Sometimes, we get used to things being one way. We have expectations, plans, and ideals that are based on the way things have always been.
As a returned missionary that grew up in the church with ancestors that served some of the first missions in the church, proselyting and sharing the gospel has always been a hope of mine for my children.
When I was on the high council eight years ago, there was an emphasis by President Call to de-stigmatize service missions. It wasn’t an inferior call. Service missionaries were fulfilling just as honorable a mission as proselyting missionaries. Service missions were still a rather new concept for me at the time, and I didn’t have any personal experience, so I 100% accepted it in theory. But I still felt like it was more of the exception than the norm; a good option if you couldn’t serve a proselyting mission.
For a long time, I have talked to my kids about my missionary service and my hope that they would serve. Caitlyn is my oldest child. Her plan to serve a mission took root at thirteen. She recorded the experience in her journal: “Last night, for youth activities, the missionaries came and talked to the youth about what going on a mission is like. They mentioned all the blessings we receive, and I felt the Spirit saying I needed to go on a mission.”
She learned about the gospel, studied languages, and prepared diligently over the next several years for her own missionary service.
“My dad told us about the incredible things he experienced during his mission,” Caitlyn said. “He testified that God helped him learn Korean. He cooked traditional foods for dinner, showed us how to use chopsticks, and told us how much he came to love the people of Korea. I really wanted to go somewhere foreign and exciting like my dad.”
As Caitlyn filled out her missionary paperwork, there were questions about her health. After her papers were submitted to the missionary department, we learned that they were recommending her to serve a service mission.. Until then, I had thought of service missions for those in more immediate health challenges, or missionaries that would struggle away from home. So why would Caitlyn be called on a service mission?
“When I learned a service mission was likely going to be my assignment, I was confused,” Caitlyn shared. “Should I wait in hopes that the medical team in Utah would change their recommendation? I prayed, thought, and talked to my parents. Eventually a moment of clarity came: I need to step forward in faith and send my papers on to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I doubted it afterward, but still obeyed. Then worry flooded my mind. Had I made the right choice? I retreated to my room and pleaded for help from Heavenly Father.”
“The Spirit reminded me of the story in Joshua 3 when the priests holding the Ark of the Covenant took a step of faith into the Jordan River before walking across on dry ground,” Caitlyn continued. “I opened my scriptures and read these words in Joshua 1: 5-9. ‘I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee…Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest.’
“I felt strongly that my God would be with me. His assurances dispelled my fears so that I was finally at peace.”
For the first couple of days after my daughter received her mission call, I did struggle a little with it. That was because I was comparing it to my expectations and I didn’t know what a service mission could be like.
The reality is, there are more service missionaries called today than ever before and the “mold” that I had kept in my mind was outdated and false. We recently had a conference talk about service missionaries being God’s hands. It was foolish of me to feel anything but joy and excitement for my daughter to serve as the Lord’s hands. It wasn’t until we met with the Independence Missouri Mission’s Service Missionary Coordinator, Elder McDonald, that I finally understood. He explained that there were many options for her service and she would be engaged in meaningful service as much as she was able.
“I’m excited to serve in the temple as a temple worker!” Caitlyn said with a smile. “The House of the Lord is such a refreshing, holy place. It’s a sweet privilege to help people who go there. I’m also excited to be with my siblings as they grow up. I’ll teach piano lessons as a service to others, possibly help at historical sites in the area, and go to institute classes. Disciples of Christ are needed in every part of the Lord’s vineyard. I thought I would be pruning and digging about some faraway tree, but the Master Gardener asked me to stay. So, I’ll ‘labor with [my] might’ and ‘obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.’” (Jacob 5:71-72)
As I have reflected and become more excited for Caitlyn’s journey as a service missionary, I realized that it wasn’t the language, the culture, or even teaching that made a successful mission. The most important part of my missionary service was learning to follow the Spirit. That made all the difference in my life then and since. When we listened to Elder McDonald explaining that there were many options and ways Caitlyn could spend her days, I realized she too would need to live, plan, and serve by the Spirit. Elder McDonald shared information published in the Adjusting to Service Missionary Life: Resources Booklet, which states, “Exercise your faith and act on the decision you have made to do the Lord’s work. Through your continual faith and best efforts, you will develop the skills, gifts, and strengths you need more quickly. You will grow in confidence in your ability to serve Him.”
Caitlyn’s reason for service remains valid no matter where she serves.
“I think that primary songs put my feelings into words very well: ‘I feel my Savior’s love in all the world around me,’ so I want to ‘follow him; give all my life to him.’ That includes being ‘called to serve’ for the next eighteen months as a service missionary.”