When I was nineteen years old I chose to go on a religious mission for my church. I would be doing service, and proselyting. In February of 2012, I submitted the necessary documents to be able to apply for this opportunity. I worked with my parents and local church leaders to do this. In April 2012 I received a letter from the leaders of my church saying that I was called to labor for two years in Scotland and Ireland.
I would spend two years away from my friends and family with only the most basic of communication and amenities. Missionaries aren’t allowed to use computers, cell phones, or watch TV. Missionaries are paired with a companion for a period of 6 weeks to 6 months. You spend every waking moment of your life with them, never leaving each other’s sight.
There is a rigid schedule to follow and all of this is done to help keep your mind focussed on the task at hand. A missionary wakes up at 6:30 am everyday, then exercises till 7. They then shower, get dressed and eat breakfast before 8. From 8 - 9 missionaries study by themselves what they plan to be teaching for the next day and the various things they might be particularly interested in learning that day. Then from 9-10 the companionship discusses what they studied, and studies together if needs be. Then for the rest of the day the missionaries teach, and do service. They have one hour for lunch and dinner, then are home at 9 to get ready for the next day and are in bed by 10.
After finishing my three week training in a missionary training center, I was assigned to serve in a town called Livingston. This town is fairly small, located right outside Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh. I was trained in the field by a young man named Alex. He was a good teacher, and he had a great work ethic.
Eleven weeks into my two years over in the UK, we had one of our rare days off that happen once a week on Monday. We’d been invited to go on a hiking trip with some members from the local church. We went out to some hills, saw some sights and visited some ruins. It was a great day right until the very end.
On the last hill we climbed for the day, the gentlemen leading our trip told us that we were going to be hiking up the last hill, and on the other side there would be a smooth rock face that we would slide down. When we reached the hill, we climbed up the back side and come to the point where the rack face was. All the people in our group slid down this hill and landed rolling at the bottom. The hill on this end was steep and nearly two stories above the ground. I was the last to go, and had a terrible feeling about what I was going to do. As soon as I landed at the bottom I watched my right leg break underneath me.
The sound was like two guns shooting at the same time, and I watched my leg shoot out side ways. I knew instantly that it was broken and fell to the ground to try to stabilize it. Eventually the group got the car near enough to get me in, and drive 45 minutes to the hospital. My leg twisted inside the car to almost upside down. I wanted to pass out from the pain, but that sweet release never came.
Upon arriving at the hospital I was greeted with two hours of waiting in the lobby, before any real treatment was administered. My leg was reset back in place and a half cast was applied. This is easier to take off and allows the leg to continue swelling. I was then transferred to another hospital in Edinburgh as the one I was originally taken to was primarily a burn hospital.
I was then treated to waiting for five days to receive the surgery needed to help my leg heal properly. I got three screws and two plates in my leg to help hold the pieces together. At this point the President of the mission came and relieved me of duty and sent me home. I was then looked after and cared for my friends and family. My father is a surgeon and helped recover greatly.
I broke my leg in October 2012 and desired to finish the two years I’d been assigned. I pursued my recovery heavily so that I was in top shape to go back to the mission as soon as possible. I was able to return in February 2013.
This was one of the most difficult and trying experiences in my life. It still affects me to this day. My ankle still hurts from being overexerted. On the other hand, I was able to learn many great lessons from those months. I learned perseverance, hard work and dedication. I also learned that more often than not, a gut feeling can save you from a lot of situations. This situation and the opportunities it lead to helped shape who I am, and why I do what I do.