We Need The Members!

My email this week will reflect my main thoughts about Missionary work since I have arrived in my new area.

As I have been racking my brain about what we can do to help the members share the gospel, it has overcome my thoughts. Last night my companion woke up in the middle of the night to me yelling in my sleep, "WE NEED THE MEMBERS!" and that is exactly right, missionaries everywhere need the members to assist them in this work. We cannot do it simply by tracting anymore, we need you, all of you, to share the gospel, open your mouths, and invite invite invite.

 

When we think about the blessings in our lives, I am confident in saying most of you can refer it back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are thousands around us who need what we have. They are your coworkers, neighbors, in your homes, and your closest friends. Open your mouth and share the gospel.  Heavenly Father expects us to do so. The phrase, "Ask the missionaries, they can help you," rings more and more true. The Lord trusts the missionaries to send them in the field, so as members, you should trust them to teach their loved ones. This is a great work, and we are not a missionary church and we are not a member church. We are a MEMBER MISSIONARY church. May we always remember the doctrine of Christ and how it has blessed us and help to bless others.  I pray that we ALL can be successful together and return to live with our Heavenly Father again.

This week was better because we had the car we actual felt successful. We made it a goal to talk to every single person we saw and it proved to be good.  No solid investigators yet but good potentials that we will continue to follow up with. It was in the three digits for temp all this week, One day it hit 112 degrees and I thought "this is not okay! Who would live here!" Of course then I remembered most people stay inside on days like that... We had 3 appointments that all fell through. Wardella, our only investigator, is a good lady but doesn't have the desire to know if what she is learning is true. We have just been trying to find, find, find. Which, since the members don't do missionary work, that means tract tract tract in the heat. But this week was Stake Conference and Saturday night was all about Hastening the Work. I was praying that it would spark something in the members to share the gospel. President Vest spoke and said "Members are too be full time finders, while Missionaries are full time teachers." I wish so badly members throughout the church could see the importance of that concept. Tracting just isn't working anymore and we need their help. When I am home from the mission, I will have a whole new approach with the missionaries to help them. So this next week, we are going to get into their homes and challenge them and help them set goals to share the gospel with their friends. Our first attempt last night was the same stuff we always hear, "Our friends are all so comfortable, we don't know anybody who would accept the gospel." We challenged them anyways, promised them blessings, and left them 4 pamphlets to handout. I am just praying as we are diligent with the members that we will be able to see the success.

Extra prayers will be needed this week, as we don't have the car and its going to be really hot. We will be on foot, or attempting bikes again, and probably tracting alot. We did find an investigator this week named Casey and he actually was the first one since I've been here that has seemed happy to talk to us and asked us to come back this Sunday.  I was talking to another sister in the zone yesterday and she told me how tough this area really is.   She's been here for 4 months and has never had 1 progressing investigator. . we are hopeful!

I went on exchanges with Sister Mohena this week. It was an answer to prayer! She has served in Indian Creek before. She is straight from Tonga and she helped me understand the people and the area better.  She was so funny. When I was discouraged she would make a joke and we would just laugh!  Laughter is the best medicine!

Sister Mohena

I love you all.  Sister Flink