Received December 18, 2014
Goodness, what a week it has been :) Sorry I am getting to y'all so late. Just know that in the event this happens again, if you don't get a call from the mission, I am fine, just busy haha. Sorry about that. I am grateful to be emailing you now though :)
Elder Tui and I are loving life. We are working hard to keep the work in Hylebos going, as well as help the missionaries. President tells us that our first priority is to bless the lives of the missionaries in the Washington Federal Way Mission. It is a change in how you approach every day, but I love it!We had Mission Leadership Council last week and it was wonderful. We have a very young leadership council, but they are all SO good. I felt a lot of love for them in our meeting, and I learned a lot from them. Because we dont have a zone training til January, we were able to focus the whole meeting on Leadership Training. Elder Tui and I trained on exchanges and small changes we could make in exchanges that will make profound differences. Fun fact: In an average transfer, our leadership council will go on a combined 2880 HOURS of exchanges. Talk about your biggest opportunity to train missionaries! Also, I have learned that for some reason, numbers bring power and help everyone see the vision. Interesting.
We have been trying to model and teach principles for working with members and here is something we have been applying in our area and trying to teach on exchanges. Elder Tui typed it up for his family so this is his copied version, it is SO good!
There are guiding principles that we teach to them that allow them to see the patterns of sharing the gospel found in the scriptures. One of them is this principle of asking the missionaries. There is a trend that we fall into as members of holding those we interact with to a certain level before WE feel they are ready to meet with the missionaries. I will explain what i mean. For instance, sometimes and i am guilty of this as well we think those we are striving to share the gospel with must first be reading the book of mormon, or attending church, or not smoking, or fornicating or whatever it is before we feel they are ready to meet with missionaries. We might see there is no way that person is ready they still drink coffee, or no way they would accept the invitation to meet with missionaries they party on the weekends. I think that mentality and mindset is in fact a snare a cunning trick given by Satan to tell us there not ready. I will leave you something to study and ponder and you will see the real way to share the gospel. I wish i could type it all out but instead i will invite you to study John 4 and look at that chapter with a different perspective. Symbolically look at Jesus as the full time missionaries, the women at the well as the member missionaries, and the people of the city as those who have not yet accepted the fullness of the gospel. See what insights you receive from watching the pattern of how the women shares the gospel and how we can apply that to our lives as member missionaries. Elder Hamula taught us that as we use the divine patterns in the scriptures then divine power will follow every time. This is a divine pattern and divine power will follow. Also we will be teaching similar principles to different stakes here and providing training on it. It is humbling to see how much the Lord trusts us.
Let me know what insights you have from that story. Pay specific attention to verse 29 in chapter 4 and how the women testifies and then invites come and see. After studying this chapter this modern day example will make sense to you.
(Example: Say somebody asks you what the book of mormon is? or what a mormon is? or any question similar to that. There are three main ways to respond. These will be slightly exaggerated.)
1. "Oh it is just some book for my church. Anyway what about and then we change the subject. (This response is common among those with no testimony not usually active members of the church)
2. We tell them everything we have ever learned about the book of mormon all at once. "In 1820 there was a boy named Joseph Smith and saw God and Jesus Christ and then they sent him an angel named Moroni who led him to golden plates in a nearby hill and its the record of the Gods dealings with the ancient inhabitants... etc. (This response is more common we simply give the person fish and too much fish i might add rather than teaching them how to fish)
3. Here is what the pattern in the scripture would say how to respond to that question. "It is a book like the bible and it is from God. It has helped me become a better husband and father (wife or mother) and it has changed my family, In fact i have friends they are missionaries and they teach people about this stuff they will be at my house tomorrow love if you could join us this can change your life too" (Then of course you invite the missionaries over and they will come running!) (Small heartfelt testimony followed my casually inviting someone to come and see and meet with the missionaries)
This is the pattern as we testify sincerely and invite them to meet with missionaries in a non intimidating way the power of God follows. Members have done it here on my mission and we have had 7 people say yes 2 baptized and many more to come.
If we can internalize this pattern it will change everything. And we could be inviting someone to meet with missionaries every week!!
Try it out! It is amazing and dont be discouraged if a few people say no many will say yes!
Things are going so well here! the Barners are still progressing! He isn't completely sure on a baptismal date again.. But we are getting there. Pray for Nikki Rylander, a 17 year old investigator. She is super close as well. And the Clarks! Thanks :)
I love y'all a lot! I will get you one more email before Christmas! Sorry this one is rushed. Love ya much!
Elder Cook
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