Your Hope Coin's Ripple Journey
Hope id: AP0005767
Home
I got this hope coin as a Christmas present from an aunt of mine. Instead of just doing a kind act and passing it on, I wanted to do more than that. I want it to be a chain of advice that one missionary gives to another missionary right before he leaves on his mission, then have the missionary who received the coin do the same. Before giving the coin to someone, you should pray and ask Heavenly Father who would need the coin. This coin should change good missionaries into great missionaries. I have great faith that it will change individuals lives and missions.
Elder Jones, I wanted to share some personal lessons I have learned on my mission that took me several months to learn. I hope that you don't have to spend the time learning the difficult lessons I had to learn.
- 1. You are your own trainer. No one determines what kind of missionary you are, much less your trainer. You are a good missionary if you choose to be and you are a bad missionary if you choose to be. Don't ever excuse or justify what kind of missionary you are based off of how others are.
- 2. Elder Klippel said it best when he said, “There are no dead areas, just dead missionaries.” Do what it takes to make your area come alive, the members are the key.
- 3. Your favorite companion should be your current companion. The most important person you will teach on your mission is your companion. Do not criticize your companion to others, yourself, or them.
- 4. Success as a missionary can be determined by looking at the key indicators before you got to an area and then looking at them after you left that same area. Every area is one transfer away from becoming an amazing area.
- 5. Don't seek to be a leader, seek to be worthy of becoming a leader.
- 6. End of the race. I do not believe in the word trunky, I believe in the end of the race. When you see the finish line, run the hardest you have ever ran. It's ok to want to stop running and think of the things you will do after the race but never stop running.
- 7. You can determine how much a mission changed someone based off of what kind of missionary you are after your mission. Let the mission be written on your heart for forever.
Elder Jones, the Lord has great things in store for you. He has let me catch a glimpse of what those things could be. You are the only one holding yourself back, so what if you haven't tried at anything before and coasted through life. Who cares what other people think, if they think you can't become a leader or a great missionary prove them wrong. This coming transfer you will have the chance to decide what kind of missionary you want to be. It's not easy to be a hard working diligent missionary but the blessing are worth it. If you work your hardest there will come a time after your mission that you wish you could relive any day as a missionary. Even your worst. Find out what your “why” is then chase after it. You are going to change so many lives but only if you change yours first. I sense that your last interview with President humbled you a little bit, don't let it discourage you. Let it be the spark that ignites the flame. I love you so much, you have been in my prayers constantly. I have felt inspired to give you this coin, after you have served as diligently as you can…pass your advice along to someone else. Once again, I love and pray for you. I am always in your corner. Please reach out if you ever need anything.
Love Elder Bridger Butterfield