Thursday, April 19, 2012

Flashback #6: Fishers of Men

Another one from last June:

Today is preparation day. For a missionary, that means that you get to spend about half of the day doing things besides missionary work. For our week of sacrifice, we gave up three hours of our time to devote back to the Lord. The rest of the time we had was also special. This week we are receiving a new mission president. For just the short time that I have been here, I have very much come to love President and Sister Hutchings. Sister Hutchings is quite possibly the kindest, most gentle woman I have ever personally met next to my mother. She is so quick to make sure that all of us missionaries are well taken care of physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I remember this day in my mission! On this P-day, because President and Sister Hutchings were leaving, the missionaries in the area at the time met at someone's home who offered to help us and let us use his recording studio. We ended up making a CD of missionary songs and each of us bearing our testimony of Jesus Christ. We really had some fun! Sister Valentine and I were the only sisters to sing. We had some ukelele and great talent on the piano- all from full-time missionaries. With the help of this member, the CD was made and we gave it to President and Sister Hutchings on the morning that they left. 

I don't remember very much about President and Sister Hutchings, mostly because I actually met with them maybe a total of four times, all at the very beginning of my mission. However, something unique about Sister Franson is that I am, to the best of my knowledge, the last new missionary that President Hutchings gave and "entering the mission field" interview to. It was in the back of a car because we had a very busy schedule, and it wasn't for very long. He asked me some questions, some I remember, and some not so much, but one has stood out to me very strongly. He asked me what my goals were for my mission. Honestly, from the MTC I realized that I had no idea what a mission really is and I had no idea what to expect from it. However, I responded that I wanted my knowledge of the gospel to increase and I wanted to read the entire standard works (Old and New Testaments of the Bible, The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) and the missionary approved gospel library (True to the Faith, Our Heritage, Our Search for Happiness*, and Jesus the Christ). Quite an endeavor to read all of that in 18 months time, right? You would agree if you saw to what amount this all added up to, not to mention the research and study it would take to understand what any of it meant. I remember President Hutchings, in all seriousness, this tall, wizened man that I could tell in the short few hours after I met him expected respect, integrity, and exactness in all things, told me that my studies would go further and I would learn more about any given gospel principle if I studied not for myself, but for those whom I would be called to serve and teach. I was a greeny missionary shaking in my shoes at that point. I think I probably even said, "Yes, Sir." 

And I have found that to be true. 

"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." Matthew 4:18-20

One of the keys to this story is straightway- not later, not after they had finished fishing for the day, not after they had gotten a good amount of rest, but immediately with no hesitation. As a missionary, the Lord has invited me to be a fisher of men. When we keep covenants with the Lord, we are showing Him that we want to be as these fishermen, to "leave behind our selfish interests and seek to do the will of the Lord" (President Gordon B. Hinckley).

So, a small challenge to you, dear friends. Most of you are not called to be full-time missionaries, but for today, study something spiritual to specifically share with a friend! You may be surprised what you learn for yourself.

Have an action-packed day!
Sister Franson

*Could not find a link to this one. By M. Russell Ballard!

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