Family and friends,
What a week! I'm not really sure where to start this time but I'll try to begin with some activities we were able to do with our ward.
Last week I think I mentioned that we were going to do an activity with the youth. It went really well! We played Jepoardy first and they were really into it. The theme of the get-together with the youth was obviously missionary work so all the topics were on principles we teach from the lessons and pamphlets. After that we gave time to them to ask questions or express any concerns about serving a mission. It was pretty incredible to hear some of the things they came up with. They were things that had to do with what it feels like leaving home, asking if it's worth it, how we are dealing with all of the changes and what it's been like since the pandemic, most important lessons learned, most beautiful experiences we've had, etc.. We didn't have as much time as we would have liked at the end so we gave them all a copy of the Book of Mormon as well as a pamphlet and invited them to find just one friend to bring to the next activity. They all seemed excited to get going on the invitation and we've already heard from a couple that they already have names of people to bring. So we'll have to adjust some things for the next activity depending on how many nonmembers we get. Our Bishop who was there also really enjoyed the activity and he thinks it would be a great idea to do something like that with adults in the ward with their families. Since our stake is a lot more opened up than others, we are able to do more in person activities and that really helps a lot to at least strengthen the ward. Another activity we got to participate in was with our mission President and his wife. They are going around the mission trying to do family home evening with the wards and they were with us this week. Everyone loved it! They shared about ways of how to invite and share the gospel. So now we also get to continue to use that with the members to talk about. It's nice to have spiritual experiences like that as a group that help uplift and inspire. As for our area our baptism dates have kind of been jumping around haha. One of them is on track without any issues and she has already attended sacrament meeting several times. The others, however, are struggling with some temporal issues and need a little extra help. But one of them is holding on the best he can. He was one who came to sacrament meeting on Sunday. We certainly hope he sees the blessings for being so willing to put the Lord first.
Last week we were also invited by a sister in the ward to join with some friends and family in being there for opening her mission call. It was awesome! I just couldn't help but think back to when I opened my mission call over two years ago. In rehearsing it in my mind I wondered how I've done in keeping those promises that the mission call states that I would keep. I just remember having an idea in my mind of how I thought the mission would be like. Little did I know... haha! But in the course of time since then, I've had to be pushed past my limits in being a little more extroverted than I'm accustomed to. Not already feeling natural at the start with talking to people who didn't ask for my company first was certainly a difficult obstacle to get over. And I can't say that I've really improved a whole lot on feeling comfortable with it. Attempting to be more extroverted has felt pretty costly for me mentally, emotionally, and so on. Doing all of it from day to day after all this time has really weighed on me. Before my mission I wasn't ever really required to talk to so many people or be in large groups that require my individual attention. I was fine with just sitting and listening. That was all I felt I needed. Then I arrived here! Haha! At many moments in the mission I noticed that I felt a little light anxiety in situations that I felt like I was forced or obligated into like approaching people on the street or participating in councils. In school classes it's not unusual to sit and just listen to everyone else talk. But here they actually expect you to give feedback and such!! That's crazy!! It's always been a little difficult for me while sitting in councils because most of the time I would rather just focus on listening and processing rather than trying to think of things to say. So it's certainly not been easy or natural for me to be a missionary. It's very costly and people fatigue has become a reality for me. Some people just get more energy being around more people and for others it costs them energy. My point of all of this is that it's been a difficult obstacle for me but I made a promise when accepting my mission call that I would do my best to give the message of the gospel to everyone and invite them to receive help and comfort in living that gospel. And I would rather keep that promise than cushion my difficulties. The weight is heavy but worth it. I would never trade it for anything! I've learned things that I never would have otherwise. And I'm constantly reminded that there must be opposition in all things. That and I'm reminded of the Lord's words when He said that He would prove us to see if we would do all things He has commanded. We were sent here to experience opposition. We were not sent here to live lives without pain. I know that for me I still have yet to learn greater lessons on these principles. And I look forward in faith. I've tried to internalize the Savior's words when He said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." I hope to learn more in these last nine weeks! And thank you for your support! It helps so much!
- Elder Markham
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