tools in leading people to the waters of baptism. I was so frustrated as I watched him use contracts with people to force them to ignore their doubts or questions when they would arise. I thought to myself, “This is not why I am here. If this is how mission work is done, I am ready to go home.” One week I asked my Zone Leader if I could go on splits with him. This was not the normal way of doing things, but I really wanted to see how another missionary worked. I think I only told Elder Watkins (my Zone Leader) that I wanted to go out with another missionary to see how it went. I doubt that he knew how this day would change my mission. I don’t remember all the details of the day and sadly my journal writing was not as informative as I now wish it was. I remember we visited a few different families and people. They were all in different stages of gospel progression. One was recently baptized, one ready to be baptized that week, and one new investigator. The details are not really that important. As we met with each of the people that day they all had questions, doubts, or something to overcome. I was thrilled when Elder Watkins followed the steps I had learned in the MTC to help them resolve their doubts. He was understanding of their questions and helped them learn how to rely on Heavenly Father and The Spirit to guide them. He did not force anyone to do anything that they weren’t ready to do. I was so ready to keep working after spending that day with him. I knew that the way my companion had been working was not the way most missionaries were working. I knew that I could teach others with the methods I was taught in the MTC and this drove me forward with enthusiasm. Elder Watkins didn’t plan on changing my mission that day. He didn’t have some master blueprint that he was going to use to help me. I doubt he even knew what was bothering me. He hadn’t gone through years of schooling to learn how to teach others. What he DID was follow what he had been taught by his leaders. He did the right thing. He chose to follow a path that might have been harder and taken longer but reaped real results. Because he chose to do what he was asked to do, I was blessed. My companion was transferred very soon after my outing with Elder Watkins. I had many companions and learned and grew with each one. I was also humbled MANY times as I learned that I was not perfect in my missionary work either. A mission can be a very challenging, yet very rewarding experience. I hope that lessons I have learned from my mission can help me throughout the rest of my life. Lessons like how doing the right thing, the right way, can bless the lives of others even if we don’t know it.