I think that the e-mail below is so fitting for my first post back. I'm now serving in one of those four wards that my second counselor was talking about, only the work doesn't go quite the way he described it, especially with the increased number of missionaries since President Monson lowered the age requirement for service. The Salt Lake City West Mission is a pilot mission right now. The Church is seeing what happens if it saturates the mission field with missionaries and shifts a lot of the work load onto the ward council and other members and focuses as much on bringing less active members back to church as it does finding and baptizing new members. I have loved serving as ward mission leader and helping the work move along. It has been great to see the ward come alive with activity and missionary excitement. We just got sister missionaries that have been assigned to work solely with our ward, and so we have a lot of stepping up to do to get appointments set up for them. That creates a challenge for me because, as much as I'd like to, I can't be the one who sets up every single lesson of every single day for them. I need the help of the rest of the ward members.
Recently, the Church held a worldwide leadership training (click here to watch it) in which it laid out principles that should guide the member missionary effort. Basically, the leaders of the Church have asked ward members, particularly ward council members, to set up teaching appointments for the missionaries. The goal is that members set up 20 appointments a week for the missionaries, and ward mission leaders are to spearhead the effort, keep track of how the ward is doing each week, and report it back to church headquarters. The Ridgeland Acres ward sets up between 2 to 13 lessons each week; it's never really consistent. We're trying to figure out what works for us, and I think that we're getting the hang of it, especially with some added guidance from Elder Christensen's book. I'd like for our ward to work exactly the way Sasha Lavrenenko (the second counselor mentioned below) talked about: we set up the teaching appointments for the sisters, and all they do is teach and prepare those they are working with for the next ordinance, be it baptism, the sacrament, or those of the temple.
I know that the work I'm engaged in is true. I love seeing people's lives change as they come unto Christ. I love seeing how my life changes; I become a better husband, father, teacher, church member, neighbor, and friend as I do missionary work. It's a privilege to serve, and I hope that the Lord will keep me and the rest of the ward busy as he has been, because when we are anxiously engaged in His good cause, we don't have time to give in to the relentless temptations of the devil.
Well, this was a long returning entry. Hopefully none of you label it "TLDR" as many of my students would be happy to do. Enjoy the e-mail, and, as always, bear with the immaturity in my writing.
"From: Grant Stoddard <gstoddard86@yahoo.com>Date: March 15, 2006 1:24:56 AM AKSTSubject: Noo Schow (Basically...hey)
Dear Everyone.
A blessed warmth. Well...for me anyway. Yesterday got up to 3 degrees Celsius and it was beautiful!!! Hallelujiah! Today I don't think it's quite that warm, but yay...
Well...I can say...this week kind of sucked. But ya know what...you get to p-day, you have a good day before...and the world is wonderful and you forget about all your problems...all crap going on...just doesn't seem so bad! I guess the same rule applies when all the crap hits right before too...so just know that no matter what the mood of my email is...it has probably been one or two days in the making, and is likely to change (unless it's happy) which is what this one is.
The reason it wasn't that great...or that I said it sucked...is just because we hit a rut w/ the other Elders...didn't know what to think, to do, how to work, with whom to work, or anything...and it felt like kind of a waste...it was just hard. But, the sun rears its beautiful head for a moment and life's not so bad.
Basically...not a whole lot...I'm not gonna report day by day this week, cuz it was one of just going through the motions and gay due to that...I've found that enduring won't inspire you or raise your spirits...you've gotta find that thing to get you out of a funk or something and hit the ground running, and I think I'm on that path now...I'll explain why later.
Yesterday, we had a really good district meeting all together with our 2nd counselor of the Branch Presidency. He served his mission like 3 years ago in Provo...and we were talking to him about what it was like...how he thinks we can serve...what we can do...i tak dali...
I had been thinking and feeling sorry for myself I guess because I wondered what'd be like to have serve on a mission where you get calls from everyone and your days are pretty filled or what not, when I've found exactly what I've needed in order to suck it up and figure things out for the positive – the 2nd counselor said, “As Elders in the Church of Jesus Christ...you are called and set apart to teach the gospel...and that's all. You don't have any other responsibilities based on what is written in those manuals that the Lord so freely has given us. You teach the gospel...and that's it.”
He continued by saying “That may be the commission...that's what it says...but out of the 300+ missions worldwide there are 4 that do only that...they are in Utah and 1 in Idaho.” 4 missions that can do exactly what they are called because people set them up to do it...they have that constant availability of work, or whatever. What about the rest? They constantly try to get the church in that area to a state in which they can do exactly that. I thought quite extensively about that. In a branch of like 60 members max...there is a lot of building up here to do. A lot of help required in the Priesthood, presidencies, weekly activities and stuff that MUST be done to reach that state. Elder Kauwe and I have discussed that we have to get things going in the Branch...that as that happens, the church will start to grow exponentially. I also...yak raz (it just so happens)...read a scripture in Heleman 7 yesterday...it was Nephi (son of Heleman) talking about how he wished he could be back in the days of his ancestors or original inhabitants because the people all around were good/righteous and stuff...but then in verse nine he goes on and says something like...but the Lord has consigned this to be my time. I wish that I could have the Provo mission and get calls off the hook like the counselor was talking about...but this is the Ukraine Kiev mission...I am Elder Grant Stoddard...I have been consigned and set apart to serve here...because I can do something...and only I can do something. And I feel like it's going to be working with branches and building up churches here in this country...then someday this mission'll be included with one of those 4.
Yeah...so that's our direction and thoughts about the work...it's gonna take off...We do have Zone Conference this Saturday which is gonna interrupt a bit...but it's gonna be good. I'm excited, cuz we're gonna rock this place...especially cuz it's getting warm! HOORAY.
Anyway, enough of that...
We have a pretty cool couple we are working on right now...that have been in contact w/ the church for quite some time...and are just now feeling like they're ready to start taking this serious (the wife's name is Ira and she's a member of a family of Church members...so they've all been working on her...she's told us that she's seeing w/ the birth of her son how important the gospel is and how she wants to get married in the temple so that her family can be together forever...way cool stuff)...this is the girl that previous missionaries told members “would be easier to kill and do work for the dead than baptize now”. So they're cool...and I'm excited to be working with them.
Things are really cool. Life is awesome...it just goes on...and with patience and an understanding that the Lord is going to figure whatever necessary out...it usually turns out alright in what seems like a week or two later. Cool to me.
Anyway...if anyone has ideas for cool things we might do to get branch activity going...fun activities for them...cool stuff like that that they've taken part in or anything (you missionaries that receive this as well) let me know.
I guess I've got 4 packages in Rivne right now...that are gonna make their way to Zone Conference in L'viv this Saturday. So no hope is lost ever.
Thanks for all of you being so cool! Man...I've been in this country for 3 months now! Longer than I was in the MTC! Can you believe it...in like 2 weeks...I've been on a mission for 6 months. The time goes. It just goes and goes and goes. Have faith friends and family. Know that the Lord is looking out for each and every one of you! I know it...just as I know he's looking out for me.
It's great!
Smile. Spring just wants to come I know it.
I love you all...
peace out!
--Grant"
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