Headed Home!

Before we go home, the mission asks us to write up a "reflection" of our mission and one special experience.

Early on my mission I was paired up with a companion that had been out on his mission not much less than I had. It was my first time where I felt like I had to take full responsibility and control of our companionship. My companion and I got along fine, but we were always struggling a little bit, I spent a lot of time trying to boost his confidence and push him along through the everyday struggles of missionary work. 

One particular night we sat down for dinner at 八方. My companion and I had not talked much during the course of that day and dinner was basically silent. He didn't want to talk to me and I was fine sitting there in silence. (This had happened before) I could tell something was wrong but I was too worried about what we were going to be doing that night, I was worried about how I was going to help him have motivation to go out. He looked sad and depressed and had been like this most of the transfer. I thought we could just push hard through another night and he would tag along with what I was doing. As we started to leave I had a strong impression to stop what we were doing and to "not forget my comp." The thought came to me "He is way more imported than one night of proselyting." So I stopped us on the way out the door and we turned back around and sat back down at the table. We sat in silence for a minute before I asked him what was wrong. After some time he responded with tears in his eyes "I HATE IT HERE." Then explained to me the struggles he had been experiencing on the mission and what his family was going through back home. His family needed and in his opinion it would be better for him to fix the situation there rather stay out here. 

At first I was a little surprised to hear him share all this with me, but I just took it all in. I didn't know how to respond. I started thinking in my head, "Okay, if that's what you think is best than do it."

But as we sat there my heart began to soften. I began to have a desire to help.  The spirit hit me hard. HE NEEDS TO STAY OUT HERE. I could feel the love that God had for him and my love for him and my desire to help him fix this problem grew instantly. I had the thought "There is nothing more important He could be doing with his life than giving 100% of it to the Lord." 

Through this experience, as my companion grieved in pain and loneliness, I was oblivious to what he was going through. I was trying my best to work hard, to focus on investigators and the ward, and in the process I looked right passed my companion. Through the mercy of the Lord, my eyes were opened. I was given an opportunity to help a son of God trying his best to serve.  We went back to the chapel and this Elder and I had one of the most heart felt conversations of my life, I gave him a blessing and we were able to feel and know very clearly how important it was for him to stay out. We made some specific plans and goals to keep Him out here and to help him feel of the joy that comes from giving it all to the Lord.

As I sat in a room 7,000 miles away from both of our homes, I learned and felt just a little of how much love our Heavenly Father each of us. We were called by a prophet of God to teach the precious truths of how to meet God in this life and the knowledge of our after life. 

It is hard, but with the Lord it is possible. We can increase our capacity to love and give to the Lord and others by increasing our faith in Him. As I watched my companion struggle through the hard times. I watched him cling onto all the faith he had. He wanted to believe, he was trying, and the Lord did the rest. The Savior is the only one who completely understood completely what he was going through. 

He gave me an opportunity to be a tool in helping my companion, comfort him, and encourage him throughout this process. To this day this companion of mine still stands as a disciple and representative of Christ here in Taiwan. I love him, the Lord, and our Heavenly Father for the lessons I learned that day.

I learned the truth of Elder Dale G. Remind's word that day: "I now realize that in the Church, to effectively serve others we must see them through a parent’s eyes, through Heavenly Father’s eyes. Only then can we begin to comprehend the true worth of a soul. Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Only then can we sense the Savior’s caring concern for them. We cannot completely fulfill our covenant obligation to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort unless we see them through God’s eyes. This expanded perspective will open our hearts to the disappointments, fears, and heartaches of others."

That day I began to understand just a little bit about how much our Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us.

Our Savior teaches in Luke 32:22 "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Even though I felt not qualified to help him with such a serious problem, the Lord gave me the strength and capacity to love and strengthen. I am forever grateful for this experience.