Not sure what to even write anymore...
Another week of less-actives and member appointments. We had more members to visit than normal, since I'm leaving Korea soon. This coming week will bring at least six member visits, and hopefully lots of new investigators! One effective activity we did towards finding more people this week was stickerboarding as a district. We went to where there are always lots of people and brought a board asks people questions and then they respond by putting a sticker on the appropriate answer. I brought a clipboard with us with a basic information spreadsheet on it for people to fill out and we managed to get 30 phone numbers in an hour! It was for English, so they would all be investigators we do the Family English Program with, but at the very least we've strengthened our English Class for sure.
We shared messages of joy with each family we visited this week, and I think that the members are starting to get the message that membership in the church is a joyful experience! As I've been thinking a lot, the gospel isn't a to-do list, but an experience. We experience things like faith and repentance, we feel the Holy Ghost and God's love, we learn for ourselves that gospel truths are eternal, and then we act in harmony with our experiences so that we can maintain and increase joy.
One major thing anybody can do to feel more joy is simplify. That's not just my own thought, or even just the topic of leadership training for the church in Korea next week -- it's counsel from a prophet, found in our most recent General Conference. President Uchtdorf has spoken at length several times about the need to simplify, and I love the counsel he gave in his talk, "It Works Wonderfully:"
Another week of less-actives and member appointments. We had more members to visit than normal, since I'm leaving Korea soon. This coming week will bring at least six member visits, and hopefully lots of new investigators! One effective activity we did towards finding more people this week was stickerboarding as a district. We went to where there are always lots of people and brought a board asks people questions and then they respond by putting a sticker on the appropriate answer. I brought a clipboard with us with a basic information spreadsheet on it for people to fill out and we managed to get 30 phone numbers in an hour! It was for English, so they would all be investigators we do the Family English Program with, but at the very least we've strengthened our English Class for sure.
We shared messages of joy with each family we visited this week, and I think that the members are starting to get the message that membership in the church is a joyful experience! As I've been thinking a lot, the gospel isn't a to-do list, but an experience. We experience things like faith and repentance, we feel the Holy Ghost and God's love, we learn for ourselves that gospel truths are eternal, and then we act in harmony with our experiences so that we can maintain and increase joy.
One major thing anybody can do to feel more joy is simplify. That's not just my own thought, or even just the topic of leadership training for the church in Korea next week -- it's counsel from a prophet, found in our most recent General Conference. President Uchtdorf has spoken at length several times about the need to simplify, and I love the counsel he gave in his talk, "It Works Wonderfully:"
"Are we making our discipleship too complicated?
"This beautiful gospel is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime—even an eternity—of study and discovery to fully understand it.
"But sometimes we take the beautiful lily of God’s truth and gild it with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations. Each one, by itself, might be helpful and appropriate for a certain time and circumstance, but when they are laid on top of each other, they can create a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy that we risk losing sight of that precious flower we once loved so dearly.
. . .
"And all of us, as members of the Church, we need to make a conscientious effort to devote our energy and time to the things that truly matter, while uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God.
. . .
"Brothers and sisters, living the gospel doesn’t need to be complicated.
. . .
"And all of us, as members of the Church, we need to make a conscientious effort to devote our energy and time to the things that truly matter, while uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God.
. . .
"Brothers and sisters, living the gospel doesn’t need to be complicated.
"It is really straightforward. It could be described like this:
• Hearing the word of God with earnest intent leads us to believe in God and to trust His promises.
• The more we trust God, the more our hearts are filled with love for Him and for each other.
• Because of our love for God, we desire to follow Him and bring our actions in alignment with His word.
• Because we love God, we want to serve Him; we want to bless the lives of others and help the poor and the needy.
• The more we walk in this path of discipleship, the more we desire to learn the word of God.
"And so it goes, each step leading to the next and filling us with ever-increasing faith, hope, and charity.
"It is beautifully simple, and it works beautifully.
Brothers and sisters, if you ever think that the gospel isn’t working so well for you, I invite you to step back, look at your life from a higher plane, and simplify your approach to discipleship. Focus on the basic doctrines, principles, and applications of the gospel. I promise that God will guide and bless you on your path to a fulfilling life, and the gospel will definitely work better for you."
(https://www.lds.org/general-confere…/…/it-works-wonderfully…)
(https://www.lds.org/general-confere…/…/it-works-wonderfully…)
Much like President Uchtdorf I can say with certainty that my membership in the church works! It works wonderfully! My mission works; it works miracles. My life works, it lifts me higher.
As my mission ends I find myself in more and more "last time" meetings. One was with a less-active and a member who I've known for close to five months. At this "last" appointment we had a great discussion about the church and what really matters in life. I think that our member and I were able to work together well in explaining how he can take advantage of the church in his life. I still hope that we will see him at church before I leave, but I know that I have done my best to love the people God puts around me.
Last Sunday we talked about how family relationships can be eternal during class, and I really liked what somebody said about the lessons we learn in family life: from family, we learn not just how to live with people, but we learn how to live for people. And it's when we learn how to experience life outside of ourselves that we see how beautiful this world is. I know that I've learned more from living with my family than anything else. Family is of the divine; and so are we!
As my mission ends I find myself in more and more "last time" meetings. One was with a less-active and a member who I've known for close to five months. At this "last" appointment we had a great discussion about the church and what really matters in life. I think that our member and I were able to work together well in explaining how he can take advantage of the church in his life. I still hope that we will see him at church before I leave, but I know that I have done my best to love the people God puts around me.
Last Sunday we talked about how family relationships can be eternal during class, and I really liked what somebody said about the lessons we learn in family life: from family, we learn not just how to live with people, but we learn how to live for people. And it's when we learn how to experience life outside of ourselves that we see how beautiful this world is. I know that I've learned more from living with my family than anything else. Family is of the divine; and so are we!
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