Posted by:
daver
(
)
Date: June 09, 2020 12:31PM
I did the mission thing because my friends from Church were all going. A ton of us submitted our papers at the same time. My parents were not supportive and I also wanted to get away from home.
I got called to a place so far and different that I thanked God because I wanted to get as far away as I could.
My first MP never spoke the local language, his APs were all Americans and he only liked you if you were successful.
With success came privileges. You could leave your area on days other than P-days, you could listen to music (not only the MoTab or classical), and of course at every mission conference it was,
"Elders you need to be like Elder X." He's one of the top performers, is obedient, (performer?) and you all need to be like him.
I had no idea about mission politics but it was alive and well in our mission. I was not from UT (and Utahns seemed to be the ones all called to higher positions, ZL and AP) I was a district leader, my districts did great.
I was serious but I had fun as well. I'd knock doors with no expectations and we had some really great members. All new and recent converts.
If somebody slammed a door in my face, so what. There are other doors to knock.
I was successful. Top "performer" baptising good people like there was no tomorrow. Families only, not just girls who flirted with me.
I was a convert as well and the MP also mentioned it often. I wanted to hide under the chair at Mission conferences.
There was so much jealousy that one AP who had wanted to open a town I was sent to, made up a story and told the MP who didn't want to hear the truth, and a couple of weeks later I was sent to the "hell hole" of the mission.
Here I was, the "golden boy." I could do no wrong, life was good. Suddenly I was a victim.
Sent out to the farthest reaches of the mission to an area where nobody went to Church and baptisms were few and far between.
Out of sight, out of mind.
As missionaries do gossip, I found out that the AP was really happy I was getting my "reward." I was downgraded to junior companion as well.
My companion had major issues and after 4 months finally went home. I started moving up the totem pole again. DL.
In my district I had missionaries who have since moved WAY up in the Church. One (whose name I will not mention) never worked. He screwed off all of the time and I told the ZLs and MP who didn't care. As long as we were baptising. (He didn't.) This Elder said he was going to become an AP and then a GA and have a lot of money. He did. Never worked for it, just knew how to play the game and he was VERY ambitious.
I got sick on my mission. I kept working because it was a sign of weakness or lack of dedication if one complained.
The MP went home, a new one showed up. Totally different.
BUT there was still that politics until the old APs went home.
I was so depressed that I was contemplating going home.
I was still out of sight and out of mind.
Finally an old friend from a district we worked in got promoted to the Mission Home.
My companions from the LTM (MTC) were all being promoted to ZLs and I was still just a senior companion in a crappy area.
I was getting more depressed and was ready to say that I wanted to go home.
I was a day away from asking the MP to send me home and he sat me down and said Elder X I want you to be my AP. I almost fell over.
Did my friend have something to do with it? He said he had mentioned my success to the new MP and said they talked quite a bit about me.
And I did finish my mission, again successful in a good but tough area, and that training has helped me in my career and my life.
Was it the best 2 years?
You tend to remember the good stuff and forget the bad but there was a LOT of bad that I remember vividly. Especially sitting in on excommunication trials for friends I had known being sent home for dating, or being gay or apostacy.
At least MP2 kept me on my mission. He gave me that last little push to finish it with honor.
Would I do it all again? I can't answer that question but I really don't think so. If I had known you had to kiss the MP's butt to get ahead or be a top "performer," I'd have stayed home and finished college and put up with my parents.