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Elder Nelson - A Busy Sunday

Dear Family,

Mission NewsOn Wednesday I went to the Gainesville district meeting and discussed of Conversion Stories. I also delivered the mail. I like being with the young Missionaries.

I am conducting a little survey with the 9 high councilors in the 9 stakes that are responsible for missionary work in the stakes. I am just asking them:
  • What’s working in your stake?
  • What are you excited about?
  • What can the Mission do to support you?
It has been fun for me to look at missionary work from the stake organization side. Some of the stakes are doing innovative things to move the work forward. There is a lot that can be done by members to move the work forward. The expression in our mission is that Gathering Israel is member centered and missionary supported. The missionaries just assist the members.

Le Grand Richards said, “Any calling above a bishop is all talk”. There is a lot of talk on the stake level but all of the work is done on the ward or family/member level.

We went to a baptism of a mother and her 12 year old daughter. At the end of the service they bore wonderful testimonies - perhaps the best we have heard from new members at the baptism. We sat next to John Morgan and his wife. His priest quorum advisor was Rod Norling, Lance and Amanda’s former bishop.

Sunday was a busy day for me. I gave a talk in sacrament meeting on service. I don’t know why by I really fretted about this talk. Mom said I did OK.

After the block I taught my first Inviting Missionary Training to the Wakefield Ward Coordination Council. The goal is to get the members trained on inviting and to practice sufficiently that inviting their friends to come and see will be normal and natural. I am excited about the concept, but I am not sure the training I am giving will achieve the results intended. I am changing the approach to do less teaching and more role playing and practicing by the “class”.

In the afternoon I attended McLean Stake Missionary Coordination Meeting. The attendees were the stake president, stake president counselor over missionary work, high councilor over missionary work, all of the ward mission leaders, counselors in the RS and EQ presidency over missionary work, President and Sister Caplin, President Matos, 1st counselor in the mission presidency, the zone leaders and the sister training leaders (STLs). The Zone Leaders presented and discussed the KPIs – Key performance indicators for missionary work over the last year and half-way through January:
  • New friends found
  • Friends attending sacrament meeting
  • Friends on date to be baptized
  • Friends baptized and confirmed
All of the indicators are improving especially in the Spanish Ward.

The Sister Training Leaders talked about the training they have received in the last 6 months that is causing the work to progress. They did a great job.

Most of the baptisms are coming from missionaries finding people to teach. However when members find people to teach then a much higher percentage of those are baptized and remain active in the Church.

Presidency Meeting began late – 9:00 and went to 9:40. I conducted the meeting, and there was not time for me to contribute. I will write up the minutes. And put in my two cents their. It has been two months since our last presidency meeting. The discussion is mostly about how we can help the stakes be more effective in their missionary efforts.

Fun StuffWe had dinner at Carlile’s with Elders Tahi and Basinger. It was good to feel the testimony of the elders. The Carliles are always so good to us.

I was too stressed out to do much else fun.

WES NewsNot much new.

Family NewsKent is smoking again. He is making good use of his smoker and making delicious stuff - says Lindsey.

Love you all,

Dad

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