Back together as a family!!

What have we been doing now that Lillie has been back?  Well, we have been eating a lot of her favorite foods and at some of her favorite restaurants!!  We took a staycation--our favorite thing to do--while I played in an orchestra for the musical, Frozen.  Lillie participated in a stake missionary panel discussion.  And she travelled back to Hawaii to visit our family back there!!  It's not as hard to put her back on the airplane this time, knowing that she is coming back to us and going to people who already love her!!!

Lillie at the Frozen musical balloon arch!!

I was happy to play in the orchestra with a student of mine...well Lillie's too.  Jack!!!  He came to us when he was in 6th grade, and Lillie taught him for a year or so, then she left for college and her mission, and I continued to teach him.  I am proud of him.

The orchestra plays in the orchestra room and the music is piped into the auditorium.  There is not actual pit under the stage at this auditorium, so we can't all be together, cast and orchestra, but it all seems to work out.

Sending our Lillie off again.  But like I said, somehow it seems not as sad when I know she is coming back to us, and we are sending her to people who love her unconditionally!!

She had a short layover in Atlanta, but had to go really far to get to her next gate.  But she figured out how to use the train system to get to the next gate.  Things like this make me anxious!  But she is a professional traveler now!!

And here she is enjoying Hawaii on her first day!!!

Lillie's final email as a missionary! She has blessed our family beyond belief!!

 Well here we are everyone. Today is my last full day as a full-time representative of Jesus Christ. What a privilege and honor it has been to do His work on the earth today. As they all say, these last 17.5 months have been "the hardest but most rewarding months of my life." 

I have learned so much about Jesus Christ, myself, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, people, and so much more. Today I would like to share my 10 Ten Favorite Lessons I've Learn From My Mission (in no particular order).

1. Jesus Christ Loves You

My entire purpose as a missionary has been to "invite others to come unto Christ," because Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of love and joy. Throughout my mission, I have come to realize that the Atonement is the ultimate expression of that love. Jesus didn't just perform a mission; He made the ultimate sacrifice because He loves each of us completely and perfectly (John 3:16).

Through His Atonement, He saved us from sin and death, ensuring we never have to navigate our mistakes alone. Without His atonement (Alma 7:11-13), we would be separated from God, but because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, They provided a path to eternal joy (2 Nephi 2:26). 

2. Everyone is Different

All of us are children of God, yet He has created each of us with unique gifts, backgrounds, and perspectives. God sent us all to Earth to learn and grow, and a major part of that growth for me has been meeting different people. From members and friends to total strangers and fellow missionaries, I have met so many people I never would have crossed paths with if I hadn't chosen to serve. Each person has taught me something different. 

3. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Simple

My favorite part of teaching is teaching simply. I believe the gospel is best taught simply and clearly, using the SPF (Short, Powerful, and Frequent) lessons. This is exactly how the Savior taught. Whenever He met with people, He focused on a single principle. He rarely gave long discourses yet His messages were profoundly powerful.

4. The Holy Ghost is God's Messenger

Before my mission, I never thought I got many promptings from the Holy Ghost. But now being on a mission, everything I do is based on the Holy Ghost. Who I talk to, where I go, how long I stay. As a missionary, I've learned how to rely on the Holy Ghost more and feel His presence. 

As I've reflected on my mission, I've noticed the Holy Ghost is the reason I came out on a mission and why I've stayed. Everyone knows the story of when I received the biggest spiritual prompting of my life after tunnel singing. That prompting to go on a mission hit me so hard I was freaking out. But, I knew it had to be straight from God. As much as I wanted to put off this prompting, it kept coming back. As I was preparing for my mission, I continued to feel little spiritual promptings telling me this was the right plan for me.  

Whether it was to talk to a stranger, open up to my mission president, or even skip a certain food (only to find a member serving it later!), the Spirit was always with me on my mission. The spiritual peak of my mission came during my second mission tour. Elder Whiting emphasized how vital the Holy Ghost is in conversion, reminding us that everyone feels the Spirit differently. He taught that our job as missionaries is to help our friends recognize that feeling for themselves. I loved this insight because the Holy Ghost IS the true converter. It went along well with 2 Nephi 33:1 which says, "When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." Now that I could recognize the Holy Ghost for myself, I made it a goal to teach by the Spirit so my friends could feel it too.

I hope to continue relying on the Spirit as I make some important life decisions over the next few years.

5. God's Timing is Perfect

Looking back, I can see that God knew exactly what, who, and where I needed to be at the perfect moments. I especially see this in all the companions I've had. Each person and experience taught me what I needed to learn during that transfer (or transfers) with them. 

I've gained a deep testimony that His plan is so much greater than my own. I honestly thought I would just be a "regular missionary" for my whole mission. While I really wanted to be a trainer, STL, or SML earlier on, God knew I wasn't ready. Honestly, neither did I. There is no way I would have been able to train the way I have during these last two transfers if it had happened any sooner. As Elder Holland once said, "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." I’m just so grateful I trusted His timing. 

6. Trials Make Us Humble

Missions aren't easy. There are many trials along the way, but I've learned that those trials have helped me become a better person. Through my mistakes, I've become more patient, diligent, obedient, loving, and spiritual. Most importantly, I've learned humility. 

Someone once told me that I can "value some form of self-identity and expression over complete humility to God." Looking back, I think they were right. For much of my mission, I struggled to fully submit to the Lord's will, especially when it came to following the standards. I wanted to do things my way because I thought it was better. However, I realized that God's way is always better. There is a good reason for every single experience, standard, and guideline. As I've humbled myself to follow His plan, I've overcome my pride and see so many more blessings.

7. Photos Are So Worth It

I’ve officially taken over 14,000 photos and videos on my mission! It’s no secret that I’m "the Sister with the camera," and I’ve loved every second of it. I'm so grateful to have captured all these memories—even if it took going through four separate little red Nikon Coolpix cameras to do it. Shoutout to my parents for always replacing them when they broke, and to my companions for putting up with my photography obsession! 

8. Members Are Miracles

Inviting all to come unto Christ includes the members too. Belle Fourche was a gold mine of members. Even though it was a small area, it had so many strong, faithful members who were eager to be part of the Lord's work. I had the most member meals, members ready to come to lessons, and most member visits in Belle Fourche because I made a constant effort to reach out to them and involve them in the missionary work.

I also learned the value of ministering to less-active members. These people need Jesus just as much as our friends do. I absolutely loved visiting them and teaching them about His gospel!

9. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Being honest takes a lot of humility. It wasn't always easy to admit when I had made a mistake or when I needed help. But I've learned that honesty is always better than trying to hide my struggles or fix everything on my own. One of the biggest examples of this was when I told my mission president that I was really struggling mentally to stay on my mission. It was difficult and a little embarrassing to admit, but being honest allowed me to receive the help and support I needed.

Side note, I HIGHLY recommend counseling to anyone! It's the best thing ever!

10. Stay

Before my mission, the word that kept popping in my head was "stay". I didn't know why and I didn't know what that meant. Like, help someone stay in the church? Or I'll stay in a certain area for a long time? What? Now I know that that invitation to "stay" was for me to stay on my mission in North Dakota. This was a very subtle prompting that really hit hard during my hardest months as a missionary. With every reason I had to go home, I still decided to stay out and I am so grateful I did. I've met so many amazing people and seen so many incredible miracles.

I really love John 14:18 which says, "18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." This is so true! I know Jesus Christ has been with me the entire time on my mission. He has been my strength and support every single day. I know He is there for you too.

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I hope you all have enjoyed your time here on Asian On A Mission. I am so grateful for all of you and I cannot wait to see you so soon!

If you would like to stay in touch with me, here are a few options:

- My photography account is @shotbylillie

- My phone number is the same as before I left. If you want it, just ask

My homecoming talk with be on July 26th (in TWO Sundays). The zoom link is pending... so be on the lookout for an email next week!

Our Lillie is back with us

We could not be more proud of our Lillie. She has returned from her mission!!  We missed her so much and know there were lots of very difficult and long days of talking to people who were not interested in God and Jesus Christ. She sacrificed a lot but we know she has come out the better for it. She is so sweet and easy going, fun loving, service oriented, always worried about others and helping them to be happy. We just love her. Kim and I prepared for her homecoming for weeks—cleaning the house, ordering signs and yard cards to welcome her home, making all her favorite foods!!  She deserves a hero’s welcome!!  It was very sweet to see her when she walked out of the gate at the airport!!

Our little family happy to be together again!!  We have missed her so much.

She looks so happy.  She knows she served well and did her best, and now is happy to be home!

Here we are waiting for her arrival from the gate!!

The outside of our home was excited to have Lillie back too!!!

The below email was sent by Lillie to people on her distribution list. Kim sent a sweet message to her in response to things Kim learned while Lillie was on her mission:

Also, my sweet mom sent an email in response to the one I shared last week. Since everyone was included as BCC, no one was able to see her response, so I wanted to share it here:

Being the last day of my Asian on a Mission, I thought I would add my own Top 10 as the Mom of Said Asian. So here is the Top 10 Things I Learned While My Asian was Serving a Mission…

1. It’s hard to say goodbye. 

I didn’t expect our sweet girl to go on a mission. It was never part of any conversation…until it was the main conversation. You would think having your child go to college in a far off land would prepare you, but it doesn’t. I knew whole heartedly, it was the right place for her to be, but actually saying goodbye that last night at home was difficult. 

2. Oh how the rules have changed!

So many of our phone calls included the saying, “when dad served his mission, the rules were really different!” 😄  The fact that we could video call her every week, sure eased the sad goodbye. In fact, we probably talked to her more on her mission than any other time! 

3.  My Asian is a tough cookie. 

Through all the challenges with new areas, new companions, medicines, lotions and potions, urgent care visits, dying (but not really),  uncertainty, and more, my little Asian stuck it out. She toughened up, and worked through it all. We are so proud of her determination  and resilience!

4. The strength of a testimony. 

Lillie shared how so many friends and members testimonies strengthened her as she served. I hope she knows how much her testimony has strengthened my own. After reading through her experiences, some silly and some not, between the lines were nuggets of pure testimony that gave me all the warm fuzzies I needed as a mom missing her girl!

5.  Growth motivated growth. 

Each email, each conversation, I witnessed growth in my little Asian. It was slow at first and then it skyrocketed. This movement made me want to grow and learn. I found myself studying more, reading scriptures more diligently, praying more earnestly. Hopefully we will all notice some growth!

6.  God is in the details!

There are too many things to share, but I will just say, when you have a child serving a mission, your eyes are opened to all the miracles, big and small, that occur on the mission and at home, with individuals and families. Noticing how God helps us work though any challenge is quite remarkable!

7.  God loves His missionaries!

Lillie served in the area she was meant to be in, serving with the people she was meant to meet. Even though there were ups and downs, we knew Lillie was being watched over, cared for and loved by Heavenly Father. I never really felt worried or terribly concerned for Lillie because I was reminded again and again that God loves His missionaries and she would be ok. You can’t get better reassurance than that!

8.  God’s time is the RIGHT time!

I have to say, this one is sometimes hard to swallow. I have been known to be a bit anxiety driven with God at times. However, while Lillie has served her mission, I have learned by her patience and by the Lord helping me to be more patient, that God’s timing is not just right, but perfect! GULP! Whew! Can’t say that’s one I have ingrained yet, but I am learning and trusting. 

9. Missions are miraculous!

No matter where you serve or if you thought you were a little successful or a lot, a mission is miraculous! I have seen too many people completely transform into better versions of themselves. How grateful I am to have seen such a transformation in my little Asian!

10. Saying Hi is WAY better than goodbye!

Tomorrow!  In less than 24 hours I get to welcome my little Asian home! I really can’t believe it, actually. I know she has served well and I am just overjoyed to have her home with us again for a little while. I hope you all will get to see my little Asian missionary soon!

Mom of Asian on a Mission 🌺