Missionaries

This goes out to anyone considering serving a mission, anyone who has served a mission, anyone on a mission, or anyone with friends or families serving a mission.
Missionaries are some of the bravest people I know of, along with those serving our country in the military. These are the true heroes of today. No superman, or Batman, or spiderman. The men and women that children and teens should be looking up to are the ones that are making a difference in this world, as missionaries, and military men and women are doing.
In primary, the children sing "I hope they call me on a mission." When a child says that do they realize that it is 100% their responsibility to doing the work to get that mission call? It's not "I hope they call me on a mission." they should be singing.  Its "I hope I get to serve a mission" "I hope Ill Bless the world with missionary work" "i hope I'm worthy to serve a mission." "I hope I can make a difference in someones lives."  The church isn't just going to call a brother or sister to serve a mission without a missionary going through the process of putting their papers together to send them into the President of the Church. and at that point it's their choice if they will serve. Every once in a while, (actually it's more common than we like to think) a missionary decides to serve because it's what their friends want, or what their family wants... not what they want, and they have very little success and come home early. It is my hope that anyone that decides to serve a mission, will serve because they want to, and because they know the Lord wants them to.
When a missionary enters the mission field, all communication with their loved ones is cut off, with the exception of letters and emails, and 2 calls a year, once on Christmas, and once on Mothers day.
President Gordon B. Hinckley told a story of when he was serving a mission, and wrote his father telling him it was very hard, and couldn't do it. His father responded "Forget yourself and go to work." When i think of missionary work, and the missionaries that have the most success, I think of how they did it. The forgot themselves and went to work for the lord.

This is a really poor quality clip, but its the best i could find. The picture is not important, but the message is.
Missionaries have a lot of time to grow, both spiritually and in maturity while they are gone. And the change that we see in them when they return is amazing!!!  These young boys we send off at 19 come back with so much experience ready for life and to dive into their next mission of life, finding a wife and starting a family. and yes sometimes it happens very quickly and they are given a lot off grief for it. But come on,  that's what they are asked to do, it's what the Lord wants, so give 'em a break. I have many friends serving all over the world right now as well as all over the US. Argentina, Peru, Chile, Taiwan, Korea, Paraguay, Russian, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Germany, Cape Verde, Missouri, Florida, Washington, Washington DC, Canada, Virginia, Texas, Mexico, El Salvador, Pennsylvania, London, Italy, California, Ecuador, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Madagascar, South Africa, those are just some of the places that Personal friends of mine are serving or have served, or will soon serve in. There are missions all over the world, wanting so badly for people to Come to understand the gospel of Christ.  They are not mean, they're still children when they go out. If you are not a member and not interested, there is no need to slam the door in their face or be rude. Because I doubt they personally did anything to you, Maybe let them come in and talk, or if you really have no desire, then a polite "no" would suffice. These men work hard, and even if what they teach is not something you agree with, you gotta give them some credit for the work they do. They are great. I'm so proud of my brother and all my friends who have chosen to serve a mission.   Thank you Elders and Sisters for all the work you do.
to learn more visit mormon.org

Brothers

Today is my brothers 21st birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLBY!!!!
My brother is serving an LDS mission in San Antonio, Texas right now, and has been out for about 15 months. He will be home in July, and im suprisingly excited.
All growing up, we hated each other, except for the occasional times when we got a long, but there were very few times when we got along...  When I was three or four he did something that obviously made me really mad, I have no idea what it was, but i remember being really mad.  I waited for him to go to school and I took my moms sewing scissors and cut all of the cords to our super nintendo.... he wasnt happy. I was a devious child and he didnt like me. But he was mean, and deserved it, I think. But despite the fact that i hated him, I always wanted to be with him, doing whatever he was doing. And I loved bragging about him to my friends. But we hated each other. It wasnt untill he had left on his mission that I realized that I loved the guy. I miss having my big bro around to do things with. And I miss him bringing his cute friends over to the house haha.  I try to write him every week, but I'm not very good at it, but I get so excited when his letters come in the mail! I feel like an only child because hes not here, its really weird. I used to say I wish I was an only child, but now I wouldn't trade my brother for anything!!
I've also found from my friends who have brothers who are just a couple years older or younger, that the same is true for them, well for my girl friends anyway.  My guy friends say they have been best friends with their older brothers since they were born. And girls with sisters say the same thing..   but since I only have my one brother, I guess I'll never know.
Brothers are awesome though.  they have a protective quality over their younger siblings that us, as the younger sibling, don't always see. Their protectiveness is shown in a different way. For my brother, he would just tell me what i was doing was stupid, or the people I hang out with were stupid.  That was his way of telling me to be careful, or not hang out with certain people.  I just didn't realize it until now. I just thought he was being a jerk, telling me everything in my life was stupid. great bro right?
Brothers are awesome!  telll yours you love them today!  Go have an adventure with them!