Arvie Tadina returns from his mission (Jan 2014 – Jan 2016)

Hello, I am Arvie Tadina. I hope you’ll enjoy reading my experiences during my two years of service for the Lord.

I served my mission at Philippines Naga Mission. Tagalog was my proselyting language but Naga has many dialects namely Bicol (Naga), Rinconada, Buhi, and lots more and it was really nice to learn most of the dialects. The place where I served was known as the Bicol Region of the Philippines. The basic dish there is delicious and mostly made up of coconut milk. One of my favourites is Ginataang Tilapia. The people who live in this region call themselves Bicolanos and they have big hearts and humbling lives with a strong belief in God.

One of the most memorable moments of my mission life was in the first few days of my mission. I felt so inadequate with a lack of skills and experience; it seemed impossible to be an effective missionary straight away. But one phrase from those days stuck with me, “whom the Lord calls, He qualifies” and I’ve seen how the Lord helped me magnify my calling even though I was clearly struggling with the language, teaching and life as a missionary. As long as I serve with my whole heart, might, mind, and strength, I have the assurance from the Lord that I will receive heavenly blessings to fulfil my purpose as a missionary to help others come unto Christ.

It was truly a blessing for me to witness the hand of God touching the lives, not only of myself, but also the lives of others, that we come across. It is the work of the Lord and He is at the helm, hastening His work with those who labour diligently, courageously and faithfully. I’m blessed to be a part of that marvellous work and I will treasure the experiences (the good and the bad) forever.

It’s hard not to love missionary work. It was, and will be, one of the hardest things a young man or woman will probably do in his/her life but it is also one of the most rewarding and treasured experience he/she will ever have. The key to having this feeling is found at D&C 4:2 with Christ-like attributes found at verse 5.

The primary reason I went on my mission was because of my love for my Saviour, Jesus Christ. His Atonement has made a huge impact on my life. His pains and suffering for me is beyond my power to replace and the only thing that I could do to love my Saviour is to represent Him to people who need the mercy of the Redeemer.

I hope and pray that whoever reads this will have a desire to serve and show their love to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; that they will embrace the Atonement in their lives. I invite all young men who hold the priesthood of God to exercise faith and prepare to serve a mission. I encourage young women to pray for inspiration to serve a mission. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are His missionaries whose responsibility is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I testify that we have a loving Father in Heaven who sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins. Complete obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way we can attain the blessings of the Atonement. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can return back to our Heavenly Father’s presence. I testify that missionary work is true and this is a way for us to show our love for our brothers and sisters. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains the restored and everlasting gospel. Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of God to restore all things including the priesthood of God. The Book of Mormon is the evidence of this modern marvellous work. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.