Texas Houston Mission

Monday, December 19, 2016

A White Christmas Season is Upon Us...

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

This will easily be the December to have more souls come unto Christ through the waters of baptism than any other previous December in this mission in almost two decades! What a wonderful privilege we have to be in the service of Him whose birth we celebrate this time of year! He is the very King of Kings, the Lord of Lord’s; the Savior, Redeemer and Light of the world. He has called us each individually to be in His service. He knows each you and He loves you. What an honor! What a privilege!

We look forward to seeing you this week as we celebrate Christmas together. Three reminders:

1. We are excited for each of you to be able to speak with your families this week. Please make sure you limit your calls to no more than 40 minutes and to your families only (Missionary Handbook p. 37). We recognize that some of your parents don't live together. We want for you to be able to speak to them both, but that doesn't mean two 40 minute calls. Do your best to limit the total call time to 40 minutes as the brethren have requested. We also recognize that some don't have immediate biological parents who you will be calling. We want you to call those who are closest to you and have an enjoyable time within the same parameters. You can use your iPads to Skype, but please do not use this application otherwise without permission.

2. Please remember to give out all the remaining "Light of the World" cards this week and make the most of every finding opportunities as hearts are turned to God now more than at any other time of the year. We don't want any of those cards left over. Please give them out during your finding this week.

3. Remember that the Gospel blesses families and families will be together over the next few weeks more regularly during the weekdays than perhaps at any other time during the year. Let's take advantage and find those the Lord has prepared!

We love you and are so proud of you for making this such a WHITE Christmas season! So many lives have been blessed by virtue of your consecrated service. We are hoping to carry this focus and determination to find and invite into the new year. 2017 will be even more remarkable than this year!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Hermana Fernandez finally arrives in Houston! We are so excited to have her!!

Final night with these awesome sisters

Got to see these two elders at our Ward Christmas breakfast

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Push to Increase Church Attendance

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

Elder Holland has said that "we invite people to church so that they can "SEE" the kingdom of God. Our finding efforts have dramatically improved which is a credit to your faith and commitment. This needs to continue, but unless our effort to get people to church similarly improves, our increased commitment to find will yield very little improvement in the number of people coming into the safety of covenants. People won't get baptized unless they come to church no matter how many people we find and teach.

With this in mind, we would like to request that we do something different this weekend. We want you working to find and teach on Saturday until 5pm. After 5pm through the rest of the evening, we want you to give ALL of your time (this may mean no meals with members) to doing all you can to get people committed to attend church. EVERY active investigator in your area book needs to have a visit from you or a member with the intent to commit them to attend church on Sunday. Given that this is the Christmas season, more people will be willing to come, but we need to do our part to get them there or get them brought to church by members.

We want every district leader to review this in district meeting tomorrow and then be actively on the phone Saturday evening from 5pm - 9pm to make sure everyone in the district is getting commitments to church. No district leader should be surprised at 9pm about how many are committed to attend because they should be actively making sure we are doing all we can to get them there. Get members involved. Set goals as a district for how many investigators you will be trying to get to church and then work until you get them committed. Be persistent and promise blessings. Miracles will take place and many will feel like they have come home once they walk through the chapel doors. EVERY ZONE SHOULD BE PLANNING FOR AT LEAST 20 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH THIS WEEK!

When they come, their lives will change forever. We promise you that as we give the same level of commitment to getting people to church that we are giving to finding, we will reap the fruit of the harvest that we are sewing!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

8 Week Follow-up

8 Week Follow Up

Outline Review

Elder Smith lead a great District Meeting

Role plays with the Sisters

Monday, December 5, 2016

Promise Blessings

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We don't think there has ever been a week in our mission where greater faith was exerted to find those who are searching for truth than this past week. Not coincidentally, almost 400 new investigators were found and more lessons taught than ever before. The Lord works according to faith :).

We trust you had wonderful zone meetings. In PMG we read, "People need a reason to change their thoughts and actions" (p.197). We go on to read that one of the ways that the Lord provides this motivation to us, His children, is by promising blessings. Think of the blessings associated with His invitations to:

1. Pay tithing (He will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings Mal 3).

2. Keep the Word of Wisdom (Receive treasures of knowledge and escape the destroying angel D&C 89)

3. Fast (He will hear our prayers and we will be freed from those things that bind us down Is 58)

4. Honor the Priesthood (receive all that the father hath D&C 84).

The list goes on and on. As His representatives, we must do the same. It needs to begin in our first interaction. There should never be a reason that as we interact with those we meet that we don't promise them the life-changing blessings that will flow into their lives the moment they listen to and accept our message. It is what the Lord would have us do. We testify that as we promise blessings, many who may not have listened, will listen. They will become some of the most powerful additions to the kingdom and we can look back and realize that it is because of our willingness to promise them those blessings they desire.

If we will have the courage to promise what has already been promised, we will find our own confidence and enthusiasm for the work grow. We will find more people who are searching for truth. We will find it easier to progress them to the water and greater influence in our own lives to resist temptation.

Please remember that as you observe sincere efforts on the part of those we teach to keep commitments in faith, ask them to talk about the blessings that Heavenly Father has given them. Help them associate their actions with the blessings. Assure them that even though difficulties will enter their lives, His blessings will continue as they obey His will (PMG 198).

We promise that the Lord will not abandon His servants as they are doing what He would have them do. We are only beginning to see the great work the Lord is about to perform. Greater miracles than we have ever seen await!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Bear Creek Zone

College Station West Zone

College Station East Zone

Cypress Zone

Houston North English Zone

Houston North Spanish Zone

Houston West North Zone

Houston West South Zone

Katy Zone

Klein Zone

Spring Zone

The Woodlands Zone

Mission Leadership Council

Door Approach Role plays

Zone Meeting in the Houston North English Zone

Always a pleasure to run into the sisters at church!

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Teaching the Children and the Christmas Initative

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

In our role plays at district meeting I was reminded of three experiences that I have had which have helped me understand the need for us to teach the children when we are in the homes of members or investigators. The first happened shortly after I was called to serve as and Elders Quorum president. The much older high councilor assigned to trained me encouraged me to be sure to teach the children in the homes of those I visited. He counseled, "the fastest way to win the hearts of the parents is to take an interest in and love their children."

The second experience took place when I was serving in a stake leadership role and a wise high councilor mentioned that we need to focus our invitations to the children because, he taught, parents follow children.

The last experience took place after we arrived here. Elder Bradley D. Foster of the Seventy, reminded us that when we attempt to start a fire, we start with the small wood (kindling) rather than the logs, but ironically, when we attempt to start a fire of the Spirit of missionary work in the ward, we attempt to start it with the logs (the ward council) instead of with the children. Commit the youth and the children to get involved and to invite their friends to church. The parents will follow. It was Isaiah that prophesied that "a little child shall lead them" (Is 11:6).

We trust you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have much for which to be thankful, not the least of which is the opportunity and privilege we share to be serving in this great mission together at this time. As the Christmas season is now upon us, we hope you will familiarize yourselves with the Christmas initiative and challenge ALL of your members to get involved somehow. Remember that you can use past initiatives in your proselyting efforts as well.

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen