My name is Stephanie and I served in the Netherlands, Amsterdam Mission from August 1983 to February 1985.

I always had said I would serve a mission if I wasn’t married by the time I turned 21.  However, I met a young man just the February before my 21st birthday.  We started hanging out and dated.  The Spirit confirmed to me that I needed to serve a mission.  I told this young man, Dale, that I was going on my mission.  The night before going into the MTC (Missionary Training Center) he called and proposed to me.  I told him I needed to serve this mission.  We wrote letters back and forth until about half way through my mission when I was having a difficult time with companions and the work.  He was the only regular writer besides my parents so I took my frustrations out on him and sent him a “Dear John” [a letter essentially cutting off the relationship]. But the November before my mission ended, we started exchanging letters again.

When I look at my life now and knowing what has happened, the trials I have endured, I am very grateful for the missionary service that I did.  Dale was a convert to the church and so my service has been a big example to my children of the importance of missionary work.  Dale and I did get married August 1985, but he passed away in December 1993 leaving me to raise our four small children.  I think a mission helped prepare me for this experience in my life knowing and confirming deep within me the Plan of Salvation and that we can and will see our loved ones in the life after mortality.

A couple of experiences come to mind when I was on my mission where I knew God answered my prayers.  I hadn’t been out in the field long, it was cold and windy outside and we were proselyting door to door.  In Rotterdam Holland, there are high rises with many apartments where you stand downstairs and push a button and talk on the speaker. My companion and I were in a little entry way pushing buttons when something got in my eye. I rubbed it and realized my contact fell out.  Now this was in the time period that we didn’t have disposable contacts and they were expensive.  I didn’t have an extra pair and it was dark outside.  We looked on the ground but couldn’t see anything.  My companion and I said a prayer and still looked, but nothing.  We decided to call it a night and walked across the street to unlock our bikes and the impression came over me to look back to where we were.  I saw something shiny and told my companion to wait a minute. I went back and there it was, my contact lens.  I know that Heavenly Father had a hand in me finding my contact that night.

The other experience is from the time I served in Den Haag.  There was a nice older woman who had been seeing the missionaries for a long time and had always talked to the Elders.  In fact her son was already a member, but something kept her from joining the Church.  We would go over every week and give her a discussion and one day the Spirit prompted me to challenge her to be baptized.  She surprised us all by agreeing and was later baptized. I asked her after what had changed her mind after so many missionaries and her response was that it was something we had said.  Heavenly Father had worked through the Spirit to answer our prayers on how to show her the way.

My mission impacted my perspective on God’s love and of my own self worth.  It helped me to see that Heavenly Father loves all mankind and knew me and knew what I was in need of at those times.  It helped me to be more self confident and independent and know that I could have my own testimony and speak boldly of the Savior’s love and the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ without relying on the testimony of my parents or leaders.

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Sister Nai grew up in a Samoan ward in Sydney with about 150 people who regularly attend. Their ward used to meet in a school hall but eventually a meetinghouse was built by the church. They speak both Samoan and English in her home ward.

When asked about how she feels about living a religion whose roots came from across the globe Sister Nai said, “All of my family and friends are first-, second- and third-generation converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, so we cannot say that we have Pioneer ancestors who crossed the plains, but we still feel a connection to the early Church pioneers. The gospel has brought us so many blessings to our lives. None of us have pioneer ancestry but we are so grateful for the people who sacrificed so that the gospel could be brought to us.”

Sister Nai explained that in Australia the Joseph Smith story can feel far removed for some. The fact that over 100 years ago an American boy prayed to know which of all churches was correct and then he was answered by a visitation by God the Father and Jesus Christ can seem distant at times in Australian culture. But after meeting faithful Latter Day Saints, Sister Nai said, the testimony of Joseph Smith becomes more real to people.

Sister Nai explains, “We hold to our values and morals but we aren’t weird. They see us not drinking beer at the summer barbecue and recognize there is something we hold firm to. Meeting us takes away the mystique of the Joseph Smith’s First Vision. Our lives are the testimony of the reality of the Joseph Smith story.”

Sister Nai was one of only two Mormon youth at her high school. “I prayed to Heavenly Father that I could do it all, have the full high school experience and keep my standards. I can see now how Heavenly Father let that happen. He brought certain people into my life that let me live the gospel and take all the opportunities that were available to a Samoan Mormon girl. I was able to participate in the the Youth Round Table in my area. That meant I was able to participate in the development of government initiatives for youth in Australia. We were working on family and youth related issues as well as identity issues up until the time I got my mission call. It was wonderful to learn from this experience that we as youth had that power. Nothing could hold us back.”

When asked about why she decided to serve a mission for the Mormon church Sister Nai replied, “It was an answer to prayer. I was doing it all. Everything that I wanted was happening all at the same time. I was happy but still felt a nagging that there was something else I needed to do. When I received my answer to prayer and found out that serving a Mission was something Heavenly Father wanted me to do I made my plans and it has been a fantastic time.”

Two weeks prior to being interviewed for this portrait, a woman named Adrianne whom Sister Nai was teaching was baptized. She had been investigating the Church for three years. Her husband was already a member of the Church but Adrianne wanted to find out for herself. After three years of study Adrianne said, “This is where I found peace. This is where my relationship with Jesus Christ will be strengthened.” These are the experiences that make missionary life sweet for Sister Nai and others who spend time as missionaries — to see people find the peace and joy of the gospel.

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Sister Roundy was a pageant competitor and won the Miss Outstanding Teen Pageant in her county. She is the youngest of five children and has four older brothers. Her dad is a retired math teacher and her mom works at the Elementary school in her town. Sister Roundy has 15 nieces and nephews and was quick to point out there is another on their way. It was clear in talking with her that she loves her family.

Sister Roundy has been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints since her baptism at the age of 8. When asked about her feelings about the Church, she said:

“There were times all throughout my life after I had been baptized when I knew the church was true. But one experience that impacted me the most was when I was 19 years old and was enrolled in an Institute class called ‘Atonement, Repentance and Forgiveness.’ As part of the lesson material our instructor had us study Matthew 11:28-30 which reads:

Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give ye rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

At that moment I personally understood my relationship with the Savior. I understood how the Atonement works. It provides us rest, not only from our sorrows, but from guilt and pain. I think that experience changed my attitude. It made me a lot more optimistic.”

At the time of this interview, Sister Roundy had only been on her mission a few weeks. She felt that in that time she had already received a great blessing. “The fact that I have been given the gift of tongues and I know it is a great blessing to me. In just a few weeks of training at the MTC [Missionary Training Center] I can communicate in Spanish and understand what is going on. I know that is through the Spirit. It is nice to bear my testimony in Spanish after only weeks of training. It is a miracle.”

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