Ye are the Light of the World

A good friend gave me this beautiful painting of hers this morning.  The image and the matching scripture have given me great cause to think throughout the day.  Specifically I have been thinking about what God expects of us, and how each of us, returned missionary or not, can "return home with honor."
You will recall that the Savior said "ye are the light of the world;" He was not one for vague, hopeful statements, nor for meaningless platitudes - He actually meant it!  Not "you could be a light," or "I want you to be a light," but "ye are the light."  (In His visit to the people in ancient Americas He clarifies by adding "I give unto you to be the light.")  Now He follows it up with the acknowledgement, if you will, that a person can choose to hide their light, but puts it in the realm of pointless selfishness by saying it is akin to lighting a candle, only to hid it under a basket where no one will see it, be guided by it, or feel of its warmth.
As I thought of this, one of the Savior's parables, the one about the Talents, came to my mind.  In it a master gives his servants varying amounts of wealth, each according to what he knows they can handle (and even to the least is given a vast fortune), and requires of them that they take care of it and increase it while he is gone.
Now until tonight I had mostly thought that the servant with only one talent was lazy, or perhaps he felt jealous of the others, or underappreciated by his master.  And while each of these could be true, I now think it is much simpler than that; he was afraid.  He was so afraid of failing, that he didn't even try, and thus failed anyway.
Do not fall into the same trap.  Heavenly Father, a perfect Being, created you - sent you to earth, full-knowing that you would occasionally fail, but also knowing you had the potential to get back up each time - and He doesn't make any mistakes; He is not in the business of making failures.  You are preprogrammed to succeed.  But He won't make you become all that you are able to; you decide.  He knew the only way you would grow was if you took what He had given you and made something out of it.
You are the only one who needs to give permission for you to be amazing; nay, out-of-this-world, breathtakingly phenomenal!  God already gave His permission and opinion on the matter.
So if there is something that you have always wanted to do, felt like you were meant to do, know that God wanted you to do, but have been too scared to try, this very moment is the time to let go of the fear that you will fail (or the just as real fear that you will succeed) and tap your limitless potential!

Where do I fit in scripture study now?

As a missionary, one of the best parts of the day is studying the Word of God.  Since we try to teach and live it every day, we have to study it constantly.  We do so for two hours each morning, one individually, and one with our companion.  I can't describe how much better your day goes for doing this!
So I had a question from a returned missionary the other day; where do you fit in scripture study now that you are home?  I had thought when I got ready to come home that I would have more time to read, but I actually have less.  Now I have to work, get ready for going to school, interact with family, take care of pets, and the list goes on.
Despite being harder, it is just as important now as it was then to read from God's Word daily.  I can truthfully say that nearly every blunder or mishap I have made since coming home has been because I wasn't immersed enough in the Scriptures.  There is a power in them to help use resist the evils of this world.
So, that being said, where do you fit it in?  I personally found that my best study has happened when I wake up early and read before the rest of the family gets up.  If you live by yourself that may be different, but as a rule scripture study seems to have the most effect when done in the morning.  It is the jump-start you need for the day, and gives you the Armor of God before you go out to battle, rather than just patching you up after you come home from waging war on sin all day.
But scripture study anytime, anywhere, for how ever long you have is always worth it.  I urge you to not give up on this important habit!

A Purpose-Filled Life

I think if I could give any advise to a newly returned missionary it would be this: find something that you can put your whole heart and soul into, and do it as soon as possible.
As a missionary, one is busy all the time.  We are trained to fill every hour with a meaningful activity, and it is things that matter.
When you get home that is one of the first differences you will notice, and one of the biggest adjustments. 
So along with all the day-to-day things you will do, find things that matter to you.  Set goals and set out to achieve them.  Immerse yourself in furthering your education, building a career, continuing to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, starting a family, anything that is good and keeps you anxiously engaged.  Your biggest enemy to staying happy is to not have a purpose.  Your biggest ally is to find things that matter to you, ways you can still help others, and do them.

The Listeners

My, it has been a while since I last posted.  I think that I got so caught up in the throws of daily life and adjusting to home that I forgot to blog about it.
My return to these "pages" has been on my mind for weeks, yet I am only now getting back.  The adjustment on my mind - being alone.
Don't misunderstand, I am not talking about being lonely per say, that is not a new phenomenon for any of us.  What I speak about is companions, and the lack of them.
Life as a missionary can be very hard at times, and, being far-removed from home, has the potential to be quite lonely.  For these and many other reasons, we are assigned a number of "companions" throughout our service.  These are fellow missionaries of the same gender who are a combination roommate, confidant, support team, business partner, and friend.  They are with you 24/7, in sight and sound at all times.  This may sound strange, but speaking from experience, it was one of the best things in my life.  I learned and grew so much from each of the companions I had over the two years.  Some of my best friendships were formed in this way.  They taught me so much about people, myself, and life in general.
Lately the aspect that I have missed is what I call "listening silence."  When I had a rough day, I could talk to my companion, and he would just listen quietly, in many cases knowing what I was meaning because he had just been through the exact same day.  Often not a single word was needed, we'd exchange a look and burst out laughing.  I miss that.  I miss having someone who was with me all the time, someone with the same goals, motivation, and drive as I had, who could help lift me up when I lost myself, knowing that I would likely do the same for him in a day or two.  A good companion is a priceless treasure, and one which I am not totally sure how to regain.  May God be with each of them until we meet again, on earth or in heaven.

Teaching...again.

It is not difficult to teach the Gospel every day, it is difficult to not teach the Gospel every day.  This was one of the biggest changes I wasn't fully ready for when I was released.  Now I know I can (and do) share the Gospel with others at every opportunity, but there is something missing when you aren't in a home, teaching God's plan for our happiness and success.  It leaves a hole, one which I was slightly unprepared for.
Thankfully, the branch (a small local congregation) I attend has a wonderful set of missionaries.  They invited me to accompany them on a couple of visits this morning.
A note to recently returned missionaries: this is one of the best ways to ease back into day-to-day life while continuing to spread the word of God and feel His spirit.
I was a little surprised by the differences I felt as an accompanying member compared to when I was a full-time missionary.  But the similarities were comforting.
First, the differences.  I quickly discovered that the feeling (from my perspective) was quite different.  Let me explain - as a missionary lessons could be related to like flying: the Holy Spirit is the Navigator, and you and your companion are equal copilots.  Now that you are home and released, I would describe you as a "participating passenger."
When it comes down to it, your part - while being essential, irreplaceable and absolutely necessary for someone to grow in the Gospel (perhaps more on this facet of missionary work in another post) - is no longer a leadership role, at least not when it comes down to teaching.
Now for the similarities.  All the same teaching skills that you learned on your mission still apply.  You will still be able to (and need to) relate to those you are visiting.  You will still be able to use things you learned that morning in your personal study of the scriptures.  Most importantly, you will still be able to feel the spirit as you testify of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has impacted your own life.
Is it worth it, differences and all?  Without question.

How to talk to a returned missionary.

Note: this post is primarily directed to the family and friends of returned missionaries.  All RM's are invited to review it for accuracy.

You have waited for this day for a long time.  You stand in the airport, scanning the crowds.  Your loved one has been gone for so long it seems.  If you don't recognize them from before or the pictures they sent periodically, at least you should be able to spot them from the name tag.
There they are!  The two of you run, meeting each other half-way in an embrace.  The next few moments are a blur of happiness, with the crowds seeming to disappear.
So, now that they are home, how do you talk to them?  You love them, miss hearing their voice, and want to be able to relate to their experiences and become reacquainted with them, but are unsure of what to say.  They aren't much help at times, seemingly lost in a faraway land and unknown (to you) times and faces.  To help you in this endeavor, I will my personal, insider's opinion.
First of all, talk about their mission; they want to talk to you, but are as lost as you are.  All they know for now is the mission field, and they often miss it very much.  Talking about it reawakens the joyful experiences they had, and rekindles the joy they felt before.  It also makes the transition back to everyday life less drastic.
So, how do you talk to them about it?  Ask specific questions.  They have 11,680 hours (or 8,640 hours for Sisters) of waking experiences as a missionary from which to draw upon.  It will be very hard for them to just relay stories without some kind of prompt.  Saying, "tell me about your mission" is an invitation, but not a prompt.  So below I will include a few possible questions you may consider:

Ask about their ties (for Elders).  Elders often collect ties (as it is one of the few variables to their daily attire), and almost every one has a story of how he got it.  This can also open up avenues to hear more about their companions.

Watch a movie with them that is centered on a mission or missionary work (The Best Two Years, Errand of Angels, etc.).  This will provide lots of opportunities to ask something like, "did that ever happen to you?"

Ask them what area they grew the most in, who was their favorite companion, who was one of the families they grew close to, and why on all of these.

Don't use yes or no questions.  Asking open-ended questions will allow them draw on their memories and share them.

Ask to see some of their pictures from the mission.  Warning Note: only do this if you have a lot of time on your hands.  Many missionaries will have accumulated thousands of photos, and it will take some time for them to even show the highlights.  If you choose this route, feel free to stop them and ask questions about the pictures that seem to have a background story.

In all things, just show interest.  These returned missionaries have loved their chance to serve their Savior full-time, and doing so has brought many joys.  Sharing those memories with you will make them happy, as well as deepen your relationship.

Homecoming talks and other inescapable things.

As a returned missionary, there are certain inescapable events that must take place.  Though they may be called inescapable, that does not mean that you wish to avoid them, only that they are near certainties.  For instance, you have to talk to a person of the opposite gender about (gasp!) a topic other than the gospel, and this without a companion as backup; your emptying wallet clearly tells you that you must return to work; and certainly you will be asked to give a "homecoming" talk in church.
Being a church with no paid ministry, it is common to be asked to speak in the Sunday worship service; and after all, you have spoken about the good news of Christ for the past two years to anyone who would stand still long enough.  So when you were asked it came neither with surprise or distress.
The day arrives.  You are standing in front of the microphone, and you have the attention of the entire congregation, excepting a few babies and small toddlers.  They are waiting to hear what you will say.  So are you! 
Two years.  Two years of experiences are yours to share, and you have been given fifteen minutes in which to share the highlights.  There is no way that you can.  It is like when someone comes up to you and asks, "how was your mission?" with the same allotted time for an answer as, "how was your day?"  You have met, touched and been touched by hundreds, even thousands of people.  And so, realizing that you could never hope to condense the miracles, wonders, prayers and people you grew to love in such a short time, you fall back on what you know how to do - you testify.
You testify about the powerful change that comes through sharing the gospel.  This was all you did for the past 730 days, and it has changed you.  You hope that others can feel that change.  From the bottom of your heart you want them to see that what changed you was not so much going on a mission, but sharing the message of your Savior.
This naturally leads into your sharing your love of Jesus Christ, and how He has changed your life, and those of others.  You want to share more, but you have run out of words.  Nothing can ever really describe all that you feel.  It has been to wonderful of an experience sharing the Gospel of Christ; good thing you weren't released from that.