Isaiah 55:8-9
At the beginning of my full-time mission while at the MTC (Missionary Training Center), I nearly got sent home for medical reasons beyond my control. Fortunately, I was not sent home. But I was also not allowed to go out to New York as I had been called to, at least not immediately. This was obviously quite a trial for my faith and hope. (Further details can be found in the two prior blog posts: 1st , 2nd .)
Instead of getting sent home, a minor exception was made for me to stay at the MTC and work as an online missionary in the Referral Center. Here I would stay until I got doctoral permission to serve in New York. This was not exactly what I wanted to happen, but by this time I had accepted the fact that my plans of going to New York in January 2012 were not to be. But at least I didn't get sent home completely from serving a mission.
While serving in the Referral Center, teaching people via skype and chatting with people who came on to mormon.org to learn more about the church (as well as to troll us, to waste out time, to complain about one of the church beliefs, and a multitude of other aims), I at first was not too excited. As time went on though, I eventually decided that I might as well make the most of the time I had here, even though it wasn't my top pick. In doing so I started electronically teaching people from all over the world, some of whom were among the most sincere seekers of truth I have met in life.
One particular time, after a lesson with one of our investigators from upstate New York (far outside of the geographical area covered by my New York mission), I came to realize that I would have likely never met these people had I not served in the MTC Referral Center. And reflecting on the fact that this was initially not where I wanted to serve, a scripture that I had been roughly introduced to many years earlier came to mind.
For, at least what I consider, the first time in life, I sincerely believed this scripture to be true. The Lord's thoughts and desires for me to serve temporarily in the Referral Center prior to going to New York as a missionary really did produce a better outcome for me. Furthermore, the Lord saw it fit for me to need to learn some critically important lessons that would empower me as a missionary. These lessons would surely have not been learned were my initial plans to play out.
After about 3 months I got the necessary permission to go to the New York North Mission to serve for what remained of my two years as a missionary. And as I traveled away from the MTC, after nearly 4 months of being there, I went with the mindset that it was time to yield to the will of the Lord in all phases of life from now on. While I certainly have not yet mastered this, it is something I strive for as much as possible. And whenever I do, I feel a sense of peace that the Lord really is guiding my life in the best way it could possibly go.
Instead of getting sent home, a minor exception was made for me to stay at the MTC and work as an online missionary in the Referral Center. Here I would stay until I got doctoral permission to serve in New York. This was not exactly what I wanted to happen, but by this time I had accepted the fact that my plans of going to New York in January 2012 were not to be. But at least I didn't get sent home completely from serving a mission.
While serving in the Referral Center, teaching people via skype and chatting with people who came on to mormon.org to learn more about the church (as well as to troll us, to waste out time, to complain about one of the church beliefs, and a multitude of other aims), I at first was not too excited. As time went on though, I eventually decided that I might as well make the most of the time I had here, even though it wasn't my top pick. In doing so I started electronically teaching people from all over the world, some of whom were among the most sincere seekers of truth I have met in life.
One particular time, after a lesson with one of our investigators from upstate New York (far outside of the geographical area covered by my New York mission), I came to realize that I would have likely never met these people had I not served in the MTC Referral Center. And reflecting on the fact that this was initially not where I wanted to serve, a scripture that I had been roughly introduced to many years earlier came to mind.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." ~ Isaiah 55:8-9
For, at least what I consider, the first time in life, I sincerely believed this scripture to be true. The Lord's thoughts and desires for me to serve temporarily in the Referral Center prior to going to New York as a missionary really did produce a better outcome for me. Furthermore, the Lord saw it fit for me to need to learn some critically important lessons that would empower me as a missionary. These lessons would surely have not been learned were my initial plans to play out.After about 3 months I got the necessary permission to go to the New York North Mission to serve for what remained of my two years as a missionary. And as I traveled away from the MTC, after nearly 4 months of being there, I went with the mindset that it was time to yield to the will of the Lord in all phases of life from now on. While I certainly have not yet mastered this, it is something I strive for as much as possible. And whenever I do, I feel a sense of peace that the Lord really is guiding my life in the best way it could possibly go.
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