My missionary ...

One of the great miracles of missionary service in this Church is that Sid Going and thousands just like him have not asked, “What will I get from my mission?” but rather, “What can I give?”
In 1961, at age 18 and holding the Aaronic Priesthood, Sidney Going was becoming a star in New Zealand rugby. Because of his remarkable abilities, many thought he would be chosen the very next year for the national All Blacks rugby team.

At age 19, in this critical moment of his ascending rugby career, Sid declared that he would forgo rugby to serve a mission. Some called him crazy. Others called him foolish. 4 They protested that his opportunity in rugby might never come again.

For Sid it was not what he was leaving behind—it was the opportunity and responsibility ahead. He had a priesthood duty to offer two years of his life to declare the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. Nothing—not even a chance to play on the national team, with all the acclaim it would bring—would deter him from that duty. 5

He was called by a prophet of God to serve in the Western Canadian Mission. Forty-eight years ago this month, 19-year-old Elder Sidney Going left New Zealand to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sid told me of an experience he had on his mission. It was evening, and he and his companion were just about to return to their apartment. They decided to visit one more family. The father let them in. Elder Going and his companion testified of the Savior. The family accepted a Book of Mormon. The father read all night. In the next week and a half he read the entire Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. A few weeks later the family was baptized. 6

A mission instead of a place on the New Zealand All Blacks team? Sid responded, “The blessing of [bringing others] into the gospel far outweighs anything [you] will ever sacrifice.” 7

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/preparing-the-world-for-the-second-coming?lang=eng

Spiritual Thought:
Excerpt from ...

ACTING ON THE TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
DIETER F. UCHTDORF
Second Counselor in the First Presidency

" Another topic I would like to discuss is the difference between growth and real growth. We have heard some about this today. In Church terms, growth could be defined as new members. New members come through children baptized at age eight as well as convert baptisms. Real growth, however, is defined as growth in the number of active members.
In some areas of the Church we have dramatic growth in new members, yet active membership remains stagnant or grows only a little. We have some measurable ways to indicate activity in the Church, such assacrament meeting attendance, ordination to the priesthood at the right age, missionary service, and possession of a current temple recommend. Perhaps the more accurate indicators of real growth in the gospel of Jesus Christ are those that we can’t measure as easily, such as daily prayer, scripture study, family home evening, love at home and for our neighbor, and personal experiences with Christ’s Atonement. These are recorded not by a clerk in Church records but in our hearts and in heaven.
Our missionary efforts are compromised if we baptize God’s children but do not maintain love and friendship with these precious new members who are excited to find fellowship with the Saints and a place of belonging in the household of God.
Here again, our councils can deliberate on the spiritual and temporal welfare of every member—taking special care to consider each new convert. Our work as a council is to help our members grow in their love for Heavenly Father and their fellowman. If we focus our efforts here, one-on-one, many more members will feel that they have found a home in the Church—that they have found the “why” of the gospel.
Brothers and sisters, let us remember that you and I are not perfect. Consequently, our councils will not be perfect either. At times they will be understaffed. At times they may include one or perhaps several people who are not fully engaged in the work or who are distracted by the complications and stresses of everyday life.
Please do not give up. Be careful not to over-idealize your expectations of how your councils should operate. Once again, if you are focused on the “why” of the gospel, the Spirit will direct your humble efforts.
President Hinckley once said, “We are here to assist our [Heavenly] Father in His work and His glory, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere.”2 What a humbling statement by a prophet of God.
If your circumstances are less than ideal, please take comfort in knowing that the Lord will support and enhance your efforts, sanctify your decisions and actions, perfect them through the tender mercies of Christ, and “consecrate [your] performance … , that [it] may be for the welfare of [your] soul” (2 Nephi 32:9) and the souls of those you serve.
As I mentioned earlier, there is little good in hearing the word of God if we do not translate what we hear into our lives. Consequently, we ask that you take the following steps without hesitation and continue to do so throughout your service in your callings. "

Christmas Stories

I love spreading the Christmas spirit this time of year. And for our missionaries who are far from home, family and friends during this season it can be hard. So I believe bombarding them with love and Christmas is a great way to remind them how much you are thinking of them.

One way to do this is through Christmas Stories; in an email, or written letter, or dearelder message, or tucked within a package. These can be your favorite ones, the most traditional, or brand new finds. It is a great little gift for your missionary to share with his companion or investigators. Tell him to print out if it is an email so that he has time to read and share it.

I sent my brother a Christmas Story in his Christmas Email. But next year I hope to send him one in each December Email.

(This is the one I shared with our missionary, I had heard it in Relief Society and looked it up when I got home)
"Christmas Day in the Morning" tells about how Rob, the main character, learns the true meaning of love and finds a way to demonstrate his true love for his father.
Rob wants to get his father something special for Christmas this year -- something that shows how much he really loves him. But it's Christmas Eve, and he doesn't have much money to spend. What could he possibly get? Suddenly, Rob thinks of the best gift of all...
You can find the full story Christmas Day in the Morning.

Share some Christmas spirit with your missionary. By sending him a Christmas Story off this list below, some of them may be too long to send but an excerpt or quote may be a fun addition to an email or letter as well. 

Christmas Stories

20 Famous Christmas stories
The Gift of the Magi, The Little Match Girl, Legend Of The Christmas Rose, and MORE

Short Christmas Stories 
 For the Man Who Hated Christmas
 The Gold Wrapping Paper
 On Santa's Team
 The Christmas Truce

Christmas Stories
THE GOLD WRAPPING PAPER
A TOUCHING CHRISTMAS STORY
A WARM WOOL BLANKET
THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

A Christmas short story: Santa's Christmas morning

Kid's Christmas Stories, Popular Old-Fashion Christmas Short Stories for Children
Bipper and Wick - by Artie Knapp
The Birds' Christmas - Founded on Fact by F.E. Mann
Christmas at Fezziwig's Warehouse by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Christmas Carol of the Birds
Christmas Day
A Christmas Fairy by John Strange Winter
Christmas in Seventeen Seventy-Six (1776) by Anne Hollingsworth Wharton
Christmas in the Alley by Olive Thorne Miller
Christmas in the Barn by F. Arnstein
The Christmas Masquerade by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
A Christmas Matinee by M.A.L. Lane
Christmas Under the Snow by Olive Thorne Miller
The Cratchits' Christmas Dinner by Charles Dickens
The Dolls' Christmas Party
The Fairy Christmas
The First New England Christmas by G.L. Stone and M.G. Fickett
The Fir-Tree by Hans Christian Andersen
Grandma's Christmas Gifts
The Greatest of These by Joseph Mills Hanson
How Christmas Came to the Santa Maria Flats by Elia W. Peattie
Jimmy Scarecrow's Christmas by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Little Girl's Christmas by Winnifred E. Lincoln
Mama's Happy Christmas
Mr. Bluff's Experience of Holidays by Oliver Bell Bunce
Old Father Christmas by J.H. Ewing
The Philanthropist's Christmas by James Weber Linn
The Queerest Christmas by Grace Margaret Gallaher
A Ragged Christmas Feast
Santa Claus Does Not Forget
Santa Claus's Letter
Susy's Christmas Present
The Telltale Tile by Olive Thorne Miller
Toinette and the Elves by Susan Coolidge
A Turkey For One
What Happened Christmas Eve
Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus


What are your favorite Christmas Stories? 
We would love to expand our list and share with each other. 

Favorite Inspirations

What are some of your favorite quotes or scriptures to send your missionary?
In emails, letters, or packages!

Here are some of my favorites:

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
4 For behold the afield is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 4

"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail."
Doctrine & Covenants 6:34

“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.”
President Gordon B. Hinckley 

You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities.
Pres Gordon B. Hinckley

“We should bring our wills into subjection to the will of the Father, and feel to say, what is the will of our Father, whom we are here in the world to serve? Then every act that we perform will be a success.”
The Apostle Paul said that. He said: “You are called. It is not the wise that are called, but God has called the foolish to confound those which are wise.” [See 1 Corinthians 1:25–27.]
Lorenzo Snow

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:15 

My Missionary...

I sent this funny story I found online (sorry no source) to my missionary and he quite enjoyed it, thought yours might too :)

It was late fall or early winter, and Elder Thurman was bemoaning the lack of snow in our Southern California town, while his Utah hometown was enjoying good "skiing weather." One evening, following a particularly good DA, the homesick elder and his companion were riding down a long, sloping street when Thurman sat up, took his hands off the bars and put them in his pocket while leaning left and right in a slalom course down the middle of the street.
Elder Sorenson lagged behind, knowing that trunkiness cometh before a fall and preferring to be an observer than a participant. Trouble soon arrived with the dip in the road, which left Thurman's bike out of control as he tried in vain to pull his hands out of his pockets. He and his bike slide along the curb before finally tumbling end over end, filnging tracts and discussion manuals all over Glendora, and Elder Thurman parted ways with his bike while Elder Sorenson sat on his bike, laughing . . .
. . .as Elder Thurman came to rest on the lawn of some people who had been watching this whole circus coming toward them. They ran to him asking if he was all right, and his instant response:
"Now that I've got your attention, what do you know about the Mormon Church?!"
I have always considered this the Ultimate Door Approach . . .

Image from lds.org

My missionary ...

I enjoy writing my brother every week and I am going to start a new set of posts including anything my missionary especially liked in my email, usually the spiritual thought at the end.

I thought I would start with this story, I sent my brother near the beginning of his mission back in April. He mentioned how much he liked this story and I thought your missionary might too :)

Excerpt from my email,

Excerpt from Elder Richards The Joy of Serving a Mission talk:

Image from Mormon Voice

Now I like a little story that President Grant used to tell about the love that converts have for their missionaries. He told about a couple who came here from one of the Scandinavian countries. They hadn’t been taught much about the gospel. All they knew was that it was true. And so the bishop went to this couple and taught them the law of tithing. They paid their tithing. Then later the bishop went to them and taught them about the fast offering. They paid their fast offering. And then the bishop went to them again to get a donation to help build a ward meetinghouse. They thought that ought to come out of the tithing, but before the bishop got through with them, they paid their donation on the meetinghouse.

Then the bishop went to the father to get his son to go on a mission. Now I can hear President Grant standing here, saying, “That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” The man said, “He’s our only child. His mother will miss him. We can’t let him go.” Then the bishop countered, “Brother So-and-So, who do you love in this world more than anyone else outside of your own relatives?” And he thought for a few minutes. He said, “I guess I love that young man who came up to the land of the midnight sun and taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Then the bishop countered, “Brother So-and-So, how would you like someone to love your boy just like that?” The man said, “Bishop, you win again; take him. I’ll pay for his mission.”

Link here: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/1978/10/the-joy-of-serving-a-mission?lang=eng