After the Trials come the Blessings

May 3, 2014

Emotions ebb and tide in the mission field.  Sometimes we experience highs and sometimes we experience lows.  Right now it feels like we are experiencing a low.  Michael and I feel the frustration and spiritual suffering of our missionaries.  We have had an inordinate amount of sickness and injuries during the past transfer.  Many of the missionaries have lost their investigators and they are saddened by it.  We think the reason for the sudden lack of excitement in the mission right now is because during the month of March we had a record breaking number of baptisms in the mission.  Satan obviously wasn't happy about it and is now doing everything within his power to hamper the missionary effort in the Italy Rome Mission.  We know this is the Lord's work and he will bless the missionaries, but they have to have faith and believe He will.

In an effort to boost the moral of the missionaries, we have asked all the missionaries to dedicate their fast during the month of May to call upon the powers of heaven to bless and strengthen each and every missionary with renewed testimonies and energy to do the Lord's work.

Today Elder Steven E. Snow, who currently serves as Church Historian and Recorder and is the Executive Director of the Church History Department, was in Rome and presented a fireside for the Rome missionaries.  Elder Snow was accompanied by his wife, Sister Snow and Reid Neilson, his assistant.  He asked Michael and I to talk to the missionaries prior to turning the time over to him.  I centered my talk on the theme After the Trials come the Blessings and used the scriptures I Kings 17:10-16 as the basis.

I won't take time to write out the entire talk, but I am including the outline of my talk because I think it is applicable to the lives of my children, as well as the missionaries, and something parents and loved ones of missionaries can use to better understand what their missionaries are experiencing right now.

After the TRIALS come the Blessings

I.      Special Fast on Sunday

A.   March record breaking month

B.   Satan didn’t like it

II.    Missionaries suffering this month

A.   Spiritually

B.   Physically

III.  Purpose of Fast

A.   Strengthen mission spiritually

B.   Show unity of mission

C.  Request Heavenly Father’s help and blessings for each missionary

IV. Elijah and Widow Woman

I Kings 17:10-16

And so he arose and went to Zarephath.  And when he came to the gate of the city, behold the widow woman was there gathering of sticks; and he called to her, and said, Fetch me I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse; and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou has said:  but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.  For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah:  and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah.

V.   Missionaries are just like the widow woman

A.   Feel depressed

B.   Feel they have given almost everything they have

C.  Asked to give more than they think they have

VI.     Assistants taught a segment about this story at every zone conference a few months ago.  I knew the story and knew the missionaries represented the woman in the story.  I had listened to their adestramento (training) at three different conferences before I picked up on the sentence that said  "and as she was going to fetch it . . . ." 

VII.    That sentence changed the entire concept of the story for me.  The first sacrifice the woman was asked to do was so simple and didn't really require much of a sacrifice at all.  A cup of water isn't really a big sacrifice.   The sacrifice was the willingness to perform the act of kindness and giving a little time.

VIII.    It wasn't until after the woman agreed to perform the simple sacrifice and went straightway to fulfill the request that she was asked to perform an even greater sacrifice and given even greater blessings. 

IX.     Just like the woman in the scriptures who thought she and her son would die if she gave the loaf of bread to the stranger, and gave it to him anyway, we, too, will be blessed when we sacrifice willingly.  We too will have flour in our barrel and oil in our cruse.

X.      Just like the woman in the scripture, missionaries are feeling like they have given everything and don’t have anything left to give.

XI.     “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

XII.     You will see miracles as you fast for yourself and all the missionaries. 

XIII.    Ether 12:6

. . . for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.