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| My last trip to the Washington DC Temple |
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The Visitors Center and the temple are full of lights during this time of the year. Thousands of visitors come every year to see them. We left right before the huge crowds of people arrived when it got much darker. |
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Elder Ostendorf (or I should say Zach)
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In this email, I’ll share a few brief things from this week, then I will share some lessons learned and insights that’ve been on my mind this week as I review these experiences I’ve has the past 2 years. This letter will likely be longer then usual, but I hope you find time to read through it! Next week will probably be a more concise email.
Anyways, this past week we had four different dual Zone Conferences throughout the mission, Tuesday through Friday. I have really enjoyed the past 6 transfers, having the opportunity each transfer to visit the 8 different zones in the mission to present different trainings and bear my testimony! It also gave me the opportunity to say goodbye to all of the missionaries that I’ve grown to love.
We had the opportunity this weekend to go up to the temple to be there with Michael Heaney for his endowment. I was able to teach him a year ago prior to his baptism in the Lincolnia Ward and he has been an extremely faithful member ever since! There’s no greater feeling of joy than seeing someone like him in the temple exactly a year after his baptism. I don’t think he has missed one Sunday of church in a year and he still enjoys doing his family history and temple work. He has over 60 family names that he has already done the baptisms for in the temple and is excited to begin working on doing the rest of their temple work. He also just got a calling in the Elders quorum presidency in his ward. He’s just on fire! He took us out to dinner the night before and it was awesome being able to sit down and talk with him, and hear how excited he was for his endowment. There was a lot of support there from members of the ward, so it was fun to reconnect with many of them. I am grateful for the temple and the opportunity I have had to go there many times over the course of my mission with recent converts. Those are easily some of my greatest memories of being a missionary are being in the temple with new members, seeing how excited they are and seeing them feel the spirit.
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Departing temple trip. All of these missionaries, except for Elder Jones and I went home a few weeks ago. Elder Jones and I are the only ones going home on the 28th. |
Last Sunday, when I spoke in our wards sacrament meeting, a woman named Griselda walked up to me after the meeting was over. She is a member of the church, but started telling me how she moved to this area a year ago, and hasn’t been to church for over a year. Her husband's name is Jesus and he isn’t a member of the church, and she also has a daughter who hasn’t been baptized yet, and she told me that she wanted us to come over and start teaching them. So we went over to their home and were able to see them a couple times this week. I’m positive that her daughter will be baptized sometime early next year! They’re a sweet family. They live in really humble circumstances, and we’re going to try and do some things special for them for Christmas. We had an unused set of quad scriptures, and we got their names engraved in them when we were up at the temple. We are going to wrap it up and give them to them as a Christmas gift, along with some other things.
Yesterday in our ward we had a few other investigators at church as well. One was this guy James who we have been teaching for a couple months and he finally came to church. He is originally from Minnesota, but has lived in Nigeria for 17 years and recently came back to the states for a few months. He is moving back to Nigeria soon and is planning on finding the LDS congregation there, but tells us he is sure he will cross paths with missionaries there soon enough because he saw them often prior to coming here.
As I think about a the lessons I have learned over my time here in Virginia, it’s difficult to narrow it down to a few specific things, but I will try.
As I reviewed my patriarchal blessing this week, it has been really neat to think about everything that has happened these past two years. The patriarch had quite a bit to say in the blessing about my time as a full-time missionary. Numerous promised blessings in there have come to pass as I have followed the counsel that was given to me in that blessing.
One of the things that it says in there which I will share is that as I serve I will “establish patterns for [my] life which would have eternal rewards.” I don’t know exactly what those eternal rewards will be, but I’ve tried to think about what are some of the patterns I have developed.
I feel like a theme of my mission could be from Alma 37:6, “by small and simple means are great things brought to pass.” Some of these patterns are small and simple, but I know they’re powerful.
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Gotta love Kerry.
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Along with that perspective, comes the pattern of gratitude. Every evening as I conclude my day, I have tried to express sincere gratitude to my Heavenly Father. I don’t think a day has gone by where I have not expressed my gratitude to Him for my incredible mother and father, for an amazing mission President and wife, for my opportunity to be a missionary, and for my Savior Jesus Christ. Those things were always included, but each day I would try to think of other things I could think about and express my gratitude for in my prayers. I know that “gratitude is a down payment on tomorrow’s happiness” and if we want to be happier tomorrow we need to be grateful for what we have today. The happiest people I have met here are those who truly appreciate what they have and express gratitude to God and to others on a regular basis.
Another pattern has been the desire to seek more knowledge! I once heard that question asked “What's the difference between knowledge and wisdom?" To which an outspoken and shy individual responded: "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is being smart enough to not put it in a fruit salad." I’ve always thought that was kind of funny, but it’s true! Simply stated, wisdom is how you use and apply the knowledge you have acquired. I feel that I have gained a more solid knowledge, testimony, and understanding of the gospel. But now comes the test to see if I can have the wisdom to apply it all correctly!
Another pattern, not too difficult to develop as a missionary has been a pattern of loving to study the scriptures. My testimony of the Book of Mormon has increased so much! I know that it is a powerful witness and testament of Jesus Christ, and his infinite, atoning sacrifice for us. I know that daily study of the Book of Mormon, even if just a couple of minutes, can help us keep the resist temptation, overcome doubts and fears, receive heavens help, and have the spirit with us more abundantly, as promised by President Monson. I am grateful for the scriptures. I have seen the Book of Mormon change so many lives. I have witnessed miracles that have come as a result of the Book of Mormon! I can think of numerous experiences where I witnessed the Book of Mormon be the catalyst and turning point in different converts conversions.
I’ve had the opportunity to find, teach, and see many enter the waters of baptism over these past two years. Many of the people I’ve taught have stayed faithful and active in the gospel, and a couple unfortunately have not. The biggest difference between those who faithfully endure and those who don’t, comes down to consistent study of the scriptures. I know that regular patterns of scripture study will help me to maintain a strong testimony of and desire to live the gospel.
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Elder DeSchepper and I proudly representing
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Another thing I’ve learned is the importance of focusing on the things I am in control of. There are many things as a missionary I can control, but there are many things we can’t control. Instead of worrying about the things I can’t control, as I have focused on giving my best ability in those specific things that I have control over, the other things always seem to work out the way the Lord wants them to! I think this is an important principle.
At the beginning of my mission I set a goal to love and get along with all my companions. I feel that I have truly been blessed with some amazing companions on my mission!
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Elder Gleed, Elder Smith, and myself. |
Here’s the overview of my companions and areas:
Elder Belnap (MTC)
Elder Yeager in Centreville 1st Ward (1 transfer)
Elder Shelley in Centreville 1st Ward (2 transfers)
Elder Chu in Centreville 1st Ward (1 transfer)
Elder Judkins in the Alexandria 2nd Ward/Lincolnia Ward (4 transfers)
Elder Jones in the Warrenton 1st Ward (2 transfers)
Elder Ostendorf in the Tysons Corner Ward (1 transfer)
Elder Yang in the Ft Belvoir Ward (1 transfer)
Elder Ure in the Ft Belvoir Ward (4 transfers)
And lastly, Elder Smith and Elder Gleed in the Ft Belvoir Ward for my last transfer.
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Elder Gleed, Elder Smith, myself, and Elder Ure.
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I have loved each and every companion of mine and have learned so much from each of them! I knew that if I would be united in love with my companions that we would have success in furthering the work in the areas we served. I always wanted to “leave the area stronger than I found it” and I am grateful for the incredible companions that I was able to have amazing experiences with. Life is so much easier when we love those around us, looking past weaknesses, and looking past differences in opinion or in personality. When we love those we interact with, life is just so much better.
Along with my companions, I will never forget the wonderful people I have been able to teach the gospel to! There are so many people I have grown to love and people that’ve grown dear to my heart. The gospel changes lives! I’ve seen it in many people and I’ve seen it in myself.
The last pattern I’d like to talk about is probably my favorite one! This pattern is the “ripple-effect.” Over the course of 2 years, it’s impossible for me to count how many people I have taught and testified to. I’ve tried my best to share the Book of Mormon with everyone and I know I’ve talked to thousands of people. There may be a few things I can count and measure as I review the past few years, but the bottom line is that none of us will ever be able to measure the impact our service has towards others. Of the people I have taught the gospel to that have accepted it and began to live it, many of them have already began to share it with family and friends, and that chain and sphere of influence will never stop growing. Whether someone enters the waters of baptism or not, every small act of kindness we give, or every testimony we share makes an immediate difference, as well as a long term impact. Perhaps one day, after this life, each of us will have the opportunity to see what difference our actions and words had in the world. But for now, it’s neat to think that we will never truly know in this life what impact we made in the long-run, but each day we can do small and simple things to bless the lives of others.
I’ll just close with a quote by Brigham Young-
He said “There is neither man or woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live, and it is to do good, to promote righteousness, to teach the principles of truth, and to prevail upon themselves and everybody around them to live those principles that they may obtain eternal life.”
Although my full-time service as a missionary is coming to an end, I know that all of us here on earth are on a mission “to do good, to promote righteousness, to teach the principles of truth” and to serve others. I hope to be able to continue a life-long mission of love and service towards my family and friends and others!
I have probably spent too much time typing out these thoughts. There are so many other lessons I have learned and patterns I have noticed and developed that I know will be a blessing to me in my life. I have loved being a missionary and I will miss putting on this name tag each and every day, striving to help others come unto Jesus Christ. But I know there are great things ahead in the future! :)
I know I haven’t been perfect and I haven’t been the greatest missionary, but I can honestly say that I do not have any regrets, and I know I full heartedly put forth the effort I was capable of offering.
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week, and a Merry Christmas!
Elder Jeremy Duvall
Washington DC South Mission
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The Bloomfield’s, a senior couple in our mission,
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