As I think back to my mission I found I had a few regrets. Either things I wished I had done, or that I had not done. I wanted to know if these feelings were unique to me, or if others felt the same way. So I talked with many returned missionaries, as we talked I found a lot of our regrets were similar. Here are 6 Common regrets of LDS Missionaries.
1. Writing In Your Journal (Or lack thereof)
This is probably my biggest regret, and I’ve found it is the same for most missionaries and RM’s. Let’s face it, people especially guys don’t like to write. Plus, we’ve all had those days that at the end of a day of tracting we can’t even think of anything worthwhile to write about. Here are some ideas to record your journey.
If you’re a missionary with an iPad record what happened that day using voice memo, you can email yourself the recordings every week (to save space). Record not just the miracles but the funny things, and how you’re feeling. And this is my personal favorite, look for and record how you saw the Hand of the Lord in your life that day. I love the words of President Clark’s wife.
“We can see the hand of the Lord in every experience we have if we are willing to look. That is how we find joy through our trials.” ~Sue Clark
2. Taking More Pictures.
It has been said, “A picture is worth a thousand words” I did not fully understand this until my mission. Why is it worth a thousand words? Because a picture contains more than just an image, it contains a memory. When I look over the pictures from my mission and pictures of companions, I am reminded of my companions, our funny experiences, and most importantly miracles that happened to us. Looking through mission pictures is like reading a mission journal.
So take a minute, step back and ask someone to take a picture! Who knows, if you ask someone they might be curious and it gives you a contact situation! (Just make sure not to look like a tourist)
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