The Weekend Mini Mission That Changed Everything

I didn’t want to go. 

It was that simple. I was 16, and everyone was talking about this “mini mission weekend” our stake was running. I didn’t see the point. I wasn’t planning on serving a mission—not then, not ever. 

My mum really wanted me to go. My leaders were encouraging me. They said, “It’s just a weekend, Tyra!” The night before, I cried. I was like, “Why am I doing this to myself?” 

I only said yes because I didn’t want to disappoint people. But in my heart, I was already counting down the hours until it was over. 

At first, it wasn’t so bad. We did workshops, practiced teaching, got paired up with missionaries for study sessions. I remember thinking, “OK, I can survive this.” But I was still not emotionally invested. I told myself, “I’m just here so people will get off my back.” 

Then came the second day. 

My companion was Sister Fale. We went to the city, right around Town Hall Station, for some street contacting. I followed her lead as she stopped and talked to this guy about the plan of salvation. I stood next to her, awkward and quiet, thinking, “This is her thing, not mine.” 

But something shifted. 

She looked at me mid-conversation and nodded, like it was my turn. I opened my mouth . . . and my testimony just came out! I didn’t even think about what I was saying. I just spoke. 

And the Spirit was so strong. 

It hit me in that moment. I was 16, standing in the middle of a busy street, talking to a stranger about Jesus Christ, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be. 

That feeling didn’t go away. It stayed with me all weekend. Every teaching moment, every group prayer, every gospel conversation with strangers—I felt like something inside me was waking up. 

I came home from that weekend changed. 

The moment it really sank in—what the mini mission meant for me—was when I was back home, alone, writing in my journal. I just started crying. I felt the Spirit so deeply. That’s when I realised the revelations I had received were real. He had spoken to me. And I had listened. 

I didn’t tell everyone straight away, but in my heart, I knew. I started going out with the full-time sisters every week. I wanted to feel that Spirit again—that sense of purpose. Eventually, I began working on my mission papers. 

Now I’m 19, turning 20 this year. I’m studying Construction Project Management at University of Technology Sydney and serving as a YSA rep in my ward. I also took part in the Australian Association of Pacific Studies Conference 2025, and I’m learning how to integrate my faith with my career and culture and hopefully help share His gospel even more. 

I haven’t left on my mission yet—but I will. That decision is still a little scary, but it’s also sacred. And every day my testimony grows stronger. 

I know that all I’ve been able to do—every achievement, every step forward—is because of His mercy and His love. I hope that I can be a pillar of hope to others, because He has touched my life. And that, more than anything, is why I want to serve.