Totally finished emailing today, left the library, went shopping, and then realized I hadn't written a post this week! So I'm back!
I swear, every week on Sunday night I have a whole list of things I want to write about and then when Monday comes around, I've forgotten them all. Thank goodness I'm getting decent about regularly recording journal entries.
Oh!!!!! BIG NEWS! We met our new mission president and his wife this week! The Clayton's are amazing! I'm really excited to serve with them. They talked a lot about beginning with the end in mind, understanding the ultimate goal and purpose behind everything that we do as missionaries, or in other words, helping people have eternal families, getting people to the temple. It feels like we are going to be putting a lot more focus on new member work. The mission department has recently made some changes to what it says in Preach My Gospel (the handbook missionaries train from). Before, it was up to the ward and missionaries to work together to decide whether the missionaries or members would lead teaching recent converts after baptism. Now, missionaries hold primary responsibility for teaching the first four months after baptism. Also the church wants new members to be taught more about how the church works, responsibilities of members, and the long term blessings of church membership, etc. before baptism. So now, the fifth lesson is to be taught before baptism. I'm so excited to put this greater focus on "enduring to the end" in our teaching. Baptism is the greatest blessing, it allows us to become free from guilt and find peace in this life. But if one doesn't endure to the end, doesn't continue to place the gospel at the center of their life, eventually new guilt comes and it isn't washed away. We lose the benefits we were so blessed to receive. Discipleship is a daily action and is what helps us become more like Christ on a day to day basis (see video).
Love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!
I swear, every week on Sunday night I have a whole list of things I want to write about and then when Monday comes around, I've forgotten them all. Thank goodness I'm getting decent about regularly recording journal entries.
Oh!!!!! BIG NEWS! We met our new mission president and his wife this week! The Clayton's are amazing! I'm really excited to serve with them. They talked a lot about beginning with the end in mind, understanding the ultimate goal and purpose behind everything that we do as missionaries, or in other words, helping people have eternal families, getting people to the temple. It feels like we are going to be putting a lot more focus on new member work. The mission department has recently made some changes to what it says in Preach My Gospel (the handbook missionaries train from). Before, it was up to the ward and missionaries to work together to decide whether the missionaries or members would lead teaching recent converts after baptism. Now, missionaries hold primary responsibility for teaching the first four months after baptism. Also the church wants new members to be taught more about how the church works, responsibilities of members, and the long term blessings of church membership, etc. before baptism. So now, the fifth lesson is to be taught before baptism. I'm so excited to put this greater focus on "enduring to the end" in our teaching. Baptism is the greatest blessing, it allows us to become free from guilt and find peace in this life. But if one doesn't endure to the end, doesn't continue to place the gospel at the center of their life, eventually new guilt comes and it isn't washed away. We lose the benefits we were so blessed to receive. Discipleship is a daily action and is what helps us become more like Christ on a day to day basis (see video).
Love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!