7 Months!!!!

The mission has taken a turn for me in this last cambio. After receiving the latest cambios, hoping that I would be put into any sort of leadership role so as to break the chain of laziness and stagnant pace of my mission, I received a very humbling message that I was not going to change in any way. In fact I stayed as junior comp, with my senior comp being another missionary from the same MTC group as me who is also serving as the District Leader also. His name is Elder Miller, from Independence, Missouri. Something very, very interesting about my new companion is that he was a member of the "restored church" (an off-shoot of the Mormon church who believed in the Apostleship being passed down in the lineage of Joseph Smith rather than ) up until he started having doubts of his church and its authority and was baptized a year and a half ago.

I say the mission has taken a turn for me because of how my mission president had the wisdom to humble me by not giving me what I expected and desired -- a leadership role. I remember what he told me when I first got to the mission field that I would be a leader and felt that this was now my time because in this last cambio almost all of the current leadership finished their missions and went home, leaving the young generation of missionaries to begin receiving these positions. And, admittidly at first, I was upset and dissappointed that I was not included in this rising group of young leaders. But as I pondered it out in my mind I came to the conclusion that I still needed growth and began a very interesting theme of my scripture studies. WHICH ON A SIDE NOTE, I FINALLY FINISHED READING THE BOOK OF MORMON IN SPANISH!!!! But as I finished, I started again really looking to study the principle of ACTION. That great power that we have been given from the creation of the world to ACT and not be ACTED UPON (2 Nep 2:14, 16). I have learned a lot from this theme and am still learning more and more every day how I can, and how God expects us, to ACT for ourselves without being told or directed to do so.

Even though I am still junior comp, and felt like I was slowly fading into the background of lessons or contacts or other parts of my mission, I realize now that it was only like this because I was allowing this title of Junior Companion work me over and become passive rather than acting in my calling and authority to be a missionary -- The same calling as any other missionary out in the field at this point. As I pondered this reality, I broke through this mental block of inactivity and have embraced a much greater role in the companionship regardless of title.

I hope that I can express my love for every one of you and your efforts to stay firm in the faith, and constant followers of our Savior and Redeemer. I know now from looking back, that I wasnt ready or prepared to leave on the mission when I did, but now there is no doubt in me that it is what I needed at this point in my life. I NEEDED TO BECOME CONVERTED. I know that every day my testimony grows more and more every day, and that with that, the power behind my words become stronger and stronger as I live the same principles that I am teaching others to live as the Holy Ghost testifies of these simple doctrinal truths. I have learned that if I boldly testify of what I know to be true, the gospel principles of Christs church remain and lead people to search more and find out for themselves if what these 20 year old kids are saying is true. I HAVE CHANGED MY MISSION, AND THE MISSION HAS CHANGED ME. LET IT CHANGE YOU TOO.

Elder CJ Mundell