High Expectations, High Love - Sacrifice
2X2 Quadrant for a CASRM Culture of High Expectations and High Love — —CASRM = California, Santa Rosa Mission
The above 2 X 2 quadrant shows what it looks like to have a mission culture anywhere from low to high expectations and low to high love. Having high expectations and high love is the Savior’s way of doing things and something President Quinn and I desire for our mission. We have used this 2 X 2 quadrant to teach this concept of high expectations and high love to our missionaries and to let each individual missionary vote on where they personally believe our mission currently ranks.
Here is a photo after our MLC missionaries voted for where our mission ranks in the quadrant.
High expectations and high love go hand in hand. The Savior taught; “If ye love me keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) When you deeply love someone, you instinctively want what is best for that person. Our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior love us and desire for us to become all that we can be by living the commandments.
As I have thought about what high expectations and high love mean for our mission, I have thought a lot about our missionaries’ willingness to sacrifice for the Lord. As I have mentioned before missionaries have many rules to obey and safeguards to follow. Our missionaries sacrifice their personal desires and their time. It may look like putting on hold, education, work, and relationships. It also looks like not scrolling through social media, not watching college football on Saturdays, and only calling home once a week. It can also be a sacrifice to have a companion, someone they are not necessarily alike, with them 24/7. What I am witnessing is that as the missionaries sacrifice, it creates in them a deep love for God, great respect for oneself, and compassion for others.
Sacrifice is an amazing concept and an important power. There are blessings and joys in life that can come no other way than through sacrifice. Sacrificing for God and each other is one way to have a mission culture of high expectations and high love.
This week I trained missionaries on what sacrifice is and how it relates to our mission culture of high expectations and high love. Below is a write up of my training.
Missionaries watching General Conference in the mission home.
Sunday October 1st, we had the Santa Rosa Zone, 27 missionaries, over to enjoy cinnamon rolls while watching Sunday morning General Conference on TV. (General Conference is a bi-annual conference of the church available to stream worldwide) It is always wonderful to gather missionaries, and it is always wonderful to be spiritually fed by the talks of church leaders, apostles, and the prophet. A great morning!
Cinnamon rolls!
Thanks for reading my mission updates. Love to all! – Mom/Grammy/Elaine/Sister Quinn
Here is my training on Sacrifice for CASRM (California Santa Rosa Mission) missionaries. - This is basically what I said as I spoke just using a few notes.
(Before I spoke Mark had been speaking to the missionaries about ways to obtain this high expectation and high love for our mission.)
Dear missionaries, as I think of the culture of high expectations and high love that President Quinn and I want for each of you and our mission, I have been thinking a lot about sacrifice. I want to share with you a story of how the power of sacrifice has blessed my life.
There was a time when I had been very sick with a pregnancy. At this same time President Quinn was traveling a lot with work. This particular week he needed to attend meetings in two different cities, Seattle and Detroit. On Wednesday morning flying from Seattle to Detroit he had a layover in Chicago at O’Hare. He was the “PIC” – Partner in Charge and was anxious to get to these important meetings in Michigan where he and his team would meet with the President of the company. President Quinn found a pay phone (pre-cellphone days) and called me from O’Hare to check in. I was very sick and had taken a turn for the worst. I tried to sound brave, although he could tell I was not doing well. The doctor had suggested I may need to get an I.V. for dehydration. I wished him good luck in his meetings over the next two day and said I would see him Friday evening. He got on the plane, put his luggage up in the overhead compartment and buckled in. Then he unbuckled, grabbed his bags, and walked off the plane before the flight attendant could close the door. He was warned if he deplaned, he would not be able reboard. He walked to his car and drove home to Naperville.
You can imagine the surprise and gratitude I felt when he walked through the door that afternoon. He came home to take care of me and to help with our two little ones at that time. I was dehydrated and in need of his care. I did need his help, yet, I understood the great sacrifice he had made for me and our family. (This was also before personal computers and zoom.) I felt the great value and love he had for me. His sacrifice strengthened my sense of self and it strengthen our marriage. This caused me to want to love and sacrifice for Mark. Sacrificing for each other brought us blessings of trust, respect, caring, happiness, and fulfillment. I believe that there are blessings we can receive from sacrifice that we can obtain no other way.
My favorite portrait of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I love the look of love and concern on His face.
Our Savior sacrificed for us in countless ways. He was demeaned in front of His friends. He was spit upon. His teachings were mocked. His strength and love were demonstrated as he managed in a loving way the undeserved ridicule. His perfect life secured great blessings for all of us. As he willingly suffered infinitely in the garden of gethsemane and died in a most painful and humiliating way on the cross, His great sacrifice provided the power to break the bands of sin and death. His sacrifice made it possible for each of us to have salvation and eternal life. There was no other way for each of us to live again, only through our Savior’s sacrifice.
Do we ever wonder if Jesus loves us? No! We know that the Savior loves us deeply. We read in John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for His friends.
Training missionaries. Photo with Elder Clark. (Sister and President Quinn)
I believe the Lord looks at a humble heart willing to sacrifice more than a list of things we have done. As you show your love to the Lord through obedience and sacrifice, doors will be opened for many blessings. Blessings such as receiving miracles daily. Blessings of having the spirit with you, and being lead to people who are ready to accept the message of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. You will be of one in heart and purpose with your companion, In addition you will be blessed to understand eternal principles. Sacrifice brings goodness into your lives in many ways that can come no other way.
Please know that your sacrifices are noticed. You are amazing missionaries!………………………
I went on to bear my testimony………..
Missionary Training September 28, 2023 by Sister Quinn
