The 600 Pound Gorilla

Hi everyone!

Does anyone remember that story in the Old Testament where a prophet and his helper get surrounded by this massive army and they have almost nobody on their side, and then the assistant is freaking out because they're about to get killed, and then the prophet tells him that "they that be with us are more than they that be with them" or something, and then the assistant's eyes are opened and he sees chariots and angels pouring into the valley to wipe out the army? Long question, anyway I feel a little like that assistant right now (pre-eyes opened but having been told that I'll be ok) while contemplating going out into the field. It's exciting, but at the same time I feel like it's a 600 pound gorilla waiting in the closet for me to open the door. :) I guess that's where faith comes in, because I'm realizing more and more how terribly unqualified for this work I am on my own, my skill sets and abilities aren't even close to what they'd need to be for me to undertake this on my own, but I have to trust the Lord that He'll take care of me, and I do.

Does anyone remember those youth activities where you'd have a day with a paper nametag on and have classes and a fireside with a slideshow at the end of the day? Well, I'm starting to think that those are good, but might be more effective in helping prepare the youth for the MTC if they fed them chili, stuffed them in a small room with 12 other people including girls, and tried to teach them about a month's worth of Spanish 1 in about 8 hours (with a small lunch break), and then had the fireside with the slideshow and keynote speaker. As far as the actual mission, it would probably be best to just slap the nametags on them and have them go talk to real people in the street, because that's pretty much what it feels like the transition is. I really haven't been taught any magical words to say or non-awkward ways of approaching people, and pretty soon I'll be out there knocking doors, feeling probably about the same as if I was in a youth activity with the paper tag. Of course, now I've been set apart and I have the full support of the Lord behind me, but the way you feel doesn't really change much. Missionary work is really intense stuff, and I'm not sure it gets full credit for that in the youth program. It's the hardest but most rewarding thing I've done so far in my life, and by that I mean at times it's been agonizingly painful and stressful and exhausting, but also at times some of the most powerful experiences with the spirit and growing in knowledge and faith and all the other Christlike attributes from Preach My Gospel Ch. 6.

I'm out of time, but thank you all so much for your support and prayers, God is real, Christ is real, and God answers prayers.

Love, Elder Damon Janis