The Mission Presidents Son

Name: Michael Mella 

Q:You are preparing right now to go on a mission, what made you want to serve a mission?

A: My parents got called to serve as Mission Presidents in San Jose, California, and every six weeks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays we would have transfers. On Tuesdays we would have the outgoing missionaries have dinner with our family and they would stay at the mission home, and then on Wednesday we would have the new incoming missionaries. I remembered seeing the difference between the leaving missionaries and the income missionaries. The difference was so big, the leaving missionaries were exactly what I wanted to be, and the incoming missionaries just had so much room to grow. I wanted that change for myself and I know that it was the mission that caused it.

Q: What are some ways you have prepared to go on a mission?

A: There are these things called mini mission, where you go on splits with missionaries, typically its for multiple days,and I have been on a few of those. Whenever the assistants need help with anything they would call me and I would go help teach a lesson, or plan transfers.

Q: How has coming to BYU Idaho helped you prepare for your mission?

A: I think living on my own has helped me a lot, there are a lot of life lessons that I have learned, like cooking for myself, and how to function daily without the assistance of parents.

Q: What are some of the struggles you have had preparing for a mission?

A: One thing I have struggled a lot with missionary work is trying not to dumb down the gospel, and I now see the errors in my ways. All aspects of the church I would dumb down when explaining to my friends, and the gospel shouldn't bee dumbed down, it should be said how it is because it is true.

Q: How have you see missionary work in your life?

A: My Dad is a convert, and most of Aunts and Uncles on my Dad's side aren't Mormon, and just seeing the benefits of those in my extended family who are Mormon compared to those who aren't, is huge. Success and career, family happiness, divorce, everything, it seems that the ones in my family who are living the best lives are the Mormon ones. 

Q: Whats one goal for your mission?

A: My goal is that my Mission President can put me anywhere, with any companion, and know that I will be able to get along with them, I will be able to be obedient, and I will be able to baptize. My Mission President does not need to worry about me.