Monday, July 27, 2009

Successful(ish) Missionary Week

Over the past year I've felt impressed on occasion (about three times so far) to dedicate a week to trying to live (somewhat) like a missionary. I don't go out and wear the shirt and tie, or really go door to door. I spend the week giving up my music and instead listening to church music, avoid the TV like the plague, and use the computer only when I'm doing something resourceful (this time I was a lot more lax than other times, because I did a lot of writing and e-mailing (because I'll be in Utah for the next week)). It's always a great experience, and I would recommend trying a missionary week at least once (yeah it's not the same thing as a mission, but it's still a good week, where you feel closer to Heavenly Father).
Well this week was an odd one. I started with a fast, and surprisingly, even though I was at home surrounded by food, it was the easiest fast I've ever done in my life (and the longest). Another difference between this week and past missionary weeks was the presence of actually missionaries living in my home...one of whom was going home that Thursday, and he got slightly (or more) trunky. Here's a study in human nature. When one person is trunky, all people around them get trunky. By Thursday I was ready to end missionary week early. I toughed it out though, and lasted to the end. By Sunday evening it was a bitter-sweet moment. I was ready to go back to normal life, but I was also really enjoying the spiritual high I had had all week long.
One great thing that came out of Missionary week was that when the missionaries heard that I was doing it they brought all sorts of EFY music and the Joseph Smith and Pioneer Tributes out, so that I could listen to them. Now I've got some church music that's mixed it's way into my other music. That's pretty exciting.

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