Dear Sisters and Elders,
Thank you so much for your magnificent service to the Lord. Many precious souls were baptized or brought into full church activity during the last few days. Thank you for your faith and sacrifice.
Each of you has received a set of "Self Help Medical Guidelines" so that you will know what to do when you become sick. For example, when your symptoms include dizziness, headache, weakness, dry mouth you are probably dehydrated. The solution is to drink 3-4 liters of water each day. If you have a fever, you are counseled to take Paracetemol (Tylenol) and drink liquids.
There is another "sickness" that occurs in missionary life and at other times in your life. The symptoms might be loneliness, discouragement or impatience. Other symptoms could include homesickness, worry about home or low self esteem.
One of the best "medicines" for these symptoms is hard work.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught: "I have often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is WORK! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work--there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work." (Preach My Gospel, p. 121)
"Nothing will work unless you do." Maya Angelou
"The only place that "success" comes before "work" is in the dictionary." Vince Lombardi
"The harder I work, the luckier I get." Samuel Goldwyn
"There is NO substitute for hard work." Thomas Edison
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison ("overalls" are work clothes that are worn on a farm or in a mechanic shop)
"It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man." Benjamin Franklin
Elders and Sisters, do not waste time worrying about your area--go out and work your heart out! Don't waste your time worrying about whether or not you are a good missionary--get to work and become one! Don't spend any time feeling bad about your investigators not progressing or not coming to church--go out and get some new ones or go out and put extra love and effort into the ones you have! Don't worry that your Tagalog is not good--go out and speak it to everyone! Don't worry about whether or not the ward supports your efforts or if they think you are a good missionary--go to work and let the Lord take care of the rest!
You will find in your life that most of your doubts, stresses and insecurities can be solved by putting your faith in the Lord and getting to work.
In 2 Nephi 31:20, Nephi says: "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, Ye shall have eternal life"
I love the image that comes to mind as I read Nephi's words. I think of working hard, every hour of every day, filled with hope...filled with love for God...filled with love for others...trusting the Lord.
I invite you to put this into practice in your life. When things get hard, work harder.
I promise that you will find great joy in knowing that you have given everything you have to serve the Lord. There is no sweeter feeling than laying down exhausted in your bed at night, knowing that you have given your all to serving the Lord.
Mahal ko po kayo,
President Creg Ostler