I'm always hungry. ALWAYS. I wasn't like that before my mission. I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm just shredding up so much energy because I am so anxiously engaged in the work of salvation, just wasting and wearing out my life in the service of God... I guess... I'll go with that option until I come up with something better. :) I eat breakfast at 7, but by 11 I'm this hungry little demon who just needs a gold, old sandwich. By the time 5 rolls around I'm crazy-craving for dinner. What's magical about being a missionary is that oftentimes, someone else will prepare food for me. The food is normally superb! It's really interesting, though. As much as I enjoy the scrumptious calories I am downing, there is something about eating dinner in people's homes that I love even more. You see, most of the time they aren't just feeding me physically, but also spiritually. It is easy to pay attention to the signs that I am physically hungry. ( The growling of my empty stomach can be heard from a few feet away.) It is harder, however, to realize I am spiritually hungry. The signs that my soul is yearning to be filled are often still, and quiet. I have come to realize I need spiritual nourishment as much as I need physical nourishment. I am ALWAYS spiritually hungry. These dinner appointments (The good ones) feed me in both ways, and some of them have provided me with memories that I won't soon forget. Here are some examples:
Company: Family home for the Christmas holidays. All children were grown and starting families of their own.
What fed my belly: Warm home-made chili in a giant bowl, cornbread and apple-butter.
What fed my soul: We said a kneeling prayer together at dinner. I don't know why this struck me so much, but it did. Kneeling while praying shows humility. I could tell these were people who truly understood the greatness of God.
Company: A Lutheran family. A mom, dad, grandmother, teen son, and teen daughter. The mom and dad moved from West Africa 20 years prior.
What fed my belly: Warm home-made chili in a giant bowl, cornbread and apple-butter.
What fed my soul: We said a kneeling prayer together at dinner. I don't know why this struck me so much, but it did. Kneeling while praying shows humility. I could tell these were people who truly understood the greatness of God.
Company: A Lutheran family. A mom, dad, grandmother, teen son, and teen daughter. The mom and dad moved from West Africa 20 years prior.
What fed my belly: Liver, Strawberries, and Bamboo Shoots (Not gonna lie... I ate lots of spaghetti at this one. :)
What fed my soul: Their charity and appreciation for spreading the word of God. We knocked at their door by a miracle. Immediately, the father of the household invited us in. The mother was so happy to see us there and said we simply must stay for dinner. "An African's house is everyone's house!" She said. The kids joined for dinner and the family proceeded to ask what it was we were hoping to accomplish by knocking on all the doors in the neighborhood. We told them that we continuously invite others to come unto Christ, hear about his restored gospel, and begin to live it. They were shocked, especially the father. He began trying to search for ulterior motives. He asked us if we were forced to do missionary service, to which we smiled and said no. My companion and I explained both our personal stories of how we came to feel God telling us we should serve missions. We explained the process in filling out mission papers and sending them into church head quarters. We also bore testimony that this is the place that God wants us, because a prophet of God sent us to this area. He was dumbfounded. He started pleading with his kids to listen to us. We taught the restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith that night. The spirit was so strong. It enveloped each of us in that room. We left a Book of Mormon for them to read. Although, they did not want to learn more at that time, the father told us over and over again what a great thing it was we were doing-- spreading the word of God. He told us to never give up. He told us that even if we don't find anyone who will get baptized into the church, that we have done an incredible work. (All of this coming from someone who is a member of a different church.) This little pep talk really effected me that day-- It really has effected me every day since. I don't really remember the taste of the bamboo, but I definitely remember the spirit that I felt that night.
Company: A mother and her two children, People I became close with, Catholic background
What fed my belly: Spaghetti, Broccoli, Salad,and Cheesy bread
What fed my soul: This family knew that my companion and I had been working really hard, and they wanted to help us in any way that they could. They knew our favorite foods, because we had been there several times before. Even after a really long day of chaos that only mother's would truly understand, this mother still went to the store, bought all our favorite foods, and made us dinner to enjoy within their company. This was an act of service that made me feel so loved! It lifted my soul. This effected my attitude and how I talked with everyone the rest of the night. Charity is contagious.
Company: The entire ward and their friends. Consisting of lots of crazy kids, older people hobbling around and every age in-between
What fed my belly: Delicious pulled-pork sandwiches. (Um... Yum!)
What fed my soul: There were so many smiles and laughter. There was a huge sense of community and belonging. Even the people who generally enjoyed being loaners were swooped into the group. I know this is how God wants us to be: unified.
Company: A mother, father and two little children. Native Virginians. Members of our ward.
What fed my belly: Pasta and bread
What fed my soul: My companion and I were deeply grateful for this family. They were always willing to help us find people to teach, let us teach them in their home, and give us ideas of new things to try. At the dinner we wanted to ask how we could serve them, but immediately following the prayer on the food, the mother and father of the home began asking us about how our work was going. They began asking how they could help us. They both began to share stories from their own missions. The father told a story about one companion who had incredible faith. He said they would set really hard goals, and they would do anything to attain them. They had set a goal for 5 lessons that week. (I made up that number because I don't remember the real one.) It was the last night of the week and they had taught 4 lessons. They got lost and offered a prayer. As soon as they opened their eyes they saw a man's eye through the hole of a fence. He beckoned them to come around to the front of the house. They did. He had been seeking out missionaries and didn't know where to find them at this time of trial in his life! It was a miracle! They were able to teach him and uplift him. This story meant a lot to me because it was on a week that we set really high goals, and I was a little worried we wouldn't reach them. This reassured me that I was able to reach all goals with the Lord's help.
Company: Big family. Lots of very cute kids. Members of our ward.
What fed my belly: Broccoli Cheese Soup
What fed my soul: The oldest of all the really cute kids shared his feelings about the church. he bore his testimony during dinner that was very simple. "I know the Book of Mormon is true and helps us get close to Jesus. I want to share it with my friends." The fact that he was such a great missionary made my smile permanently stuck to my face the rest of the night. He prayed before we left that night. His prayer was made up of only grateful phrases. "We are thankful for a Bishop. We are thankful for the true gospel. We are thankful for families. We are thankful for missionaries. We are thankful for a temple so close...." he went on and on. What a good example he is! What strong parents must have raised such a son!
I hope after reading some of my experiences, that you are a little more spiritually fed! Now, go out there and help someone else who is spiritually famished!
What fed my belly: Spaghetti, Broccoli, Salad,and Cheesy bread
What fed my soul: This family knew that my companion and I had been working really hard, and they wanted to help us in any way that they could. They knew our favorite foods, because we had been there several times before. Even after a really long day of chaos that only mother's would truly understand, this mother still went to the store, bought all our favorite foods, and made us dinner to enjoy within their company. This was an act of service that made me feel so loved! It lifted my soul. This effected my attitude and how I talked with everyone the rest of the night. Charity is contagious.
Company: The entire ward and their friends. Consisting of lots of crazy kids, older people hobbling around and every age in-between
What fed my belly: Delicious pulled-pork sandwiches. (Um... Yum!)
What fed my soul: There were so many smiles and laughter. There was a huge sense of community and belonging. Even the people who generally enjoyed being loaners were swooped into the group. I know this is how God wants us to be: unified.
Company: A mother, father and two little children. Native Virginians. Members of our ward.
What fed my belly: Pasta and bread
What fed my soul: My companion and I were deeply grateful for this family. They were always willing to help us find people to teach, let us teach them in their home, and give us ideas of new things to try. At the dinner we wanted to ask how we could serve them, but immediately following the prayer on the food, the mother and father of the home began asking us about how our work was going. They began asking how they could help us. They both began to share stories from their own missions. The father told a story about one companion who had incredible faith. He said they would set really hard goals, and they would do anything to attain them. They had set a goal for 5 lessons that week. (I made up that number because I don't remember the real one.) It was the last night of the week and they had taught 4 lessons. They got lost and offered a prayer. As soon as they opened their eyes they saw a man's eye through the hole of a fence. He beckoned them to come around to the front of the house. They did. He had been seeking out missionaries and didn't know where to find them at this time of trial in his life! It was a miracle! They were able to teach him and uplift him. This story meant a lot to me because it was on a week that we set really high goals, and I was a little worried we wouldn't reach them. This reassured me that I was able to reach all goals with the Lord's help.
Company: Big family. Lots of very cute kids. Members of our ward.
What fed my belly: Broccoli Cheese Soup
What fed my soul: The oldest of all the really cute kids shared his feelings about the church. he bore his testimony during dinner that was very simple. "I know the Book of Mormon is true and helps us get close to Jesus. I want to share it with my friends." The fact that he was such a great missionary made my smile permanently stuck to my face the rest of the night. He prayed before we left that night. His prayer was made up of only grateful phrases. "We are thankful for a Bishop. We are thankful for the true gospel. We are thankful for families. We are thankful for missionaries. We are thankful for a temple so close...." he went on and on. What a good example he is! What strong parents must have raised such a son!
I hope after reading some of my experiences, that you are a little more spiritually fed! Now, go out there and help someone else who is spiritually famished!
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