Australia, Here I Come!

Time definitely flies. It’s hard to believe I received my mission call over four months ago and almost a month ago, I went through the temple for the first time. Last Sunday, I gave my farewell talk in sacrament meeting, and today is my last full day in Hawai’i for the next two years.

The last few weeks have had a different feel; saying goodbye to relatives for two years and watching the countdown of the days to my MTC report date slowly get closer. This past week and a half has been a week of lasts for the next two years: my last Mililani football game, my last alma mater, my last UH football game, hanging out with all my friends for one last time, my last college football Saturday, and yes, watching my last BYU football game, for two years.

Tonight, I will sleep in my own bed for the last time in two years, and tomorrow will be the last time I attend church in my home ward as well.

I would like to take the time to thank everybody who has helped or supported me in my preparation to serve, along with those of you who I got to spend time with during my last few weeks.

Now, I’ve gotten a few questions about why I chose to serve my mission. Is it really worth it to postpone college for two years?

All worthy and able young men in the Mormon faith are commanded to serve full-time missions. I believe that those who are obedient to this call will be blessed in ways one cannot even imagine.

I was able to see some of those blessings this summer. I had been trying to find a job all summer and everything had fallen through. Then I was offered a temporary job for my last month here that was close to home, with great hours, and pay that was double than anything I would’ve earned working a different job. In hindsight, it was great to be able to attend my Boy Scout High Adventure, Ward Camp, and spend time with relatives because I did not have a job earlier in the summer. The job offer was truly a tender mercy from the Lord.

I haven’t served my mission yet, but in talking to those who have, they really describe their missions somewhere along the lines of “the best two years”. My dad has clarified that a mission isn’t necessarily the best two years of your life, but it will be the best two years for your life.

Growing up, I loved playing sports, especially basketball. Eventually, I reached a point where I knew that I needed to work harder in order to become a better basketball player. A lot of the workouts and practices were hard work. Similarly, missionary work is no easy job. Unlike training for basketball, I won’t be working on my footwork, improving my dribbling, or perfecting shots. I’ll be spending my days studying the scriptures, trying to find those who are ready to receive His Gospel, and sharing His message.

At the moment, I’m not too sure why I’ve been called to serve the Lord in the Australia Sydney North Mission. However, I strongly believe that over the course of the next two years, I will find out exactly why I was sent there. Heavenly Father knows who we are and what we need. He has prepared people in Australia for me to teach, but I have to be obedient and remain faithful in order to come in contact with those that he has prepared for me.

My final day before I get set apart as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will soon come to a close. I will be one day closer to the Missionary Training Center and another day closer to serving in Australia. I am very excited for the experiences that I have ahead of me, the opportunity that I have to learn and grow, and gain a stronger testimony of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For the next two years, my mom will be running this blog. As I serve in different areas throughout Australia, my address will change, and you can find my current address here.  If you can't see the address, change your browser to web version, and it should appear.  You can also you shoot me an email, which will stay the same throughout my two years of missionary service.  Just a heads up, I'll only have an hour to email each week, so I apologize if I don't reply immediately.  

I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures as I serve my mission in Australia!

-Elder Cameron Muh

Pictures from my mission farewell