Mission Farewell

Farewell talk

Good afternoon, Brothers and Sisters,

My name is Adam Frasier. This week to be Elder Frasier. I love music, especially singing, weightlifting and performing in theater.  I have been called to serve in the Addis Ababa Ethiopia mission. For those who don’t know that is the same country where I was born.  My parents Shawn and Jill Frasier traveled to Ethiopia to adopt me when I was four months old.  I came back to live the last 18 years with my four older siblings who all say I am their favorite.   I have been blessed to have received a mission call to return to the land of my birth and my people.  I will be leaving this week to the Ghana MTC where I will study and learn the Amharic language for 9 weeks. Historians say that this is the language that is closest to the language spoken at Christs time and is a difficult language in that it is a caricatures. Because of the time difference there is no home MTC.

Some interesting facts that you may not know about Ethiopia is that it is the only country in the world still using the Julian calendar. You may ask why this is important.  Well, that is because it is only 2017 in Ethiopia right now.  The country has 13 months in the year with the 13^th month having 5 or 6 days depending on the year.  As a matter of fact, this makes Christmas on January 6^th there every year.

In Ethiopia they believe that in the church of “Our Lady Mary” lies the Ark of the covenant.  Do not try to argue this point in Ethiopia. We learned this when we were there 16 months ago.

Ethiopia lies on the equator and because of this it has a very temperate climate, with the temperatures between 60- 80 degrees for most of the country.  Addis Ababa is 9700 ft in elevation.  This is important because unlike most African countries I will not have to worry about getting Malaria. Ethiopia is in the hook of Africa. Surrounded by Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, and my favorite Djibouti.

Unlike a lot of Africa, Ethiopia is a Christian country with 67% of the country being Christian.  Ethiopians believe that Contrary to widespread assumption about the Three Wise Men each coming from Asia, Europe and Ethiopia, Ethiopians believe that all Three Wise Men came from Ethiopia.

As you can see, I am returning to a country that is rich in history and tradition. The Bible mentions Ethiopia, often referred to as Cush, in several contexts, highlighting its significance as a nation of power and a place where the gospel would spread. Specifically, Acts 8:27-40 recounts the conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch, a high-ranking official. Additionally while Psalm 68:31 prophesies that Ethiopia will "stretch out her hands to God". 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latte Day Saints made Ethiopia an official mission in 2020.  However, due to Covid followed by civil war in the country, Missionaries have only been back in the country the last few years. Currently, the country has 2000 members and one official chapel that was built several years ago.  Most newly formed branches meet in rented homes.   When my friend Nate Liljenquist from the Oak Hills ward left two years ago to the Ethiopia mission, there were less than 50 missionaries in the country.  It grew to almost 100 while he was there.  I will be traveling with 28 other young men and women. 

I went back with my parents to Ethiopia to see where I was born in December of 2023.  It was such an amazing experience, and I got to meet the lady and her family who found me in the woods in a grove of eucalyptus trees.  She cared for me and kept me safe and then walked me several miles to an orphanage in the village of Hosanna. She talked to us on that trip about how she had been richly blessed.  She said that this is because she was always tying to serve Jesus and others.  Finding a safe place for me to go where I would be able to be cared for was one of those things she felt she had done in following Jesus.  When we returned, she told us that she had wondered for 18 years what had happened to me.  But that she knew that God had protected me.  As the trip ended and we were getting on the plane to come home.  My mother asked me how I felt.  My reply, and I quote, “Mom, thank you for bringing me back to see where I was from. I loved being here, but I don’t think I ever want to come back” And look where we are now?   

If you were to ask me about a year and a half ago if I was going to serve a mission, I would have had several answers, “no way” “still deciding” “Maybe”. Truthfully, in my mind I had no plans in the future to serve a mission. However, throughout the last year I have had a transformation. That happened because God placed some amazing people in my life and helped my testimony and attitude shift. Slowly I started to change my mind and developed a love for our Savior Jesus Christ.  This in turn helped me develop a desire to serve him. 

My change started with my cousin Smith. He was almost done with his mission in El Salvadore when my Aunt Sally asked everyone to send a “Happy Birthday” greeting to him.   I obliged because I love Sally. That same day I received an email back from him.  That in and of itself was the first miracle because Smith is not an emailer. I later found out that over 50 emails he had received I was the only person that he took time to respond to.   His words and the absolute testimony that I was reading from him really started to make me think. He himself had questioned the need to serve a mission.  At this time, I had just been cast in a show at the Ruth, the new Hale Theater in Utah County.  This gave me a lot of time every day to think and reflect while I drove the 50 minutes each way, every day.  That day I spent the entire time driving down contemplating what my cousin Elder Alley had testified to me. Just like in John 17:17: where he says, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."  I asked myself “Why do I not want to serve a mission?”  To be honest, I couldn’t give you a single answer.  In that moment I decided while driving that I needed to serve a mission. 

In Ezekiel 36:26: it says, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh."  This verse describes a profound spiritual transformation promised to God's people. It signifies a shift from a hardened, unresponsive state to a receptive, obedient one, empowered by God's Spirit. This new heart and spirit are a result of divine intervention and represent a new covenant relationship with God, characterized by love, obedience, and a desire to follow His will. 

The next day I texted Bishop Pilkington, I texted “Hey I have done a lot of reflecting and realized I need to serve a mission.” And he responded with about 18 exclamation points of how excited he was.  But now I was stuck, I had thrown it out into the universe, and I needed help to accomplish this task. Bishop Pilkington will be glad to see the wheels up and my plane take off as I am certain that no one texts him more than me.  But he has always had time for me.  He has been patient and shown me the way and never been judgmental or made me feel like I was less than.  You could say that he saw me as Christ could see me.

In Acts 20:35: we read: "I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive."  Bishop Pilkington showed me the way. He helped me with how to start the process which began with me getting my patriarchal blessing.

I was able to visit with Patriarch Christen within two weeks.  When I received my blessing, I paid close attention.  He said in my blessing if I can paraphrase “you will serve a fulltime mission to a wonderful people” and for some reason I heard in my ears “your people”.  I left there curious, but I knew it would all make sense sooner or later. After the blessing I had some time to reflect on how it felt, the people I could bless with sharing the gospel, and being able to use it as a map for the rest of my life. I left there and went over to share my experience with Ali Robertson. As I talked to her about my blessing and my desire to serve, her face lit up and she could see how much I wanted to serve. She helped me remember this when I was at a low point and struggling with things and questions or ashamed of my actions. Again, here was another person that was able to see me as Christ saw me. She helped me push closer to my savior and have a desire to be the best version of myself. Not just for her, or for my family and friends. But for my Savior and mending the relationship that I thought I broke a long time ago. In 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 Paul the Apostle and Timothy write, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.  In essence this points to the transformative power of the gospel, where God reconciles people to himself through Christ and makes them new.  My entire life was changing. 

Fast forward to February 23. I was finishing up my very first show at The Ruth which I was so blessed to be a part of.  The people I met and surrounded myself with there were another part of my transformation.  Without going into detail, I can tell you that being part of that production was also part of God’s plan for me.  It forever changed my life’s path.  My papers were in, and I had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity for my call. I thought I would have to wait another week because my call did not come on the day they are usually rumored to be released.  However, on February 24^th I took a nap after school.  When I woke up, I saw that I had received my mission call. Of course, I called everyone and planned on opening for the next evening with all my family and friends.   That night I said a prayer. In my prayer I said “Heavenly Father you know where I want to go, and where my heart is set. However, I accept and leave it all up to you and your timing. I will accept anywhere you send me.”  I had changed my mind from what I had told my mom a year prior and really was hopeful I would be allowed to return to the land of my birth, Ethiopia.  The Lord knew my desire; he knew my heart…… or rather I had finally been able to open my heart to his desire. When I opened my call and saw where I was going. The spirit in the room was powerful. The room was filled with both believers and non-believers.  But all of us could feel something bigger than ourselves.  We felt God’s love.  I felt it and I could not deny it. As I searched up prayer and examples of prayer in the gospel library, I found this quote saying, “The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that we must ask for to obtain.”

As I opened my call Paul Christensen was there.  I could hear him above anyone else. I think my neighbors from down my circle could hear him. And for those who don’t know, Paul helped opened the Ethiopia mission and started introducing the Book of Mormon in that part of Africa when it was part of the Kenya mission.  So, When I read my call, he was more excited than I was honestly, and it was amazing!  I mention Paul, because I later learned that during the time of my life where I was questioning and turning away from the Lord, the Christensen family loved me, they welcomed me, and then they even dedicated one of their fast Sundays to fast and pray for me to have a change of heart.  They exemplified for me what it means in John 13:34-35 where it says, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." 

As the months moved on from getting my call, I have made so many mistakes. . However, I also found myself silently praying and more importantly having more personal prayer this year which I wasn’t very good at doing before this point.  As I was praying, I would not only ask God for forgiveness but also for strength to keep going and to take the adversary away from me because he is trying his hardest to get anyone and everyone including me. As I kept praying, I started saying to myself, “is God and Heavenly father sick of hearing the same thing over and over again.” I talked to my good friend about this, and she said, “even if you are praying and praying and feel like you shouldn’t pray to him that’s when he wants to hear from you. He wants to hear from his children.” That helped me realize that no prayer is too big and no ask is too small.  God and Heavenly Father are always on our side.

Brothers and Sisters, so many of you have been part of my life.  My friends, teachers, coworkers, neighbors, primary teachers, young men’s leaders, my sisters and my older brother, grandparents and especially my parents.  This afternoon, I leave with you, my testimony. Not only of Christ’s love but that he lives. The lord answers prayers we don’t even remember we prayed. The lord has blessed me to serve in Ethiopia for a purpose and a reason, and I can’t wait to find out what it is. I can’t wait to take on this adventure and the next stage of life. I love the Lord; I love all of you and I love the journey that I am about to embark on.

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.