To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,
Last week, as a mission, we found well over two hundred new investigators again. Almost every area is finding and over one hundred baptismal dates have been set for May; many will come into the safety of the covenant. Nothing could be better! The work is moving forward at a rapid pace largely because you are consecrating yourselves to do the hard things. We love you for it! We hope every companionship will baptize in May and work diligently in May to find those who can be baptized in June. As we become more united in faith and obedience, the miracles will continue.
This last month we have spent time in District meetings and interviews for most of you talking about goal setting and planning as well as how to begin teaching. We hope you have found these meetings edifying and valuable. The way that they will be edifying is if we will follow the promptings of the Spirit and continue to apply those things we are taught so we can become more effective in our ministry.
Everyone belongs to a district. In PMG we read that the purpose of district meetings is to "teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom" (D&C 88:77). Please do your best to come to district meeting prepared to participate. Our hope if that each District meeting will include the following:
1. Those that teach should be well prepared and strive to inspire and teach after the manner of the Master.
2. Area reports should begin by discussing goals for the month (baptisms) and week (other KIs since those should be fresh on our minds from weekly planning the day before) with an attempt to help us feel accountable to each other. District leaders should identify opportunities to help and assist where appropriate and facilitate a helpful discussion by asking inspired questions. Progressing investigators should be discussed to ensure we are doing all we can to "lead them to the water."
3. Practice: We should teach skills, model them and practice them until we feel confident we can use them effectively (Moroni 10:30).
If you don't come away edified by your district meeting, discuss as a district how you can improve them. Ask for help where necessary. We view district meetings as the single most important meeting we have in the mission. We call on every district leader to rise to a new level of leadership. Please make sure you understand the "Purpose" of the teaching plan and seek revelation to know how to teach it so that we can improve as representatives of the Lord.
We love you and are excited to be here with you during this great time of the hastening.
President and Sister Mortensen
We had the 8 week follow-up training for all the missionaries who arrived in February. It was so good to see them together again and hear them teach so well. They have such great trainers and are really being blessed!
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| We had another wonderful Mission President's "Why I Believe Fireside" This time it was held in the Spring/Woodlands Stakes |
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| Elder Stevens captures a "garden" (we hope) snake that found it's way into the Mission Office. |
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| Yikes! |
