words of service.

2. Satan will work his hardest on you before you leave and those first few months. He knows the difference you will make. But you know who also knows? Your Father in Heaven. And you know who doesn't have a body? Satan.

But seriously. Oh. My. Goodness. Those few months before I left were really hard. Not only was my mind filled with doubt... Did I know enough about the Gospel to actually teach it? Was my testimony enough? Was this really what I was supposed to be doing? But I started to think about dumb things... things like missing out on friends milestones, what family trips I was going to miss, how far behind I was going to be in life. 

None of that matters. Yes, you need a testimony. Yes, you need to know the Gospel (well, the basics). But more important, you need love. You need charity. You need listening ears and a thoughtful and pure heart. With all of those things, you'll find that you're not missing out on anything. And after all, this work isn't about you. Not at all. It's about the Lord's work and this glorious and perfect Gospel and if you keep those things in mind, I promise you'll be the happiest you've ever been serving the Lord.

3. Serve, Love and Pray for and with your companion 

Serve. Love. Pray. Learn to love those three words.

Your companion is one of your best resources during your mission. He/she quickly becomes your best friend, your lifeline. A friend told me right before I left, "If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to get along with your companion. Find something you have in common. Even if the only thing you have in common is that you are both out serving the Lord, build on it." Embrace it. Love it. Because 6 weeks (or often times, longer) is a long time to be with someone 24/7 and not get along. That companion will become your teaching partner, and you will need them to lean on. And I guarantee that they will need to lean on you as well. People can tell when you and your companion aren't in harmony with each other. It affects teaching, it affects finding, it affects the work. Love them. Pray for (and with) them. Serve them. I promise, you will not regret it... and you will have many close friends because of it.