Missionary NBA Fireside

Over the weekend the THM sponsored two missionary firesides with former NBA players Thurl Bailey and Steve Hayes.  Both talked about their careers in the NBA and the role the gospel has played in their lives.  Missionaries were invited to attend with their investigators.  We were happy to see that both firesides were well attended and brought enthusiastic fans with cameras and basketballs for signing.  We thank President and Sister Chappell for helping to make this possible.  Please enjoy a few pictures.

Interviews Continue

This week missionaries primarily from the Katy and Cypress Zones were interviewed.  As always, it was great to be together to learn and support one another.  Enjoy a few pictures taken from three of the four sessions. Also included are some pictures taken at a Family History open house put on by Elders Taylor and Lopez.



Interviews Begin

Personal interviews began this week in the THM.  Primarily missionaries from the College Station and Klein Zones were interviewed.  We met with 12-16 missionaries at each chapel and conducted training while President Pingree met with them individually.  This quarter our training focused on the invitation to attend church.  We learned how to better teach the "why" of church attendance and ways we can be more pro-active in helping our investigators get to church.  We also played a game where missionaries had to find scriptures from the Book of Mormon to answer various questions of the soul.  Finally, the missionaries were taught how to make green smoothies - a simple, nutritious way to get necessary greens and fruit into their diets.  Attached please find pictures from the first four sessions of interviews along with pictures from ZLC held at the beginning of June.

Zone Leader Council



A Tri-Mission Conference

Last Saturday we once again gathered for a tri-mission conference to hear Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy speak to us.  He talked to us about the things he wished he would have known before leaving on his mission.  Some of those things include the following:

• We know an investigator is progressing if he/she makes and keeps commitments.
• We can only learn spiritual things through the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10-14) and we generally learn them "line-upon-line."
• Knowledge of the truth comes only after we do His will (John 7:17; Alma 32:28).  Investigators must act in faith in order to gain knowledge. We cannot act for them.
• How can an investigator feel the Spirit, and then not act upon it?  Though one may feel the Spirit, he/she must nourish that "seed" in order for faith to grow (Alma 32:37-39).
• You and your companion are in the best position to receive revelation to know how to help your investigators make and keep commitments.  You are closest to the situation and the Lord will guide you as you ask and qualify to receive answers.
• In order to receive revelation in your companionship, you must be unified.
• In order to receive revelation, we must keep the commandments and obey the mission rules.  We can only learn the things of God if we are obedient.
• Frequently, when we are seeking revelation to know how to help someone else, we too receive revelation for ourselves.
• When we face challenges, sometimes it is hard for us to see the purpose in them (Alma 8:14-18).  However, when we keep the commandments we need not be discouraged.  While we can't always see ahead, we can always do what is right.  This requires faith and hope.
• In 1 Thes. 2:1-12, Paul provides us with a way that we should interact with those we are teaching.