I wanted to quit my Mormon mission
I wanted to go home early from my LDS mission. It was just too hard. But somehow, a letter my little brother had written me before I ever left, is what convinced me to stay.
Do you like your little brother? Before I left to serve a mission in Japan, my 12-year-old brother, Jacob, gave me a strange gift at the airport. A 2 L SevenUp bottle filled with letters. He said, "I'm not a good letter writer, so if you ever need a letter from me, just pull one out." Well, missionary life hit me harder than I expected. I was miserable. The language barrier made me feel completely useless.
I was facing rejection, culture shock, and fear every single day. I became depressed, riddled with anxiety, frustrated, and physically ill. And I started to believe I had made a huge mistake. Finally, I made up my mind. I was going home. As I sat on the floor, feeling completely defeated, I glanced up at my desk, and saw that SevenUp bottle. I stood up, walked over, twisted off the lid, and pulled out a random letter.
I unfolded it, and this is what it said. Hey, Rachel. So, you found the hidden note. I am guessing this is a hard time for you. Well, here is some encouragement words for you. You know, I have always looked up to you. I have tried to follow in the footsteps of yours that I can do since I'm a boy. I hope one day to be a good singer and piano player. I also want to be as smart as you and get a good degree in college and go on my own mission.
I love you, Rachel, and I know, not think, but know you are going to survive this mission and that Satan will try to tempt you to back off, but you won't. Love your brother, Jacob. P.S., hope it helps. This note was unlike any of the others I had read from him. How could he have possibly known this was exactly what I was going to need? And how did I happen to pull that letter out at that exact moment?
I felt like it was a direct message from God and I decided to stay. It wasn't easy after that. I still had moments when I wanted to quit, but every time I felt like giving up, I remembered my little brother's encouragement words and somehow I kept going. How grateful I am that God put us into families. They aren't perfect, but hopefully they are always there when you need them the most.
