This was a busy zone conference week and we titled this one “The Small & Simple Things”. We used Elder Oak’s recent talk for their prep along with a handful of scriptures to get them ready and we had great participation. To kick things off Aaron set up eight different stations for the missionaries to write down the small and simple things pertaining to daily/weekly planning, working with members, companionship study, finding, commitment invitations, obedience, technology safeguards/area book planner, and using the Book of Mormon. They rotated every 3-5 minutes, review what had been written, and then add to what was missing. After we finished we had them walk around to each station and take a picture of what they had written so they could go back to their insights often. We discussed the principle of marginal gains and how doing the small and simple things over a long period of time truly does bring great things to pass. We also reviewed how the opposite is true if we aren’t engaged in celestial traditions. Aaron showed the If you want to change the world start off by making your bed video and emphasized that if we can’t do the small things, we’ll never get to the great things. They all loved it and want to make their bed every day. ;)
Aaron and I felt it was important to reinforce the idea teaching to people’s needs and not memorized lessons. At times, they can get so robotic and struggle to connect to how the gospel will bless the investigator’s life. We emphasized asking questions that will help them get to know the investigators life, highways and byways as Elder Holland suggests, to be able to understand what they are struggling with or trying to figure out how to be happy in life. Aaron pulled a lot of content from PMG that reiterates teaching to the needs and interests of the investigators and emphasized that they must learn how to ask questions, listen, and then let the Spirit direct them where to go. Aaron shared a made up parable we called “the beautiful girl” to highlight the point… he shared a scenario of how a young woman might be approached by a returned missionary and invited on a date. Once on the date, the young man feels inspired that this is the girl for him, and a half an hour in, invites her to marry him and sets a date three weeks later to go the temple. We had the sister missionaries respond to how they felt with this approach and they all said they would run for the hills. Sadly, we do the same thing to investigators every day when we invite them to be baptized without being able to connect them with why they would want and need to be baptized. I think the parable cemented it in their minds to really get to know those they are talking to.
With that in mind, our zone and sister training leaders taught how to help investigators understand the need for baptism and how to help the investigator set their own date and goal. We use what we call a covenant path calendar that includes the path of repentance to baptism, the date, and also a date to go to the temple.
Once on date, one of the biggest challenges in helping an investigator progress is getting them to church. This usually takes the most faith on their part and the most work for the missionary. I led a discussion on the why of church and how attending church can help investigators with their specific needs. I began by asking the missionaries to reflect on why they come to church. We realize that some of them didn’t particularly care for church before they came on their missions or have a solid testimony of it. The mission certainly changes their views on it and how it provides them with the blessings that help them through specific things in their lives. Unfortunately, few have shared their testimonies of why they love church and the blessings they feel from it now that they do. Many realized how powerful this could be in helping their investigators. I also showed a couple of District videos to show specific skills to make it more personal, asking deeper questions to understand needs and sought after blessings and involving members in a specific lesson on the blessings and promises that are available when they attend church. I invited the missionaries to plan an investigator specific needs based lessons on why Sabbath day would bless them in their desires to draw closer to God.
We closed up the conference using a great talk from President Uchtdorf on how to overcome fear. We need this for many of our missionaries who struggle opening their mouth. Whether it’s with members or investigators, we have some really shy kids right now and it terrifies them to do a street contact or knock a door. Pres Uchtdorf teaches how the Apostle Peter went from one who feared to one who feared no man. He arrived at this point when he came to know how the Savior’s Atonement enabled him to become more than he could be on his own. Hard to believe we only have one zone conference left!
Interviews followed as always and we focused on what small and simple things they will be doing as they go forward. We are getting a lot of questions about what it will be like with a new mission president and how it will go. Aaron and I reassure them that it will all work out and that they’re blessed to learn from both of us. Some anxiety building, but they’ll forget our names by the end of July so we’ll be good. ☺
Great day Saturday, as we joined President Ballard for a Houston Temple re-dedication dinner. The re-dedication will be Sunday at 10am and we are so excited to get our temple back. It has been a long eight months and the work of salvation will take a good step forward again as we’re able to get our recent converts to the temple. We are hopeful that it will not only give our investigators a spiritual boost, but our members and missionaries too.
Zac has worked nearly 30 hours this week and walks in the door smelling like a fire pit. It’s given him a lot of stress but we love how it is helping him understand he can do hard things. Hard things are usually only hard in the beginning. ;) It’s a fairly intense ordering process that he is actually tested on during the training process. Jessie had another tennis tournament today and her dance recital is coming up pretty quickly. Bode is still in basketball and counting down the number of days until school ends. Allie is busy with the term coming to a close. She has enjoyed her classes this term and is doing well in them. Two of them require 20 hours each of service learning where she selects a community organization to work with. Hoping she has some great experiences with that.
Life continues to be great in the amazing THSM. Have a great week!