Do You Know Little One Wendy Ulrich

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"The testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you. … And at present continue your journeying" (D&C 62:3–4).

Although the angels rejoice over the testimony you diameter as a missionary, continuing your postal service-mission journey toward your life'southward mission tin involve unexpected challenges. For case:

1. Ryan loved his mission. He grew a lot, found deep satisfaction and meaning in his service, and was distressing to take off his name badge. Now, driving a pizza delivery truck and studying chemical science feel pretty pointless, and he feels selfish having to think so much about himself and his futurity. He wonders, "How can ordinary life measure up to saving souls as a leader in the mission field?"

2. Ashley'due south mission wasn't entirely what she'd expected, and she came home with some regrets. There were many skilful moments but also lots of challenges and disappointments. She thought she'd be a spiritual giant by the end of her mission, but she feels like she's still just Ashley, with no thought what to do next. She wonders, "How tin I find answers virtually my hereafter when I notwithstanding don't have answers near my by?"

3. When Brandon returned home, information technology just wasn't the same. His family seemed lax about the gospel, and his former friends were into partying and drugs. The blessings he expected for himself and those he loved didn't all come most. He felt alone. He wonders, "How can I get forward in organized religion when my faith feels shaky and God feels far away?"

When you come dwelling, you face a major transition that not anybody feels prepared for. But as a missionary you learned more than y'all may realize about your side by side mission—to become a contributing, focused, spiritually committed immature developed.^ane

Resource for this transition include:

• Scriptures.

• Prayer.

• Temple worship.

• Patriarchal blessings.

• Priesthood blessings.

• Church building callings.

• Adjusting to Missionary Life, the booklet with the toolkit you lot used on your mission; information technology can also help in post-mission life.

• The Gospel and the Productive Life, an institute manual nearly skills for young adulthood.

• People who care almost yous: family members, priesthood leaders, priesthood quorums, Relief Gild, expert friends.

• Books about returning from a mission, choosing a career, enhancing personal happiness, developing relationships skills, becoming self-reliant, or creating a life mission.

A Mission Is Training for the Residuum of Your Life

Just as the missionary preparation center helped gear up you lot for your mission, your mission helped y'all ready for the rest of your life. Think about all the skills you learned!

You lot learned to plan while adapting to change. You lot learned to talk to strangers, teach gospel lessons, bounce back from rejection, and build positive relationships. You learned to set up goals, exercise field of study, be answerable, and start again after setbacks. Yous learned to get along with dissimilar people—companions, members, and investigators. You learned to report and pray consistently and rely on the Lord. During periods when y'all were uncomfortable in your role, yous learned 1 of the greatest skills of machismo: to be more comfortable beingness uncomfortable.

Your experiences as a missionary apply to challenges y'all confront at present every bit a young adult. For instance, on your mission y'all learned that every new catechumen needs (1) a friend, (2) a responsibility, and (iii) to be nourished by the skilful word of God.² Now you're the one who needs these things, and it's upwardly to you to become them. And you lot can!

1. A friend

Brandon (from the earlier example) needs new friends and a closer relationship with Heavenly Begetter. Peradventure y'all do as well. How did you get to know new people as a missionary? How did yous deepen friendships with new companions or investigators? Even without a companion by your side, utilize those same skills at present.

As a missionary y'all learned to be friendly and interested in others, fifty-fifty if you were shy. Go on it up! Respond kindly and generously when others try to go to know you. Once each Sun, sit by someone you don't know and ask them questions. If you're naturally outgoing, help those who aren't. You don't always take to exist the social risk-taker, but exercise existence curious about others, and button yourself sometimes. Go a friend to help you invite people over for games and popcorn. Welcome home and visiting teachers warmly. If social events are hard for you, give yourself permission to leave later thirty minutes or just assistance with cleanup or setup—but get.

We tin all acquire to both give and receive honey amend. Like faith, love is a option we make in an uncertain and sometimes hurtful world. You can choose to believe even when organized religion requires patience, and you lot can cull love even though you might become injure. Let your relationship with Heavenly Father deepen by inviting Him to be near you while you humbly express the thoughts and feelings of your heart, open yourself to receive His pity and support, and allow His Spirit to assistance y'all heal.

Friends are likewise essential in figuring out where to go next and how to go at that place. Becoming a spiritually mature adult is non merely something you lot learn from a book. It is something you learn from and with other people. Peers and other adults will happily share their experiences with yous if you ask—and then ask! Then achieve out to the next generation of children, youth, returning missionaries, and immature adults. Your empathy and feel tin aid others correct now.

2. A responsibility

Like Ryan, you need meaningful opportunities to grow and to serve others. Tell your bishop you desire to serve, and exercise your all-time to magnify your callings.

In some places, y'all may get swamped (and blessed!) with many meaningful opportunities. In other areas, there may not be enough formal callings for everyone. Yous can still serve the Lord. Assign yourself to befriend someone new, serve in the temple, do family history research, support missionaries, serve family members, or volunteer locally. In your schooling or piece of work, seek opportunities to strengthen and bless others every day. Remind yourself of the higher purposes of what you're preparing to do: helping God's children, solving the world'due south bug, and lifting people's spirits.

Your strengths are badly needed. You lot will be blessed for both serving now and developing skills that will allow you to back up your family and serve more in the future. Heavenly Father may non tell you exactly what job to accept, where to live, what to report, or even whom to marry. And even when He confirms your decisions, that doesn't guarantee they'll turn out as yous conceptualize. Continuous seeking is necessary to follow the lead of the Spirit.

What God does care about is your character, your reasons for what you choose, and your willingness to learn and serve. Those Christlike attributes tin can be developed in many places and careers.³

Heavenly Father wants you to find work you lot tin do well and relish, but what that is may not exist obvious at first. Enquire yourself what types of problems you desire to solve, what work excites yous, and how you can apply your strengths in your career. Exist humble about all you need to learn. Recognize that even the well-nigh wonderful task will have things about it you'll dislike, so be willing to larn and work hard rather than relying on talent alone.

But what if you don't know what to practise next or it all feels likewise overwhelming? Do what you did in the mission field: get out and exercise something, yet minor. Inquire your parents or mentors how they chose a career. Sign up for a course, or just ask three people who their favorite professor was last semester. Apply for 10 jobs, or start with just ane. Both revelation and motivation follow activity. If you wait to experience like doing something or to know exactly what to do next, you lot may await a very long time.

three. Nourished by God's word

Similar Ashley, as a missionary you chose to serve the Lord total-time. You were able to take lengthy daily scripture study, prayer, and service. Now the setting has changed. Though yous weren't a perfect missionary (nobody is), the Lord is grateful for your service, and He stands ready to anoint yous. He wants yous to acquire from the past, including from your mistakes, and move into the hereafter with confidence. He stands set to nurture you with His Spirit and His love. Trust Him to join you in your journey and to have your best interests at heart.

Equally a missionary, you studied when mission rules said to. Now yous can invite the Lord to assistance you figure out a realistic plan that fits your current life—one that requires balance, flexibility, and tolerance for ambivalence and change. It may not be realistic to study the scriptures for an hour direct every solar day, but y'all need the scriptures now as much as y'all did in the mission field. If you take only 10 minutes at a fourth dimension or you miss a few days, strive for an overall pattern of studying regularly fifty-fifty if yous aren't perfect. Get really good at starting once again, no matter how ofttimes life gets in the way of your goals.

Other means to be nourished by God's word include taking establish classes, enjoying informal discussions of the gospel with friends, taking notes on general conference, listening to past conferences while driving, finding God in nature, writing spiritual experiences in your periodical, seeing Heavenly Father's companionship in your choices, turning on spiritually uplifting music at home, taking notes on inspiration received during prayer, or participating in the ward choir. Tune in to the joy y'all can feel as you savor God'south words and Spirit.

Among the near of import of God's words are those of hope, mercy, and trust in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They can encourage you to make needed changes. Don't sit too long on the argue, wondering whether or not to allow go of past mistakes or regrets. If y'all have repented of your sins and are humbly working on your weaknesses (and there is a deviation⁴), learn from them and and then let go of regret. When you are tempted to feel shame or self-pity for past setbacks, treat that temptation as you would any other—walk away.

"And Now Proceed Your Journey"

It took patience and try to become a skilled missionary. Information technology will too accept patience and attempt to utilise those skills to your new mission of immature machismo. In some ways you lot are starting over, but at present you know how to leave of your condolement zone, and you can exercise it again.

Generally, the most successful people aren't necessarily the smartest but rather the most resilient—the most willing to learn from both running strong and falling downwardly. And fall you volition! Resilience means bouncing back from failure, taking risks to grow, persisting in the face of obstacles, and working hard on skills and solutions that don't come easily. No one likes to accept their mistakes pointed out, just resilience, coupled with faith, makes u.s. more interested in learning than in impressing others. Resilience ways not telling ourselves that nosotros're declining merely that nosotros're learning.⁵

Perhaps the closest thing to a "returned missionary" transition in the scriptures is the story of Helaman's 2,060 stripling warriors. United in a meaningful assignment and fortified by God's word as taught by their mothers, they succeeded in a difficult and unsafe mission (see Alma 56:46–48, 56; 57:twenty–22, 26–27; 58:39–40). When the battles concluded, Helaman went along with his brethren, declaring God's give-and-take with power and establishing the Church building again. The law and the government were reformed, and the people saw a period of bang-up peace and prosperity. (See Alma 62:45–51.) Undoubtedly the faithful young warriors Helaman had led contributed mightily to this nifty reform, changing their world for the meliorate.

The principles you learned and the skills you developed as a missionary will likewise serve you, the Church, and the world as you piece of work to make the next two years the next "best 2 years" of your life. You may have finished your service equally a full-time missionary, merely you have a crucial mission ahead. "And now continue your journeying."

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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2016/12/coming-home-to-your-mission?lang=eng

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