Hello Hello
Hey Hey,
First of all, thanks for the emails this past week, I always love hearing from everybody. This week was a bit more positive than the past few weeks because we we're finally able to get some people to church! We had a lady named Jenny and her daughter Courtney come along thanks to some members that we're especially kind and gracious in picking them up. I was a bit nervious since we left probably a bit too long of time in between our last teaching appointment and seeing her, but luckily those angels fought Satan off and she was able to make it on time, dressed and everything. It was so exciting as always to see her walk in the door, do the usual kind of uncomfortable "I"m looking for the missionaries" face, and then the calm relief and warmth that comes when we say "Hi Jenny, it's great you came!" Sacrament had already basically started so we had to just find seat and sit together. The whole time it was pretty funny trying to help both of them figure out the hymn book. They were totally confused and we're constantly on the wrong line or page. Despite the crazy confusion over the music, eventually they got it and everytime a new song was about to be played, Courtney had the page open and waiting to be played. The moms about 30 and the daughters 8(whoooo by the way...).
I was really pleasantly surprised by sacrament meeting as well, basically what happened was they had the entirety of the youth in seminary come up and share there testimonies and experiences in the past weekends 24 hour Doctrine and Covenants readathon. Just to explain a bit. The youth will be studying D&C this next year, and usually they read like the Book of Mormon over the course of 24 hours straight mixed with activiities, but this time they changed it up. As part of it Me, Elder Graham, Elder Thomas and Elder Burgess we're all lucky enough to be asked to come and teach in one of the slots that they wouldn't be strictly reading in. Some people we're unlucky enough to have a 3 or 5 am slot..but we rolled with a 7:30 one, which even better followed a free breakfast they provided for us.
When we showed up at the church, there were kids like dead asleep all over the place, playing guitar to rest for a bit, in sleeping bags, stuffing there faces with candy and all sorts of things sleep deprived kids usually do. But overall, there spirits were pretty high and alive. After eating a bit, we went into one of the rooms surrounded by all the kids and taught them. Elder Burgess and Elder Thomas gave a lesson on the history more or less on Zions Camp, and some of the sections of the D&C, and then me and Elder Graham followed that with Sections 121 and 122. That was incredibly cool being able to teach on those.
The whole topic for us, was basically Affliction, and how to endure it well and faithfully. We gave a brief background about Joseph being put in Liberty Jail, and the state of life there, which was pretty rough...roofs that weren't high enough to stand up, maggoty food, the usual...along with the story of him saying "SILENCE YE FIENDS" to the jail guards after a fury of swearing from them, as well as talking about the rapes and murders that we're experienced by the saints after the extermination order of Lilburn W. Boggs. Pretty crazy stuff. I can rememeber one time almost rebuking some girls and there mothers on a bus that obviously we're no longer possessing the light of Christ...but I decided not to...they probably would have just laughed at me. So anyway, after establishing some of the conditions of Joseph, as well as Job from the Old Testament and chatting about those afflictions with the youth, we eventually got to Christ. Me and Elder Graham basically tag teamed on different points and I thought it went great actually, I felt pretty comfortable up there teaching and explaining in front of like 30 people...although half of them we're nodding in and out. I was hitting those kids fast and hard with scripture or questions anytime there lids we're closed for more than a minute. I definitely got a good appreciation of seminary teaching...and hope to do it sometime.
When we got to Christ, I read a couple passages from Jesus The Christ both about the Garden of Getsamene and what he experienced there with the blood coming from every poor, as well as the physical pain and torture that he experienced on the cross. James Talmage explains how Christ figuratively and literally died of a broken heart. Kind of interesting thingy. Anyway, the presentation, if anything gave me a much greater appreciation of the Atonement. I kind of struggled to read when I was doing so about Christ, because I realized that the pain he would have felt, was and is, the pain that I should be suffering for my own sins but thankfully I don't. He is a wonderful guy, and my love for him definitely grew in learning more about him.
One of the greatest things as well that I learned from that, and just more so from the mission life and in studying the gospel, is that what we experience can be self inflicted, inflicted by God, or by Satan. I really like how Mosiah 3:19 explains that the natural man is an enemy, but a Saint is one that is willing to take that which is inflicted upon him by God...and the reason, is, just as James explains in James 1, is so that we can be perfect. It's really a struggle sometimes to think we have to be refined and proven, and broken and destroyed, only to be brought back out and almost like a Phoenix, continually reborn. Its almost like the Olive tree parable, or a muscle, in which you must destroy it, not fully, but to a great extent, for the fruits of your labors to come forth. I put on my best Arnold voice and said in our presentation 'NO PAIN NO GAIN". Overall, hopefully I can withstand things a bit better knowing there for my good...and not be such a baby.
Before I tell you about a few of the other peoples we've taught this week, I thought I'd mention the reason why I'm emailing you so late today. Today was Mission Council, or Zone Leader Council as the Mission Presidente handbook calls it. That was from 8 to 12, and then from 1 to 3 we were priviledged to be taught and instructed by Elder Cook, the executive director of the Missionary Department, as well as Elder Johnson, the Area President.
The morning was the usual "What are we doing good?", "What are we doing bad?", "What can we do better?" stuff. It's always good to be around the other ZL's, and President and his wife. It's kind of funny when everytime more or less it's the same stuff going on, lack of ability to teach, inexperienced missionaries, commiting, and getting people to church. It's always small adjustments and corrections, but they seem to be helping. Overall, it was a good meeting. One of the comments that was made by President kind of vicariously via Elder Ballard, was that PDA's must, like Arnold would do be "Terminated". Or sent home, given to President till I leave. That's cool with me, I'll just have to get back to preparing my outline for my emails when I go into the library.
The second meeting was with the big dogs, which was great. Initially we talked about Preach My Gospel and it's current implementation and how we thought it was working, or not working, and any suggestions to improve it. Basically there were none, I think we figured the Apostles know what's going on. Elder Ballard probably would have found out if we were criticising anyhow, and come and like cast the spirit out of my body and killed me. Don't want to mess with that kind of Apostolic power. After talking with them for a bit, we watched some really great DVD clips that the church had produced. Basically it was a teaching segment using Preach My Gospel, and missionaries in real life teaching situations. It was pretty crazy actually to have a camera man filming young and old missionaries teaching real investigators. I almost had to laugh when, during the prayers, the camera man was like zooming in and out on people...but hey...whatever. We watched some incredibly good Sister missionaries teach, a District leader and his comp who were good, and a trainer and his greenie...both very young, making lots of great critiquing mistakes. It was an excellent idea for the church to make this film. Jess, you'll definitely have to get a copy of it and watch it..get a bit of practice. More or less, that meeting was watching the videos, and making sure there were no problems with PMG. It was pretty sweet actually because Elder Cook had served in both Swindon and Gloucester like I had....apparently as well, he served with I think he said Elder Ballard. Pretty crazy. Imagine serving with an Apostle...or Prophet. You can imagine what the surprise of all the Elders I served with will be when I become Prophet.
So anyway, in addition to all the training opportunities I've had this week, we've been able to get out and teach quite a bit. I did another workover this week as well, just yesterday for 24 hours with one of the greenies. Elder Green's his name...lots of enthusiasm, lack of experience obviously..but that'll change. It was great to be with him talking and teaching all day. Greenies always have loads of pride and think there the best, until you leave companionship study and start tracting. All the insecurities come out then. Gotta love it. We had a pretty good day tracting actually, and got in a lady named Louise's house whom was a callback. In our short discussion we taught her the Plan of Salvation and she told us how much hope that would give her and how she'd love to know it was true...she couldn't give us much time though, so we'll have to see her in about 2 weeks.
We also dropped in on Frank and Helen, and ended up just teaching Frank and Chris, there son. Friday night had been pretty ridiculously rainy, about 2 feet of rain it seemed like in the course of an hour...seriously. Fire trucks everywhere, rain up to the tops of car wheels in the street, Elder Graham almost slamming into a Mercedes, just pure insanity all over. Helen as well, decided to go out in it and got a bit of pneumonia...or more likely just a chest cold, so when we saw them, she was upstairs asleep. What was especially cool though, was the Ward Mission leader had given her a blessing the day before, and she basically recovered straight away and was sleeping...something she hadn't done in like a month. Priesthood power and faith are truly amazing.
Anyhow, we taught Frank and Chris the gospel, both to kind of remind them, but also to give Elder Green an opportunity to teach, and for me as well, he did a great job, so luckily we don't have to worry as much about him. We'll definitely keep training him up to be much better. By the end of the lesson, Chris, who had at the beginning, not wanted to pray, after a bit of explanation about how to pray again, he was doing it. It flowed out so beautifully and simply, it was great to hear it, and then for him to raise his head and look at us for approval with his expectant smile. We just gave him a thumbs up and said "That was great!" Gotta get him doing it all the time.
We weren't able to see Faye for more than a minute or two to re-arrange our lesson times as she was sick, and as well, as I said before, with Jenny, we only saw her the once. I think we don't really have anyone else going at the moment as we dropped Melanie, and a few others we found.
I've gotten pretty good with not having too much faith in people that are incredibly non-committal. As much hope as I have in people, I realise we can't hold on forever.
I think I'll be pretty good with finding and dropping girls that aren't quite right just as fast...hopefully at least. Lots of em' out there.
Hmmm, racking my brain for anything else especially great or interesting that's been going on..but nothing else really comes to mind.
Thanks for the continued support, love and prayers, always need them and love them. Your in mine as well, and I hope you all have a great week.
Love,
Elder Smith
First of all, thanks for the emails this past week, I always love hearing from everybody. This week was a bit more positive than the past few weeks because we we're finally able to get some people to church! We had a lady named Jenny and her daughter Courtney come along thanks to some members that we're especially kind and gracious in picking them up. I was a bit nervious since we left probably a bit too long of time in between our last teaching appointment and seeing her, but luckily those angels fought Satan off and she was able to make it on time, dressed and everything. It was so exciting as always to see her walk in the door, do the usual kind of uncomfortable "I"m looking for the missionaries" face, and then the calm relief and warmth that comes when we say "Hi Jenny, it's great you came!" Sacrament had already basically started so we had to just find seat and sit together. The whole time it was pretty funny trying to help both of them figure out the hymn book. They were totally confused and we're constantly on the wrong line or page. Despite the crazy confusion over the music, eventually they got it and everytime a new song was about to be played, Courtney had the page open and waiting to be played. The moms about 30 and the daughters 8(whoooo by the way...).
I was really pleasantly surprised by sacrament meeting as well, basically what happened was they had the entirety of the youth in seminary come up and share there testimonies and experiences in the past weekends 24 hour Doctrine and Covenants readathon. Just to explain a bit. The youth will be studying D&C this next year, and usually they read like the Book of Mormon over the course of 24 hours straight mixed with activiities, but this time they changed it up. As part of it Me, Elder Graham, Elder Thomas and Elder Burgess we're all lucky enough to be asked to come and teach in one of the slots that they wouldn't be strictly reading in. Some people we're unlucky enough to have a 3 or 5 am slot..but we rolled with a 7:30 one, which even better followed a free breakfast they provided for us.
When we showed up at the church, there were kids like dead asleep all over the place, playing guitar to rest for a bit, in sleeping bags, stuffing there faces with candy and all sorts of things sleep deprived kids usually do. But overall, there spirits were pretty high and alive. After eating a bit, we went into one of the rooms surrounded by all the kids and taught them. Elder Burgess and Elder Thomas gave a lesson on the history more or less on Zions Camp, and some of the sections of the D&C, and then me and Elder Graham followed that with Sections 121 and 122. That was incredibly cool being able to teach on those.
The whole topic for us, was basically Affliction, and how to endure it well and faithfully. We gave a brief background about Joseph being put in Liberty Jail, and the state of life there, which was pretty rough...roofs that weren't high enough to stand up, maggoty food, the usual...along with the story of him saying "SILENCE YE FIENDS" to the jail guards after a fury of swearing from them, as well as talking about the rapes and murders that we're experienced by the saints after the extermination order of Lilburn W. Boggs. Pretty crazy stuff. I can rememeber one time almost rebuking some girls and there mothers on a bus that obviously we're no longer possessing the light of Christ...but I decided not to...they probably would have just laughed at me. So anyway, after establishing some of the conditions of Joseph, as well as Job from the Old Testament and chatting about those afflictions with the youth, we eventually got to Christ. Me and Elder Graham basically tag teamed on different points and I thought it went great actually, I felt pretty comfortable up there teaching and explaining in front of like 30 people...although half of them we're nodding in and out. I was hitting those kids fast and hard with scripture or questions anytime there lids we're closed for more than a minute. I definitely got a good appreciation of seminary teaching...and hope to do it sometime.
When we got to Christ, I read a couple passages from Jesus The Christ both about the Garden of Getsamene and what he experienced there with the blood coming from every poor, as well as the physical pain and torture that he experienced on the cross. James Talmage explains how Christ figuratively and literally died of a broken heart. Kind of interesting thingy. Anyway, the presentation, if anything gave me a much greater appreciation of the Atonement. I kind of struggled to read when I was doing so about Christ, because I realized that the pain he would have felt, was and is, the pain that I should be suffering for my own sins but thankfully I don't. He is a wonderful guy, and my love for him definitely grew in learning more about him.
One of the greatest things as well that I learned from that, and just more so from the mission life and in studying the gospel, is that what we experience can be self inflicted, inflicted by God, or by Satan. I really like how Mosiah 3:19 explains that the natural man is an enemy, but a Saint is one that is willing to take that which is inflicted upon him by God...and the reason, is, just as James explains in James 1, is so that we can be perfect. It's really a struggle sometimes to think we have to be refined and proven, and broken and destroyed, only to be brought back out and almost like a Phoenix, continually reborn. Its almost like the Olive tree parable, or a muscle, in which you must destroy it, not fully, but to a great extent, for the fruits of your labors to come forth. I put on my best Arnold voice and said in our presentation 'NO PAIN NO GAIN". Overall, hopefully I can withstand things a bit better knowing there for my good...and not be such a baby.
Before I tell you about a few of the other peoples we've taught this week, I thought I'd mention the reason why I'm emailing you so late today. Today was Mission Council, or Zone Leader Council as the Mission Presidente handbook calls it. That was from 8 to 12, and then from 1 to 3 we were priviledged to be taught and instructed by Elder Cook, the executive director of the Missionary Department, as well as Elder Johnson, the Area President.
The morning was the usual "What are we doing good?", "What are we doing bad?", "What can we do better?" stuff. It's always good to be around the other ZL's, and President and his wife. It's kind of funny when everytime more or less it's the same stuff going on, lack of ability to teach, inexperienced missionaries, commiting, and getting people to church. It's always small adjustments and corrections, but they seem to be helping. Overall, it was a good meeting. One of the comments that was made by President kind of vicariously via Elder Ballard, was that PDA's must, like Arnold would do be "Terminated". Or sent home, given to President till I leave. That's cool with me, I'll just have to get back to preparing my outline for my emails when I go into the library.
The second meeting was with the big dogs, which was great. Initially we talked about Preach My Gospel and it's current implementation and how we thought it was working, or not working, and any suggestions to improve it. Basically there were none, I think we figured the Apostles know what's going on. Elder Ballard probably would have found out if we were criticising anyhow, and come and like cast the spirit out of my body and killed me. Don't want to mess with that kind of Apostolic power. After talking with them for a bit, we watched some really great DVD clips that the church had produced. Basically it was a teaching segment using Preach My Gospel, and missionaries in real life teaching situations. It was pretty crazy actually to have a camera man filming young and old missionaries teaching real investigators. I almost had to laugh when, during the prayers, the camera man was like zooming in and out on people...but hey...whatever. We watched some incredibly good Sister missionaries teach, a District leader and his comp who were good, and a trainer and his greenie...both very young, making lots of great critiquing mistakes. It was an excellent idea for the church to make this film. Jess, you'll definitely have to get a copy of it and watch it..get a bit of practice. More or less, that meeting was watching the videos, and making sure there were no problems with PMG. It was pretty sweet actually because Elder Cook had served in both Swindon and Gloucester like I had....apparently as well, he served with I think he said Elder Ballard. Pretty crazy. Imagine serving with an Apostle...or Prophet. You can imagine what the surprise of all the Elders I served with will be when I become Prophet.
So anyway, in addition to all the training opportunities I've had this week, we've been able to get out and teach quite a bit. I did another workover this week as well, just yesterday for 24 hours with one of the greenies. Elder Green's his name...lots of enthusiasm, lack of experience obviously..but that'll change. It was great to be with him talking and teaching all day. Greenies always have loads of pride and think there the best, until you leave companionship study and start tracting. All the insecurities come out then. Gotta love it. We had a pretty good day tracting actually, and got in a lady named Louise's house whom was a callback. In our short discussion we taught her the Plan of Salvation and she told us how much hope that would give her and how she'd love to know it was true...she couldn't give us much time though, so we'll have to see her in about 2 weeks.
We also dropped in on Frank and Helen, and ended up just teaching Frank and Chris, there son. Friday night had been pretty ridiculously rainy, about 2 feet of rain it seemed like in the course of an hour...seriously. Fire trucks everywhere, rain up to the tops of car wheels in the street, Elder Graham almost slamming into a Mercedes, just pure insanity all over. Helen as well, decided to go out in it and got a bit of pneumonia...or more likely just a chest cold, so when we saw them, she was upstairs asleep. What was especially cool though, was the Ward Mission leader had given her a blessing the day before, and she basically recovered straight away and was sleeping...something she hadn't done in like a month. Priesthood power and faith are truly amazing.
Anyhow, we taught Frank and Chris the gospel, both to kind of remind them, but also to give Elder Green an opportunity to teach, and for me as well, he did a great job, so luckily we don't have to worry as much about him. We'll definitely keep training him up to be much better. By the end of the lesson, Chris, who had at the beginning, not wanted to pray, after a bit of explanation about how to pray again, he was doing it. It flowed out so beautifully and simply, it was great to hear it, and then for him to raise his head and look at us for approval with his expectant smile. We just gave him a thumbs up and said "That was great!" Gotta get him doing it all the time.
We weren't able to see Faye for more than a minute or two to re-arrange our lesson times as she was sick, and as well, as I said before, with Jenny, we only saw her the once. I think we don't really have anyone else going at the moment as we dropped Melanie, and a few others we found.
I've gotten pretty good with not having too much faith in people that are incredibly non-committal. As much hope as I have in people, I realise we can't hold on forever.
I think I'll be pretty good with finding and dropping girls that aren't quite right just as fast...hopefully at least. Lots of em' out there.
Hmmm, racking my brain for anything else especially great or interesting that's been going on..but nothing else really comes to mind.
Thanks for the continued support, love and prayers, always need them and love them. Your in mine as well, and I hope you all have a great week.
Love,
Elder Smith
posted by JerzyGrl | 6:44 AM
|
0 comments
