Why did you serve a mission?

I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before I left and when I came home I have often been asked "why are you going?", "what will you do?", "is it really two years?". Recently I have been thinking a lot about the time I served and I felt I could answer these questions a little more clearly. 

As a missionary I was a witness of Jesus Christ. I testified to all people that Jesus did in fact live. That he died and that he rose again. Missionaries are called to serve. We serve God by serving others. Missionaries teach about Jesus Christ and about how to return to live with God again as families. The gospel of Jesus Christ helps to us to improve our lives and we do so we feel true peace and joy. 

I wanted to serve a mission because I wanted to other people to have the blessings that I have seen in my life. I wanted to go and share what I know to be true. I knew that there are so many people looking for truth but don't know where to find it. Erin was one of the first people I ever taught. She had a lot going on in her life and one night she was crying and praying to God to know what was true. She didn't feel she got an answer that night but the next day she saw two missionaries walking down the street and she knew that they were the answer from God. She yelled for them to come and teach her. She changed her life and I was able to see her make the decision to serve God the rest of her life by being baptized. I saw others give up addicting habits. I saw others stand strong even though everyone around them opposed their learning about the Church. I saw people smile as the learned they could be forgiven. I heard and felt the sincerity and humility as people prayed for the first time. I saw experienced Christians receive long awaited answers. Karen and Ashley Fink (third picture bellow) joined the church right before I went to Toledo. They had both been to many different churches and were looking for truth. The missionaries knocked on their door and they felt they should let them in. Karen loved being taught and wanted to learn more and more. After going to church a couple times she knew it was true. 

From June 2006 to June 2008 I went to the Ohio Cleveland Mission. There are 50,000 missionaries serving 350 missions (broad geographic areas) throughout the world . The Ohio Cleveland Mission covered the northern third of Ohio. I spent 7 months in downtown Cleveland, 4 and a half months in Painesville, 4 and a half months in St. Mary's, 6 months in Akron, and 4 and a half months in Toledo. My friends have often asked if I wanted to go to some foreign country. Honestly, I loved Ohio. The early members of the Church (1831-1838) gathered in Ohio. As a missionary it was a privilege to serve where early missionaries served and to be around historic sites. The picture above is of the Kirtland Temple. The early saints were impoverished but still sacrificed immensely to build a house unto the lord, the Kirtland Temple. The Newel K. Whitney and Company Store was the center place of historic Kirtland. Those that visit hear an account of John Murdock of the savior Jesus Christ appearing to a group of men in an upper room of the store. John Murdock shares that he was filled with love for months afterwords. These early members had great faith and I truly look up to them. Two years may seem like a long time but they went really quick. There were long days too, we dedicate all of our time to serving those two years. So, from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm we are serving. At times it was tiring and hard but at the same time I felt God's help. I loved serving God as a missionary. 

"Let them go two by two, and thus let them preach by the way in every congregation, baptizing by water, and the laying on of the hands by the water's side." - Doctrine and Covenants 52:10