Missionary life

We have been meeting with missionaries this week as of course we do every week.  However, as we have spoken with them I have been so impressed by what they are able to do every day.  I would like to share with you some of the facts about these wonderful young people.

They face challenges every day with smiles and thankfulness for their blessings.  Some of the challenges include no hot water, and other difficult living conditions, such as no ovens, washers, kitchen tables, or even comfortable seats.  They laugh about water trickling out of the shower head, mushrooms growing in the shower, or calefactors (water heaters) that leak gas or do not work at all.

They keep smiling during study time with difficult companions, the challenges of learning a new language—either Spanish or English and going out to work no matter what the weather.  It is hot and dusty in the summer and cold and rainy in the winter.  The hours are long and it is often hard to find people willing to listen to their message.

But they face all these challenges with a smile because of their love for our Savior and their willingness to take two years or 18 months from their life to dedicate themselves to sharing themselves and the gospel with the people of Chile.  They are rewarded with miracles, with blessings such as finding life-long friends, learning to know the great things of which they are capable, and the knowledge that they can serve and lead and grow.  The mission time helps them for the rest of their lives and influences not only the people they baptize but also their families and themselves.

We are so grateful for our missionaries and so blessed to be able to serve with them and get to know them during the hardest and yet best time of their lives.