I have always believed in God. I just have. My family did not attend church, but I always thought there was something to it. So as a precocious 5 year old, I would grab the handle of our land line phone and ring my aunt to pick me up on her way to church. When I grew older, I would spend the night at my friends’ houses on Saturday night, so I could go with their families to church on Sundays. I spent my time as most kids did, but in the back of my mind I would ponder the big questions. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?
Then one summer I was hanging out on campus up at UAF and I saw some church looking girls that had a table in the commons, so I thought I’d check it out. They mentioned that they had seen me jogging in our neighborhood; it turns out they lived in a basement apartment a few houses down from me. They asked if they could join me for my jog that night. As I headed out, I figured they had probably forgotten, but as I started to knock on their door, the door opened and they enthusiastically declared they were ready to go. As we jogged they told me that as missionaries they taught a series of discussion to share gospel truths with people and asked if I would be interested in participating. I said yes. Within a week of our discussions they answered all of my big questions! It was amazing!
Here in Juneau we are blessed to have missionaries from all over the world. You may have seen them with their black name tags and cheerful smiles. Many of you know my nephews, Josh and Vili Tupou. As twins, it was interesting that they were both called to serve in the neighboring countries of Honduras and Guatemala. You may know my nephew Manasse Ma’ake who is currently serving out in the cowboy lands of Wyoming, Terra Pierce who is serving in Taiwan, Grace Stauffer out in the heat of Georgia, Megan Petersen who is serving in Denmark and Iceland or my nephew Romney Tupou who is in a missionary training center now before he heads over to the Philippines. There are 23 missionaries from the Juneau area currently serving around the world. These outstanding young people take one and a half or two years out of their lives to go and serve others.
While they are away from home they count on the people in their areas to give them service opportunities, to laugh with them, to feed them, to care for them and to talk with them. They are a positive influence and a force for good in our community. If you see them in your neighborhood, please give them a smile and a wave, invite them for dinner or have them into your home to learn more about their message. You can request for missionaries to visit you here in Juneau or anywhere in the world at Mormon.org/missionaries.
I will forever be grateful for the missionaries that took time out of their lives to come to a small town in Alaska to share their hearts, their message and their time with me.
• Jacqueline F. Tupou is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
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