LDS Freedom Forum

I’ve shared a handful of mission experiences with my kids over the years. I thought it would be kind of interesting to see what kinds of experiences y’all have had and, if you feel so included, to share them here. You don’t have to share details that will incriminate you.

I’ll start.

I served in the Spain Malaga mission. About a year into my mission I had a companion that worked really hard. We didn’t necessarily see success as far as baptisms, but I learned a lot from him. Anyway, I remember one morning where we were having companionship study and were reading out of the missionary guide. It was my turn to read and my companion became quite amused when he heard my voice trail off. He looked up only to see that I had stopped talking. My eyes had closed and head began to lower. I had literally fallen asleep while reading as a companionship.

After a few seconds I remember looking up and and wondering where I was. He just started laughing. It was during this part of my mission that things started to feel like Groundhogs Day. Same day, over and over again.

I was in Colombia and saw real poverty. There were good days and bad days. The people were nice. The mission was cheap and the country was beautiful. None of those I baptized stayed active. I learned some Spanish. I would do it again.

On my mission I taught in English for most of it, but at the end of my mission, one of the signing sisters went home, so I was called to serve in the deaf ward and communicate in ASL. (Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of it now all of these years later.) One of the things we did was volunteer at the deaf school and help a teacher with the one of the classes there.

I am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again. I still have those dreams sometimes. I even got a blessing in the last year or so when I was sick where I was told that I still had a work to do for the Lord. I think it involves preaching the gospel after the One Mighty and Strong sets in order the church, but that is perhaps speculation. Anyone else have dreams about serving another mission?

I served in the Ohio Cleveland Mission, and even in Kirtland. We had a number of great experiences, but as many will know, we had to work for them. In my first area, Ashland Ohio, the branch President's wife was a convert, and she let just a few people know, that her father had visited her from the spirit world with a message, among other things he told her the church was true. Wow! I am sure she did not share this with many, and that it was very sacred to her.

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pmI am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again.

Yes, I've had that dream many times, especially the first 10 or so years after my mission. It's been a few years since I recall having that dream.

I was hit by a car. Broke both wrists. Mission president came to our apt. that evening and yelled at me asking me to repent of whatever I did to lose the Saviors protection. If I could go back I would have bashed him in the face with my cast and asked him "Well President _______. It appears as though youve lost the Lords protection. What do you need to repent of?"

Erastothenes wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:57 pm I was hit by a car. Broke both wrists. Mission president came to our apt. that evening and yelled at me asking me to repent of whatever I did to lose the Saviors protection. If I could go back I would have bashed him in the face with my cast and asked him "Well President _______. It appears as though youve lost the Lords protection. What do you need to repent of?"

Sorry to hear that Erastothenes. I fell and broke one wrist a few months ago. Also about tests, I will be first in line to say that many things that happen to us that are trials are not our fault but truly we will be tested in all things, our fault or not as the Lord has said through the Prophet Joseph, we will be tested even as Abraham. I will say one thing about Mission Presidents, they are only as good as the revelation they receive. That is not a slight or an unrighteous judgement either but a statement of fact. They like us, are all on different spiritual levels, at various times, regardless of their calling. Some are receiving more revelation than others, and some are following it more carefully than others. Some day I will tell of an amazing M.T.C. Presidency Member that I received a blessing from long after my mission. I thank God for him having the faith enough to bless me with the blessing he did. It was fulfilled, and I can't not also forget to thank the Lord for it's fulfillment.

creator wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:57 pm

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pmI am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again.

Yes, I've had that dream many times, especially the first 10 or so years after my mission. It's been a few years since I recall having that dream.

Same here. Been a couple years since I've had it.

Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 2:43 pm I’ve shared a handful of mission experiences with my kids over the years. I thought it would be kind of interesting to see what kinds of experiences y’all have had and, if you feel so included, to share them here. You don’t have to share details that will incriminate you.

I’ll start.

I served in the Spain Malaga mission. About a year into my mission I had a companion that worked really hard. We didn’t necessarily see success as far as baptisms, but I learned a lot from him. Anyway, I remember one morning where we were having companionship study and were reading out of the missionary guide. It was my turn to read and my companion became quite amused when he heard my voice trail off. He looked up only to see that I had stopped talking. My eyes had closed and head began to lower. I had literally fallen asleep while reading as a companionship.

After a few seconds I remember looking up and and wondering where I was. He just started laughing. It was during this part of my mission that things started to feel like Groundhogs Day. Same day, over and over again.

Yes missions are just like Groundhog Day!

You get similar days, day after day to concentrate on being present, on working on yourself, etc.

It was actually a great preparation for life, which, at various times, also gets to be very monotonous.

Was on my mission in Southern California during Prop 8. It was wild. Members were on the streets supporting prop 8. I was told that President Monson was prophesying "as California goes, so the world goes". Different time. Different church.

Christianlee wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 5:28 pm I was in Colombia and saw real poverty. There were good days and bad days. The people were nice. The mission was cheap and the country was beautiful. None of those I baptized stayed active. I learned some Spanish. I would do it again.

My last 6 months were on the northern tip of Africa in a small Spanish province named Ceuta. We visited an African refugee camp twice a week. The stories we heard were horrific. People dying in the deserts, drinking their own urine, family members killed by rival communities. And the smell. It saturated our clothes every time we visited. But I have to admit, it was quite refreshing to be teaching people about the Book of Mormon whilst standing on a hillside amongst the trees. I also met some of the most humble people I’ve ever met in my life. I hope to be reunited with them after this life.

Speaking of Ceuta, that is where I saw my first and only drug running boat being chased by a police helicopter. We were in 4 man apartment and the other companionship saw the helicopter chasing in a boat through the harbor and decided to go down on the pier. The boat eventually came back and hid under the pier they were on and the helicopter buzzed the dock and as the boat pulled away it began shooting at the police helicopter. Everybody hit the deck and then scrammed.

I’ve never been offered so many drugs in my life. Every time we went to the mainland it was either cocaine or hashish.

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pm On my mission I taught in English for most of it, but at the end of my mission, one of the signing sisters went home, so I was called to serve in the deaf ward and communicate in ASL. (Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of it now all of these years later.) One of the things we did was volunteer at the deaf school and help a teacher with the one of the classes there.

I am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again. I still have those dreams sometimes. I even got a blessing in the last year or so when I was sick where I was told that I still had a work to do for the Lord. I think it involves preaching the gospel after the One Mighty and Strong sets in order the church, but that is perhaps speculation. Anyone else have dreams about serving another mission?

Yes, I have had several dreams since my mission where I was called to serve again. It was hyper realistic. When I awoke I was so glad it wasn’t real.

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pm On my mission I taught in English for most of it, but at the end of my mission, one of the signing sisters went home, so I was called to serve in the deaf ward and communicate in ASL. (Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of it now all of these years later.) One of the things we did was volunteer at the deaf school and help a teacher with the one of the classes there.

I am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again. I still have those dreams sometimes. I even got a blessing in the last year or so when I was sick where I was told that I still had a work to do for the Lord. I think it involves preaching the gospel after the One Mighty and Strong sets in order the church, but that is perhaps speculation. Anyone else have dreams about serving another mission?

Yes, every so often I have a dream about being on another mission. In the last one that I can recall, I was called to a different foreign mission but still the same language. I remember it being difficult and having a hard time living a missionary lifestyle and some really stupid rules. Then in the dream it occurred to me, "Why did I volunteer for another mission? I'm old. I have a wife and family back home. I don't have to stay here and put up with nonsense, I can leave anytime I want." And then I woke up. Strange.

I was in southern Germany in the early 70s. I was a senior companion at 3 1/2 months and had greenies from 4 months on. In order for me and the greenies to learn German, I decided we would only speak German. The greenie could say something to me in English and I would say it in German and have him repeat it. For a while, I worked with Americans who were on bases and spoke English. For over a year before I went home, I spoke little if any English.

2 weeks before I came home, all the missionaries in the area were invited to dinner at an American Military Officer's home. I found out quick that I could not speak English very well at all. I used English words but could only use German sentence structure. I would say things like: " Is it here that we off the streetcar get?" "Would you me please the salt pass?" Everyone thought I was being funny but I was panicking because in 2 weeks I would be dating girls and making a fool out of myself. I began speaking nothing but English and had my companion correct my errors.

Occasionally, I wake up from a dream and find that I was dreaming in pure German and then thinking in German about the dream.

I had been out for 6 months when one morning as we were preparing to leave the apartment my companion prayed that someone would call us up on the phone asking to be taught. I thought, “That’s a weird thing to pray for” but shrugged it off.

That night when we returned to our apartment there was a message on the answering machine: “Elders, my name is {redacted}, I would like you to baptize my family”. We ended up teaching and baptizing his entire family of four.

Stupid me, I never dared pray that same prayer again. I wonder sometime what would have happened if I had more faith and did.

Cruiserdude wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 7:27 pm

creator wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:57 pm

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pmI am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again.

Yes, I've had that dream many times, especially the first 10 or so years after my mission. It's been a few years since I recall having that dream.

Same here. Been a couple years since I've had it.

Same. I've spoken to many returned missionaries who have the same dream.

It's very similar to the dream where I'm back in college and I'm in danger of not graduating because I keep forgetting to go to class. It's been years since I had the mission dream but I still have the college one regularly.

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pm On my mission I taught in English for most of it, but at the end of my mission, one of the signing sisters went home, so I was called to serve in the deaf ward and communicate in ASL. (Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of it now all of these years later.) One of the things we did was volunteer at the deaf school and help a teacher with the one of the classes there.

I am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again. I still have those dreams sometimes. I even got a blessing in the last year or so when I was sick where I was told that I still had a work to do for the Lord. I think it involves preaching the gospel after the One Mighty and Strong sets in order the church, but that is perhaps speculation. Anyone else have dreams about serving another mission?

Yes I used to dream this all the time..glad it was never real. I served in Argentina, Bahia Blanca. 12 months out got incredibly ill and had my appendix removed ...brought said appendix home and gave it to my doctor because I knew it should never have happened . Appendix was healthy so surgery wasn't necessary btw... Finished last months in Arizona, Phoenix.

I served in my country of origin (USA), speaking English. We had some church historical sites in my mission, but I was always about 5 hours away, only proselytizing mission for me. I did get to visit several times though. We had mission conferences there, and we were allowed to take investigators there.

My companions were mostly great. Only one I had a hard time with, or she had a hard time with me, until we came to an understanding and then we were friends. I loved all my companions.
My fellow missionaries were great too. We had a lot of great times together.
Both of my mission presidents were great.
The members were great. The people were great. I had many spiritual experiences and felt that I came to know my savior better and had a personal relationship with him. I did not see him, but could definitely feel his presence (or the Holy Ghost). I felt that my prayers were always answered, except for things that would take people’s agency away, like praying that people would be baptized.

I have had dreams that I was still a missionary, but that was mostly the first few years after coming home. Now that I’ve been home so long, I don’t have those dreams much anymore.

I never felt that it was Groundhog Day. But I did only serve for 17-18 months, not 24 months like the elders. Maybe it would have felt like Groundhog Day. But no, for me, each companionship was different. Each area was different. Each investigator was different. So it never got old to me. Only tiring, like I wished for a nice vacation sometimes after working 6-7 days a week, 12 hours a day. But I loved it so much, and was honestly very sad to come home.

I had a wonderful time.

I have the second mission dream maybe once a year. It used to be more frequent and usually my attitude in the dream is "let's get this crap over with."

I was in Rio de Janiero. The place had a weird mixture of wealthy tropical paradise and 3rd world proverty drug wars.

I saw faith grow.
I saw faith wither.

It wasn't as glamorous as the seminary videos.
It wasn't anything like what they taught us in the MTC. I often felt the church let us down.

But I have seldom been happier as I was when I was teaching, serving or praying with people.

I loved it.

I served in the Scotland Edinburgh Mission.
I feel sorry for those who didn't

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pm

I am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again. I still have those dreams sometimes. I even got a blessing in the last year or so when I was sick where I was told that I still had a work to do for the Lord. I think it involves preaching the gospel after the One Mighty and Strong sets in order the church, but that is perhaps speculation. Anyone else have dreams about serving another mission?

In the MTC my comp had wet dreams and he was on the top bunk. and it was recurring for the 2 months we were in there studying Japanese.

Myself and the comp set on the otherside of the room did not have wet dreams...did I just incriminate us?

honestseeker12 wrote: ↑October 29th, 2023, 6:19 pm On my mission I taught in English for most of it, but at the end of my mission, one of the signing sisters went home, so I was called to serve in the deaf ward and communicate in ASL. (Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of it now all of these years later.) One of the things we did was volunteer at the deaf school and help a teacher with the one of the classes there.

I am curious, though. Have any of you that served missions have recurring dreams that you are on a mission again? I have these dreams from time to time where I am on a mission again, and I know in the dream that it is a second mission. I am not talking about senior missions. Just the feeling that I am supposed to serve a mission again. I still have those dreams sometimes. I even got a blessing in the last year or so when I was sick where I was told that I still had a work to do for the Lord. I think it involves preaching the gospel after the One Mighty and Strong sets in order the church, but that is perhaps speculation. Anyone else have dreams about serving another mission?

Yep. I have the recurring dream where I'm going on a second mission for another two years. But for some reason, it feels like it's only shortly after returning from my first mission.