Editor’s note: Mormon missionaries do not commonly share their first names because they view their mission work as representing their savior, not themselves. “Sister” is used in lieu of first names for female missionaries, and “Elder” for male missionaries.
Two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the LDS Church, or the Mormon Church) have been living in Bartlett for several months now. Sister Skordas and Sister Lewis are spreading the word of their faith, enjoying Southern hospitality and storing up confidence and life experiences to take back home with them when their missions end.
The two are among the 88,000 young men and women worldwide who have set aside school, work, family obligations and other pursuits and are currently spending one and a half to two years sharing their faith and serving people in their assigned communities.
Mission work has a special meaning for Skordas, 19, of Boulder City, Nev., who has been in Bartlett for three months. She was not raised as a member of any church, and it was missionaries who brought her to her faith.
The mission work is her way of sharing what has brought her and her family so much joy, peace and love.
“The biggest thing that makes it meaningful is to know that I can actually make a differency for everybody, helping somebody to find happiness in their own life through teaching them about Christ and about God,” she said Monday.
The two young missionaries divide their time about 50/50 between talking with individuals and serving the local LDS church at 4199 Kirby Whitten Parkway in Bartlett.
Like their peers on missions, they receive instructions every six weeks from their church’s regional office about whether they will stay in their current communities or if they are assigned to a new area.
Skordas explained what the mission work is like. “Most days we go and we talk to people we meet on the street. And we go and we visit people we’ve previously talked to and share more about our message about Jesus Christ.”
Sometimes people have misconceptions about what Mormons believe, she said. “It’s been good and informative to help people with what we truly believe.”
Even the local residents who are not strongly interested in talking about religion have been kind and welcoming, she said. “They invite us in for a few minutes to sit down.”
The memories will accompany her when she returns to her regular studies of medicine, genetics and research. In the meantime, Skordas is relishing the mission work so far.
“I’ll take as much time as I can get,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve gained a lot of good knowledge for the real world as well as spiritual knowledge.”
The experience is shaping the kind of person she wants to be, she said.
Sister Lewis, 20, is a resident of Sandy, Utah, and she said they are happy to talk to anyone about their beliefs. She has been in Bartlett for two months and has served as a missionary for a total of 14 months to date. She returns home in the last week of July.
During her mission, she has found a big, friendly welcome in Bartlett.
“The peole are amazing,” she said. “Their hospitality is real.”
She came on a mission to serve God and help others find the same joy that she has experienced in her faith. Turning her focus outward to serve others has enriched her own life.
“I think something I learned on my mission is when we’re in the service of our fellow men, it really is just service for God,” she said. “… In the end, because it’s making them happier, then I’m happier.”
They start their day with prayer and use commonsense safety guidelines as their visit homes, and she said they feel very protected.
Her interactions have helped shape her life’s path, she believes. Before she came on her mission, she hadn’t picked a career. Now she knows it will be some form of family-oriented videography.
“Being able to talk with the people who have been put in our path, and getting to work with families so much, it will definitely be family oriented,” she said.
Mission work
Mormon missionaries’ focus is on Christ-like actions and service. They not only share the gospel, but also provide humanitarian aid and service for people in need. They work primarily with agencies that are posting on the new JustServe.org national website.
In general, LDM missionaries teach Bible and Book of Morman studies, family history research and provide other services such as American Sign Language (ASL) classes, depending on each missionary’s unique talents and training.
Sisters Lewis and Skordas can be reached locally at (901) 500-1035.
Written by Carolyn Bahm, Express editor. Contact her at (901) 433-9138 or via email to bartlett.editor@journalinc.com.
