It's Official

If receiving the white envelope in the mail is the symbolic start of a mission (it actually starts years before that), then giving your "homecoming" talk is the symbolic end of a mission (even though it will continue for years).  Today, Hermana Tonini gave her homecoming talk not once, but twice. 

In her home ward, Minot 2nd, she was the concluding speaker and spoke about King Lamoni's father as an example of repentance and shared a quote from President Kimball about forgiveness:  we are required to forgive all; it is not conditional upon the offender to ask for forgiveness first.  For both principles, she was able to illustrate with an example from her mission.  I have always enjoyed it when she speaks in Church because she is so comfortable when she speaks which enables the Spirit to testify of what she is teaching. The meeting was threatening to run over so she simply ended her talk in such a way that no one know (other than me and her mom) that she still had one more principle to cover.

In the afternoon, we attended our original ward, Minot 1st, and this time, she was the first speaker.  As she started, Bishop Clark whispered in her ear to take as much time as she wanted.  In addition to the two principles she taught in her first talk, she now had time to tie in a third principle, the value of trials.

After the service, a member of the high council came up and told her what a powerful message she had taught:  she taught a principle, backed it up with scriptures, and used examples from her mission to illustrate the application.  If this had been the format of the talks that all return missionaries gave (as opposed to travel logs), there might still be such a thing as homecoming talks in the Church!

Another Box Checked

As a stake leader, one of my favorite agenda items on our Stake High Council Meeting is when we have a recently returned missionary gives his/her report of their mission.  Tonight, we were supposed to have TWO such reports, Hermana Tonini and Elder Ringen.  Unfortunately, Elder Ringen (who had served in India) was sick leaving Hermana Tonini as the only missionary on the agenda.  In retrospect, it was a good thing because it allowed Hermana Tonini to take as much time as she needed to report.  President David Parker (first counselor in the stake presidency) was conducting the meeting from Williston while Hermana Tonini and her mom were in the High Council Room at the Stake Center in Minot with the stake president, President Tyson Williams) and a few members of the high council.  I was in Houston so I was also participating by phone (which allowed my brother to listen in as well).

I was surprised, but not surprised, by the example she chose to illustrate how her mission had impacted her life.  I knew it would be one of two people - and both are very near to her heart.  By going with the one she did, I think she kept the more sacred experience to herself.  I will admit that I have been coaching Hermana Tonini since she left on her mission for this night.  I don't know if that helped or not, but she was AMAZING.  She articulate.  She was sincere.  She bore heart-felt testimony of the Savior and of the restored Gospel.  She answered questions from the high council as if she had walked in the answer already written in front of her.  To conclude, she bore her testimony in her mission language (which fortunately, my Portuguese enabled me to understand).  As parents, this absolutely put the cherry on top of her mission!

I sent her text later that night to let her know that she continues to set the bar higher and higher for the young man who aspires to be her eternal companion!