A Day In The Life Of A Sister Missionary

If I had a nickel for how many times I've been asked what I do all day on my mission I would have... a lot of nickels. I've spent the last 16 months of my life as a missionary and sometimes I forget that regular life is a little different than missionary life! Today I'll take you through a normal day in the life of a sister missionary serving in Mesa, Arizona, plus a little bit about our purpose as missionaries and why we do what we do.

Arising at 6:30 AM this is the first thing I put on in the morning! For 18 months I have the immense privilege of wearing Christ's name over my heart. Wearing my name tag gives me a sense of purpose and responsibility to tell people about Christ and how He has helped me and so many millions of other people on the Earth.

On to the morning routine!

We missionaries have to take care of ourselves!

If we're expected to teach people about Christ and the gospel, we better know what we're talking about! Luckily we have two hours every single day to study, both personally and as a companionship, the Book of Mormon, the Bible, Preach My Gospel (the missionary guidebook), and lots of other resources to build both our knowledge and our testimonies of the restored gospel.

"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men."

D&C 11:21

Here in Mesa we have the wonderful opportunity to share the gospel online! We use Facebook, Skype, and blogs (like this one!) to spread the good word of the gospel.

Lunch time!

Eating is probably my favorite hobby besides sharing the gospel.

Then off we go!! My companion and I are in charge of two wards (congregations) and our job is to share what we know to be true with everyone! We have lessons with people that we are already teaching, we talk to people on the street, we do service for people, we visit those who are already members of our wards, we do all sorts of things!

This brings me to our purpose as missionaries. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

We aren't here to prove anything, we don't want to force anything on anyone, we are simply out here on our missions because we have found happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the last General Conference Elder David A Bednar gave a wonderful talk about why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has such a large missionary force. He said... 

"When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product. As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or bonus points in a heavenly contest. We are not seeking simply to increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do. We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true."

(You can read his full address here: Come and See)

Our Heavenly Father has given us the beautiful gift of agency, the ability to choose whether we will be obedient to the commandments He has given us. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ we want everyone to have the opportunity to study out this gospel and discover that it's true for themselves.

I have met so many people on my mission that were searching for the truth. They looked and looked and searched but never found the absolute and complete truth. But when we introduced them to the Book of Mormon they start finding answers! We never ask anyone to take our word for anything, we simply invite them to read the Book of Mormon, learn about the gospel, and pray about the things they learn.

So why am I choosing to give a year and half of my life to be a missionary? Why am I making so many sacrifices to hopefully help at least one person come closer to Christ? Because this gospel saves my life every single day. I can't not share the thing that has single handedly brought me the most happiness in my life with the world. I wouldn't be showing gratitude to my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, if I didn't give everyone I meet an opportunity to feel that same happiness.

Whether the people I meet accept my invitation or not, it doesn't make or break my testimony. I know that I am doing right because of the happiness I feel every single time I read the Book of Mormon or pray to my Heavenly Father.

I simply love God, Jesus Christ, and the gifts they have given me. Nothing more than that.

The most gratifying part of being a missionary.... seeing others come unto Christ!

So there you have it. A day in the life of a sister missionary and what goes through her head almost every single day. Hopefully you can understand a little bit more about why we do what we do

Finally, at the end of the day, we go home to our apartment, plan for the next day, pray, and hit the sack by 10:30, ready to get up the next day and do it all over again.

Daughters Of God

Ok Sisters, this one's for you! Watch this Mormon Message about how women all across the world are making an impact through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It makes me feel so good to know that I'm a part of that world-wide women's organization. Relief Society! As a Mormon woman I feel empowered and strengthened by my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I love the confidence I see in this video. Nothing makes me feel better than to see women who see their potential, their strengths, and how strong their influence can be in the world. In the April 2004 General Conference, Thomas S Monson gave a talk about our personal influence. He said "As we follow that Man of Galilee—even the Lord Jesus Christ—our personal influence will be felt for good wherever we are, whatever our callings." (Read his full address here)

I know that this is true. That as we strive to exemplify Christ people will notice. Through our efforts to live the gospel we can make the world a better place. Women have such a powerful force in the world right now, take advantage of that and make a difference for the better!

In a talk about the Moral Force of Women, Elder D. Todd Christofferson said "Your intuition is to do good and to be good, and as you follow the Holy Spirit, your moral authority and influence will grow." As women, we have a certain attributes given to us from God. Those are the attributes that will help us prosper in this life and help as many others as we can.

So, while I'm all about girl power and feminism, let's remember that we were made the way we were made for a reason. I am proud to be a Mormon woman, I love being strong and feminine at the same time. I know that as I live the gospel of Jesus Christ I can have an influence in this world and in my family. A past General Young Women's President, Margaret D. Nadauld gave a wonderful quote that I will end with.

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity."

14 Months and 14 Things I'm Grateful For

14 months ago I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah! It's so strange to think I've been a missionary for that long!

With my 14 month mark came a special day! Thanksgiving! A nationally loved holiday filled with family, fun, and turkey! I love this beautiful holiday season we've been given to ponder on what really matters in life.

And Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without a list of things we are grateful for!!

So, on my 14 month mark I'm going to give you 14 things I'm grateful for!

1. First and foremost, my family.
I don't know where I would be without this wonderful family I've been blessed with. Within this family unit I have learned the gospel, learned how to be a grown up, and learned how important it is to have these relationships for eternity.

2. My mission experience.
The past 14 months have consisted of so many experiences. A few of the adjectives I would use to describe my mission would be: happy, challenging, eye opening, exhausting, awkward, beautiful, hilarious, fun, and all together an experience that has prepared me for real life more than anything else I've ever done!

3. My companions.
These sisters have had the privilege of being around me for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for at least 6 weeks, sometimes more. I am so grateful for mission companions, they have supported me through my hardest times and rejoiced with me through the best of times.

 

4. The scriptures.
There is no satisfactory substitute for the peace I feel when I read from the Book of Mormon and the Bible. These books are the word of God. I can't imagine my life without the direction they provide.

5. My dog.
Make fun of me all you want, she's my best friend!

6. The people of Mesa.
I thank the Lord every single day that I was called on my mission to Mesa, Arizona. The people here have taught me much more than I've taught them! I've met and grown to love so many families and people that I want to be like when I grow up!

7. My mission family.
The Arizona Mesa Mission is most definitely a family. We're a tight knit family.

8. The power of prayer.
The personal strength that results from prayer is so powerful. Every single person on the Earth should have this in their life. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to kneel in prayer every day and receive help and guidance from a loving Heavenly Father.

9. Food.
Really though.

10. Sunshine and the Arizona desert.
It's the simple things in life.

11. Random acts of kindness.
Being on either the sending or receiving end of any act of service is a wonderful experience! Helping others and being helped brings out the best in everyone.

12. The holiday season.
During this time of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the beginning of a new year, people's hearts are softened and open to the peace the gospel of Jesus Christ brings.

13. My mission president and his wife.
Now that I've met these two people I can honestly say I've met two angels on Earth.

14. Last, but far from least, Jesus Christ.
Without the life and the love Jesus Christ offers me I would not the person I am today.

Why should YOU go on a mission?

So you're considering a mission? Maybe you're just considering considering a mission! Well, you've come to the right blog.

You can read all you want about how I decided to go on a mission here. But today, I want to talk about YOU. Why should YOU go on a mission?

Keep in mind, all missions are very different, but I can promise you with all my heart that you can experience the same spiritual growth and blessings, no matter where you serve.

Since I'm a list person, let the list making commence!

Why should YOU go on a mission?

1. Being a missionary is a commandment, whether that means a full time mission or not. "And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my father. Amen." D&C 15:6. Heavenly Father wants all of His children to come back to Him someday, and He might need YOUR help to get them there. Maybe that means a full time mission, maybe that means you need to reach out to a neighbor or friend and share the gospel with them!

2. Seeing other people change changes you. Seeing other people turn toward Christ has a strong impact on your personal testimony. Seeing the sacrifices and changes other people go through to repent and come closer to Christ is extremely humbling and has helped me see how much more of my own life I could be giving for the gospel.

3. In addition to seeing other people change you get to see yourself change! Spending 16 hours a day (the other 8 sleeping), 7 days a week for 18 to 24 months thinking about and doing missionary work changes you a tiny little bit. Or a really big bit. You talk with thousands of people about religion, you have the privilege of being within sight and sound of one specific person 24/7, you spend hours and hours and hours studying gospel materials (553 hours {or over 23 full days} over a period of 18 months to be exact), you follow the Spirit in knowing how certain people can progress towards making covenants with Heavenly Father. All of these things (along with the other thousand things you do as a missionary) will bless your life and increase your knowledge of the gospel.

4. You can see what kind of return missionary you want to be. I've met a lot of return missionaries on my mission. As often as I can I try to get their advice and input on what it's like going home after a mission and adjusting to real life. When you come on a mission and see other people who have already been through their 18-24 months it helps put in perspective how short of a time we have to serve the Lord full time.

5. While you are gone, your family will be blessed. I know this may seem contradictory but I promise it's true. I see it in my own family and in other families with missionaries out. Your example of following Christ and serving Him will rub off on your family and friends and they will receive blessings as you are obedient and enthusiastic in missionary service.

6. Finally, last but not least, you will meet some of the best friends of your life on a mission! Companions, other missionaries, investigators and recent converts, the members, all of the people you get to interact with on a mission make for a lot of best friends and lasting memories. Look at Alma and Amulek in the Book of Mormon (Alma 8), they got to serve each other and preach the gospel together and they became the best of friends!

All in all, there are a lot of reasons you should go on a mission. But the bottom line is that you have to pray about it. Pray and ask your Heavenly Father what kind of missionary service He needs you to do. Maybe He needs you as a full time missionary, maybe He needs you as a service missionary, maybe He needs you as a member missionary, there are countless opportunities for you to help others come unto Christ!

What Really Made Me Decide To Go On A Mission?

Ok everybody, we're about to get candid. You're about to get the inside scoop on how I got to where I am right now!

As missionaries we get asked how we decided to come on a mission ALL THE TIME. Here's the full story with all the details in all their glory. Enjoy.

Let me tell you a story about the moment that changed my life forever...even though I didn't realize it until months later.

October of 2012. I was living in Rexburg, going to school, enjoying life, and making plans for my future. It the first weekend of October and I was sitting in my living room with all my room mates watching General Conference. We had all settled in ready to hear the prophet and apostles impart great wisdom upon us.

Then it happened.

The prophet, Thomas S. Monson, in his routine "Welcome to Conference" address stated; "I am pleased to announce that effective immediately all worthy and able young men... will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19.... As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve. Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21."

Something inside me stirred.

It was shocked silence in between me and room mates at that moment. We looked at each other and listened to the audible gasp that resonated within the conference center straight through the TV. One of my room mates was about to get married, another already had her mission call to Taiwan and was leaving in a few weeks. But two of my room mates and I were under 21 and visibly shaken by this announcement. (Spoiler Alert! All three of us are on missions or have a mission call now!)

President Monson cheerfully carried on with his address as if he hadn't just changed the history of the church forever, meanwhile I had to leave my living room and call my mom so I could cry for some reason unbeknownst to me (the Spirit!).

The weird thing was... I had never wanted to serve a mission. It had never been on the table for me. My plan went something like this: graduate from high school, go to college, get my degree in five years (take a year off to travel), get engaged sometime during my senior year, get married right after graduating, get a career started, have kids, live happily ever after. Seems like a good plan, right? Well, Heavenly Father had something entirely different in store for me.

I went on through the rest of the semester thinking about why President Monson decided on that moment, when I was 18, to change the age requirement for sister missionaries. But I got busy, you know, school stuff, and that stirring left me. I went home for Christmas break entirely intending on coming back for the Spring semester.

Boy, was I wrong!

I got home, got a job, got all settled in. I was living the life in Boise! But there was always that little something tugging at the back of my mind.

Finally, February of 2013 I needed to put an end to my questioning. I needed to know what I was going to do for the next step in my life.

Fast forward through days of fasting and prayer

"Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth." Mosiah 23:10

Oh my Holy Nutella, I'm going on a mission!!!

Within a few months I had my school deferment, I had a doctor tell me I was healthy enough to serve in Africa (ha ha), I told my boss I would be leaving soon, and I had my wisdom teeth yanked out of my head! I was ready to go!

Fast forward a few weeks of overly stressed out impatient waiting.

Oh my French Fried Potato Chips! My mission call is sitting in my mail box!!!

Fast forward a few hours of waiting impatiently for everyone to be home from work and all the phone lines ready for friends and relatives.

"Ok, can everyone hear me? Are you recording? Ok, here I go.... (tearing open the envelope) Dear Sister Sparhawk: You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to serve in the Arizona Mesa Mission"

Clapping and cheers all around! Lots of tears on my part!!

(I have the video of me opening my call, don't ask for it, you won't get it.)

Oh my Chocolate Dipped Turkey Bowl!! I'm going to Mesa!!!!

(Yes, I'm just making these exclamations up as I sit here at the computer, don't judge.)

But really! I am being entirely honest with you when I say my initial reaction to being called to Mesa was pure joy. I knew that it was meant to be. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was where I needed to spend 18 months of my life. Satan tried to tell me that was a boring place to get called to, but he couldn't over power the happiness I felt for finally knowing where I belong!

And so commenced the shopping and packing and saying good byes!

(This is me and 3 of my best friends! Going from left to right we are serving in: Georgia, California, Arizona, and Honduras!)

Fast Forward these past 5 months...

These have been the best 5 months of my life! Also the hardest! I have been so blessed on my mission, and I'm still just getting started! I have met so many amazing people, made some great friends, grown exponentially, and hopefully made a small difference in the area that I am serving in.

I can't even begin to express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for sending me to such a wonderful place. But for now I will settle with telling you that my life will absolutely be blessed for eternity because I listened to the Spirit and decided to serve.

I know that Heavenly Father loves and protects His missionaries. I know that He knows us all individually and places people and experiences in our lives to benefit us.

Love,
Sister Sparhawk

They Send All the Cool Girls to Mesa

Here you are, you've found your way to yet another Sister Missionary's blog. 

I'm not expecting to change the world or anything, but hopefully one person will benefit from something I write.

My name is Sister Sparhawk, I'm currently serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Arizona Mesa Mission.

I am originally from Boise, Idaho. I attended one semester at BYU-Idaho before coming on my mission, studying Exercise Physiology. I love my dog, ice cream, and health food. I also collect pictures of strangers in their cars while they sit at red lights. What can I say, I live big.

Right now I'm serving in the Highgroves YSA Ward in Mesa, AZ. YSA is an acronym for Young Single Adults, so I work with everyone from 18-31 who isn't married. I don't want to brag, but I will anyways. I'm serving in the best ward in Mesa! I have been in the ward for a little over 4 months and I am not looking forward to the day I have to leave!

This is me and my companion, Sister Snyder. She's the bomb. People tell us we look like sisters all the time. Turns out, they really do send all the cool girls to Mesa! (Sister Snyder's Dad told her that)

So that's enough about me! Why am I here in Mesa? Why am I on a mission? I don't want to bore you with details, so you get the short version. 

Like many people of the Mormon faith I was baptized at 8 years old. I made the decision to make covenants with my Heavenly Father! Over the years I have grown to truly appreciate the gospel that I embraced at such a young age. I came to know that God is my loving Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ is my Savior, and through following His example I can live with Him again someday! 

I don't know about you, but I think this is pretty awesome. Awesome enough that I want to share it with anyone and everyone who will listen! So naturally I am here on a mission! As a sister, I get the opportunity to serve for 18 months. While I am here on my mission my purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ. My full time job is to tell people about Christ and everything that He did for us. 

Here in Mesa all the full-time missionaries have the wonderful (and daunting) opportunity to use social media to fulfill our purpose! I am using Facebook as a tool to spread the good word and now I am here using this blog! 

This is where YOU come in! Yes you. Yes, Mom, if you are reading this, this is for you. Yes, you, a member of the Highgroves Ward, this is for you! Yes, you, another missionary serving in any mission that uses social media. And most definitely, yes, YOU, you who are curious about what I believe in as a Mormon!

Imagine me wearing a bright colored shirt that says "Ask Me!" on it! Please, ask me questions! I will do my very best to answer them! I want to fill this blog with the answers to the questions you have or have been asked! You can email me, message me on Facebook, even comment on this very post! I would love to hear from you :)

I know that the message I am out to share is true. I know that it can bless your life in ways you never thought possible.

Love, 

Sister Sparhawk