We have completed our 18 month humanitarian mission in Slovakia.
There’s so much to say and so little time. EVERY DAY for 553 days, I posted a daily photo on social media and 83 WEEKS I wrote about our mission experiences on our mission blog. I loved knowing you were there and following the past 18 months. Your name popped up as you liked and commented. Truthfully, this alone brought more comfort and encouragement than you’ll ever know.
I want you to know, I think you all should prepare to serve missions and feel the love of the Savior through missionary service. The church really needs you and your talents. I know Slovakia could use about ten more senior couples.
In the beginning, I was comparing my experience with other senior missionaries in different missions. I’ve since repented and accepted to understand we are called to serve in the place of the Savior. We are His hands where He can’t lift. He sends senior missionaries with talents and life experiences to bless the lives of others all around the world. And in return, we are strengthened, uplifted, and blessed. The Lord puts us where we are needed most. There are thousands of people to influence and love. I know in Slovakia, church members are extremely grateful for your experience and example. They feel your spirit. They’ll say “you have a light about you that no one else has.”
But all didn’t go well, there were some challenges. Mine came in the form of isolation and self-pity. I encountered few people to speak English to.
One thing, I’ve been keenly aware of, is that the Lord knows and loves us. And because of his love He gives us experiences that help us grow and strengthen us IF we exercise faith, dig deep, work hard, and endure.
When we arrived to the mission we were the fourth senior couple in the whole mission. We were six hours train ride from the nearest couple. The others were in Prague, a ten hour train ride. Our branch was so tiny with the congregation of eight missionaries and a small handful of members. Relief Society consisted of five sisters, me, two junior sister missionaries, and two Slovak women who knew little to no English, and no Relief Society president. During church meetings, a missionary would sit behind us and whisper translations into our ears. We opened our meetings with Slovak hymns, and Slovak prayers. The sacrament was blessed in Slovak. Every talk and lesson we taught was translated from English into Slovak and this occurred about every third week. Sometimes both in the same day. For me, it was very difficult to acclimate to our tiny branch and follow along with the aid of a translator. Any comment I made was translated. I would say a sentence then wait until it was translated and then say more. It takes a lot of concentration to keep track of what I was trying to convey. Sometimes the translator didn’t know how to translate complex ideas and some things don’t translate well. It takes months to get accustomed to this new lifestyle.
We lived in Eastern Slovakia where English is spoken by so few people, or at least they say they don’t speak English. Although, English is taught in the schools, and we were led to believe that everyone under the age of 30 spoke English, we quickly learned that that just isn’t so. And no one was impressed by our English.
During the week, I went out into the shops and when I couldn’t find something or if I needed to ask questions I found someone and said, “I speak English”, and they would wave me away. Nie nie nie. So I slowly learned how to overcome this. I got creative playing charades, making gestures, and using google translate. Using fewer words and speaking slower was also helpful.
It wasn’t long before I felt isolated, alone, and frustrated. I didn’t have anyone to talk English to. My lifestyle of talking to people and making small talk with people was nil. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t find English speakers to talk to. I spent many quiet hours in Prešov, at church, and around the mission. I felt all alone in Slovakia.
I knew serving a mission was hard, but not this hard. I experienced some very difficult days. I was in a slump and I knew it. This is not who I am. I am a very passionate person full of love and life. I had to dig deep to find my purpose and overcome this weakness. I had to evaluate the reasons I was serving a mission in the first place. I had to recognize the Lord blessings in my life. I had to endure hard things and not give up.
On a Personal Day, one young sister missionary introduced me to “blueprint”, a blue and white folklore fabric used in traditional costumes, she was so excited and wanted some for herself. I bought two meters hoping to make skirts or aprons for my granddaughters. Over the next few months, I learned how important blueprint is to Slovakia. I found a fabric shop and bought several meters of material. I also bought ribbons and lace from another shop owner. My plan was to ship supplies home so I could sew clothing for myself and family members when I returned home.
And this is the turning point of my experience. The Holy Ghost directed me to action. I remembered the sister missionary and wanted to make her an apron before she transferred out of our area. I acquired a sewing machine and cut up traditional fabric. I began to sew. First for her and then for past missionaries who had returned home. I made more and more aprons, giving them to the young sisters who served in Slovakia before they returned home. Then I found myself giving them as gifts to our Slovak contacts whom we have come to love and appreciate. I gave them to the women of the Košice branch. I loved these aprons. Overall, I made and gave away about 40 aprons.
It wasn’t long before I made skirts to wear to church. And then skirts for the sisters in our branch. I’ll never forget the excitement of the recipients who received skirts or aprons as gifts from the heart that incorporated the folklore traditions of their beloved country.
It wasn’t long before the Elders took notice. They hinted that a tie made from Slovak material would be so awesome. It was a hard sell because I wanted only something for the sisters. And reluctantly, I agreed to make ties. I knew if I made one I had to make all the current missionaries one. A few months ago, at one of our last district conferences, we showed up with aprons and ties for all the missionaries in Slovakia who hadn’t received one yet.
I learned to overcome struggles and weaknesses because I lost myself in service. I learned one of the best way to overcome weakness is to lose yourself in service. There are so many ways I could have dealt with this trial. I could have brewed on self-pity and spiraled down into despair and depression. I could have wanted to come home early. I could have thought “why me?” But instead, I prayed sincerely to overcome, I listened, and waited to be led by the spirit. I had to look outward and never give up. I had to work hard and endure to the end.
President Henry B. Eyring said, “Those who do not see their weaknesses do not progress. Your awareness of your weakness is a blessing as it helps you remain humble and keeps you turning to the Savior.”
Your weaknesses will be different than mine, but the solution is found in stepping out of your comfort zone and trusting in the Savior, Jesus Christ.
There’s a side story developing. It’s amazing how everything we do is intertwined with something else. I never knew how wonderful women really are.
With all this sewing going on, I needed materials. As I mentioned, I bought ribbon from a shop owner run by a couple. The shop owner’s name is Maria. I’ve been buying a ton of ribbon from her since last winter. She didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Slovak. I would shop by pointing at ribbons and meter sticks. This went on for several months. And again, the Holy Ghost prompted me, one day it occurred to me that she probably is wondering what the heck this American is doing with all this folklore ribbon and such. I gathered up some of the aprons and walked to her shop. She was so excited to see traditional fabrics sewn together with her ribbons. What happened next was amazing.
Before we left Las Vegas we were asked to provide our favorite scripture. We choose D&C 110:12, “Be thou humble, and the Lord thy God will lead thee by the hand, and give thee answers to your prayer.”
As missionaries this scripture came alive as I learned to love and appreciate the hardships I uncovered in Slovakia. The Lord has prompted us to contact organizations, or show up in certain places. He comforted me when I felt isolated or lonely. He answered prayers to protect and watch over my children. He guided my thoughts while I taught Sunday lessons. He produced a sewing machine so I could lose myself in service when I felt alone. He guided me to specific shops or people who have befriended me who looked forward to friendly gestures and exchanges. He guided my thoughts for this talk.
