Finding a Jackpot of Coins in Canada

This past weekend I was a presenter at First Lady Herbert's "Uplift Utah Families" Convention at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. I heard the best story from the camera man who recorded my presentation. After the workshop, I was able to visit in the hallway with Nick for a few minutes. I'm so glad he was assigned to film my workshop, because he is a like-minded individual who I feel so blessed to be acquainted with.

Nick returned home from serving an LDS mission in Canada about a year ago. He told me he was sent into an area where the missionary work was essentially dead. There hadn't been baptisms for a long time. The companion he was assigned to work with told him not to expect any success in that area. It was just a bad area to work in. Regardless of the negative view this companion had on seeking out investigators, he still found something to focus on. He had a habit of always looking on the ground for coins. Every day he found coins. Pennies, nickels, dimes, even quarters. One day while they were out and about doing what missionaries do, the young man found a literal jackpot of quarters in a puddle. Nick told me he couldn't believe it. It was as if coins were attracted to this guy. It was all he looked for.

Nick told me that when he decided to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he had high expectations. He had a vision of successfully teaching many about Jesus Christ. He knew he would find MANY people who were searching for meaning and fulfillment and would want to hear his message. Although he was intrigued by his companion's magnetic attraction to coins, he never gave up on his own focus and vision of what HE wanted to find.

I asked if he felt he was successful as a missionary. His smile lit up the hallway as he told me he met, taught, and baptized a man who today is his best friend. Later, in and email, he told me his closest friends today are those he taught while he was a missionary in Canada.

I'm so glad to call Nick my friend. He is so young (compared to me!) yet so wise. I know he is going places because he understands the power of a positive vision. Over time, our circumstances truly mirror what goes on inside our head. The jackpot of coins is such a good example of this!