Missionaries: Gotta Catch 'em All!

How are missionaries like Pokemon? Better question: how are missionaries not like Pokemon? We're all here for the same purpose, and go through changes throughout our mission. As we grow and improve, we become something bigger and better, just like Pokemon do. We don't do it through fighting like they do, but we certainly do change. I came up with this little joke back in Bozeman, comparing missionaries to Pokemon, and decided to show it to all of you, cause I thought it was pretty funny. So, first we'll look at a pretty standard missioanry change:

First, we have Oddish here... He's all happy and excited, and ready to go crazy on his area! He's unstoppable, and every day is a great day! Let's go tract! Let's go help that person! Let's do it!!!!

Well, all goes well for a while, until he hits the Gloom phase...
Missions are hard! You're tired, you're sick of no luck tracting, you just want your members to give you referrals. This isn't anything like it looked like in the videos! I don't wanna tract any more!!!

But then, eventually, you don't care how hard it is. You don't care how little luck you get, or how hot it is, or how cold it is, or the fact that it's been winter for about 6 months. You're back in the game, you've got a cool red hat (figuratively, of course), and you're ready to rock and roll again! Vileplume! Whatever that means!



Now, not all missionaries are like this, naturally. Some don't ever hit that middle part. They start out rock solid, and stay that way. I know of a few missionaries who fit this next idea:

Ah, yeah! Onix! What a stud! Just a rock solid guy! He's hard working, he's obedient, he loves everyone, and everyone loves him. He's an exemplary missionary, someone you want for a companion. His drive rubs off on you, and there's no where for him to go but up! But as amazing as he seems, we all change, and grow... But how could he improve?


Boom!!! Steelix! No longer just a rock solid missionary, now he's STEEL solid! There's no way he'll be movable! He knows who he is, why he's here, and what he needs to do, and he's gonna do it, no questions asked!

But not every missionary comes out feeling strong and confident. Sometimes, they're scared, and unsure, and don't know what to do. They seem like a Magikarp, just this little fish who seems to have no power. "What do I do? How do I find more people? I don't wanna tract, I don't know these people!" Missions can be scary, and some people may not be quite ready for it... but...

At some point, they find themselves. It all clicks, and they explode! Suddenly, they're superstars! The world is their oyster, and they're gonna go baptize EVERYONE! They grown into their own, and have become large and menacing, like Gyarados! What may have started out slow has quickly progressed, and now we've got ourselves one heck of a missionary!






So, that pretty much sums up Elders. And what about Sisters, you ask? Well, for that we've got...

Togepi! Just as happy as can be! Bright, bubbly, friendly... Nothing could possibly be bad! Everything is great and perfect! Let's go baptize people! Well, eventually the turn into...

Togetic! Even happier! Even bubblier! And what's more, it can fly! Oh my gosh! Everything is so wonderful, the mission is great, all is grand! We're going to go spread our joy and love and energy to everyone, all over the world! Yay! Think it's going to stop? Oh goodness, no. They're just going to progress to...

Togekiss! What's gotta be the happiest, sweetest, brightest, sugariest Pokemon there is. The Sisters just get happier and happier, things just get better and better, you wonder how they don't just pop! They're attitudes are great, their smiles are fixed, and they could walk down the street in a thunderstorm, but their sunny dispositions would make a pathway of sunshine and happiness and keep them dry!

So, there ya have it: Missionaries are like Pokemon. We change, we grow, we adapt, we evolve. And we do it all without fighting! The mission is awesome!