Now multiply it by....6!! (megamind reference...)
No, but seriously.
It started on Wednesday. Zone Conference. 5 Higgins Road, Hamilton. Look it up. Inside that chapel, I got one of the rudest awakenings I have ever received. It was a wonderful awakening, but a rude one.
For all of my missionary friends, I invite you to read, listen, and learn. This will change your life, if it hasn't already. Okay, there is a talk written by Lawrence E. Corbridge. It is called The Fourth Missionary. This talk has changed my outlook on my mission and on my life. In this talk, Elder Corbridge categorizes missionaries into four different groups. (He refers to both Elders and Sisters)
The First Missionary- is disobedient. He does what he wants to and as a result is either sent home or insists that he is sent home. No good comes of his service, he does not have the Spirit, he forgoes development, finds it hard to fit in, and ultimately, is not changed by his mission.
He thinks that obedient missionaries are weak and he likes the idea that he is not like the others.
He fails. Instead of moving forward, he moves backwards. He cannot have faith because while he might believe in God, he does not believe in himself.
The Second Missionary- is also disobedient. He does what he wants to do, but he serves his entire mission. He is dishonest and his frame of mind is to not get caught. As a result the good he would have done is gone undone, He does not have the Spirit, feels regret and misery and ultimately is not changed by his mission. This is the missionary that the mission president feels he has to babysit. This missionary is so negative and has such a lack of faith that he starts to pull down other missionaries around him. He lies. He covers up.
The Third Missionary- is obedient and worthy. He does his duty and serves faithfully, but he withholds his heart. He does what the Lord wants, but he wants to do what he wants to do. As a result, much good is done, he enjoys the Spirit, but conforms his behaviour. He gains little or no knowledge and ultimately is not changed by his mission. This missionary is the bulk of missionaries serving in the field right now. He does what he knows he is supposed to do, but he does not throw his heart into it. He doesn't give himself to the Lord. He is not changed because he does not want to change. The Lord can only change you if you let him.
The Fourth Missionary- is obedient and worthy. He totally surrenders himself to the Lord. He has charity. He measures his success from within and his dominant desire is to do what the Lord wants him to do. As a result, much good is done. He enjoys the Spirit. His nature is changed. He is redeemed and ultimately this missionary benefits from and is changed greatly by his mission. The Fourth Missionary is not perfect. He struggles and he has weaknesses. But he does what the Lord wants him to do. He lets the Lord turn him into what the Lord wants him to be.
These four categories were like a slap in the face for me. I know what I need to do now and I am going to do it! I had many spiritual experiences this week and so many of them have helped me to become more of who Heavenly Father needs me to be. (:
Oh, and we had a baptism amidst all of this learning and growing. (: Our little Jahvarn got baptised on Monday. (: It was such a spiritual and beautiful baptism. (:
I am so grateful to be on a mission. This is has been probably the most important week of my mission and I will always remember what I learned and what I gained from this week. (:
Love
Sister Pearce
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