A wonderful week here in the Great THSM. I started the week taking time catching up on writing and posting my Texas Blog. I also took time to catch up on my Book of Mormon challenge reading. It has been a wonderful challenge. I’m a little bit conflicted in my daily reading because I like to follow BOM365 on Instagram. As a part of it, a daily question is posted directed to the verses read that day. It gives me lots of different insights to others perspective as I read other followers responses to the daily question. I find it so inspiring! But I am also finding our mission’s 90-day Book of Mormon challenge inspiring. Seeing the Doctrine of Christ, all the references to our Savior, and selecting a principle taught on each page has given me greater understanding and awareness of the Savior’s life and teachings. It’s difficult to do both for my scripture study.
This year the missionary department is doing several “How to Fulfill Your Purpose” trainings to help missionaries stay focused on key elements of their proselyting efforts rather than holding a large missionary broadcast like in the past. The first broadcast was this week and it was focused on sharing the Book of Mormon and letting it speak for itself. I know the Book of Mormon is key in conversion. We know that if we can get people reading the Book of Mormon the likelihood for conversion is far greater than if we don’t. Unfortunately, missionaries can get checklist-minded and often not think about helping people create enduring celestial habits like reading the Book of Mormon every day. Aaron organized our district councils around the training broadcast so we could take advantage of what they had been taught and role play how they would use the BOM more effectively in their efforts. I joined a couple of our downtown Houston districts for the broadcast and their council. I loved hearing the inspiration they received and how they would apply it going forth.
This week, I continued to make several to the sisters to hold companionship studies. I met with the sisters serving in Silverlake and Manvel on Tuesday. Before and after the district council on Wednesday, I met with the sisters from Houston 2. Aaron and I held a lunch at the mission home on Thursday for our missionaries who won our BOM challenge during zone conferences. I was with the sisters that serve in the Rosenberg and then our temple square sisters that are serving in the Chinese Branch. I’m trying to get to all the newest missionaries before our next transfer while they are still with their trainer plus all the ones that came in November too. Most of the studies were focus on helping investigators understand the need for the restoration, introducing the Book of Mormon in a personal way and sharing how reading, praying and applying the Book of Mormon uniquely to their life will bring direct blessings. It’s been a wonderful experience this week.
Bode had a couple of games this week. The first one was a blow out, sad. The other game they won with a strong come back so fun to watch. Bode had a couple of three’s the first half and had a sweet crossover moves in the second half. The last team they played this team they lost by 30 so a great improvement. Zac had a tournament this week that he and his team did really well, they took third place. Zac continues to improve and love the game of golf. His golf coach told him this week, he wishes that we would have started younger as he’d for sure be on the tour. I think that increases his desire to improve. Jessie is enjoying her tennis lessons, something we’d like to keep up when we get home. Allie has been without her computer now for three weeks but finally was able to pick it up on Friday all fixed. Happy dance! No longer does she have to mooch Saige’s computer.
We began our final round of stake conferences this weekend in Bay City. Bay City was the first stake conference we spoke in, and it’s hard to believe we’ve now done it for the last time. Elder Weatherford Clayton was the presiding authority and he asked us to speak in the Saturday session on loving our neighbors as ourselves. We love the evening sessions as they’re so much more relaxed. Aaron and I generally stand at the pulpit and speak together in the evening sessions. We shared how we have tried to apply the principles the Savior taught in the Good Samaritan. I shared a couple of personal experiences on love, forgiveness and serving the one. Elder Clayton is now the lead physician in the missionary department and he’s a wonderfully humble and good man. He invited all the missionaries up to the stand to sing “Called to Serve” and asked a few to bear their testimonies. He had two recent converts speak and they were awesome. A 79-year-old sister who was just baptized shared that she was a former Batholic (Baptist & Catholic) and if Jesus could give his life for her, she could give up coffee. ;) A great evening where the Spirit was felt and all were edified.
All is good in Zion South, happy are we.