Preston Hadley, one of six adopted children, is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' newest missionary in Bermuda.

Originally from Pleasant Grove, Utah, 19-year-old Elder Hadley said: "I come from a family of two parents and six kids, all of us adopted.

"This was all made possible because of LDS Family Services, a church operated adoption agency. I know this was the family the Lord had in store for me."

"My parents were valiant to the Lord in helping build God's kingdom by keeping me involved and active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in my younger years. To this day, I think how foolish I was when I would constantly tell my parents, 'I hate church!' Since then, I have learned to never question the Lord."

Missions service is a regular part of life for most young men within the Mormon church. Many serve in some capacity for a period of approximately two years, beginning around the age of 18 years.

"Being a missionary has been a great blessing for me and my family," Elder Hadley said. "It's a battle every day trying to stay focused and concentrate on the Lord's work, but when you endure, the blessings are much greater than everything I thought I had sacrificed to be out here.

"I've come to realise that it is because of blessings from the Lord that He has allowed me to be here and have the privilege of serving Him. The Lord has been preparing me for the last 19 years to come and serve Him, and now it is finally my turn."

He is also impressed with Bermuda thus far.

"I noticed here that people are always willing to go out of their way to help each other. The world needs more of that."