Ode to Dads

Admission time: Fathers' Day is the worst as a missionary, at least on Mothers' Day you can talk to your mom! But Fathers' Day was just sad because all the talks were on fathers and the little kids sang about fathers, and all you are thinking about is your dad and how you don't get to see him! So naturally you decide to write your weekly email on fathers!

The little primary kids sang a song in Sacrament meeting yesterday that really touched my heart and made me think of my sweet daddy,

My father’s hands are steady and kind.  They hold me and show me the way.
And when they are gently placed on my head, the fear in my heart goes away.
My father’s eyes are tender and wise.  They twinkle with laughter and fun.
They scatter the sunshine, weep when I’m sad, and rest when the day is done.
Knees which are worn from the years of kneeling to pray fervently.
Feet which have walked many miles, making a path for me.
My father’s heart is turned towards God.  He serves doing all that he can.
Reflecting the love that comes from above, He follows a heavenly plan. (My Father) 

 

A year ago I was asked to give a talk on Fathers, with the stipulation that I wasn't talking about my dad. Well, now it's a year later, and this is my blog post, so I can talk about my dad all I want! 

My dad is an incredible gospel scholar (he will probably deny this) and he taught me everything I know about the gospel. I remember watching a video about the Savior appearing to the people in the Americas, and my dad testifying of the reality of Christ. My testimony grew from an early age, because I knew my father had a testimony, and I wanted to have what he had.

My dad is an amazing example and I will follow in his footsteps for the rest of my life. Where would I be without a father who guides me?

Dad, you're incredible, you have truly taught me everything I know. Without you I would never know the difference between a Phillips and a Flathead, or a mallet or a hammer! But seriously, thank you!

 

On a side note,

Yesterday we were also asked to go to a missionary's homecoming, we were told to sit with all the people around our age, so we did and basically listened in to their conversation. All of them had served foreign missions and were very critical of missionaries who served in the states and were from Utah... so basically me. I left angry, why is it that there is such a stigma about both things? and why did I have to fit both descriptions?

This morning I studied a talk by Elder Bednar, "Called to the Work," and it struck a chord with me. Elder Bednar says:

"Every year tens of thousands of young men and young women, and many senior couples, eagerly anticipate receiving a special letter from Salt Lake City. The content of the letter affects forever the person to whom it is addressed, as well as family members and a great number of other people. Upon arrival, the envelope may be opened neatly and patiently or ripped apart excitedly and with great haste.Reading this special letter is an experience never to be forgotten.

The letter is signed by the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the first two sentences read as follows: “You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the ______ Mission.”

Please note that the first sentence is a call to serve as a full-time missionary in the Lord’s restored Church. The second sentence indicates an assignment to labor in a specific place and mission."

There is a stigma in the church and I think all should throw it out, missionaries who serve in foreign countries think that they are more worthy, better servants of the Lord. There is no difference. Missionaries who leave from places other than Utah think that they are more valiant in their faith. There is no difference. Members of the church everywhere, especially in the states, think that missionaries from Utah as somehow less competent than missionaries who grew up other places. There is no difference.

I beg all who have these notions to cast them out and to appreciate missionaries wherever they are from and wherever they serve. We are ALL trying to serve the Lord, and we are ALL trying to do what is right. It hurts when members scoff at where I am from, and it hurts when people ask "what did you think when you were called to WASHINGTON?" 

I know that I am exactly where I need to be, and I LOVE IT!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

The Gospel Blesses Families

A year ago in a tiny tiny little town called Clarkfork, Idaho, two missionaries knocked on a door, just like missionaries do. They talked to a young man named Ben, who truly embraced the gospel wholeheartedly, as the missionaries taught him, his mother, father and wife all eventually joined in. They were baptized and immediately started sharing the gospel with their family members. Ben's mother, Sandra, referred her own mother on Mormon.org several times, with no response. She continued trying until finally the missionaries were able to make contact with her mother, Carolyn.

Carolyn had some reservations, she wanted to know, for 100% positive, that the church was true before she ever even went. The thing about that is, if you don't go to a church, you can never know it's true!

Over the course of the 8 months she was being taught, she went to church only once. Eventually, the third set of missionaries who taught her lost contact with her and decided it would be better to wait for a few months for her to be more prepared.

That's where Sister Pluim and I came in. We started teaching Carolyn again and she came to church almost every week since we started teaching her. Her heart changed and she was ready to listen. We had about a billion lessons on the Word of Wisdom and Carolyn really changed her view of smoking (which she has done for 60 years) and Coffee (which she has had many times daily for 65 years).

The most amazing part about this story is that her grandson, Ben, who listened to the missionaries a year ago, was able to come out from Idaho to baptize her. One of the first points in the first lesson is "The Gospel Blesses Families," how true that is, the gospel blesses families so much!

I love the gospel and I love seeing how it can change lives. What an amazing blessing it is to know that through our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can be with our families forever.

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

It's not Always Easy, but it is Always Worth it

Sometimes you try so hard, SO HARD, to get people to church, you are so sure that they will show up and that they will have a great experience and everything will be great. This past week we tried SO HARD to get people to church, and come Sunday we had two people committed to coming and a couple people who were likely to come but we weren't too sure whether or not they would make it. So we showed up to church, more than half an hour early, to wait for an investigator, Brian, and give him a church tour... and we waited and waited and waited. And none of our investigators showed up. Carolyn called and told us she wound up in the hospital for a health condition, which we don't really have control over.

While we watched out the window anxiously, President and Sister Blatter showed up... and the only thing worse than not having investigators at church, is having your mission president show up to your ward and none of your investigators there to introduce him to.

We took our seats deflated, we tried so hard! And it seemed like it was to no avail. During fast and testimony meeting a sweet sister shared that "it's not always easy, but it is always worth it." I was writing that in my journal, because it is just so true, and as I finished writing it, Sister Pluim tapped me on the arm and pointed at the door. Right outside was our investigator, Brian! He came late, but he made it! And he had an amazing experience at church, and wanted to tell everyone about how he met us and how excited he was to be there. God truly works in mysterious ways.

It wasn't easy to get Brian to church, but it was so very worth it!

Life's trials are never easy, but with the gospel they are possible. I love this quote:

So "when upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost," (like your investigators aren't coming to church so they can't be baptized,) as you turn to the Savior, things will work out. I know that is true, all things will be right in the end, if it's not right, it's not the end!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

celebrating her birthday

She lives in an absolutely beautiful place

saw someone wake boarding the other day and was so jealous!

Behold Thy Mother

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER MONSON - ON THURSDAY JUNE 1ST! We love you and send our wishes your way. Have a wonderful day celebrating all that life has to offer. - Love, Mom

Last week as I was emailing my mother she told me about how she was getting help in the yard and to mow the lawn because my dear Stake President of a father didn't have the time to mow it for himself. To be honest, it made me frustrated, I wanted to be able to be there to mow my mom's lawn for her and help out around the house. But I knew I couldn't, so all week I looked for opportunities to serve others. It started out as a few little gestures throughout the week, but as Sister Pluim and I prayed for opportunities to serve others, they were answered enormously.

Friday became a service day, and we were out doing yard and house work all day. We started out at the Masticks' washing windows, clearing land, and untangling ropes. We worked hard, and made it all look amazing at their house.

After being treated to lunch by the Masticks, we rushed over to a man named Eugene's house, we met him while knocking, and weeded and cleaned up his self-reliant mini-farm. It was so cool to see how he made his yard into a place that grew things all year round and how he was able to reduce his "carbon footprint" with a little hard work. I'm a little partial to growing grass over vegetables, but it was still cool to learn about. He was so kind and gave us home-grown vegetables!

We had to rush to change because we had a lesson with Carolyn, and we took Sister McCormick with us. Sister McCormick raised 10 children and is now in her 70's. After the amazing lesson, we asked what she would be doing with her afternoon. She told us "I'll have to mow my lawn, my husband doesn't have time to do it. It's a hard lawn to mow, but it has to be done."

This triggered something in my mind, and I remembered a verse in John 19, just as the Savior was about to give up His life, He took care of one last piece of business. 

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

The last thing He had to do was make sure His mother was taken care of. And He had to allow someone else to do it. So when Sister McCormick told me she needed to mow her lawn, I heard the words of the Savior, "Behold thy Mother." I knew that I needed to serve Sister McCormick right then, to lift her burdens and ease her load. So we ran back to our house and put our disgusting, smelly, dirty, service clothes back on, and rushed over to Sister McCormick's house.

If you know me, you probably know that I have three brothers, and three brothers meant that I never once mowed the lawn... so when we showed up to the McCormicks' I had a lawn mower in my control and still had no idea how to use it. But the Lord always provides and I somehow figured out how to mow the lawn. It wasn't perfect, by any means, but it got done and Sister McCormick was so grateful.

Somehow, without doing as much knocking, and with doing 4 hours of yard work, it wound up being one of the most fulfilling days of my mission. Because as King Benjamin says, "17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2)

I hope you all get a chance to serve someone this week!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

PS Don't forget to wish everyone a "Happy Megan's Birthday!" on Thursday!

Braver than you Believe

Carolyn is what is called an "eternal investigator." She's had the lessons multiple times, by multiple missionaries and she  kept having hold ups since she started learning almost a year ago. But with much prayer, the missionaries found out that her problem was the word of wisdom. She simply didn't believe that she could overcome that hurdle. eventually they lost contact with her and she stopped her path of progression.

Fast-forward to a week before I came to Bremerton, the elders were calling former investigators and decided to call Carolyn, they set up an appointment with the idea that they would be the ones to teach her the following week.

Well of course they were transferred and Sister Pluim and I came in and started teaching Carolyn. She told us to be patient with her and that she needed her time. On the second lesson she told us she wants to be baptized, and we put her on date to be baptized next month. The next time we went over we planned to teach her about the word of wisdom and she told us that she hadn't smoked in five days! She also told us that she was down to one cup of coffee a day and that even that one cup tasted nasty to her. We hadn't even talked about the word of wisdom with her!

Christopher Robbin once told Winnie the Pooh, "You are Braver than you believe, smarter than you seem, and stronger than you think."

Carolyn could have quit smoking whenever, she could have quit coffee whenever, as her missionaries, we always believed she could, she just had to believe in herself.

I think we can all learn a lesson from Carolyn's story, we are braver than we believe we are! My mom sent me a necklace for Christmas that says, "You've always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself."-Glinda the Good Witch. What an incredible truth, we are more powerful than we think we are, we are stronger than we think we are, it is only our own self criticism that is holding us back. So go out there and do something scary, or something hard, because you can do it, don't hold yourself back!

All my love,

Sister Megan Monson

Cookies!

Rainbow

Mother's Day Video Phone Call!

Honestly I was a little nervous to talk to her. I know how phone calls home can be hard on missionaries, causing homesickness and lack of focus. Unfortunately it caused this for me too! But the minute her sweet face popped up on the screen I just cried. She looks beautiful, happy, sweet, full of life and spirit and just plain amazing. They were tears of sweet joy that I need to feel. Being a missionary mom is not always easy, yes the blessings come and you do feel a sense of peace most of the time about your missionary serving but there is a piece of a mother's heart that goes with them and the ache is tangible and other times so hard to move forward without missing them more. 

My favorite part of her video phone call was the chance to have her fill our home with laughter and love. Megan has always had that ability to bring light to each room she enters. Last night at 7:00pm the room filled with her light. It was magical! She had curled her hair so nicely and looks a little older and much wiser. She has grown up... is a lovely women and I could not be more proud of her.

The chance to have all my kids and my new (almost) daughter with us too was a special gift I will forever treasure. We panned the room so she could see everyone there but I kept the camera on me! It was Mother's day after all. We all asked her questions and specifically about what she loves about being a missionary. What miracles she has seen, her response was she see's one everyday! 

We even sang happy birthday to her, since her birthday is in two weeks. That was fun, she didn't want us all to sing but we did :) She wants a hair cut for her birthday.. done!

At the end we asked her to share her testimony. What power and conviction she shared. I cried another round of joyous tears as she testified of the Book of Mormon, of prophets, of the restoration, of a Savior who atoned for her sins and ours, for a loving Heavenly Father and her love for the priesthood power and eternal families. Really it was all encompassing. She also shared that she KNOWS she is supposed to be where she is now, serving the Lord. She expressed gratitude for a loving family, companion and opportunities. 

We closed with a family prayer that John offered and blessed her with protection, feeling the love from home and gratitude for the blessings our family receives as she serves. 

It was hard to say goodbye but we did it. Could I love a daughter more? I bet as the years continue I will. She is a gift Heavenly Father knew I needed and knew I would cherish! Love you with all of my heart Sister Monson, Megan! May the Lord continue to bless you with experiences that will shape, mold and prepare you for now and your future.

Love, Mom