Push it forward, and hold on strong

A lot has been going on, to make me seriously contemplate if I truly want to be a missionary, a representative of Jesus Christ, set apart to serve others.

I talked to Elder Bailey. Elder Bailey is a missionary serving here in La'ie Hawaii. He has down syndrome, and his loving spirit is very apparent to everyone he speaks to.

The first time I met him, he came up to me, and told me to go congratulate some girl who was being sent to Oakland, California for her mission. I didn't know him, I didn't know the girl, but his intention, was for the girl to feel happy and excited, and he gave me an opportunity to encourage and congratulate her.

I was laying down outside, basking in the sun, while waiting for my class to start and Elder Bailey came up to me and asked me if I was okay. I said I was. But I felt prompted to ask him if I should serve a mission. I told him that I wasn't so sure anymore, and I was worried I wouldn't be prepared.

He told me "Go serve," "Just go serve a mission!" "Why wouldn't you?"

It was so simple. I asked him why he decided to serve a mission. And he said "President Monson" (President Monson is a prophet of the Church). Elder Bailey told me "President Monson assigned my call, and so I came here."

For those of you that don't know, President Monson, also sent my call. He signed my paper and everything!

I realized after talking to Elder Bailey, that if he can do it, so can I.

I still wonder how I am going to teach people something that I just learned a little over a year ago.
It's still all so new to me, and so will it be to them.

But I learned to stop worrying about those fears and imperfections in myself. Because I know that Christ will make up the rest.

The missionaries who taught me didn't know every single peace of the Bible or of the Book of Mormon. They didn't, they couldn't, but they knew enough.

And I know that I will know enough for the people that I will teach. I will know enough and God and Jesus Christ will make up the rest.

That's all they have ever asked of us. They ask that we try our best, our very very best, in ALL that we do, and they will make up the rest.

That's the beauty of the atonement. Christ will always make up the rest. We are imperfect, but in Christ, we are whole. We are inadequate, but in Christ we can be all knowing, we are defeated, but in Christ we overcome.

We do our part, Christ always does his. The difference is, is that Christ never lets us down.
He never has, and he never will. 

I haven't been more excited for my mission than I have been this week, after the conversation with Elder Bailey.

Sometimes it just takes some pushing down, hard times, tough thoughts, to overcome, to try harder, and realize why I cared and tried so much in the first place.

And that, my brothers and sisters in Christ,
is Jesus Christ. That's why I care so much, because Jesus Christ is here.

In Jesus' Name
-Amen

(Me, with the army, I'm joining!! JK[just kidding], not yet :)