Our interaction with Ward Councils

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We have been inspired by the work that is being sustained throughout the mission. Last week almost every area in the mission had 6 days or more of 15 ITLs. The faith to find is yielding wonderful results. We are seeing February shaping up as a month as good or better than January. We are seeing greater shepherding of those with dates and greater retention of those who are baptized. It is exciting to see the results of continued growth of collective faith and obedience.

We have realized that it has been some time since we trained the mission on our role in ward councils and in ward missionary coordination meetings. Understanding our role in these meetings will continue the positive things we are seeing. We want to remind you of three things:

1. If you have any updates in ward council on those you are teaching, they need to be given prior to the meeting throughout the week. Ward Council is a council to discuss those issues that require counciling (typically things we can't resolve on our own).

2. Too many of you get frustrated by the lack of "time" you get in ward council. If you need time, you need to work with your WML to add things to the agenda prior to the meeting. Otherwise your job is to participate (that means speak :)) on any topic the council is discussing.

3. We review reports with stake leadership that the zone leadership puts together every month. Many of you are reporting that your wards don't address the 9 key indicators or use the new and returning member progress records. The thing that is hard to understand is why you aren't "causing" this to happen. If you are trying to raise these issues and not having the success you would like, we understand. Please let your zone leadership know so they can address it in their weekly meetings with the High Councilor over missionary work. If you aren't addressing them, please start.

We attended Elder Byrd's district meeting this week and were edified by his instruction about how we effectively work with wards to shepherd our investigators. He read us the experience of Alma and his brethren and their desire to lead the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's to safety to protect them from the Lamanites. We read in Alma 27:

"20 And now it came to pass that Alma conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla; even to his own house. And they went and told the chief judge (Bishop) all the things that had happened unto them in the land of Nephi, among their brethren, the Lamanites.

21 And it came to pass that the chief judge sent a proclamation throughout all the land, desiring the voice of the people (Ward council) concerning the admitting their brethren (investigators), who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

22 And it came to pass that the voice of the people (ward council) came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.

23 And behold, we will set our armies (ward members) between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness.

24 And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon (be baptized); and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance (receive a calling) to assist us that we may maintain our armies (to "strengthen the church").

25 Now, it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he returned to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and also Alma with him, into the wilderness, where they had pitched their tents, and made known unto them all these things. And Alma also related unto them his conversion, with Ammon and Aaron, and his brethren.

26 And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon (were baptized); and they were called by the Nephites (Mormons/Latter-Day Saints) the people of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name ever after."

If we will similarly work with our Bishops and wards to shepherd our people first to church and then to the water, we will see even greater miracles than we are currently seeing!

We love you and are looking forward to seeing you this week!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We had the 8 week Follow-Up Training for the missionaries who arrived last November. It was so good to see them altogether again. They are doing great and becoming master teachers!

We attended District Meeting in the Melbourne District last Friday and were blessed by Elder Byrd's inspired direction and training.

The Melbourne District

We held a Mission President's "Why I Believe" Fireside, in Spring tonight and were blessed to hear beautiful music from our missionaries and touching testimonies. A spiritual night! The following are the pictures I took.

Edifying District Meetings

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

Found these great elders biking on a balmy January day

Elder James lead a very inspiring district meeting

Role Plays

District Meeting up in Conroe

Doctrine of Christ, Progressing Investigators, & Changes to our Mission Presidency

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

Due to the growing faith and obedience in our mission, this month is shaping up to have more people coming into the safety of covenants than any January in the history of this mission! We are inspired to see the efforts you are making to find and teach with power! Many lives are being blessed. Wards and stakes are seeing the fruits of your faith and are making greater efforts to get involved more purposefully. We can influence the outcome!

This past week we role-played how to drop investigators with power. It was clear to me as I watched that role play that it has been some time since we have taught how the Doctrine of Christ applies to progressing investigators. If we don't understand this, it will be difficult for us to know when to continue with certain investigators or when to drop them.

Faith is the first principle in the Doctrine of Christ. It is critical that we know how to see the evidence of faith in our investigators. We ought to ask each other after lessons, "What evidence of faith did we see in our investigators during the lesson?" In PMG, we learn that one of the ways we can detect faith in our investigators is in their willingness to ACCEPT commitments as we promise blessings.

Second, real faith should lead to action. In PMG (ch 11) we learn that as investigators KEEP commitments, they are giving evidence of repentance. Keeping commitments is a form of repentance and is a necessary step in their preparation to keep covenants later. Similar to the question we ask ourselves after each lesson regarding faith, we also ought to ask ourselves, "What evidence of repentance did we see in our investigators during the lesson?" For example, did they read AND pray about the Book of Mormon? Do we know? Did we ask? Did we ask what they learned? These are the ways we find out if someone is truly repenting. When they are truly repenting, they are ready to discuss the "first fruits of repentance" (Mor 8:25) which is baptism.

Once we understand these principles, it is easy to determine if we should continue teaching or not. This principle is the key to progressing investigators: IF AN INVESTIGATOR IS NOT EXERCISING FAITH UNTO REPENTANCE, WE CANNOT INVITE THEM TO ACCEPT A BAPTISMAL DATE. They are not ready. In fact, if after the first lesson or the second lesson they are not keeping commitments, they aren't ready to talk about making and keeping covenants. It is in this context that we introduced the drop lesson. After we have taught as powerfully and as convincingly as we can and cannot see the evidence of repentance, we teach the drop lesson with the intent of dropping them, NOT with the intent of begging them to keep their commitments. The hope is that, if we do it effectively, they beg us to stay and then we can set the expectations going forward. If they don't beg us to stay we drop them.

We also have one exciting announcement! As many of you know, we have been privileged to have President Jose Vasquez serve as second counselor in the mission presidency over the last two and a half years. With is impending retirement plans and the prospect of moving out of the area, we have extended a release to him and wish the choicest blessings upon him and his family for his faithful service.

After receiving the approval of the Area President, We are pleased to announce the call of brother Steele M. Kizerian (Klein Oak ward, Houston North stake) to serve as second counselor in the mission presidency. President Kizerian served as a missionary in Chile Santiago North mission. Previously he has served as a Ward Mission Leader, Elders Quorum President, Young Men’s president, stake Mission Preparation instructor, early morning seminary teacher and worked previously as a teacher in the MTC.

We have asked President Kizerian to work closely with each of you in some of the post baptismal activity necessary to retain these new converts and get them to the temple as outlined in the attached policy change issued on June 22nd 2014. You will find him to be a wonderful resource.

We love you and continue to be inspired by the growing unity and faith throughout this great mission. The Lord is hastening His work!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Wonderful Assistants

Temple Trip with Departing Missionaries

Testimony Meeting with Departing Missionaries

They will miss Blue Bell ice cream :)

Good-bye to Elder Aholelei who departs earlier than the rest. We will miss you!

Good-bye to Elder Misa who departs later than the rest :) We will miss you too!

Group hug for Sister Oats from her siblings!

The Oats family reunited again

It's go time for these beautiful sisters

Final good-bye to these amazing missionaries. We love you!

Sister Harvey straight from the Mexico MTC

First greetings from our Provo MTC missionaries

What a great new group of missionaries! Aren't they glowing?

We love them already!

Texas BBQ for dinner

Temple grounds visit to remind us of our ultimate goal for those we teach.

The following pictures are of the new missionaries with their trainers. They are all in great hands!