The prophet Joseph Smith once said, “after all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.” As I learnt from my service in the England Manchester Mission, it is also the greatest blessing to be engaged in the preaching of Christ’s Gospel.
I served as a full-time missionary from June 2012 to June 2014 in various places around the United Kingdom, such as Manchester, Preston, Liverpool, North Wales and so on. It was a truly humbling experience to walk in the footsteps of many of the early latter-day apostles who also served missions in England.
I was called as a Chinese-speaking missionary, so I served among many Chinese university students and immigrants. In both cases, these people were hoping for better lives when they made the move to the UK. From what I have seen, they were brought by the hand of the Lord to the UK, where they are free to listen to and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Over the past two years, I have been changed and refined by the many sacred experiences I was blessed with as a missionary. Having two hours each day to study the Gospel helped me gain a deeper understanding of God’s great plan for His children. I have experienced the spiritual power contained in the scriptures, and I have been filled and inspired by the Holy Ghost. As a result, my testimony and faith in Jesus Christ has been strengthened.
Serving a mission certainly requires sacrifice, to varying degrees for each person. When I embarked on my mission, I left with the knowledge that my mother may not live to see me complete my mission, and that should her health take a turn for the worse, I would not be able to come back to see her. It was not an easy decision for me to leave my family and my home for 2 years while my mother’s physical condition was unstable, but it was clear to me that it was what the Lord wanted me to do. After all, the blessings I have received from God in my family are a result of the sacrifices that past missionaries made to bring my parents to the restored Gospel.
My mother succumbed to breast cancer when I was around 5 months into my mission. Although I was unable to attend her funeral, I was enveloped by God’s love so strongly during that time. I can testify with all of my heart that Christ is our loving Saviour, and that He has broken the bands of death through His everlasting sacrifice. The experience helped me realise how important it is to share the Gospel; I found hope in Christ to help me through the loss, while there are many people in this world who do not have this same hope as I do.
It is my testimony that our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ lives, and that He loves and cares for each and every one of us. He is there waiting for us with open arms, and I have felt His loving embrace. You can too!
Woon Han Chong
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With (mission) President Preston and his wife, Sister Preston
At Chinatown, Manchester
Posing at a Chinese takeaway in Oldham, near Manchester
The person on the right was baptised in December 2013 then he introduced a friend to church and was able to perform his baptism
These two friends helped me learn that no missionary effort ever goes to waste
With a friend who really loves his family and also loves serving great food to the missionaries
This is how we clean our flat in Manchester
My mission truly was the best two years!
Chinese baptisms in Liverpool
Feeding sheep - literally