"I feel like nothing more than a Toddler!" (Recent arrival)

"Hola Presidente May! Aye yi yi. What a week. Just to be clear I´M LOVING IT. But good grief! this is the hardest craziest thing I´ve ever done in my life. And by far the most wonderful. I love Hna ____. It is amazing to recognize how well the Lord knows me and my needs as I look at where I am and who I am with. I am full of a gratitude that words cannot describe. Ha!

But I believe conference was the first thing in 4 days where I completely understood what was going on. Other than that, I´m doing a lot of wondering and guessing. I´m pretty clear on who a couple investigators are (because, I was there when we found them, or I have taught them once/twice now and understand), and I know who the Bishop and Ward Mission Leader are, and at least one memeber. Other than that, I have no idea who´s who or if we´re being reunited with someone or if we´re making a new contact until we´re in the process. -sigh- I recognize that I am weak and simple and I feel like nothing more than a toddler, clinging to my mother´s skirt trying desperately to do what pleases her when I think I understand what she wants. It´s hard. It´s fun. It´s tiring. It very much wants to be discouraging. It´s scary. It´s frustrating that even when I do understand what is going on, I cannot yet express what I feel and know in my heart and am forced to stumble around tossing out simple words and not being able to get where I want to go. But I have the Lord, and a loving and patient companion, and I recognize I understand far more than I did when I got here (which was nothing). It will come. I have no doubt. I must simply maintain patience and work really really hard." (author is unknown to this writer as the Prdte sent this to be included without author's name.)
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Zone Leader Concilio

Sitting in on part of the Zone Leader's Concilio/ council meeting is humbling as we see the great strength of the leadership the Lord has placed in our mission from these wondeful zone leaders. They are like the Team Captains of the mission, and lead with love and concern for their missionaries in their own zones. They come from all different areas, backgrounds, histories, etc, but here they are united in the work, and one purpose here in the mission. They have taken the challenge to memorize in their native language, DyC 121:34--to end, which teaches about the Priesthood, but in detail, about leadership and their responsibilities. They are so faithful and eagerly want to talk to Hermana May, to have her listen, while they recite the scriptures they have learned, often in their 2nd language also. So impressive are these fine Elders of Israel. When Presidente May asked them for some insights and improvements they think we can use in the mission, these are some of their ideas:


-Be more reverent in appropriate times.
-Be punctual in every case, meeting, visit, appt., etc.
-Representing the Lord in EVERY MOMENT.
-Be efficient in our lunch appointments, sharing a message and leaving within the hour.
-Have pure motives and not aspire for assignment or another position.
-Being more humble, more obedient.
-Urgency in doing the work.
-Listening to the RIGHT types of music, only Hymns and Primary songs.
-Staying focused and not getting distracted with neighborhood balls, music, etc.
-Keeping confidentiality in our communications amongst missionaries.
-Maintaining 20 contact per day, MINIMO so we continue to work hard.
-More unity in each level, companionships, districts, zones.
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New Missionary Training

These great new missionaries, 11 in total, who just arrived on Mar 31st, came back to the Mission Home for Phase 1 training. We thought this was for orientation and training, but these are thoughts we learned from THEM, as they discussed what they had learned and experienced in just their first week:

"We trust much in God, and He gives us what we need."

"We were really praying for this man, and his needs, and then the Lord blessed us
with the answers, through his wife!"

A fellow missionary went to the hospital and had surgery and yet told his zone he would still follow through with his 20 contacts daily. He did that and was a great example to his zone. This new missionary was touched by this valiant example of another in his zone. They are eager to learn and follow counsel.

"We had great success this week, and I was so impressed with my trainer, who just challenged someone to baptism right at the door. They accepted right then and there and I stood with my mouth open, so impressed with my companion!" (great missionary to praise and compliment his companion right in public and give him the credit)

"I went on exchanges/divisions with a missionary who went home this past week. He taught me how it would feel to be making my last day of contacts in the mission, and I really felt his urgency. I don't want to ever forget how that feels."

"We can't really judge our contacts or investigators' hearts. The Lord knows their hearts and He is preparing them."

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