LDS FC: Forwards

To explain the title of my blog: A soccer team is usually called a football club (even here in America). English teams aren't like American teams where there's a city and a team name, it's usually just the area they represent. For example, we see Fullham FC, FC standing for Football Club. They are the Football Club from Fullham. Also, Chelsea FC, Wolverhampton FC, etc. It's even seen in MLS, with teams like FC Dallas, and Toronto FC.
I'm back on a soccer kick! (No pun intended. Seriously... I hate puns). I'm also on a series kick. I enjoyed writing an on going idea, and am going to attempt that again. This time, I will be writing about soccer.
What's so amazing about soccer is the versatility of each player. A good soccer player is a defender who attacks, and an attacker who defends. They'll be up and down the field, running their tails off, working whatever position they have to at the time, ensuring that the other team doesn't score, and their team does. However, while they are able to fill any role, there's still a reason they play their specific position. They're especially good at whatever they do. Today, I'm going to focus on the forwards.

The forward is the attacking force. Often called strikers (which sounds way cooler!), the forward is the one most likely to score a goal. Not as apt to play defense, they usually stay farther back when the other team has the ball on the other side of the field, but that won't stop them when necessary. Their the front line, the attackers, the scorers! When the ball gets to them, they're up their shooting the ball with all their might. They make their stand in the middle, right in the box, getting right in the keeper's face. The keeper obviously doesn't want them to get the ball, cause they're strikers because they're good at putting the ball in.
Some big names that fill this role include Clint Dempsey, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, and, a great up-and-comer, Juan Agudelo. To someone who doesn't quite understand, they might look at a striker and think of them as a glory hog, someone who doesn't do much on the other end, stays on their half, and sometimes considered a "cherry-picker". Just because Wayne Rooney doesn't know how to stay onside, doesn't mean the rest of them are that way, too! Their role is incredibly important, as a good portion of goals are scored by them. Plus, and this isn't necessarily all the time, but I've noticed that when Clint Dempsey scores, the US Men's National Team usually wins, and when he doesn't, they usually don't... Just sayin'. Forwards are the strike force for their football club!
Well, if we compare the Church to a football club, who would be the strikers? US! The full time missionaries! We're the Church's strike force! We're out there on the front line, knocking down doors, offering service, and talking to everyone we see to try and share our message! We may not be on the defensive as much, and usually are pretty focused on one thing (that is, finding the elect), but we're still out there, scoring goals! Or, saving souls. While the forwards on the team are the main offensive group, we're the main offensive group for the Church. We're the ones that are fed the ball in the center, right their in the danger zone, and expected to finish strong! As surprising as it may seem, without 19-26 year old (seemingly) kids, the Church would be hard pressed to progress. We may seem like glory hogs sometimes, but we're not out here for us. Just like Clint Dempsey isn't on the team just to score goals and get notoriety, we're not out just for personal gain or recognition. Dempsey wants to help his team win, and so do we! But we need help. Just like a football club needs to be a well-oiled, cooperative group, relying on the support of teammates to achieve their goal, so do we rely on the help of the rest of our team........

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!

Missionaries

So, another transfer is drawing to a near. Week 6 is upon us, and transfers are in sight. It's always an exciting time for missionaries, wondering what's going to happen, if you're leaving, if your companion is leaving, where you're going, who you're going to be with... Friday of week 6, you just stare at that phone all morning waiting... and waiting... and waiting...
But for some, it's not up in the air. For some, they know exactly what they're fate is: drive into the mission home, spend a couple days there, then board their plane home. They've fulfilled their twenty-four or eighteen months, and now they get to go rejoin the world. I've been around several missionaries who were in their last transfer. Pretty much every transfer, except my first, I was in pretty close contact with someone who could see the end in sight. It's always interesting to see how each individual person takes it, but I've been happy to see the ones I've been around not be effected by it, and still working hard to the very end. I have pretty close ties with the group going home in, now, just over a week. My trainer is one of the homebound, and I'll be sad to see him go. He taught me so much and really helped me know who I want to be, and what kind of missionary I want to be. He showed me the ropes, and got me ready to work hard for 2 years. I've been spoiled the last 3 transfers that, if I wanted to, I could call him everyday (though I haven't taken advantage of that). But now, he'll be home. Sure, I can write him and keep in contact, but just knowing that my trainer isn't in the field with me anymore is kind of a bummer. I'll miss him, and will be happy to see him again, post-mission. A few missionaries I got to be pretty good friends with have already taken that leap and are back home already. I've made so many friends, from all over the country (well, not all over... Pretty much Utah, California, and Arizona), and I definitely plan on meeting up with them once again.
All the missionaries I've met so far have been great. They work hard, they care about what they're doing, and their testimonies are rock solid. I've learned a lot from so many of them, and am definitely the missionary I am from serving around such great people. Each have their individual strengths, their own way of doing things, and their unique flair, and it definitely makes for very interesting companionships. I'm so grateful for all my leaders, District Leaders, Zone Leaders, and Assistants, for the great dedication and work they do. I am who I am because of their example. I'm so glad to be serving a mission. I cherish every moment, and wouldn't trade this experience for the world. I send my love and appreciation to those who are finishing, my support and encouragement for them about to come in, and thank the Lord I still have 14 months of this amazing work!