|
||||
  
 
 |
Serving in God's Army: A missionary tale By
Sarah Mulholland Just like anybody else, Brooks Clements has had his turn of hardships and successes in life. Brooks has been able to use his talents to help others and he has seen the blessings that have come from the experience he received while serving god. When Brooks was three years old, his parents got a divorce. He moved from Florida to Idaho, with his dad. Two years later his dad remarried a woman who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Neither Brooks nor his father were members at this time. His new step-mom, Shannon, wasn't active in the church at the time they were married. When Brooks was nine years old, Shannon started attending church again. When Brooks was eight, the age when members are allowed to be baptized, his step-mom asked him if he wanted to get baptized, but he declined. Brooks and his father took discussions from two missionaries, hoping to learn more about the church. Brooks was baptized when he was nine years old and started attending church when his father was baptized a year later. When Brooks was 11 years old, his family was sealed together in the Idaho Falls Temple. The sealing means that if they live worthily, they will be able to live together again in the next life. His biological mother wasn't very happy that all of this had taken place. In fact she didn't want them to be sealed together. She was worried about legal concerns, like custody rights. But she eventually approved, since her consent was needed. Brooks feels that he became converted when he was almost 19 years old. His bishop gave him the Melchizedec Priesthood, which is the authority to act in the name of god. Brooks felt he wasn't worthy to receive it, but he did. He didn't like the church at the time. When his bishop asked him if he was going to serve a mission, he shrugged it off. The bishop gave him the papers to fill out just in case he chose to go. Right after receiving them he went to his priesthood class. They were asked to close their eyes and picture Jesus Christ. At first Brooks was hesitant and thought the activity was pointless. "I pictured him hugging me," Brooks said. "It was the most warm, most comforting embrace." Brooks began to cry and was surprised that he was so touched. He knew that if he didn't change the way he was headed, he would never feel that embrace and if he didn't serve a mission, others wouldn't either. His father didn't care what he decided to do, but his biological mom was against the idea of him serving a mission. She felt like he was wasting his time. His step-mom supported him and wrote to him throughout his mission. Brooks received his mission call to serve in the Rome, Italy mission of the LDS church. He was surprised because he thought he would go to a Spanish-speaking mission. "There was a definite feeling of excitement anticipation and more fear than anything," Brooks said. On September 1, 1999, Brooks left his family and friends to serve a full-time mission for the LDS church. He first entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah to learn about how to teach the gospel and learn how to speak and understand Italian. He received his first companion, with whom he had to be with at all times. Brooks struggled being in the MTC. "I didn't prepare myself and I missed my family and the life outside. I wish that I would have prepared a little more," Brooks said. Brooks flew out to Italy on November 2, 1999. He was a zone leader for 14 months of his mission. As zone leader, he had to watch over the zone, which is split up into districts. Every week, he called the district leaders to see how "the work" was progressing and if there were any concerns. He would then report to the assistants to the president. He often had to go on companionship exchanges, where he switched companions with someone else. These were helpful because they helped the missionaries learn how to work harder and not become lazy. Brooks was a zone leader in two cities. In Rome he was in charge of 18 other missionaries and in Cagliari he was in charge of 22 missionaries. This was a big responsibility that Brooks had to get used to. He had to correct them and help them when needed. Brooks said that through his hard work he was rewarded with blessings. One of the toughest parts for Brooks, in his first three months in Italy, was not seeing the effects he wanted to have on people. "I never had success . . . it was tough, not seeing the fruits of my labor," Brooks said. Brooks said that the best part of his mission was baptizing people. He had the opportunity to help people change their lives around and become happy, both in this life and the next. Chris Martin, Brooks roommate, knows from experience, the joy that comes from helping others. Chris served a full-time mission in Australia. He knows the benefits and blessings of serving a mission. "I think the discipline, like the scripture study and attending church . . . has helped him," Chris said. One day, Brooks received a phone call from a guy who wanted to know about Jesus. He had seen the church's name in the phonebook and called. Brooks and his companion set up an appointment for the next day and went to the little Domusnovas, where he lived at the time. He wasn't home, so Brooks and his companion started walking down the street, thinking that the drive had been a waste of time. Brooks' companion felt prompted to walk into a bar and ask two men if they knew a Giovanni Tronci. One of them said that it was him. They were able to teach him. His mother wouldn't allow him to be baptized at the time, but maybe someday he will be. Brooks is a USU student majoring in Chemistry. He has seen the blessings from the service he has given to god and the people in Italy. If he had the opportunity to serve a mission again, at this time, he would do it in a heart beat.
|
Archived Months:
January
1999 January
2000 January
2001 |
||