Three missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who often visit Fresno City College share insights into their faith and experiences traveling worldwide to spread the gospel.
Elders Crody Vernon, Casen Hirtle and Carter Edward Lestina believe in the importance of meeting new people and maintaining respect for those who ignore them.
“We don’t mind it,” Vernon said. “We just want to share and invite people, not force anything down their throat. Really invite people and let them drive the conversation. We’re just showing them how to drive.”
These missionaries can be found most weekday mornings outside the library and around the food trucks, ready to talk to anyone interested.
“There’s always those days where you’re a little down, when no one’s going to talk to you. Everybody is saying, ‘no, go away.’ But in the end, we just love what we teach,” Hirtle said.
The three Elders come from different places, but they work together in Fresno on account of their Prophet’s message from God. Learning and hearing from all different perspectives is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.
“I’m from Missouri,” Vernon said. “Not a lot of colorful people there, a lot of white people. But out here, there’s so much culture, it’s a big melting pot. It’s awesome.”
Élder Lestina comes all the way from Alaska, and has had to work hard to get to where he is today. Although he is free to leave whenever he pleases, he feels committed to serve in Fresno.
“My mom is a member, and my dad’s pretty against it. So for me, growing up, I always had to make the choice to go to church, make the choice to follow Christ,” Lestina said. “That’s why I’m here. I uprooted my entire life to serve for two years. I can’t go back, I’m here for two years preaching the word of God, and I know that I would not be here if I didn’t know it was true.”
While the three missionaries operate all around Fresno, they believe that the student demographic at Fresno City College is especially important.
“They’ve got to make a lot of decisions, so this is a crucial point where I feel like they could be most benefited. A point where they’re ready to jump and they can jump anywhere. And when they jump, I want them to know of this possibility of Jesus Christ,” Vernon said.
These elders can be recognized by their iconic white button-up shirts and ties, and they share a sense of pride regarding their appearance.
“We’re representatives of Jesus Christ, and so we’re formal. We dress the part. We look inviting, I hope. And you know the button-up is obviously the look, but it’s important to us, just so we can be formal and show some respect on the name,” Lestina said.
