Seeing the Work Through New Eyes

This week I had the opportunity to experience a day—well, really two days—in the life of a young missionary. Sister Jensen traveled to Guam for leadership training, which left her companions, Sister Liutai and Sister Terabwena, without a driver. So I happily stepped in!

We spent our time visiting friends, teaching lessons, extending invitations, and knocking on doors to find new friends. Along the way, I encountered plenty of free-roaming chickens and dogs (none of them mean—but you don’t know that when they’re barking at you!), collected more than a few bug bites, saw some very humble homes, and met some truly wonderful people. Those two days gave me a deeper appreciation for what young missionaries do day in and day out for 18–24 months. It isn’t easy work. It’s hot and tiring, and it often comes with rejection and disappointment. Yet they give it their all every single day because they want to share the joy of the gospel with others. And when that sacrifice leads someone to accept the gospel and find that joy, it makes every hard day worth it.

We’ve also been busy with a variety of projects this week. J.D. has been working on an evacuation plan for the mission in case of an emergency. This is no small task—coordinating the evacuation of nearly 100 missionaries from more than 20 different countries, each with different visa statuses, spread across seven remote islands (some with flights only a few times a week) is a massive logistical challenge. But he’s making great progress pulling it all together.

I’ve been asked to create materials and trainings for Primary singing time on the island of Chuuk. Primary hasn’t been held regularly there, and they are working to get it started again. This has been an interesting assignment, especially since I don’t speak Chuukese, but I’m enjoying the process and hope it will help the beautiful children there in some small way.

We also try to support the young missionaries however we can—whether that’s trading cars when repairs are needed, bringing them ant bait, making treats, attending lessons with them, or simply offering advice and encouragement. We truly enjoy their enthusiasm and youthful energy.

This week we attended a new member lesson with the missionaries for Ewatal, a 10-year-old boy who was baptized about a month ago. When we arrived, kids were riding bikes and playing nearby. One energetic five-year-old boy, speaking faster than we could understand, proudly showed us his broken bike and explained that when it works, he’s super fast. J.D. took a look and found that the chain was off—along with a few other issues, like no seat and a flat tire. We managed to get the chain back on, and off he went, only for it to come off again a short time later.

Before long, not just Ewatal but all the neighborhood kids had gathered around the outside table for a quick lesson. We talked about the sacrament and how it represents Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. It was brief, but they listened attentively, and the Spirit was there. As we left, we commented on how wonderful it was to see these children playing together—content and joyful, not complaining about broken bikes or worn shoes or clothes. They were simply happy with what they had, and it was refreshing to witness.

This week brought many opportunities to see and better appreciate the humble, faithful people of Palau. We feel truly blessed to serve among them.