HOLA!! Here is a letter that is anything but "lazy."
Brother Platt called me Friday night and asked me to share a missionary story from you --- also asked me to give the ward members some background information on you since most of them don't know who you are. So ..... I prayed for inspiration, and went through the last couple e-mails you sent to see what I could pull out and share. I had asked you several questions in my e-mail the week prior, but you never wrote me last week, so I had to just pull from your other e-mails.
Here is a sort of script of how it went:
"Last night I had a nightmare that I was waiting to share my missionary moment, and the lady who spoke before me ended up taking up the entire meeting. I kept thinking, "Why doesn't the Bishop do something and stop her?" When I woke up this morning, I realized that the Lord was giving me a warning not to talk for too long. ---- audience chuckles ... hahahaha..... ---- (but it's true, I really did have that dream!)
Brother Platt asked me to give you some background on Taylor. Taylor is not somebody you get to know, Taylor is someone you have to "experience" in order to appreciate. We refer to him as a "squiggle" because he has a difficult time understanding the concept of a straight line. ----hahaha more chuckles from the audience ---- looked at the Everetts and the Riveras and they were nodding their heads in agreement.
When Taylor made the decision to go on a mission, I was really pleased, obviously. Many people made comments to me that Taylor would be a missionary who would set the world on fire! I know they meant that as a compliment, but I was secretly a little concerned, because Taylor is a kid who literally might actually set something on fire. (hahahaha.....loud laughter). He is a boy who kept me in parent/teacher conferences, principal's offices, court rooms, and emergency rooms, so I admit, I worried a little when he was called to the Arizona/Tucson Spanish Mission, that I would get a phone call one day from the mission present saying that Taylor was in jail somewhere south of the border for doing something silly, and I would never see my son again. (roaring laughter from the congregation.)
In all seriousness though, I worried about Taylor. I could sense from his letters that something was just "off" with him. the focus of his letters seemed to lack those things you would expect to read in a missionary's letter---things like testimony-building experiences, how the work was progressing, and personal learning experiences. There wasn't anything wrong in his letters, it's just that there was something missing.
Although my heart sunk, I wasn't surprised when 8 months into his mission, I received a phone call from President Osborne informing me that Taylor was coming home, and that I would be receiving a phone call shortly from him.
Later that evening, Taylor called me and explained what had happened, and with his permission I will share with you what he told me.
He told me that he and his companion had not been having any success. They were concerned because they weren't finding people who were ready to hear the gospel, and those they were teaching were not accepting it. They prayed together as companions to seek the Lord's help in understanding what they needed to do in order to have success in their area. Taylor was overwhelmed with a profound feeling that he was the cause of the problem. There were things from his past that he had ignored and swept aside, believing he could deal with them on his own. He decided that he needed to take action, so he had a conversation with his mission president. The mission president assured Taylor that he had done the right thing, and to go back to work, because he was more than likely going to stay in the mission field. The mission president contacted President Osborne, who concurred. It then went to the mission board, who referred it to Salt Lake, and word was sent that Taylor would be going home for six months to take care of things and prepare to return and complete his mission.
And so, on September 7th, Taylor came home. He had to endure the embarrassment of facing his family and friends, which as you can only imagine, was not easy. Once home, my parents had some medical issues that required full time care and assistance. Taylor moved in with them to take care of them. My family, who are not members of the church, repeatedly asked Taylor to stay home and not return to his mission...that he was needed more here. They offered to pay him to make caring for my parents his mission.
But in this situation, there was a straight line for Taylor. He knew from the moment he came home, that he wanted to return to the mission field to finish his mission. There was no variance from that the entire time that he was home.
On April 28th, Taylor reported back to his mission in Tucson, Arizona.
If Taylor could give any advice to those of you planning to serve a mission, he would say this, "Be clean. If you're not clean, do whatever it takes to get clean, and then stay clean. Also, read and gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon before you enter the mission field."
The letters that I receive from Taylor now, are quite different than those I received the first time he went out. I'd like to share a couple excerpts with you now.
(I then shared a little bit about your temple trip and your testimony of Joseph Smith, about the people you were teaching, and what you wanted us to pray for. I also shared what you wrote about Alma and Amulek and how they modeled the perfect pattern for a missionary companionship. I also shared with them that you said that the biggest differences in you the second time out was that 1) there was no guilt, and 2) you had the spirit with you so much stronger....and that you could tell when you were being led by the spirit. I also read the part where you said that you could bet your two investigators would be baptized by the end of May.)
This (I pointed to your letters), is a missionary who can set the world on fire!"
-----
So, my son, how did I do?
Let me tell you something.....SO many people came up to me afterwards and said that was the most amazing missionary story they had ever heard shared in our sacrament meetings. They appreciated so much that you were open and allowed me to share your experience openly and honestly with them. They said that most people would have tried to cover it up. One sister wrote me a note and handed it to me .... I don't have it with me so I can't tell you what it says verbatim, but it's along the same lines...of how much she admires you and appreciates me sharing your story. She and her husband felt like they could go home right then, and they would have been filled, because they felt the Spirit so strongly.
During the rest of the meetings, several people told me that they also worried about their sons and whether or not they would be ready to serve....some said they could tell their sons were really listening to your story and it made an impact on them.
Last night, the missionaries came to our house and told us how strong the spirit was when they heard your story,,,,and that so many people have told them how much they appreciated it. The missionaries wanted to thank me, and to thank you for having the courage to be open. They said, "This is what the gospel is all about!"
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