My first week at the MTC has been wonderful. The spirit here is so strong that it can be physically wearying. Or maybe that's just the 18 hr days. As Melissa said, even if there are a lot of rules, at least they aren't enforced with tear gas.
My first mission companion is Elder Hogge (said Hoag). He is from California and we are getting along well. I promise to send pictures of us next week.
This week we were able to attend the Draper temple Dedication via satellite. It was an incredible experience for me that helped me see the part in the work that the Lord has given me.
I am studying hard and I hope that you will pray for my success. I love you all and I hope you'll come back to this page from time to time to see how I'm doing.
3.26.2009
3.18.2009
Just a Brief Introduction...
My name is Melissa and I will be maintaining this blog at the request of Elder Rasband. Today he told me that good things come to those who wait, and while I don't actually think he meant it in this context, I just want to express the sentiment that I will do my best to keep this page as up-to-date as possible, but I can't make any promises about having a regimented update schedule. I will do my best to keep you posted as he keeps me posted.
Elder Rasband has officially entered the MTC as of 1:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. I am very proud of him for taking this step in his life, as, I'm sure, are all of you. I know that Paul would love to receive letters from anyone who felt the desire to send them. His current address is posted on the sidebar.
I hope you all enjoy receiving these updates from Elder Rasband. Please remember to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Melissa Smith
Elder Rasband has officially entered the MTC as of 1:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. I am very proud of him for taking this step in his life, as, I'm sure, are all of you. I know that Paul would love to receive letters from anyone who felt the desire to send them. His current address is posted on the sidebar.
I hope you all enjoy receiving these updates from Elder Rasband. Please remember to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Melissa Smith
Here I Go
Well, this will be the last time I will be posting personally for a while. I feel like I should write something profound and inspiring, almost like I owe it to all of the people who I've pressured into reading this page to bring them up in some deep way that no one can quite explain.
The problem right now is that I don't actually have a lot to say. Maybe I'm just a little bit overwhelmed. As people, we have long-term ideas about the courses of our lives. Things we'll do "when we're older." There's a strange feeling particular to passing through one of these portals. We are almost unsure as to whether we have chosen our route or if it has sprung on us. In my case, I think both are probably true.
Sometimes, it can be hard to proceed. The numbness of being unable to control oneself can petrify some people. That fear calls to my mind the account we are given of the war in Heaven in the Book of Moses.
1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
Sometimes, as members of the church, I think we fail to realize our own, incredible histories. Every person who lives on the Earth today once stood up in Heaven and made a choice. We could trust our Father, and go down to be tested, or we could have surrendered to the lies. We could have given into the fear of our own failings and chosen the easy way. A third of our brethren decided that they could not proceed through the veil. They did not have the faith to progress.
When I reach a hard portal in my life, I take comfort in the fact that I have already taken the deepest plunge of all. I have already surrendered my will to the Father's, and entered into the unknown. It reminds me of something a very wise woman once told me. She said "You can do Hard things."
The next time you're feeling scared to go on, try to remember the person that you were before you came here. Remember the fact that you have already made hard choices, and you can do so again.
Or something like that.
I love most of you. You know who you are. See you in a bit.
The problem right now is that I don't actually have a lot to say. Maybe I'm just a little bit overwhelmed. As people, we have long-term ideas about the courses of our lives. Things we'll do "when we're older." There's a strange feeling particular to passing through one of these portals. We are almost unsure as to whether we have chosen our route or if it has sprung on us. In my case, I think both are probably true.
Sometimes, it can be hard to proceed. The numbness of being unable to control oneself can petrify some people. That fear calls to my mind the account we are given of the war in Heaven in the Book of Moses.
1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
Sometimes, as members of the church, I think we fail to realize our own, incredible histories. Every person who lives on the Earth today once stood up in Heaven and made a choice. We could trust our Father, and go down to be tested, or we could have surrendered to the lies. We could have given into the fear of our own failings and chosen the easy way. A third of our brethren decided that they could not proceed through the veil. They did not have the faith to progress.
When I reach a hard portal in my life, I take comfort in the fact that I have already taken the deepest plunge of all. I have already surrendered my will to the Father's, and entered into the unknown. It reminds me of something a very wise woman once told me. She said "You can do Hard things."
The next time you're feeling scared to go on, try to remember the person that you were before you came here. Remember the fact that you have already made hard choices, and you can do so again.
Or something like that.
I love most of you. You know who you are. See you in a bit.
3.17.2009
There, and back again...
...and uhhh there a second time.
A Missionary's Tale
I left up last when I was about to begin a frantic packing session that lasted the entire night. I always feel a little fulfilled when I get to do that. It lets me know that I've used up every single second of free time. It's almost become a conscious choice to procrastinate. Or at least that's what I tell myself to make me feel better about it. I didn't realize that the blessings from choosing to serve a mission would extend to helping me with my travel habits.
My plane was scheduled to leave at around 9 AM, so we wrapped up the packing by 5:30 and drove to the airport. I distinctly remember saying something along the lines of "It's early enough in the morning that we shouldn't have too much of a problem." I was right, or at least I would have been if I had been using any airline other than Delta.
The airport wasn't very busy, except for the 300 or so people standing in line for the check in that I needed. Apparently there had been some major computer issues. Anyway, to make a long story shorter I arrived at the gate just in time to stand there for twenty minutes as the plane I was supposed to be on got ready to take off without me. Sometimes I think they close the planes when they do just so they can get some sort of sick satisfaction at watching 30 or so angry passengers.
I think most people would have been bitter or upset, but I was in a special circumstance. With surprising speed, my sleep-deprived mind calculated that if I booked on the 5 pm flight I would have the opportunity to invoke an important Rasband family ritual: the Impromptu Holiday.
I ended up getting a ride back home and having an extra day to say goodbye, for which I am very grateful. Unlike any other time I've had to travel, I was fully packed and ready to go. You can see some pictures from the both airport trips and the wonderful day in between.
Oh, and Janet, I totally won that game of Settlers, even though you had no faith.
A Missionary's Tale
I left up last when I was about to begin a frantic packing session that lasted the entire night. I always feel a little fulfilled when I get to do that. It lets me know that I've used up every single second of free time. It's almost become a conscious choice to procrastinate. Or at least that's what I tell myself to make me feel better about it. I didn't realize that the blessings from choosing to serve a mission would extend to helping me with my travel habits.
My plane was scheduled to leave at around 9 AM, so we wrapped up the packing by 5:30 and drove to the airport. I distinctly remember saying something along the lines of "It's early enough in the morning that we shouldn't have too much of a problem." I was right, or at least I would have been if I had been using any airline other than Delta.
The airport wasn't very busy, except for the 300 or so people standing in line for the check in that I needed. Apparently there had been some major computer issues. Anyway, to make a long story shorter I arrived at the gate just in time to stand there for twenty minutes as the plane I was supposed to be on got ready to take off without me. Sometimes I think they close the planes when they do just so they can get some sort of sick satisfaction at watching 30 or so angry passengers.
I think most people would have been bitter or upset, but I was in a special circumstance. With surprising speed, my sleep-deprived mind calculated that if I booked on the 5 pm flight I would have the opportunity to invoke an important Rasband family ritual: the Impromptu Holiday.
I ended up getting a ride back home and having an extra day to say goodbye, for which I am very grateful. Unlike any other time I've had to travel, I was fully packed and ready to go. You can see some pictures from the both airport trips and the wonderful day in between.
Oh, and Janet, I totally won that game of Settlers, even though you had no faith.
3.15.2009
Good things come...
I just realized that it was probably bad luck to make this page, referring to myself again and as Elder Rasband, before I am actually ordained as a missionary. Now President Suhaka will probably have spiritual inspiration that the church doesn't want to let me be an official representative after all. In my defense I actually did consider using my first name and then going through to change it afterward. Unfortunately, I'm still not sure whether I'll be allowed to post on this site after my ordination. I decided that I'd just have to risk the jinx so as to avoid the chance of my Mission President finding out I'd broken the rules just hours after I'd committed to them and excommunicating me so here we go.
Anyway, as an almost-missionary, I have found, one is asked three questions in every conversation they have with another member of the church.
People keep asking me if I'm "nervous." I don't think I am. Do I seem nervous to you?--ignore the above.
They also want to know "are you excited." In some ways, I can't believe that I'm actually going. Mostly, though, I've been being prepared to go on a mission all of my life. The Last couple of years have taught me new things about people, and I truly feel as Alma did when he said. "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." I know that the Gospel of the Savior is the most profound, most complete act of love to be witnessed on any Earth. I know that if we "have love one to another" we will share the word of salvation with the objects of our love, and that is the work by which we will then be known. I know that there is nothing more important for me to do than to go to Argentina. I have given much for the opportunity, and I would gladly give much more.
In other words yes.
The Last question is always said with a sort of wry, "I've been there too" expression. The question is "Are you ready to leave?" I've spent the last three weeks or so frantically trying to do everything I could think of to get ready to leave. I took my brothers out to see movies, hung out with my Mom, talked a lot with my sister, got completely cooked by the sun in Florida, talked entirely too much on the phone, and once, I even stayed up all night playing video games with my friends. As I close this post, I'd like to say that I am more ready to go on my mission right now than I would be if the church suddenly decided to issue missionary starter-sets complete with visas and a couple volumes on exactly what is meant by the phrase "and a conservative tie." I have done my best to amend my grievances and express my gratitude. I may not have actually opened my new luggage yet, but I know that whatever might have to be express mailed to the MTC, I sure didn't leave any baggage.
Now...I have to go pack.
Anyway, as an almost-missionary, I have found, one is asked three questions in every conversation they have with another member of the church.
People keep asking me if I'm "nervous." I don't think I am. Do I seem nervous to you?--ignore the above.
They also want to know "are you excited." In some ways, I can't believe that I'm actually going. Mostly, though, I've been being prepared to go on a mission all of my life. The Last couple of years have taught me new things about people, and I truly feel as Alma did when he said. "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." I know that the Gospel of the Savior is the most profound, most complete act of love to be witnessed on any Earth. I know that if we "have love one to another" we will share the word of salvation with the objects of our love, and that is the work by which we will then be known. I know that there is nothing more important for me to do than to go to Argentina. I have given much for the opportunity, and I would gladly give much more.
In other words yes.
The Last question is always said with a sort of wry, "I've been there too" expression. The question is "Are you ready to leave?" I've spent the last three weeks or so frantically trying to do everything I could think of to get ready to leave. I took my brothers out to see movies, hung out with my Mom, talked a lot with my sister, got completely cooked by the sun in Florida, talked entirely too much on the phone, and once, I even stayed up all night playing video games with my friends. As I close this post, I'd like to say that I am more ready to go on my mission right now than I would be if the church suddenly decided to issue missionary starter-sets complete with visas and a couple volumes on exactly what is meant by the phrase "and a conservative tie." I have done my best to amend my grievances and express my gratitude. I may not have actually opened my new luggage yet, but I know that whatever might have to be express mailed to the MTC, I sure didn't leave any baggage.
Now...I have to go pack.
Welcome
Hi everyone.
Thanks for taking the time to look at the page I set up. The fact that you're here means you probably already know that I have received a call to serve in the Argentina Resistencia mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. If you thought that was a mouthful, you should try saying it in Spanish. I started this blog as a way of justifying the awesome camera that my Mom got me for Christmas, and as a way to plant even more suggestions into my brothers' subconscious to try and make missionaries out of them too. It is also a good way to give people back home a good way to keep track of how I'm doing.
This is my first blogging incursion (it's like a foray, but more masculine), and my record with social networking sites is rather poor. Lucky for you readers, though, I'm not actually allowed to blog from the mission field. Starting next week you'll be reading things secondhand, but with notes and pictures from me. I thought this would be my small way of making sure Melissa doesn't have a social life while I'm gone. If you do want to talk to me directly, however, my email and mailing address will be posted in the sidebar. You can find the box on the bottom-right corner of the page. I'll try to make sure that that information remains as current as possible.
This is my first blogging incursion (it's like a foray, but more masculine), and my record with social networking sites is rather poor. Lucky for you readers, though, I'm not actually allowed to blog from the mission field. Starting next week you'll be reading things secondhand, but with notes and pictures from me. I thought this would be my small way of making sure Melissa doesn't have a social life while I'm gone. If you do want to talk to me directly, however, my email and mailing address will be posted in the sidebar. You can find the box on the bottom-right corner of the page. I'll try to make sure that that information remains as current as possible.
Thanks for all the support and well wishes,
Elder Rasband
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