The True Measure of Success in Missionary Work

From Hyrum Fluckiger

Teaching in California

I've had an interesting experience being a missionary here in California! It's been amazing first of all, second it's been work, and third... I have absolutely loved it!  I have amazing opportunities to
meet and be apart of so many people's lives!

After my second transfer, leaving an area only seemingly slightly better than I found it, and feeling like my time there was for naught; I arrived to my new area and had only been there for a week or two when I received a letter from an active member we worked with. While keeping details confidential ,this member expressed to me that us missionaries had made such a difference in his life and that we played a key role in helping him stay on the gospel path. 

When he hit his low, he had actually made a plan to take his own life.  He said that one night he asked us for a blessing, of course we adjusted our schedule so we could do that. He told us that was the night he was going to kill himself and the blessing was meant to be a release from this life.  But the words of the blessing were so uplifting and what he needed to hear at the time that he was restrengthened and recommitted to live and strive to improve his life. He is now attending college and working toward a mission. He has trials and temptations just as all of us do, but thanks to our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, we were able to participate in helping him along his way, and I now truly know that no effort is wasted in helping others come to Christ.

It was such a powerful reminder and testimony builder to me of many things; the authenticity and reality of true priesthood power, the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and by dedicating our all to the service and work of God, we can not fail. Missionary work is not just with non members. It's all who need to be strengthen and brought closer to Christ. The measure of success in missionary work is not just baptisms. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary, to serve God, to hold the Priesthood. I know the church is true, it's good, and pure.

Ready to Go at a Moment's Notice

From Karsten Hinckley

Teaching in Thailand 

This week was a great week of learning, applying, teaching and serving! Elder Polu and I had a great week of serving and teaching. There is a small family in our ward here who just isn’t doing the best. It is a mom and two sons. We were at Book of Mormon class this week when we got a call. It was the mom telling me that her son went to the hospital. I asked, "Sister what do you want me to do? If you want me to come I will come." She said, “Ill call you back if I need anything.”  I told her not to feel bad if she needed up to come.

So we went on with our class and I get a call about 10 minutes later: "Elder I need you to come now!" I looked at Elder Polu and said, “We have to go now.” We got on our bikes and road to the hospital which was about 14 minutes away in about 5 minutes.

The woman’s  other son ran to the front counter to get us and we ran to the mom and other son. She asked us to give her son a Priesthood blessing. We gave the little boy a blessing. Did the best we could to comfort the mom and we left.

The next morning we get a call from the sister in our ward again. "Elder I need you to come to the hospital and give my other son a blessing." We got on our bikes and road to the hospital again. We bought food for the family before we went in. We gave the other son a blessing. To our surprise the boy who we gave the blessing to the night before was up walking around. The other son was given a blessing and we went on our way. That was all we could do. These two boys were very sick and I know that the Lord, through us using our priesthood, was able to heal the both of them. I was ready to go at a moment’s notice.

We need to be ready to move, make a decision on a moment’s notice. Sometimes we don’t have time to waste. Things need to get done and what are you going to do? I know that the Lord puts us in situations that will help us grow. All I know is that I am doing the best that I can do.