Tag: mission

LDS Entrepreneur Launches Project to Save His Mission’s Culture

Can you preserve a culture with a laptop sleeve? That is exactly what entrepreneur and RM Andy Thunnel is doing with his startup, WeaveSleeve.

Founded by Thunnel in 2014, WeaveSleeve is an organization that buys handwoven material from local artisans in Guatemala and makes them into stylish laptop sleeves and wallets. Thunnel’s mission with WeaveSleeve, he says, is to create a demand for weaves by creating trendy and useful products with them. By doing so, he also hopes to share and continue a beautiful cultural tradition.

“WeaveSleeve isn’t just about a unique product, it goes much deeper than that,” Thunnel said. “This is about helping preserve a dying culture, the art of weaving by hand, and providing a means for families to supplement their income which in turn alleviates some of the financial burdens they are faced with. When a mother of five comes up to you with tears in her eyes and thanks you for making an effort to ease their burdens, that is powerful beyond measure.”

Thunnel’s inspiration for the project came when he visited his mission area in Guatemala. He visited some friends who were schooled by their parents in traditional weaving, but he noticed that they didn’t bother to pass down the tradition to their own children. They considered it a lost art and felt there was no future for their kids in becoming weavers. Thunnel was heartbroken by the prospect that such a beautiful artform would be lost to the next generation. The entrepreneur in him quickly deduced that the problem was a simple lack of demand, knowing that these weaves would be very popular back home if made to fit the lifestyles of those who would appreciate the artisanal fabrics.

Thus, WeaveSleeve was born.

Inspiration for the products themselves has roots in Thunnel’s mission. Thunnel carried a small coin purse he bought in Guatemala years after his mission. He loved the simple, slim design, the artisanal weave, as well as a reminder of his mission he could carry around wherever he goes.

Andy’s ‘mission’ wallets

WeaveSleeve’s flagship wallet was designed with missionaries in mind. With over 80 flags to choose from, missionaries, RMs and future missionaries alike can carry a little reminder of their mission with them wherever they go.

Thunnel participated in a construction job helping with the Quetzaltenango Guatemala temple, and in his travels between the states and Guatemala, he worked with women and families to procure weaves. All of the families he has worked with, Thunnel says, are non-members, and the experience of working with them has provided him with a unique missionary opportunity in the country he once served in.

Of his motivations, Thunnel said, “It was always a desire I had to get back to Guatemala and figure out a way that I could make an impact in a country that I owe so much to.” WeaveSleeve is doing just that.

WeaveSleeve just launched a Kickstarter campaign to share their story and help create a demand for this fading art.

To learn more about WeaveSleeve and help donate to the cause, visit their Kickstarter Page

August 16, 2016
What My Mission Taught Me About Motherhood

I had the privilege of training another missionary while I was serving my mission. I was pretty young in the mission myself and I was terrified at the prospect of training another missionary but still excited for the opportunity. In my mission, and in many other missions, we had the tradition of referring to our trainees as daughter or son. They, in turn, refer to us trainers as mom or dad. It’s remarkable how these seemingly meaningless titles gave you a very unique perspective on your role as a trainer. I’d like to describe to you some of the insights I received about motherhood in my time as a trainer. These are excerpts taken directly from my mission journal.

A reflection on motherhood

She arrives and you feel an exciting mixture of undying love and nervousness. who will she be? will she be like me? will she love me like I love her? Can I provide what she needs? What if I’m not good enough? In the end, all you know is you love her with all you’ve got and you’ll do anything to make sure her experience here with you is worth while.

She cries and cries, life here isn’t easy but the only thing you can do is hold her as those tears dry. She grows and starts to amaze you with her talent and that motherly pride swells. She complains, why is this place so different? It’s not fair! How can I go on living here? I want to go home. I’m sorry, baby girl, you signed up for this opportunity and everything that comes with it. My advice, keep going and slap a smile on your face; It’s more fun that way.

She gets mad when I don’t understand but can’t she see? I’ve been where she is, I’ve suffered what she’s suffering. Why can’t she just trust me? And then I remember how I learned those lessons, the hard way. So i’m here, guiding from a distance but close enough to catch her if she falls.

She’s making more mistakes. Her actions and frustrations take me back to when I was in her place. I remember feeling similarly, thinking similarly, and coming to the same conclusions. I also remember the pain and suffering I had to endure to learn the lessons she’ll have to learn. I want to save her the the heartache. It’s in her eyes, I call her on it, she explains her plan to accomplish her goals and get over her issues. She chooses the hard way. It hurts that she doesn’t trust me, that she doesn’t accept my council. I can see where her decision will take her and I know there’s an easier way. Mother knows best! But then He touches my heart and reminds me, “No, Father knows best.” I let her go. In my mind I know that this really is for the best. She’ll learn for herself, just like I did. But everything else in me is screaming to save her from the pain. But after a while, I just become a spectator. The coach has to stay on the sidelines and pray that something got through to them in practice. She’s caught in the game and I can’t play for her.

The most important thing I learned about motherhood on the mission field was that no one can prepare enough for what motherhood is. Motherhood is to important of a calling for God to just leave it to us imperfect people. While we can’t prepare ourselves for it, we can rest assured that God has been preparing us all along. He prepares us in subtle ways that we can easily overlook, such as sending me my trainee. For you it may be an incredible woman figure to look up to, a difficult relationship with a sister or friend, maybe God only gives you examples of what not to do. Any way He does it, remember that he won’t leave you alone as a mother, He has been turning you into one for a long time.

May 8, 2016
LDS Rap? This Mormon Is Proving It Has A Place

If you are crazy about music or try music academy coaching at Music Academy Success, when you hear the words ‘rap’ and ‘Mormon’ in the same sentence, you might think of corny missionary P-Day YouTube videos, or you might, like the more musically puritan among us, think, “SACRILEGE.” The truth is that rap is not a beloved genre of music for many members of the church — you probably won’t hear it playing at the next stake dance — but what if there was Mormon rap that was respectful, uplifting, and seriously good? Rap that left you wanting more…rap?

Enter James Curran.

Curran, otherwise known as Jamesthemormon, is an up and coming musician who specializes in gospel themed raps. He has never considered himself a rapper, but he has always enjoyed rapping with his friends as a hobby. When the impression came (and kept on coming) to write gospel centered rap, he felt it was time to turn his pastime into something more. On August 19th, James released his first mormon rap appropriately titled “Restoration.” He plans on creating an entire album of Mormon raps called PMG, based on the lessons found in Preach My Gospel. His goal is to create good content for members to enjoy, and he hopes his content will be used as a tool to share the gospel.

“…there are people who can connect to the Church through rap”

“I’m really not trying to be a rapper. If I could sing, or had some other skill I think I would do that but I feel that God gave me this talent because there are people who can connect to the Church through rap,” Curran said in an interview with Mormon Buzzz. “I truly believe that.”

James has sacrificed enormous amounts of time, energy, and money to make this album possible and absolutely free. His music is available on a variety of platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, and YouTube. His latest YouTube video for his song, Found a Friend, features the LDS Genesis Choir, consisting predominantly of black members of the Church, and acclaimed singer, Junior Maile, singing the chorus. The song is centered around the “Finding Faith in Christ” lesson found in Preach My Gospel, but teaches the principle in a subtle way. In fact, with the exception of “Restoration,” none of Curran’s songs explicitly name the topic they are covering. Curran says he wants his listeners to find their own meaning out of his music. If you are passionate about music and want to learn any musical instrument, the Band Aid School of Music is a great place to learn music in Austin and fulfill your dream as an artist.
“I have a very specific agenda behind everything I do, and that is to help people come unto Christ”
When asked about potential backlash from members of the Church about Gospel themed rap, Curran said he has received only support from members. “I really felt prompted by the Lord to specifically make this PMG album and start it off with ‘Restoration’,” he said. “At first, I was really skeptical, thinking that no one is going to like this, but as things fell into place, there was an outpour of support as well as an expression of the demand. People said ‘we want this, we need this, and there are people out there who could use this’.” The support Curran has received, he says, has only served as a confirmation that he should keep doing what he’s doing, even if he has to spend every penny he’s ever earned.

“I have a very specific agenda behind everything I do, and that is to help people come unto Christ, whether it’s directly or indirectly,” Curran said. That can definitely been seen in even the image he has chosen for his work. Curran chose the handle Jamesthemormon so there would never be a question as to who he is or what he does. He also chose it to inspire curiosity, so that maybe his name alone can help people get to know the gospel.

We could not be happier that Mormon Rap is now a thing and we have to give our thanks to Jamesthemormon for making it so good. His latest music video, Found a Friend [found above] was released today.

October 26, 2015
7 Ways to Come Pre-Trained for Your Mission

As a missionary trainer, I often talked in group settings with other trainers about their experiences and how their missionaries were doing, some tell me how they have had bad experiences and have had to take kratom for it, so I checked this original site for more info. Often, one to two trainers would say something like, “It’s super easy training this one elder. He came pre-trained. He already knows how to be a missionary.” For that elder, home was the Missionary Training Center long before the MTC.

Most people think that when you enter the MTC, you magically gain a testimony of the gospel and a deep understanding of how to do missionary work. The truth is, you don’t. Those things must be learned, and preferably, learned early. President Kimball, in his talk “When the World Will be Converted,” reasserts this:

“I am asking that we start earlier and train our missionaries better in every branch and every ward in the world. That is another challenge—that the young people will understand that it is a great privilege to go on a mission and that they must be physically well, mentally well, spiritually well, and that “the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.”

I am asking for missionaries who have been carefully indoctrinated and trained through the family and the organizations of the Church, and who come to the mission with a great desire. I am asking for better interviews, more searching interviews, more sympathetic and understanding interviews, but especially that we train prospective missionaries much better, much earlier, much longer, so that each anticipates his mission with great joy.”

Nobody has to go into the mission field untrained or unready. In the spirit of that, here are the top seven things, according to elders, sisters, and missionary presidents I’ve talked to, that you can to do to come “pre-trained” to your mission:

1. Gain a personal testimony of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

You will be spending the next 18-36 months testifying of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Develop a testimony of Him now. Study His words and teachings. Strive to develop stronger faith in Him. Do all you can to learn of Him, and use His Atonement, for it will be your job to help others to do the same.

I cannot stress how vital it is to have an abiding testimony that Jesus is the Christ and that His atonement is real. Without this, nothing else matters or has reason. No missionary should ever go on his or her mission without a testimony of Jesus Christ and His atonement, and that includes a testimony of repenting of your sins.

2. Learn how to communicate with Heavenly Father.

Learning how to pray is vital to life on earth. Prayer is our main line of communication with heaven and our Heavenly Father. So many people “say” their prayers with no intent of the prayer ever reaching God, or they pray with no intent to obey. They often think God does not care or listen because they don’t have powerful prayers.

As a missionary, you will be teaching people how to have powerful and effective prayers. You will teach them how to receive revelation through prayer. Learning how to do these things yourself before you go will help with every aspect of the work.

Follow the established patterns. Learn how to ask. Rarely does God give revelation to “what should I do” prayers, but often He will give unto the person who studies out the options, picks one, and then asks, “This is what I think is right. I am going to proceed with it. Is this acceptable?” At that point, revelation comes. If it does not, proceed with your plan, and if the plan is wrong, God has promised to let you know.

Know that reverence invites revelation. Learn how to act. Being reverent invites the Spirit, and the Spirit is the gateway to revelation. Kneel, use respectful language, fold your arms, close your eyes, have personal prayers, and have family prayers. If your family does not hold family prayers, take the initiative and start them.

Finally, be specific and learn how convey desire. Specific prayers get specific answers, and prayer is a principle of effort. The more effort you put in, the more blessings you get out. Instead of, “Please bless everyone the missionaries are meeting with,” a more effective approach would be, “Please bless Michael Goff. Please bless him with a desire to read the book of Mormon and to pray to know of its divinity.” God blesses specific prayers. As my mission president always said, “Pray by name and need.” Taking the time to know names and needs of others conveys love and caring, and praying about them is powerful. It shows them you really care. It helps them feel your love and our Father’s love. I’ve seen it countless times. I promise you that few things melt a heart faster than hearing someone pray for you and your loved ones by name and need.

3. Read the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of it.

The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. You will be inviting others to read it and to pray about it to gain a testimony. At the very least, read the Book of Mormon all the way through and pray about it before you leave on your mission. I cannot tell you how many missionaries come to the field never having read the book! They spend the first 4-12 weeks of their missions just trying to read the Book of Mormon so that they can then share it with others. Gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon is like toppling the first domino of the Restoration: everything else follows it.

4. Study Preach My Gospel (PMG) and the scriptures!

Learn how to study the scriptures and Preach My Gospel before you go. And study them! Having a knowledge of doctrine is one of the big differences between a missionary who is pre-trained and a missionary who struggles. If you already know the doctrine you’re going to teach, then your trainer only needs to show you the finer points of missionary work. As a friend of mine who was a trainer once said, “I basically just showed him the mission culture.” This is one thing I wish I had done better at. I studied the scriptures, but I wish I had spent more time in Preach My Gospel.

I recommend starting with chapter two of PMG, which teaches you how to study. Once you’ve learned how to study, continue with chapter one. Try to apply each chapter to your life. PMG teaches eternal principles which are applicable to all stages of life. I recommend reading PMG at least once cover to cover. After you’ve read it cover to cover once, I recommend an in-depth study of the first six chapters, as the doctrines and principles in the first six chapters are the most important to understand as you prepare for a mission.

Once you’ve read PMG, read the Gospels in the New Testament, and I highly recommend reading the entire Bible before you leave. It is the companion volume of scripture to the Book of Mormon, and a greater gospel understanding will come as you study all of the scriptures.

5. Be active in missionary work before your mission!

Hastening the work of salvation does not start when you’re set apart as a full-time missionary, nor does it end when you’re released. Learning and applying the doctrine that every member is a missionary and has missionary responsibilities before your mission will add power to the authority you will hold. After all, Christ said, “Come, follow me,” not, “Go, do that.”

Do your home and visiting teaching. On your mission, you will spend much time and effort helping people understand the importance of doing home/visiting teaching. How can you ask someone to do theirs if you refused to do yours? Gain a testimony of teaching. It will add so much power to your invitations to others to do the same. As Harold B. Lee said, “Missionary work is but home teaching to those who are not now members of the Church, and home teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to Church members.”

Go out with the ward/full-time missionaries. Few things will prepare you as well for a mission as gaining hands-on experience. It teaches you how to teach the doctrines of the gospel. Real teaching will teach you far faster than reading or role play. It will also help you to understand the different roles everyone plays in conversion/retention/reactivation. This knowledge is what you will be applying as a missionary for the next 18-36 months. It’s imperative to learn it, and the sooner, the better.

Invite your friends. As a missionary, you will learn that members are the key to finding new investigators. You will encourage them to invite their friends to church, to activities, and to meet with you. As you invite your friends to do these things before your mission, you will be able to gain personal testimony of this aspect of missionary work. It will allow you to declare, with the Holy Ghost as your witness, that it works, that it has blessed your life, and that it will bless the lives of the members you’re inviting to follow your example.

6. Pay attention in seminary/Sunday school/institute.

The lessons taught to you about the gospel are designed to help you learn and apply the gospel. The “Scripture Mastery” program of seminary is designed to give you a basic grasp of the scriptures and their teachings. I know so many missionaries that lamented, “I wish I had paid attention in seminary.” I even had some companions who were trying to memorize the scripture mastery verses because they realized the power that comes from quoting the scriptures word for word. Don’t underestimate the opportunity to learn in a class setting.

7. Worship in the temple.

Worshiping is so much more than just attending. If you’re not attending the temple, developing that habit is a good start. If you only have a limited-use recommend, do baptisms and confirmations as often as is reasonable. Mostly, prepare for the temple now. As you prepare for your mission, also take temple prep. Ideally, as soon as you have your mission call, you will talk with your bishop and start planning a date to go to the temple to receive your endowment. This is where taking temple prep. as you work on your papers is huge. Once you have received your endowment, take full advantage of the House of the Lord before you leave. As you attend His house, you will gain the perspective of why we do missionary work and that baptism is not the end goal.

These seven things, when combined with developed social skills, a positive mental attitude, and a desire to work hard and be humble, lead to prepared missionaries who can hasten the work of salvation from day one. Always remember, though, that it is very important to listen to your trainer and to understand that their job is to train you. As my mission president put it to a group of new missionaries, “You are being trained. You are not here to train your trainers.” At all times, strive to be humble and willing to learn. With proper prior preparation, and with the help of your trainer, you can be a great instrument in the hands of the Lord.

This article appeared first on mylifebygogogoff.blogspot.com and has been republished with permission

August 1, 2015
How One Missionary Used Spray Paint To Spread the Gospel

Spray paint isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of missionaries. In fact, art has never played a huge roll in traditional missionary work, but all of that is changing in part of the hastening the work of salvation. Missions all across the world are now trying to hone in on the individual talents of each missionary and are striving to creatively use those talents to move the work along. This includes music, dancing, photography and yes, even spray paint that is now available at Spray Booths. I had the pleasure of meeting a young RM who had some very unique service opportunities while on his mission.

Tanner Stephenson is a Utah native who has loved art ever since he was young. When all the other kids wanted to be vets and policemen, Tanner wanted to be an artist when he grew up. His favorite medium is oil paint, however, he admits himself that he is best with spray paint. His talents with stencils and spray paint are impressive and creative to say the least, but no one suspected he would utilize those skills in the mission field. On his mission in California, Tanner and his companion were struggling to find investigators and they came up with a plan to spray paint images of temples in the park to attract people they could talk to. People loved to watch him work and they asked questions about the images themselves. This allowed Tanner and his companion to discuss the significance of the temple and teach them about the plan of salvation. He started painting more and more and his prints became popular with members and investigators alike. He ended up making about 200-250 temple prints that he gave away throughout his mission.

Service opportunities began to present themselves as well. One investigator asked if he could paint wall murals in his restaurant. “P-days became paint days.” Tanner said. It gave him a chance to use his talents to help people and share the gospel.

Since he’s been home he has continued working on his art and sells custom prints of temples, celebrities, and original designs under the name Kuru Arts. He goes to fairs to spray paint and get the word out about his custom t-shirts and home wall murals. He knows that the Lord didn’t give him his love for art for nothing. Tanner hopes to continue to bless and inspire others through his gospel inspired art work.

If you are interested Tanner’s art or in getting a temple print or other design from Kuru Arts check out his website. www.kuruarts.com

July 1, 2015
How Not Serving a Mission Made Me a Better Missionary

Without realizing it, I had tears streaming down my face. I’d been online looking at what my friends were up to, scrolling through their lives with amusement and curiosity. Many of them had recently returned from serving missions, and I found myself clicking through their pictures. With each new click came a new, quiet heartache. They were beautiful, these returned sisters. Their hair fell in curls around their black nametags, their arms were around their companions, and wide smiles were on their faces. Their pictures were filled with comments in all sorts of languages, discussions held by members and converts who loved them and missed them. “My mission was the best experience of my life,” they posted, “and I wish I could go back. I miss the people so much.”

When I turned my computer off and went to bed that February night, I wept, acutely aware that I had no name tag, no companions, and no mission.

I hadn’t always wanted to serve. It was one of those “maybes” in my life that I’d figure out when I got to it. When general conference rolled around in October of 2012 — it was the year I turned 20 — I had just begun to consider it. The mission age announcement changed everything. It was all I could think about every day and every night for months. It was all I was ever asked about: “So you gonna serve? You really should. Have you even thought about it?” “Some people say that serving a mission is the hardest thing they’ve ever done. For me, the exact opposite is true” Girls all around me were submitting their papers, and there I was in the middle of it, particular about the fact that I did not want to serve just because everyone else was going. I was afraid of having the wrong motives, and I wanted to go when it was right. I must have prayed so many times that year, telling my Heavenly Father that I thought I had real desire to serve. Should I serve a mission now? I asked Him. The quiet and discomforting answer I received was, No. Not now.

Not now, He told me when all of the girls in my Institute class expressed their excitement to serve, and I sunk lower in my chair. Not now, He said as I eagerly watched members of my ward open their calls and leave. Not now, He asserted when I heard another talk in Sacrament Meeting about how a mission changed someone’s life and I ached for that. Not now, He said during my senior year of college when I found a deeply rooted love for the gospel and the true desire I had wanted.

Not now, He continues to tell me.

Some people say that serving a mission is the hardest thing they’ve ever done. For me, the exact opposite is true — staying home is the hardest thing I’ve had to do. I’ve spent many heartbreaking nights wondering why it can’t be me in those pictures, me opening a call in front of family, me out serving, me saying how much I miss my mission. People tell me that the Lord has something else in mind for me, and as I’ve seen myself grow, serve, and progress in incredible ways these past few years, I’ve come to know that. But it doesn’t entirely alleviate the pain of being “the only one” not serving a mission.

As I’ve asked my Heavenly Father about it, I’ve come to realize a very important thing: being a missionary has nothing to do with what I want. In aching for the personal perks and blessings of being a missionary, I missed the critical fact that a mission is not for me or any one of us at all: it’s for the Lord and His work. The truth is that our desire to serve, separated from our desire to open a call, can be met right here and right now. We might not have a name tag, but we take Christ’s name upon us every week, and if we live correctly, people will see that. We might not have companions or investigators, but we do have friends and neighbors. “We don’t need a letter from the First Presidency to serve a mission” The people in our communities and in our college classes are just as desperate to feel the peace the gospel brings as people in South America or Russia. We don’t need a letter from the First Presidency to serve a mission, but, as D&C 4:3 states, we need only have the desire to serve to be called to the work. The field is white, already to harvest, and that field isn’t 5,000 miles away. We’re standing in it right now. And while we pine away for our neighbors’ fields, we completely forget to harvest the one right beneath us.

I’ve learned that we can all do more as members to truly serve. If you, like me, want to be a missionary, pray more often and more fervently for missionary experiences and make time for them. Don’t be afraid of running into them in an everyday setting! Study Preach My Gospel as a member and use it. Share your testimony often by actively using your social media accounts for good, and work hand in hand with the sisters and elders in your stake to find people who don’t have the gospel in their lives. You can always meet people, talk with them, and share the gospel with them, call or no call.

Being a missionary is not about getting the tag, the travel, the friends, or the photographs. It’s about serving the Lord and His children. If we don’t have the opportunity to do that in a formal setting, there is no need for us to feel left out. We can do that every single day. What I never realized in my attempt to discern or change the Lord’s mind about a mission is that “not now” doesn’t mean “not ever.” The Lord always wants us to share the gospel with his children, whether we do so straight out of the MTC or straight out of our homes. I’d suspect that if I asked the Lord, “Should I be a member missionary?”, the answer would be a resounding, Yes! Now. Always.

You and I might not have a zone leader, and we might not have a formal call, but we are missionaries. We can be one every day. And that’s something each one of us can look forward to if we truly desire it.

April 29, 2015