"Find them that will receive you." (DYC 42:8)

Dear Sisters and Elders,
One of the great opportunities we have as missionaries is to find “them that will receive you” (D&C 42:8). We have used the example of the three gardens to illustrate the three different phases of missionary work.

Without the planting garden, there are is no cultivating garden or harvesting garden. Our gardener here at the mission home, Raul, loves his work of taking care of the beautiful plants and flowers of the mission home. One of his favorite things is working with the rose bushes. We have approximately 87 of them here in front of the mission home. These are his “investigators!” His joy is full because he has so many to work with and cultivate. How would he feel if we only had 2 or 3 rose bushes?

And so it is with our work as missionaries. When our planting garden is full with new investigators, we experience the joy of teaching the Gospel to many investigators with the faith and hope that they will exercise their in faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repent, be baptized, receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost and remain faithful members of the Church. When our planting garden is barren, we do not feel the joy of our calling to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here are some important principles to remember in finding new investigators:
· Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to “find”, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost. (PmG pg 10). Our ability to magnify our calling and reach our potential as the Lord´s servants in the Chile Santiago North mission all begins with our level of commitment and dedication to finding people to teach.
· We must strengthen our faith that the Lord is preparing people to receive us and the restored gospel.(PmG pg 155) In our recent zone conferences we discussed the importance of recognizing that we are totally 100% dependent on the Lord for any success we achieve in this life. Increasing our faith to find comes from increasing our obedience with exactness in all that we do so that we can “find with exactness!”
· “Finding with exactness” comes by having and following the promptings of the Spirit. Finding by the Spirit is as important as teaching by the Spirit. As in teaching, your efforts in finding will be effective if you are guided by the Spirit. Have faith that you will know what to teach and what to do to find those who will receive you. (PmG pg 156)
· As you move swiftly to planned activities, pray for the ability to see unplanned opportunities to serve and teach those who may be “perishing in unbelief.” Pray for the spiritual sensitivity to recognize opportunities. You will find that God will place in your path His children who are being prepared to receive the restored gospel. (PmG pg 156) In Alma 40:3,9 we read about the power of “inquiring diligently”:

3 Behold, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead. But behold, my son, the resurrection is not yet. Now, I unfold unto you a mystery; nevertheless, there are many mysteries which are kept, that no one knoweth them save God himself. But I show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know—that is concerning the resurrection.

9 Therefore, there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of which I do know.

Are we inquiring diligently each and every day to know what the Lord would have us do to find those that will receive us? Are we setting meaningful goals and making careful plans each day to find those that the Lord has prepared? Are we being accountable to the Lord for our efforts in finding new people? When we fall short of our goal to find, are we evaluating our efforts and seeking for ways to accomplish our goal to find those that the Lord has prepared?

· Work with members of the Church to find people to teach. The ideal situation is when members invite others to be taught and are present for the teaching.

As we diligently do these things we show the Lord our level of commitment to find those He has prepared and He will bless us with many new people to teach. May the Lord bless us in our efforts to bring many souls to the waters of baptism!

We love you and pray for your success,