Sam gave a talk in church today- the last one he will give before he leaves on his mission April 10 to Indiana, where he will spend the next 2 years of his life. Talking in church in front of a congregation is not his favorite thing to do, but he did a great job. He wasn't sure he could fill the allotted time given, but he did just fine. Sam is such an outgoing personable kid and is quick to engage people.
His talk started with an introduction of himself and where he is being sent on his mission. Then he shared his reason for joining the church. When he was a small boy in Thailand he didn't know either his mom or dad well. He was raised by extended family first on his mom's side, then his dad's, and they continued to switch back and forth. He never felt like he had a close family unit. He missed having someone he could come to and share that he had gotten a good grade at school, or had done well at sports. There was no one he was close enough to who would be excited with him about his accomplishments. That was what attracted him most about the Mormon church- the emphasis that was placed on families, and all the families that he became acquainted with in the church that seemed to have that closeness that he desired. He made the decision that he wanted that more than anything for his own family that he would someday have.
After he was baptized and joined the church, he was sure that he would never go on a mission. He had finally found a family where he felt like he belonged, and did not want to pack up and leave for 2 years. It was even a hard decision for him to go away to college, rather than attending the local college where he could stay in town and live at home, which is what his brother Jared had decided to do. We strongly encouraged him to give it a try, and he found a friend at our church that agreed to be his room mate at BYU so he took the plunge. It turned out to be a remarkable semester for him. Most of his room mates were returned missionaries that shared their mission experiences with him, and encouraged him to go, and assured him that he would never regret it.
One night at school he was walking back to his apartment from the gym by himself. It was a beautiful night with the moon shining and the temple lit up against the night sky. As he was walking he heard a voice tell him that he really needed to serve a mission. He committed to do so. He has never looked back. Once he made the decision to go, he started working towards his goal while still at college, getting his physical and immunizations taken care of on his own. He has studied and prayed and read his scriptures, and made every effort to prepare himself.
We are proud of this young man and know that he will touch many lives in Indiana. Mostly, we know that he will be changed by this experience. He will work hard and lose himself in the service of others for 2 years and come home the better man because of it.
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