Dear Elders and Sisters,
We really enjoyed seeing each of you last week! It was
wonderful to have Elder and Sister Wong visit our mission and learn from them.
I hope that you were edified (after exploring the definition of “edify” in
different languages) by our zone conferences. I felt a great spirit in all of
our meetings and Elder Wong also commented on the power that he felt as he met
with each group. We are blessed to have such great missionaries in the Taiwan
Taichung Mission.
I feel that we must always be looking for ways to improve,
both as individuals and as a mission. If we become comfortable with where we
are, we will miss opportunities to learn, grow, change and improve. As I
listened to your questions and comments this past week and thought about the
things I learned from Elder Wong, I felt the Spirit impress upon my mind some
changes that we can make to adjust our focus and more effectively carry out our
missionary purpose. I am excited to go forward as prompted to hasten the work
of salvation.
I have recently had some inquiries as to “chatting” with
friends and family during weekly email time. In keeping with the email guidelines
in the Missionary Handbook (pp. 20-21), I feel it is appropriate to “chat” back
and forth with your immediate family members (parents and siblings) for not
more than 15 minutes of your Monday email time, so as not to be “preoccupied.”
Please do not chat with any others online or exceed this time limit. This also
applies to missionaries using Facebook. I remind you that missionaries should
only use their MyLDSMail.net account to email. Do not use any other email
service or site that I have not approved.
Here are some of my favorite excerpts from recent missionary
emails:
[My companion] and I made a goal to laugh more together, and
we've found that our companionship unity has improved a lot. I find myself much
happier to be around him and as well as doing the work with him. I'm slowly
learning that relationships with companions and learning how to be happy with
them despite who they are is great preparation for future marriage haha! The
Lord has been teaching me a lot the past week. I am happy with the gospel, and
it's definitely working for me.
Something that I have noticed with my time on the island is
the harder I work, the more sincere I am, and the more pure intent I have to
find people to come unto to Christ and endure to the end, the happier I am.
Emotions, situations, investigators, and things planned can change in an
instant and it is important that we have our hearts and minds anchored in the
work with real intent in order to be a more diligent and successful missionary.
I realized this week the important lesson we learn from Alma
and the sons of Mosiah: We must first love the people, and serve them. We are
the way that God helps them to see His love for them. Where God's love, through
our love, does the converting, no convincing is needed. :) It is such a
blessing to be apart of this "labor of love" among God's children.
President Blickenstaff
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