Missionary Poem

Another great poem I found that I want to keep on hand. It talks about the hardships of a mission and a great way to overcome it.

"The alarm rings at 6:30; I stumble to my feet
I grab my companion's bedding and pull off his sheet.
A groan fills the room. It's already time to arise?"
It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes.

The morning activities follow: study, prayer and such
When its time to leave the apartment, you feel haven't accomplished much
"We have a super day planned," my Companion says with a grin.
I lowly utter a faithless breath, Yea, if anyone lets us in.

With the word of God and my faithful schwinn, we ride off in the street.
Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat
It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through.
My companion and I are riding home, not accomplishing what we thought we'd do.

We ride up to the mail box hoping to recieve a lot.
Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "AIRBOX"
We go up to our apartment; the day is now complete
the only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet

It's past 10:30 Pm, my companion is fast asleep.
Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep
In the midst of sadness I kneel down to pray;
I need to talk to Father, but I'm not sure what to say.

"Oh Father," I begin, "What happened to us today?
I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away
My hands, my aching hands worn, hurt and beat
If our area was any smaller,we'd have knocked on every street."

Why on missions are the days so much alike?
the only difference aboutn today was the flat tire on my bike.
Will you send some cooler weather? the heat is killing me!
I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes. Its very hard to see.

Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?
People always laugh at me and call me stupid stuff.
Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack;
I want to give them Book Of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back."

And what about my Family? They don't have much to say.
I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day.
Oh Father,why am I here, Am I just wasting my time?
Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind.

My Companion, Heavenly Father, wha are you giving me?
The way he rides his bicycle I don't know if he can even see!
Now you have it, I can't go on. I DON'T KNOW what to do!
That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I leave you."

My prayer now finished I stand up, then jump right into bed.
I need my feet for tomorrow; we have another long day ahead
Sleep starts to overtake me, I seem to drift away.
Then it sems a vision takes me to another time in another day.

I'm standing alone on the hill, the view is very nice.
A man walks towards me and says, My name is Jesus Christ."
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet.
"Arise he states, follow me to the shade you and I need to speak."

My attention towrads my Saviour, total and complete
He says, "Your Mission is similar of what happened to me.
I understand how you feel, I know what your going through;
In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you.

"Even know how you felt when no one listened to you
At times I felt now quite sure what else that I could do.
I know you don't like to ride a bicycle for a car would be sweet.
Just remember the donkey I rode I was not equipped with 21 speed.

I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something to hate.
I remember when I sweat blood from every pore, " Oh, the agony was great.
I see you don't like your companion you would rather have someone else.
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth.

It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you.
I remember when they put thorns in my head and called me King of the Jews.
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack.
I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back."

Your hands hurt from tracking and knocking on doors all day
I guess when they pounded nails inro mine, I ache in a similar way.
It's hard not to hear from homr when your family was not there to see.
I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why has though forsaken me?"

We have a lot in common, but there is a difference between us you see.
I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me."
He embraced me with his arms, His light filled me with His love.
With tears in my eyes, I watched as he went back to the Father above.

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head.
I listened and heard the alarm, when I realized I was in my bed.
My companion let's out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"
I sat up and said. Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"

No matter what we go through when we feel we can't take more,
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He's been there before."

- Elder Troy Whittle

I will go where you want me to go Dear Lord

So after opening my call I have had a few people ask if I was disappointed to go state side. To be perfectly honest, at first just a little. But it was only ever a little, for the most part I have just been happy and excited. I was hearing from friends and girls around me going to these amazing places and going to be in a brand new culture where as I am going actually closer to home to a culture I grew up around. But it doesn't matter because before I got my call I promised that I would love my mission no matter where it was, I would go buy a flag and wave it around and be so excited and proud of my mission. Like Alma said "my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God" (Alma 26:12) It doesn't matter where I go it just matters that I can boast of my God, I get to tell people of Christ and our Heavenly Father and the love they have for us all! If it wasn't for amazing missionaries who went to California I would not be here as a member of the church and definetly not a missionary. I will be able to bless the lives of the people of Tucson and love them very much, thats what matters.

So I found this poem posted by a sister going to the Provo UT mission and it sums up some feelings.
Where shall i serve today?

“Father, where shall I serve today?” I said,
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then he pointed me out a little spot
And said, “There, tend that for me.”

I said, “Oh no, not that,
Not that little place.
Why, no one would ever see –
No matter how well my work was done –
Not that little spot for me.”

The words he spoke — they were not stern.
He answered me tenderly,
“Little one, search that heart of thine,
Art thou serving them or me?
Nazareth was just a little spot
And so was Galilee.”

-Meade McGuire


So after that little bit of disappointment yes I am still super excited. I was never really upset and I don't want anyone to take it as that I just wanted to say that yes I may only be going state side but it doesn't make me any less of a good missionary or any less of a good Mormon it just means that that is where I am needed, thats where I will fit and be able to do my best.

Tucson Arizona!!!!

It came! Finally after what felt like forever of a wait it came. I had my best friends there and my "Utah family" aka Nathan's family all here with me to open my call. I could not have asked for a better night. so here is the video of me opening my call to Tucson Arizona for February 20th Spanish Speaking!



And then for a bit more here is a behind the scenes before the opening video



I can't believe its so soon and I am so excited to go serve the people of Arizona, and New Mexico.

Hermana Grove