To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,
We love to see the growing sense of purpose in our mission. The growth in our collective faith to find is leading to rises in our mission to every key indicator. We are inspired by your efforts to find and your growing efforts to incorporate members in our efforts to invite and get people to church. We are influencing the outcome and lives are being blessed :)!
We hope you each had edifying district meetings. Each of us has a responsibility to come prepared to district meetings to contribute to that edifying experience. We hope every district leader will share the monthly training plan with all of the district members so we all can come prepared (hearts and minds) to participate to receive that inspiration the Lord sees fit for us to receive. We also hope you will take an interest in one another's investigators. This can be a wonderful time for us to be strengthened and enlightened.
We have noticed two things that we think will enhance the Spirit of these meetings. First, too often we approach role play in district meetings with a mindset of trying to "get through the material." While many of you role play well, we aren't seeing the evidence that we are trying to "move" people in the way we practice. We need to remember that we play the way we practice. You can't practice with little warmth and little enthusiasm and then expect miracles when you are sitting in front of those whom the Lord has prepared. Please expect higher quality teaching of each other. Bear testimony with power and teach through the investigator's experience. You will feel a greater power and confidence that will result in many more hearts being changed.
Second, we would like to invite each of you to pay closer attention to using the language of prayer in your personal and public prayers. We would like each of you to read a conference talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks given in April 1993 entitled the language of prayer. This seems like a small thing, but we promise you that as you incorporate the appropriate and more respectful language of prayer into each prayer we offer, we will feel greater reverence and purpose in our own prayers and the Lord will bless us and those for whom we pray more openly.
We love you and pray for you and those you teach.
Love,
President and Sister Mortensen
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| Found these great elders biking on a balmy January day |
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| Elder James lead a very inspiring district meeting |
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| Role Plays |
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| District Meeting up in Conroe |