Burgoyne Family Reunion 2016

Mary Lou Simmons Burgoyne

Thoughts and Blessings of Serving a Mission:

1.  My mission taught me a lot more about life than I expected. I learned that there are so many more genuinely good people out there than I ever imagined. I discovered that how I react to people says more about me than it does about them. I realized that the more I learn about the gospel, the better I can utilize the Spirit in everyday life, and that the Spirit talks to me a lot more than I had formerly believed. I experienced God's powerful love for individuals, especially one day when he asked us to drive 30 minutes out of our way to let a lonely sister know He was aware of her.
Now, I feel like I can love those around me better, I find myself more motivated to take responsibility for my own spiritual growth, and I feel much more confident in God's love for me.
I wouldn't give up my mission for anything. The things I've learned and the wonderful people I've met have made that experience invaluable. 

2.  My Mission was probably the single most important decision of my life. It was because of my decision to serve that I was blessed with my wonderful wife and children. I was taught so much in such a short period of time, I cannot even begin to explain my gratitude in such a short writing.

Within days of my arrival to the mission field,  I was taught of the importance of recognizing the Lord's timeline. We have our agency to do what we wish, but the Lord knows what is best for us, and knows where and how we will best succeed in this life.

I learned how the Spirit speaks to me and how my prayers are answered. The Spirit speaks to each of us differently because we are all different. I may need different guidance than my spouse, siblings or companion and It took some learning, seeking and prayer to figure it out. And to this day, I am often forced to relearn as I seek after my goals and ambitions. This is just a more technical way of saying that we need to forever work on our relationships with the Holy Ghost, with our Savior and our Father in Heaven.

I learned of the importance of patience and love in this life. No conflict is ever truly resolved when there is contention, anger or any type of hard feelings. Patience and empathy for someone who disagrees with you is the only way that a conflict can truly be resolved amicably. Those who are quick to anger will struggle in all aspects of life. 

I learned that patience and the Lord's timeline go hand in hand. I often, to this day, become so focused on a goal or a challenge before me that patience begins to give way to despair and I lose sight of the Lord's timeline. I often am required to take a step back, regain my patience and move forward with the Lord's timeline. The great thing about this Gospel is that we get as many "do overs" as we need.

I learned that an essential part of patience, is the ability to enjoy the ride. I often get caught up in achieving my goals and I forget to enjoy the journey. Life often gets hard, but we, as imperfect beings, tend to focus on our hardships as a defense mechanism. We (I) often forget that if we focus on our blessings, our hardships tend to lessen. We are uplifted by the blessings in our lives if we will simply recognize them and give thanks for them.  

I learned many things on my mission but overall, I learned that our Heavenly Father is mindful of us and wants us to be happy. I learned that this life is a test, but it also is for us to experience joy, and I strive to seek joy in all aspects of life.