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| Napoli Zone - March 2016 |
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Nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach.
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The Sister Training Leaders reviewed what had been taught in the last zone conference. The invitation had been to study the Preach My Gospel manual for 30 minutes a day. It's something that should be done every day, even without a specific invitation, but sometimes gentle reminders are necessary. The missionaries responded with how they had found answers to questions they had, and also that they would read something in the morning and then in the afternoon or evening had an experience where that knowledge benefited them.
As missionaries our responsibility is to preach the gospel and bring others unto Christ. Not everyone is willing to accept the message, but we will have still done what is expected of us when we do our best to help them understand.
No Effort is Wasted
When people choose not to investigate the restored gospel, your work is not wasted. Your consistent efforts in serving and teaching as many people as you can is one way God prepares His children to eventually receive His servants. He often reaches out to His children through you. Even when people do not accept the opportunity to learn the gospel, your service and words are evidence of God's love for them and may plant seeds that future missionaries and members of the Church will harvest.
When people do not accept the gospel, do not be discouraged. You have raised a warning voice. You have given them a a clear choice. Disciples of Christ feel sorrow when people choose not to repent, but they maintain a vision of who they are and what they are doing. They continue to diligently move forward.
As missionaries our responsibility is to preach the gospel and bring others unto Christ. Not everyone is willing to accept the message, but we will have still done what is expected of us when we do our best to help them understand.
No Effort is Wasted
When people choose not to investigate the restored gospel, your work is not wasted. Your consistent efforts in serving and teaching as many people as you can is one way God prepares His children to eventually receive His servants. He often reaches out to His children through you. Even when people do not accept the opportunity to learn the gospel, your service and words are evidence of God's love for them and may plant seeds that future missionaries and members of the Church will harvest.
When people do not accept the gospel, do not be discouraged. You have raised a warning voice. You have given them a a clear choice. Disciples of Christ feel sorrow when people choose not to repent, but they maintain a vision of who they are and what they are doing. They continue to diligently move forward.
Preach My Gospel, pg. 170
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(One of the Zone Leaders was feeling the effects of a virus so I made him miss zone conference and go back to his apartment with another elder who was also sick. I didn't want the entire zone sick. That made it a little tough for the other zone leader who was expecting his companion to help him do their addestramento, but he handled everything perfectly and did an incredible job all by himself.)
The topic of the Zone Leader session was setting goals and achieving new goals. The emphasis was on achieving the goals set in the Standards of Excellence for the mission. The Assistants had written an article for the Rome Forum that dealt with this same thing. The missionaries read the article and then discussed it.
The topic of the Zone Leader session was setting goals and achieving new goals. The emphasis was on achieving the goals set in the Standards of Excellence for the mission. The Assistants had written an article for the Rome Forum that dealt with this same thing. The missionaries read the article and then discussed it.
The Time Has Come
Preparing the Mission
The Lord established His way of teaching when he declared, “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts” (2 Nephi 28:30). The Lord teaches us in steps and by phases. He shows us what we need to know line upon line, precept upon precept.
In the last Italy Rome Mission zone conference tour, he gave us certain lines and showed us certain precepts. Together, we humbly asked the Lord “What lack we yet?” and the Master Teacher showed us. We learned to be consecrated missionaries, to put everything on the altar of sacrifice. We learned of the power of the Book of Mormon in conversion. We learned that being a ‘Preach My Gospel Mission’ was not just a phrase on a sheet of paper, but rather a united team of 180 Preach My Gospel missionaries that are obedient and dedicated to serving the Lord in His way.
Since that time, the Lord has been preparing us. The Italy Rome Mission is being changed. Missionaries, companionships, districts, zones are each reading, learning and applying that which they find in Preach My Gospel. The Lord is working a mighty change upon our hearts. We are turning to Him, becoming like Him. The work is starting to flourish. We are finding. We are teaching.
And just as the Lord has been preparing us, he has been preparing His elect. He has been preparing the faithful in Italy to accept His gospel. Seeds that have been planted are ready to harvest. The time has come.
Our Commission
The purpose of our work “is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end”. We are called to baptize! We are called to build faith, help people repent, but most of all, we are baptismal trail guides. We lead all to the waters of baptism, praying that they will continue to follow that straight and narrow path that leads back to our Heavenly Father. Amongst the madness of member present lessons and referrals, correlation and DDM, P-Day and pizza, it can be so easy to forget the real reason for why we are here. We are here to baptize.
The simplicity of the Savior’s commission to us was made manifest in his ‘departure testimony’ to the apostles, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:18-19).
The Lord established His way of teaching when he declared, “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts” (2 Nephi 28:30). The Lord teaches us in steps and by phases. He shows us what we need to know line upon line, precept upon precept.
In the last Italy Rome Mission zone conference tour, he gave us certain lines and showed us certain precepts. Together, we humbly asked the Lord “What lack we yet?” and the Master Teacher showed us. We learned to be consecrated missionaries, to put everything on the altar of sacrifice. We learned of the power of the Book of Mormon in conversion. We learned that being a ‘Preach My Gospel Mission’ was not just a phrase on a sheet of paper, but rather a united team of 180 Preach My Gospel missionaries that are obedient and dedicated to serving the Lord in His way.
Since that time, the Lord has been preparing us. The Italy Rome Mission is being changed. Missionaries, companionships, districts, zones are each reading, learning and applying that which they find in Preach My Gospel. The Lord is working a mighty change upon our hearts. We are turning to Him, becoming like Him. The work is starting to flourish. We are finding. We are teaching.
And just as the Lord has been preparing us, he has been preparing His elect. He has been preparing the faithful in Italy to accept His gospel. Seeds that have been planted are ready to harvest. The time has come.
Our Commission
The purpose of our work “is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end”. We are called to baptize! We are called to build faith, help people repent, but most of all, we are baptismal trail guides. We lead all to the waters of baptism, praying that they will continue to follow that straight and narrow path that leads back to our Heavenly Father. Amongst the madness of member present lessons and referrals, correlation and DDM, P-Day and pizza, it can be so easy to forget the real reason for why we are here. We are here to baptize.
The simplicity of the Savior’s commission to us was made manifest in his ‘departure testimony’ to the apostles, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:18-19).
Reaching New Levels
One year ago, the Lord inspired President Waddoups to raise the standards of excellence. Faith increased and the work flourished. We found and taught as a mission more than ever before. It was a year of incredible miracles!
The theme of this transfer’s specialized training is simple, “Reaching New Levels”. President Waddoups has been inspired from the Spirit that this mission can baptize 40 people in a month. If the Spirit whispers that this is possible to a keyholding priesthood leader, it is so. We truly can and will baptize 40 people in a month.
Two Transfers
A little over 1,000 days ago, a couple touched down in Rome. They may have been just as confused as to what they were supposed to be doing as we were when we first got here! But, they were sure of at least two things: One, the love Jesus Christ had for them. Two, the love Jesus Christ had for each one of their missionaries.
And from that time the Waddoups have traveled tens of thousands of miles across the Italian (and Maltese) countryside proclaiming the doctrine of Christ. They have prayed and worked, striving to lift every missionary and this mission.
As a part of their mutual service, President and Sorella Waddoups have had a vision for almost three years. Great steps have been taken and new heights have been reached, yet an even higher bar once set remains lofting above our heads, waiting to be grasped. Anziani and Sorelle... we have less than three transfers left with the Waddoups. We love them. In the next three months, we can still reach up and grab that bar! We can still get 40 baptisms in a month.
One year ago, the Lord inspired President Waddoups to raise the standards of excellence. Faith increased and the work flourished. We found and taught as a mission more than ever before. It was a year of incredible miracles!
The theme of this transfer’s specialized training is simple, “Reaching New Levels”. President Waddoups has been inspired from the Spirit that this mission can baptize 40 people in a month. If the Spirit whispers that this is possible to a keyholding priesthood leader, it is so. We truly can and will baptize 40 people in a month.
Two Transfers
A little over 1,000 days ago, a couple touched down in Rome. They may have been just as confused as to what they were supposed to be doing as we were when we first got here! But, they were sure of at least two things: One, the love Jesus Christ had for them. Two, the love Jesus Christ had for each one of their missionaries.
And from that time the Waddoups have traveled tens of thousands of miles across the Italian (and Maltese) countryside proclaiming the doctrine of Christ. They have prayed and worked, striving to lift every missionary and this mission.
As a part of their mutual service, President and Sorella Waddoups have had a vision for almost three years. Great steps have been taken and new heights have been reached, yet an even higher bar once set remains lofting above our heads, waiting to be grasped. Anziani and Sorelle... we have less than three transfers left with the Waddoups. We love them. In the next three months, we can still reach up and grab that bar! We can still get 40 baptisms in a month.
The Invitation: Baptize 40 Souls
So what is it going to take? Inviting everyone to come unto Christ will have to become our greatest desire. We will need to desire to baptize converts more than anything else. Baptism is going to have to become ‘the big thing’ in the mission. We are going to have to plan for it with our companions, work for it as a district, follow up on it with our leaders and pray for it as a mission. When we find, we should be looking for those to be baptized. When we teach, we should talk often and openly about baptism. In our daily planning sessions, we should consider how our investigators are getting closer to baptism. We should set goals and do everything we can as Preach My Gospel missionaries to achieve them. To achieve that standard of excellence, we are going to have to be excellent. Faith in Christ and His miracles, obedience, diligence and a love for investigators will help us achieve this mark.
The Promise
We promise that the standard of 40 baptisms was inspired by the Lord. We know that it is possible. We know that if each of us decides to make baptism the greatest focus of our mission, we can achieve this standard. Let us work with all our heart, might, mind and strength, for how great shall be our joy as we bring souls unto Christ!
We love you and bear our testimonies that this work is the Lord’s. “For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith”. With Him, all things are possible.
Anziani Toronto e Flynn
So what is it going to take? Inviting everyone to come unto Christ will have to become our greatest desire. We will need to desire to baptize converts more than anything else. Baptism is going to have to become ‘the big thing’ in the mission. We are going to have to plan for it with our companions, work for it as a district, follow up on it with our leaders and pray for it as a mission. When we find, we should be looking for those to be baptized. When we teach, we should talk often and openly about baptism. In our daily planning sessions, we should consider how our investigators are getting closer to baptism. We should set goals and do everything we can as Preach My Gospel missionaries to achieve them. To achieve that standard of excellence, we are going to have to be excellent. Faith in Christ and His miracles, obedience, diligence and a love for investigators will help us achieve this mark.
The Promise
We promise that the standard of 40 baptisms was inspired by the Lord. We know that it is possible. We know that if each of us decides to make baptism the greatest focus of our mission, we can achieve this standard. Let us work with all our heart, might, mind and strength, for how great shall be our joy as we bring souls unto Christ!
We love you and bear our testimonies that this work is the Lord’s. “For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith”. With Him, all things are possible.
Anziani Toronto e Flynn
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Goals are an objective and not a hope.
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| Beginning Testimony |
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| Happy Birthday |
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| Departing Testimony |
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| Departing Testimony |
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| Departing Testimony |
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