Independence Day, Proselytizer Style

This morning, we headed down to Provo, bright and early, to take in the Freedom Festival Parade. Tamara was marching, yay cymbals!

Anyway, my very favorite moment of the parade was seeing a large sign emblazoned with "Utah Provo Mission." The mission president, his wife, and whichever of the missionaries were in the Provo area at the time marched proudly down University Avenue. I loved seeing that happy bunch of people (photos coming shortly).

I also caught the attention of my good friend, Elder Bayles. He and his companion at the time, the greenie Elder Bedwell, helped move out my roommate last December, after she had been hit by a car and was on crutches. Being a missionary is primarily about teaching the word of God to the people in the area to which you are assigned (side note: missions are divided into areas, and missionaries are assigned to various areas throughout their service). However, I have learned that being a missionary is more about being a representative of Christ; yes, in terms of teaching about our faith, but also in the sense of helping one's fellow man. I'm proud of the Utah Provo missionaries. Our mission is not the most exotic locale to most missionaries, but the work the elders (male missionaries) and sisters (female missionaries) perform is greatly appreciated and highly valued.