Missionary Basketball
A mission is a lot like a game of basketball. For every success story, there are many players. It takes the whole team to win. Only one person throws the winning ball through the basket, but a lot of other players have scored and worked hard, too.
We recently attended a baptism and watched as the missionary doing the baptism beamed with happiness while his companion stood on the sideline and was a little detached. The missionary doing the baptism had been in the game the whole time, while his companion had just been transferred and didn't know anybody and hadn't been involved in the teaching. A week later we saw the other missionary who had been involved in the teaching and had been transferred just prior to the baptism. He was sad because he had missed the baptism. The end result was still the same. One person was baptized (the game was won).
As a mission we all rejoice when a baptism takes place because our goal is to "bring others unto Christ". We've been to baptisms when the entire zone attends the baptism because they have all been involved in helping the individual learn about the gospel because the missionaries do exchanges throughout the zone and a lot of different missionaries help teach the same person. The missionaries currently serving in the zone usually aren't the only ones involved because some of the missionaries who were involved might already have been transferred to another area or even returned home. We also have to recognize the members of the ward or branch, family members, or even friends who were involved in teaching and supporting. The list of players on the team goes on and on.
When all is said and done, it's the team that wins, not just the player who throws the winning ball!
Great analogy. I like it.
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