I have a little time before our branch meeting. I was reading a letter that Linda sent me. She asked me what my vision was of missionary work. She also asked me what I thought of when I hear the word 'missionary'.
Well, one thing that I think of when I hear that word is a little girl. Elder Brown and I were walking back from the barber shop on Wednesday. Right in front of the mailbox at Carroll Hall, a little girl was selling popsicles. One half for a dime and a whole one for twenty cents. Elder Brown gave me a quarter to buy one. After giving us our popsicle and taking the quarter, this sweet little child of God realized that she didn't have a nickel for change. Instead of trying to sweet talk us out of the nickel (which she could have done with just one gapped tooth smile), she held up a dime in her hand, and with a big grin said, "Here, because you're missionaries!" Well we told her to keep the change or give it to her brother for his mission fund. The point that came across to me was the love and respect that even small children have for missionaries. A nickel isn't much, especially in this day and age but to her it was a good chunk out of her income and she offered it so willingly. At the time that this occurred it didn't seem like a big deal but I have thought about it since.
Right now I have a very respected and loved title. Missionary! However I am still old John Christensen. I am really unworthy of all the respect. It does give me a lot of growing room however. I hope and pray that I will never do anything that might not uphold the ideal of "the missionary".
The Lord has really blessed me. I am beginning to translate fewer words in the concept and I believe that I am learning them faster. Right now I am on schedule to get all 8 discussions. I hope that I can keep it up.
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