One of the ironies
of a mission is that sometimes the very people who are there to
help you succeed seem to be those who cause you to stumble. So
it goes as you approach
the end of your full-time service. By this time in your mission
you will realize that eighteen
months or two years is not going to last forever. Your time is
rapidly running out, and you want to make the best of it. You try
to shut out all thoughts
of home, schooling, marriage,
jobs, and postmission life. Just when you have decided to be
totally focused, the harassment
from other missionaries and members starts.
It is generally done
innocently—and
because others don’t know what else to say.
Nevertheless, it is unwelcome. The missionaries who have only
been out for a few months
may look at you enviously, especially if they are in the homesick
stage.
They may make
comments like, “You lucky dog. I wish I were going home instead
of you!” At that point
you may want to trade places with them. Of course, that isn’t
possible. But you can help
them by saying something like, “It seems like only yesterday I was
in your position and
thought my mission would never end. Tomorrow you’ll be on your
way home, so make
every minute count.” Some of the flak will come from missionaries
who have been out
long enough to know better. Their time is also drawing
short.
They may tease you because
they realize their days are numbered too. Comments such as, “I’m
sure glad it’s you
going home and not me!” are common. If you have served the way
you should, your
answer can reflect some teaching. “I’m glad I took advantage
of the opportunities as
they came along. I’d hate to be where I am and have a lot of
regrets. If I were so lucky
as to be in your position, I would redouble my efforts to make sure
I ended positively.”
Members constitute a
different
problem. They have become accustomed to
missionaries coming and going. But that doesn’t make it any
easier
for them to say
good-bye. If you have served with honor, they will have grown
to love you like a son
or daughter. They are a bit more realistic. The chances
of your coming back to visit
very often are slim. Therefore, when they say farewell, they
are cutting the ties for
the rest of mortality. Often they are uncomfortable with showing
too much emotion,
because it makes things harder. So instead they joke and tease
you. If they are sensitive,
the joking will be in good taste. If they haven’t had much
experience,
the teasing could
be a bit more cruel. Often you will hear comments such as, “Oh,
you’ll just go home and
forget all about us. You really don’t care about us
anyway!”
That hurts because it’s not
true. Try to help them understand. You might say something
like, “It is true our paths
may not cross again, but one of the most consoling parts of the gospel
is the knowledge
that we will be together again in the celestial kingdom, where we never
need to say
good-bye again.” This reassures members and gives them hope that
the joy you have
shared together in the gospel will not be lost forever.
People tend to joke and
laugh when they are rather uncomfortable and don’t know
what else to do. If you promise to keep in touch, then do
so.
Avoid making too many
promises. Life at home will be busy and challenging enough to
demand your full attention. Even the best intentions to visit or
write or call may not be reasonable.
The problem
comes when you promise and do not fulfill your promise. That
casts a poor light on you
as an individual and on missionaries as a whole. It would be
better to be more conservative
in making promises. Then if you have the time and inclination
to keep in touch, it will come as a pleasant surprise. If you
find you can’t keep in touch,
there will be no promises broken and no confidences destroyed.
Missions are like other
phases in your life. You write each page of a chapter one day
at a time. When the chapter is complete, although you reread
it occasionally, other chapters
demand your complete attention. Those missionaries who never
quite leave the mission are
not viewed as well-balanced individuals. Just as you may have
hated to see your high school
experience come to a close, so you may hate to see your mission
experience
end. But just
as you discovered that there was life after high school, so you will
also discover that there is
a wonderful life after your mission.
A final observation about
leaving your mission: strengthen those around you. You
have worked hard to help those good people, whether members or
nonmembers,
and the
last thing you want to hear is that they have wandered off into
forbidden
paths. If you
made any commitments, honor them before you leave. Don’t leave
any unpaid bills.
Bad feelings are created if you don’t pay for what you receive.
If you have promised to
present a fireside for the young men and young women of the ward,
schedule
it before
the crunch of the last few weeks hits. If you have promised to
look up a relative or friend
who lives in your area, now is the time to do it. If you have
promised to do a service
project with other members of your district or zone, schedule it before
the last minute.
One thing is for sure—the last few weeks will be so busy and hectic
that you will wonder
if somebody has sped up the clock. If you consciously start about
three months before
your departure date to organize the things you want to do before you
leave, your departure
will be a lot less hectic. If you fail to take this advice, you
will know firsthand what I refer to
—your mission will end in chaos.
Even though others may tease
you, don’t respond bitterly or angrily. Someday you
will be glad that you didn’t stoop to their level but instead tried
to maintain a Christlike
attitude during those difficult and trying days. You can do it,
but it will require constant,
diligent effort.