Dear Elders and Sisters,
It was such fun to
receive so many excited phone calls this week passionately announcing, “Mission
accomplished!” Power week is designed to help the work to get going again after
the Chinese New Year celebrations made it so challenging to teach lessons and
set up with people. I hope that you and your companion diligently tried to meet
the challenges of each day. I hope that you experienced the power that comes
from setting a goal, working hard, and exercising faith in order to achieve it.
I hope that if you did your best and still fell short of your goal that you
found satisfaction in your work and in being able to account to the Lord for
what you did. Most of all, I hope that you had some fun this week and extended
yourself. Thanks to each of you who put your shoulders to the wheel and
enthusiastically did your best. I am always amazed at what we can accomplish
when the Lord is on our side. This is His work, and in His strength we can
bring more souls unto Christ!
One of my greatest
desires as a mission president is to know each of you individually, to
understand your needs, help you with any problems you may be experiencing and
assist you as you accomplish your goals and achieve your potential. Your weekly
emails are a critical component of realizing these desires and an important
means by which you account to me as your mission president. I feel especially
thankful when you share insights that allow me to gauge your personal growth,
love for the Lord, and commitment to this sacred work to which you have been
called. I learn much about you and from you as I read your emails each week. I
recently received a letter from a missionary who expressed that it was
difficult for her to really communicate with me in the standard 3-paragraph format
that I have asked for in the Taiwan Taichung Mission Rules and Clarification
Handbook. Many missionaries are able to use this format to effectively let me
know how they are doing and allow me a glimpse into their heart and soul. If
you would feel more comfortable and better able to communicate your needs and
desires in some other way, please do so. Most of all, I would appreciate an
honest weekly accounting of your personal well-being, of the status of your
companionship and what I may do to assist you as you grow and learn. Please do
not tell me that everything is going great when it is not. I cannot help you if
I do not know your circumstances.
Lastly, the Asia Area
Presidency has asked that you discuss with me each potential investigator from
Mainland China prior to teaching them a lesson. Please call me if you should
encounter someone from China who expresses interest in our message. It would
help if you could provide me with details such as what they are doing in
Taiwan, how long they will be here, whether they have family members here, etc.
Also if you have taught or baptized someone from China within the past 3
months, please email me today their name(s) and when you were involved with
them. The Area Presidency is trying to evaluate the approximate frequency that
our missionaries have opportunities to engage with people from China.
Thank you again for a
great Power Week. You were an inspiration to me. I look forward to seeing you
all next week during zone conferences, that we may learn and grow together as
we serve the Lord in His work of salvation.
President Blickenstaff
Mentor of Powerful
Champions
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