An 18 month leave of absence was taken to serve the people of French Polynesia in the South Pacific as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and, I must say, it was worth it. That place has stolen a piece of my heart that I may never have returned to me. From their family-oriented culture to their questionable raw fish foods to their bouncin' hips to their lost language, these people allowed me into their homes and their lives and sent me back to the USA a better person. How grateful I am and will forever remain.
What exactly did I do in Tahiti? I preached the gospel or, in other words, 'good tidings of great joy' (see Luke 2:10). I taught principles found in the Bible as well as other scripture produced by the guided and inspired hands of God's chosen prophets on Earth since the beginning of the world until today, in our time and age. I served, I offered myself, I spoke French, I taught English, I rode a bike in a skirt (true story); I sweated, I cried, I smiled, I laughed. There were failures and triumphs, highs and lows-it was indeed the most beautiful experience of and for my life.
During these 18 months, I felt something a little sweeter than anything else I had ever felt before. Something that starts in your chest and sort of radiates throughout every space in your body. Every vein seems to carry it, every blood cell seems to be coated in it, and every heart beat makes it stronger and bolder. A similar feeling comes upon us all around this time of year as the wrapping paper, the lights, the ginger-bread houses, and the anticipation of Santa and of the New Year settles in. The second, is obviously the Christmas Spirit which, I have recently learned, is not so different from the first: The Missionary Spirit.
Both can and should last much longer.
You see, I mentioned that these two feelings spur from a similar power source. This source is love. A love so pure, so divine, so gentle that it alters behavior and inspires good. What do we call this love? According to prophets of old who knew the Savior of the world on a face-to-face basis, it is called Charity (Moroni 7:44-48).
Something about the commission of a missionary and the magic of December moves us to be quicker to forgive, more abundant in helping, more sincere in our speech, and more understanding in weakness. But why is that? Isn't that exactly what Christ has asked us to do at all times? In speaking to some of His closest disciples, Christ instructed:
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
This is what missionaries learn to do every day of their service to the Lord. Every day with that name tag over our hearts, we love. We love, we love, we love. Then we love some more. We love strangers, friends, those who despise us, members of the church, those who are not members, those whom we just met, those whom we have yet to meet. I remember, one morning in Tahiti, looking in the mirror and simply longing so much to be able to help at least one soul every day feel of this pure love that suffers long, is kind, envies not, seeks not her own, thinks no evil, rejoices in truth, bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things, this love that never fails (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). This desire was accompanied by such a deep burning because I, myself, had already felt this love from my Redeemer, Jesus Christ. His infinite mercy and kindness despite my seemingly unending mistakes; His hands outstretched to sinking little me; His fingertips that healed me of a darkening blindness; I had already known His touch, and so I desired to introduce others to the holy acquaintance as well.
Do we not do likewise during this Christmas Season? Aren't we all just a little bit softer? Do we not seek to put a smile on a stranger or loved one's face at every opportunity? Do we not feel that shift in our hearts as this time comes and passes each year? We do! And how wonderful that is! But both the Missionary and Christmas Spirit can last all 365 days of 2016 and every year to follow if we will but make Charity a priority in our resolutions-yearly, monthly, daily, hourly.
May we strive to again introduce the world to a pure love it once knew so well on a starry night thousands of years ago. May we resemble the heavenly hosts who, with their trumpets of brass, proclaimed good tidings of great joy to a troubled world with questions. May the Spirit of Christ fill your 2016 and every year to follow.
Ciara
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