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I would say many of the missionaries that come through the MTC are surprised with the work load and responsibilities that come with their callings. As unexpected and difficult as it may be, many blessings come as a result of obedience and diligence. But why is it so difficult? Elder Holland responded to this question in the March Ensign, by saying, "...I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience...How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, easy for Him?" ..."But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price." "...I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul." Once understanding these beautiful truths perfectly
taught by Elder Holland, missionaries don't hear hard work but it soon becomes a privilege to give with all your capable of giving. Yes, hardships and disappointment still come, but blessings of joy always conquer!
Heather Pincock
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Let me give you a little information on President Robert Wallace Blair, the first Baltic Mission president. He was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. His father, Wallace, was the first Branch President in Santa Barbara. He had one sister who died many years ago.
He came to BYU prior to his mission and by some miracle decided to study Russian. He was the only student signed up for the class, so he had a private tutor for two semesters. This is the sum total of his academic exposure to Russian. But fell in love with that language and never let go of it. He was called to the Finnish Mission in its first years. It was opened in 1947 and he began his mission in 1950. He met Russians while in Finland, but the missionaries association with them was not condoned. He loved the Finnish language and every moment of his mission there. He had a deep feeling for Estonia while he was a missionary and looked out over the Baltic and wondered about those dear cousins of the Finns.
Returning to BYU he met me, Julia Groberg Blair. We were both English majors at the time and were married at the end of our junior year at BYU. We graduated together in 1955 and our first child, Margaret was born three days later. We continued in school for many years. Bob got his PHD from Indiana University and then we went to University of Chicago. From there we returned to BYU where he was the first chairman of the Linguistics Department. Along the way we had seven more children, so we now have eight and eight in-laws and 26 grandchildren.
Our call to open the Baltic mission was one of the greatest miracles and blessings of our lives. We had gone through a terribly dark and difficult time preceding this call and when the call came, our world changed as we felt the light and goodness and glory of our Savior. We felt unqualified and overwhelmed, but we knew the call was from God and we trusted and felt His guidance. Inspite of our many mistakes, our stumblings and falling, the work went forward and we worked with some of the greatest missionaries who have ever served and with truly great members. We love you all.
Julia Blair
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Response to the question “What do you wish you had known before the Mission?”
By Peter Sakievich
1 - I wish I had not known too much about the countries or at least that others hadn't, because I think too many missionaries come into the field with too many preconceived notions about how things should be and when they are not, they either become disappointed, relieved, or frustrated. Just as long as a missionary is willing to come, work, and serve with a desire to help others and not themselves( a mission is NOT a self improvement seminar/camp) then they are about ten steps ahead of where they would normally be.
2 - I wish I had been more familiar with the scriptures and perhaps the discussions before I had entered.
3 - Certainly prior language knowledge is nice, but if its only a couple months before the MTC, then I would have waited ( I actually had quite a bit of Russian before my mission in school and college).
4 - I would avoid learning slang, unless I knew absolutely that all of the connotations and denotations were absolutely clean and appropriate to the role of the missionary, my ears would sting when missionaries would go around saying "chiort" because to us the devil may be a light explicative (what the devil) over there it is the equivalent to "damn" or "hell" and I don't think the Lord's representatives need to be using words like that.
5 - There is no glory in arguing with other churchs, not even if you win. I thought that arguing was cool, but as time went on and my brain kicked into gear, it came to be clear to me that arguing gets no where and individual churchs' takes on certain passages are more valid to them than they are to me and vice versa and no amount of spewed air can change that, only the Spirit can.
6 - Speaking of the Spirit, I felt at times that I could control when I wanted it to be present, I found I could only be receptive to it and help others be prepared for it and that individually there was nothing that I could do to "make" it be there. It is a gift of the grace of the Lord and is given only when he wants it to be there.
7 - Remember, the missionaries are not the foundation of the church there.
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Since I've started the site, I've had two mothers e-mail me with questions about what their missionaries should be prepared for. I have a few thoughts on the issue but I am sure this could be a major discussion topic for the alumni.
The People
I would guess that to an outsider people of Eastern Europe are fairly simple people. They struggle to make ends meet just like I do. Overall, I would have to say they are decient, trustworthy, and loyal individuals.
Due to the control of Communism they tend to have a difficult time making decisions. This makes it hard, as a missionary, to obtain the necessary commitments church membership requires. However, once a decision is made they tend to be very loyal to it. (When I speak this way, I mean no disrespect to any individual, and my intention is to help people to understand that missionary work though fun has its hardships.)
The Climate
The climate can vary slightly dependant upon the area of the mission in which you are in. Summers are fairly mild with an abundance of rain. Winters are cold, very cold. Due to the countries placement on the Baltic Sea the humidity level stays relatively high and so the actual temperature may be different then the way the cold actually feels. I remember on some winter days going outside and having my nostrils immediately freeze.
The Culture
I promised myself before my mission that I would come to know the culture of these people. I didn't accomplish that goal very well during my mission. There is too much to learn.
I was deeply impressed by the age of the Culture. There are buildings in some of the major cities that date back hundreds of years. As an American this was impossible to comprehend. I gained a deep respect for the traditions of the people.
I hope some day that I will be able to understand these people better and to also keep their traditions alive in me because of their influence on my life during the time I spent living amongst them.
Languages
Each Baltic country has its own native people with their own native language. Due to the Russian influence on the countries there is a great many russian people who call this place home as well.
Two years is enough time to become proficient in one of these languages and I would hope that a prospective missionary pays close attention to the call which they recieve and attempts to speak this language with all the proficiency they have time and patience to learn. There have been some well gifted missionaries who had the opportunity to learn another of the baltic languages while on the mission. Those fortunate to have this gift and use it are blessed for their achievements!
Hopefully some of the Alumni and others would add some of there thoughts or comments on my little editorial. If you would like to add a comment or suggestion please do so by clicking on Comments in the Navigation Bar on the Left of the Window.
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"You are a great army of returned missionaries. Go forward with new zeal and determination, and through your example shine the light of the gospel in this troubled world. This is the Lords work in which we are engaged. God lives. Jesus is the Christ. We belong to His Church. This is my witness to you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
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