That's All She Wrote

Dear Jackson,

Wow, what a crazy last two years. There’s nothing you can do to prepare yourself for the craziness that will be your mission. Your life is going to change, whether you like it or not. No matter how hard you resist, Christ will somehow mold you into the person He wants you to become. You’re going to gain love and charity for people you don’t even know—as crazy as that sounds. “I could talk to people if I want to, but I don’t” will turn into “I talk to people because I love God.” Sure, these next two years will be frustratingly hard, and you’ll feel like the final straw is on your back. But every time it becomes too hard to bear, Christ will step in. Every. Single. Time. So don’t give up—it’ll be worth it and more.

You’ll have the MTC experience of a lifetime. You won’t appreciate it while you’re there, but it will always be something you look back on fondly. You’ll realize that you really do have a Father in Heaven, and He really does care about you. In the MTC, you’ll begin to understand what it means to truly love God’s children as you pray and study for the people you’ll try to teach in your broken ASL.

Your first transfer will absolutely break you down to the dirt. Every night, you’ll ask yourself if it’s all really worth it—if you can really stay out for the whole two years. But I promise you, it is worth it. All that was unfair during your first transfer will be made right by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and things will get better. And hey, you’ll learn a lot of ASL skills that will transfer!

You’ll see so many miracles in these next two years—from people healed both physically and spiritually to people being placed by God in the right place at the right time. It’s safe to say that the next two years will be completely out of your control and entirely in the hands of God. You may not like it in the moment, but those English transfers will be a huge blessing to both you and the people you meet. You’ll forever be grateful for your English transfers, and they will truly shape your mission. So take those English transfers in stride—it’s a new adventure every time.

One important lesson you’ll learn will come during your time in the apartments at Black Mountain. When you have absolutely no motivation to work or communicate with your companion, you’ll learn to find true and everlasting joy. That joy, found during your Black Mountain transfer, will be a beacon for the rest of your mission. You’ll gain perspective and share this eternal truth with others. So, when hard times come, know that Jesus is there. There’s only been one person who was ever left alone while praying—and that was your Savior as He died for you.

You have no idea how much good you’ll do during your ASL transfers. You won’t see the effects of your work until months later, and the full picture won’t be realized until the next life. But keep your motivation up as you work through eight months of the same thing, day in and day out! I promise it’s worth it, and the things you accomplish will have a lasting impact.

One example of that impact is Holly. During your Black Mountain transfer, you’ll create a Facebook profile for your dog. You won’t use that account for what you originally planned, and it’ll sit unused for a few months. But when you realize there’s a need for your programming skills, you’ll change lives! You’ll write a program to help missionaries contact their friends, leading to baptisms. Your program will enable San Diego missionaries to reach more people and redirect resources to your neighbors. There will be significant pushback, but I promise what you do will make an impact. Eventually, other missions will start using your efforts to accomplish God’s work as well.

La Mesa is a place you’ll never forget. The people you meet there will be imprinted in your memory forever, and those you serve will remember the hand of the Lord. That transfer will teach you how to truly work hard. It will give you the motivation to work for more than just yourself as you fully place everything on the altar and dedicate your life to God. Missionary work will become truly fun once you serve with your whole heart and mind, and La Mesa will require that of you. Record the miracles you see there—because there will be many.

Your last two transfers will help you discover who you truly want to become. You think you have an idea of what you want after your mission, but I can tell you that your goals will be completely different by the end of this adventure. You’ll want to be a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ. You’ll want to be giving and charitable, serving God for the rest of your life. Heck, you’ll announce during a zone conference that you’re planning to serve a senior mission because you’ll miss this so much. Your dreams of a career will now be centered on fulfilling your purpose in life: becoming more like your Savior.

You’ll never feel more torn about leaving San Diego than on the day you attend Sunday School with the deaf group for the last time. They’ll give you a card with each of their names signed, and it will mean everything to you. You’ll know you’ve been a tool in God’s hands to touch lives. They’ve felt the love of the Good Shepherd, and you won’t want anything else.

I assume the day we remove the tag will be a sad one. But I can promise us one thing: this is not the end of our service to God. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time we wear tags, but only time will tell. What does life hold for us? I guess we’ll see.

The mission plaque scripture we chose was Alma 57:48. It talks about how the sons of Helaman had no fear because they had God. I know you have a lot of fear for the next two years, but I can promise you now that I have no fear for the next 80. I know where my salvation lies, and I will see God in the flesh again. I have no doubts, I have no fear: my Redeemer lives.

Thus, on to eternal perfection, The honest and faithful will go.

Signing off for the last time,

-— Elder Coxson, a disciple of Christ