Many young men and women struggle to adjust to life as a missionary. Davis Smith, founder of the outdoor brand Cotopaxi, and his wife, Asialene, witnessed this struggle firsthand as mission leaders in Brazil. Early on in their service, they realized there was something they could do to help.
Changing Their Approach
On the All In podcast, Davis explained the initial routine he had when welcoming new missionaries.
“We’d go pick up the missionaries from the airport, … we’d bring them to our mission home, and we’d have a meal with them and get to know them,” he says. “Then, we all sat down on the couches, and we’d do a little presentation.”
Davis showed the missionaries a map of the mission and explained the mission culture. He’d then say, “You have two years to work, and then you can rest when the mission is over.”
“And I saw it in their faces,” Davis recalls. “It was fear. It was like, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ It was almost overwhelming.” Recognizing the stress he was putting on new missionaries, Davis decided that he quickly needed to change his approach with future groups.
Replacing Fear with Love
Moving forward, Davis made a conscious effort to replace the missionaries’ fear with feelings of love and belonging.
On his phone, he had a picture and note detailing the interests, family life, and hobbies of every missionary in his mission—totaling almost 500. Even for the new missionaries, he had notes taken from their missionary application and letters from their bishop and stake president.
“I’d show them some of those pictures and say, ‘Elder So-and-So, Sister So-and-So, we have been waiting for you for months. We’ve memorized your name. We’ve memorized your face. … I know that your dad served in Brazil. … I know that you play the violin. We can’t wait to hear your talents. We love you, and we’re so excited you’re finally here,” he says.
Davis promised the new missionaries that he would do everything he could as their mission president to make their mission an incredible experience. As he said these words, he saw completely different expressions on their faces.
“Oftentimes, instead of this fear that they had in their eyes, it was tears of joy and gratitude,” he recalls. “When they felt loved, they were willing to give everything to the Lord. … They didn’t want to disappoint us. They didn’t want to disappoint the Lord. … So, that was a really special thing. It didn’t mean that I didn’t have high expectations when I told them how much I love them. … It was magical. It worked so well.”
Christ’s Model
Leading a mission (and living life) with high love and high expectations is what helps us become closer to Christ.
“This was just simply Christ’s model. This is what He taught us,” Davis says. “I think if we can do that as parents, as spouses, or at work, I think that combination—that eternal gospel principle—will help us succeed in all those different ways.”
Elder Jose L. Alonso of the Seventy touched on this concept:
“By placing Christ at the core of our thoughts and deeds, we align ourselves with His outlook and strength. ... As a result, we discover solutions and support that arise from a higher wisdom. Adopting this Christ-centric perspective empowers us with the fortitude and insight to turn our trials into victories, reminding us that with the Savior, what seems like a major problem can become a pathway to greater spiritual progress.”
Learn more from Davis Smith on his episode of All In.
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