Missionary Anika and Missionary Miles

I just hugged my niece and nephew goodbye as they headed north to enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo.  Here is a brief overview of where they are going and of some of what I remember from their talks this past Sunday.

Anika is going to Tokyo, Japan.  She'll spend a couple of months learning Japanese, and how to teach the gospel in that language.  On Sunday she talked about the Book of Mormon prophet Ammon, who, along with his brothers, went on a mission to the Lamanites, who were their peoples' enemies.  They served among the Lamanites for fourteen years.  While on that mission Ammon and his brothers were sometimes stoned, spit upon, and thrown in prison.  They were often hungry, tired, and fatigued, but at the end of the mission Ammon glories in the Lord, and His power.  He expresses his joy that because of the Lord's help, many had been saved.  Anika spoke a lot about the gratitude she has for a loving Father in Heaven and for our Savior.  Her missionary scripture is Alma 26: 16 and Ammon is the one speaking.  Here is a part of that scripture.

"Yeah, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long suffering towards the children of men?  Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

Miles is going to Salta, Argentina.  He will learn Spanish.  On Sunday he told a story about when he was young -- 11 I think.  Miles said that one neighbor boy was always mean to him.  This boy would throw rocks at Miles from across the street, and would call him names.  Miles did not like this, and decided that the solution was the scriptures.  So he took his scriptures and read one to the boy that said, basically, "repent or be destroyed".  The boy across the street was not happy.  Miles said that he later learned that this bully was bullied at his own school, and that it would have helped if Miles had tried to be his friend, instead of lecturing him with the scriptures.

Miles talked about being humble, and not thinking that we are better than others, but remembering that God loves all of His children, and wants us to help them.  His missionary scripture is 2 Nephi 6-8  (here's some of it)

"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.  Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.  Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth . . . ."

Anika and Miles will be good missionaries because they will be obedient, will work hard, and they will have the Holy Ghost to help them.  I am really proud of them.

Tina, Miles, Anika, and Chris