The Strength of Youth

   One of the true highlights of being on a mission is spending time with the young missionaries.  In most cases, they are powerhouses in every sense of the word.  They work hard every day and they are fearless in talking to everyone.  Here in Victoriaville, we have come to know and love these young missionaries.  So far we have had five different missionaries in this city and when they have been transferred it has been so hard to say good-bye.
   Every week we attend District Meeting in a city about 45 minutes from here. We take the young elders with us to save them "clicks, which are the allowable miles they can use each month.  By riding with us, they have more to use on other days to get to appointments. At District Meeting we are instructed on differing aspects of missionary work by the District Leader, a young man about 20 years old.
  In addition to District Meetings, about once a month we go to a zone meeting where the zone leaders also teach about how to be more effective missionaries.  We attended one of these meetings this week. The zone leaders  gave a great presentation, and then two sets of sister missionaries also taught.  As when I was in Switzerland and France, I was once again reminded of how very capable, committed, and loving these young leaders are.  As I looked around the room at the 40 or so missionaries sitting in a large circle, I thought about what a privilege it is to associate with them.  We might be sacrificing a little bit, but these young men and women are taking eighteens months to two years out of their busy young lives, putting their educational, career, and personal relationships on hold while they attempt to find those who will listen to their message about our beliefs.  In addition, I reflected on the thousands of other similar gatherings of missionaries all over the world.  They willingly go door-to-door and have those doors slammed in their faces every day. Once in awhile someone listens, and lets them come back for another lesson.  Every now and then someone is willing to make the necessary changes in his or her life required for baptism, and what a great day that is for the missionaries. The amazing thing is, however, that even though there aren't many who will make those changes, the missionaries cheerfully keep on working and trying.  Associating with them always lifts us to a higher plane…
  This was our District in December.  We had missionaries from Switzerland, Denmark, Vanuatu, and the U.S.