Mission the greatest time of your life?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by pelagius

....(not smart enough to go foreign)...

That's funny.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I had the opposite experience. Fantastic 2 years, loved it all (after the first month which I hated) and would absolutely do it again. Of course, I was in a part of the world where there were a lot of baptisms, so I wonder how much that plays into feeling like it is worthwhile. I don't know that I ever went more than 10 days without a baptism.

I also agree with Lebowski that it was the biggest adventure of my life. At times I thought I was in a National Geographic special.

Maybe I'm superficial, but it's hard to have a great time when only 3% to 5% of your time is actually spent teaching the Gospel and <1% of your time is spent with people that actually join the church.

Knocking on doors endlessly in a cold, perpetual drizzle for two years just doesn't yield a lot of enjoyable experiences.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Maybe I'm superficial, but it's hard to have a great time when only 3% to 5% of your time is actually spent teaching the Gospel and <1% of your time is spent with people that actually join the church.

Knocking on doors endlessly in a cold, perpetual drizzle for two years just doesn't yield a lot of enjoyable experiences.

Northern Europe?

[Archaea]

Pelagius, were disappointed at first when you weren't selected to go foreign?

I know I wanted the foreign adventure, hoped for Japan, didn't want South America for fear of long term health damage, and was glad I went European despite its surreal isolation and loneliness.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Northern Europe?

England. As the saying goes (or went), "Wilford Woodruff got 'em all."

[DrumNFeather]

If the mission is the greatest time of your life, then you better just pack it in once you get back, otherwise it's all down hill from there.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

England. As the saying goes (or went), "Wilford Woodruff got 'em all."

Aha...

There is a young man from our ward serving there now with pretty good success. But mainly with immigrants.

[jay santos]

Nothing tops the births of your children as far as greatest experiences of your life.

But the two years on my mission I consider the best two years of my life.

My mission to Korea was very hard. I was pushed in every direction. The lessons I learned in personal skills, hard work, persistence, patience, humility, leadership, intellect, relationships, independence, etc. were invaluable. I also had many faith building experiences and a level of proselyting success that was very rewarding.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Aha...

There is a young man from our ward serving there now with pretty good success. But mainly with immigrants.

Yep. If you were fortunate to be assigned to the city of London, you could teach tons of Africans and West Indians. However, I spent virtually all of my mission far outside the city.

[pelagius]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Pelagius, were disappointed at first when you weren't selected to go foreign?

I know I wanted the foreign adventure, hoped for Japan, didn't want South America for fear of long term health damage, and was glad I went European despite its surreal isolation and loneliness.

I was mildly disappointed, but I don't remember dwelling on it very long. I am not sure it was really because I wanted a foreign adventure. It had at least as much to do with name pizazz. There was some relief as well; particularly then, but even now I have some real insecurities about being in situations where I may potentially look stupid (not bright, intellectually inferior, non-intellectual embaressment doesn't bother me nearly as much).