Mission

Adventures in Thailand -- my mission "blog"
Thailand: Land of Smiles -- Thai resources (ภาษาไทย)
Thailand Bangkok Mission -- mission website
Tips for Missionaries Going to Thailand
Thai Language
Reasons

I spent two years in Thailand (Bangkapi, Phitsanulok, Pakkret, and Udorn) as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Reasons

I wrote this before I left. -bmc

Why do I want to serve a mission? After all, it means I have to take two whole years out of my schooling, and I won't be making any money (quite the opposite :)), right? Can that kind of a sacrifice possibly be worth it? I believe it is. Yes, I'll be giving up a lot. But that's the point. Look at Mother Teresa. Was she happy? Certainly. Luke 9:24 -- "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to find happiness in this life or the next. I know it. When people are happy, genuinely happy, they are almost bubbling over, so to speak. They have to share it. That's what real happiness is. That's what love is. All of the good emotions make you want to spread the wonderful feelings you have. Of course this is not only emotion. There is much, much more to it than that.

I suppose one could call this a personal crusade. But the danger in that is that it focuses on me. Going back to Luke 9:24, the point is that in giving up all personal concerns, in eliminating selfishness and in focusing on others, I will find myself. I will find happiness. And, most importantly, I will be obeying the Lord, which is the only thing that matters. I believe it was William Law who said, "If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, in the end it does not matter what you have chosen instead." I believe in that wholeheartedly.

To boil it down to a single statement, I'm going to serve a mission because the Lord wants me to. It's as simple as that. There is no question in my mind about what I should do; He has asked that I serve, and so I shall. On another level, I'm going to serve because I am happy and I want others to be as happy as I am. There are people out there in the world searching for answers to life's questions. God knows the answers; for the next two years, I will be pointing people to Him. Any light I have is a reflection from Him. I am the moon; He is the sun. And I of course do not have the power to grant salvation to anyone. This mission will not be an ego trip; I'm not doing it for me at all. There will be benefits, of course -- in the process of working diligently and learning more about God, I will become a man, will grow spiritually and physically and in ways I can't even imagine, will be blessed, will know joy beyond description. I will lose myself in the work, in loving the people I serve and teach, in following Christ, and because of that, I will find myself.