10 Things to Know if You're Considering a Young Church Service Mission

In September 2016 I was called to serve a Young Church Service Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. With the recent amount of questions I've received I decided to do 10 things to know if you're considering a YCSM (or if anyone you know is).

1. A Young Church Service Mission is Adapted to the Needs of the Missionary/Community - Missions are terrifying (I know, I'm serving one) but the great thing about this mission is your input. Your needs are so important. You can actually pick a few places you might want to serve (within reason) & discus those with your mission leader. Though our efforts are to serve, we also focus on the missionary & make sure they can serve to their highest capacity. Missionaries are asked to be prayerful when discussing their assignments & other callings throughout the mission. You can change the mission, you can influence the missionaries. Don't doubt your impact.
2. If you have the desire to serve, DO IT - Before I was fully on board with doing a Young Church Service Mission Doctrine & Covenants 4:3 was used in spiritual thoughts & messages around me maybe 4 or 5 times. "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work." Man The Lord sure has a sense of humor. I was really debating life but I knew I wanted to serve, I just didn't know my timeline. After being constantly attacked with this scripture I new God needed me now, and I couldn't wait any longer, so I didn't.
3. You are needed - Trust me. Now more than ever in these tough times does the world need people like you. People with the desire. People who have the want and the zeal to help those in need. Sometimes the simplest thing can change someones life. Once a week I do paperwork down at Interfaith, & once a week I get the biggest thank you I've ever heard. To me, I'm JUST doing paperwork, or working a museum, but to them I'm doing so much more. Don't ever doubt that you're not needed. The world needs you, our mission needs you, & The Lord needs you.
4. Missionary: A condition of the heart - A missionary is who we are & who we will always be. Of course your call & your name badge are so important & you should wear it with honor, but you can be a missionary anywhere you go. As God looks upon your heart He will see the service you have done, He will see the love you have felt for others as you have served them righteously. To Him it doesn't matter if you serve a service mission, or a proselytizing mission, they are the same. They are both missions of service & in the end you will be rewarded well for your good work.
5. Heavenly Father is pleased with you - He sees you. He knows you. He loves you. Heavenly Father has seen your past, present & future. He is so pleased with the fact that you chose Him, that you chose righteousness. That when things got hard, you still chose to serve a mission. He knows this isn't easy, for you or your family but in the end He promises to you that it is going to be worth it. This mission is going to bless your family & you along the way. Find joy in the journey & endure. He never said it would be easy, He only said it would be worth it. 
6. You might have GREAT challenges, but you will also have GREAT opportunities - This mission will teach you to stretch yourself. If you aren't being stretched or slightly uncomfortable you probably aren't doing it right. But it's okay to be stretched because your mission leaders are the best & will be right by your side & so are your parents, & God is only a prayer away! Don't forget to pray, when times are easy & when times are tough. Don't give up when it gets hard, quitting isn't an option! But remember to listen to the Holy Ghost, it will guide & comfort you. Sometimes I think about all the things I have to learn each week from work to my mission assignments & it makes my head want to explode, but then I think about all the amazing experiences I get to have with different people because of my mission & I honestly wouldn't change that for the world. Remember the positives, & you'll be okay.
7. You are called of God - I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Sometimes we feel inadequate, but you're not. God truly called you to be a Young Church Service Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are elect. You have so much power, in even just a smile. You were set-apart as a missionary to do certain things. You are here to prepare the way for proselytizing missionaries to come teach. You are here to soften their hearts. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. He called you & every day He works on you more & more. Every day you become a better missionary. He wants you out there, don't forget that.
8. You're doing better than you think you are - It's never too late to serve a mission (yes they have the age cut off but think about when you're old & married). No matter what has happened in life before, we need you right where you are now, & we want you! If you're serving & you think your service doesn't matter, I repeat what I said for #3, your service does matter! By small & simple things are great things brought to pass. Don't forget your worth. Completing one of something is one more than was done yesterday! Keep working hard & pressing forward, you're doing amazing!
9. You can change the world - You think about how one drop of water continuously dropped on the same stone in the same spot over & over & over...etc can cause the rock to change shape, you can do the same. You are the drop of water. You can change the world's view of missionaries. You can bring more service into the world. You can bring more light & positivity into the world. You can help increase service missions to where they soon exceed proselytizing missions in the church. You are the water dripping on the rock, you just have to be persistent, & continuous, but you too can change the world.
10. You are loved - So much. I've seen it in the faces of multiple general authorities. I've seen it in my mission leaders faces. I have felt their love consistently & they have expressed their love to me & my fellow missionaries often. I have felt The Lord's love as others testify to me & as I study on my own. We are needed. We are important. We are loved. And not just by man, but by our Heavenly Father who created us for this purpose. Please don't ever forget you are loved.

I love my mission & enjoy serving as much as I can! If you have further questions please don't hesitate to ask! Either leave a comment below or shoot me an email in the contact me section along the left-hand side :)