Home of: Jason Foust

CHARLO - Shortly after graduating Charlo High School, when he turned 19 years old, Jason Foust said he decided to do religious service work. He announced the decision to his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was sent to Mexico that same year.

Foust, now 21, returned from a two-year Mormon mission trip in Mexico on April 5. In Mexico, Foust traveled to seven locations, ranging from neighborhoods in Mexico City to small villages in the state of Mexico, where he spread the gospel by speaking with willing listeners and finding and educating people who had little knowledge of the Bible.

"The town people were more willing to listen. In the cities, there were more people to talk with, but people were more generous in the villages," Foust said.

Foust said one of his most memorable experiences on the trip happened as he spoke with an elderly woman.

"After we shared our message, she kneeled down and prayed and knew what we told her was true," Foust said. "She was very happy, and she wanted to change her life to be a better person."

Prior to his mission trip, Foust spent two and a half months training at a mission training center in Provo, Utah. The center trained Foust how to teach the gospel in Spanish and what to expect from the new culture he was about to enter.

When Foust first arrived in Mexico, he was paired with a fellow member of the church that had more experience in missionary work.

"That made things a lot easier," Foust said. "I was able to be eased into the process and shown around by a more experienced person."

The missionary experience for Foust was challenging but also rewarding.

"It was difficult to learn the language," Foust said. "Getting used to being in a new country also took some time. But I learned a lot from this experience."

Upon his return, Foust found it difficult to adjust back to life in the U.S.

"It takes a lot to get used to. Things change over two years. It feels more normal now, but it's hard to adjust to your culture changing," he said.

Still, Foust said he has no regrets about his experience.

"I learned the satisfaction of diligence and hard work and I also learned a lot of self-discipline," Foust said. "Most importantly, I learned Spanish, which I want to continue to use in the future."

Foust said although it was his goal to strengthen others' knowledge and faith in God, he found his own faith growing stronger on his trip.

"It strengthened my faith in God and Jesus, and I realized how the Gospel helps other people have a better life," he said.

Foust said that if he would give advice to someone entering a similar situation, he would tell them to keep working and never give up during the tough times.

"I would say ‘give it all you got and don't have any regrets," he said.

Foust will attend Brigham Young University this spring and wants to major in math and minor in Spanish. Although he doesn't think he'll do another missionary trip, Foust said he hopes to return to Mexico to visit the people he shared the gospel with and to keep in touch. He still keeps in touch with his friends in Mexico via Facebook and e-mail.