In His way and on His timetable...

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We have been grateful to have Elder Allen roaming around the mission in the past couple of weeks reinforcing the critically important principles of planning we have discussed. We have heard great reports from many of you about the better understanding you've gained and increased motivation to plan the Lord's way. We want you to remember one statement as you consider your commitment to planning:

"To learn to plan is to learn to become like God."

If we understand this, we realize that there is great wisdom in planning in order to do the Lord's work. The scriptures are clear that God planned to do His own work. It stands to reason then, that He would ask us to learn to plan if we are going to assist Him in His work.

Sometimes we find that missionaries plan and then, when they don't see immediate miracles, they either lose hope and quit before achieving their goals or they lose the enthusiasm for planning and fail to achieve the results the Lord would have helped them achieve had they had the faith to persevere. Each of these results are big mistakes.

In Mark 6:45-51 we read of a valuable experience that Christ's early disciples had. It begins with the Savior putting His disciples into a ship and sending them off to the other side of the sea while He remained on the land. While they were rowing to the destination, the wind picks up and they begin to struggle in their effort to arrive at their destination. The Lord allows them to struggle throughout the night before He comes to them during the 4th watch (almost dawn). There is a great message in this story. Like the disciples in His day, the Lord has put us onto a ship and sent us to a destination (Houston) to do His work. It is intended to be difficult and it is going to require us to struggle and push through in the face of the wind (adversity and trial). If we have the faith and hope to do so, He will always be there to help us accomplish the task, but the miracles happen AFTER the trial of faith.

Press forward in faith Elders and Sisters. Wonderful miracles are happening. Please make sure that as your are setting goals and planning, you are setting goals that are at least the mission standards (2 New investigators, 3 investigators at church and 5 member presents) and then work diligently through the wind to achieve them. The miracles will always happen. The promises are sure. Our hopes and prayers are that you have the determination to persevere to you can experience them.

We love you and are grateful for the many, many miracles that are taking place because of your faith and obedience.

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We had Mission Leadership Council last week. Here are a few pictures from that great council.

Door Approach Role plays

Special Planning session with Elder Allen

We received our remaining four sisters missionaries from the MTC last Friday and are so happy to finally have them here! Here are some pictures from that day.

Dinner at Rudy's BBQ

Testimony Meeting and then meeting our trainers!