Companions, Not Clones

Quiz time!  You've just wandered into Zone Conference and there is a PowerPoint slide on the screen.  By looking at only one slide, tell me who is training--Sister Hall or President Hall?

Isn't that a great slide?  It has the San Fernando Valley on the bottom, it's easily read and professional.  The template is perfect for Zone Conference or Mission Leadership Council.  So whose slide is it? Need another hint? (I know you don't, but stay with me) Instead of that slide, you see this one:

All your doubts have fled, haven't they?  While I might use the first one, the chances of Ken using the second one are next to zero.

      Bad Guy: President use the fluffy tree template or I'm dumping glitter all down the hall.  

      Ken:        I'm thinking, I'm thinking....

      

 To be honest, the second one is a little over the top for even me, but it is indeed my slide.  

So who is the better teacher? Which slide is better?  Which presentation is going to increase the effectiveness of missionaries post-conference? Shouldn't we have figured out our optimal template in companionship study and then presented the one true template?

Sometimes missionaries look at all the rules and schedules and outlines and expectations and come to the conclusion that all we want are robots.  

In fairness, it is not just the missionaries who sometimes think this way.  Members sometimes think that keeping the commandments and "following the handbook" will turn us into robots. 

President Dieter F Uchtdorf said The Atonement is meant to help us all become more like Christ, it is not meant to make us all the same. Sometimes we confuse differences in personality with sin. We can even make the mistake of thinking that because someone is different from us, it must mean they are not pleasing to God.

    This line of thinking leads some to believe that the Church wants to create every member [missionary] from a single mold—that each one should look, feel, think, and behave like every other. 

    This would contradict the genius of God, who created every man different from his brother, every son different from his father. Even identical twins are not identical in their personalities and spiritual identities. It also contradicts the intent and purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ...

The missionary companionship of Alma and Amulek taught that when we die we are still the same people (that same spirit which doth possess your body now, etc).  

Joseph Smith taught that "same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." That is going to be a pretty good trick if we are all the same.  

The Lord needs YOU.  Not you, generically, you specifically.  He needs your strengths, your weaknesses, your personality, your all.  You are not a surprise to Him.  You were created by Him as an individual.  The Savior atoned for us individually.  You were never meant to be indistinguishable from a collective of robots.  To requote President Uchtdorf, "it would contradict the genius of God."

So, missionaries and members, yes you have to keep the commandments, follow "the handbook" and behave yourselves.  But you aren't the same.  You'll never be "the same."  Play to your strengths, allow the Lord to help your weaknesses become strengths.  But remember to be you.  The best you you can be, but still you.  

When Christ was on the earth he asked us all a question. "What manner of men ought ye to be?"    

What's the answer?  How do we do that?  Why can't we just copy our neighbor?  

Because it is personal.  It has always been personal. 

What manner of person should I be? 

Even as Christ.  

You have to Promise not to Wig Out

I am about to post something that will make some people extremely happy.  It may make more people extremely something else.  I shall explain.

First, the rules--missionaries are not supposed to use the video settings on their cameras.  I suppose this is because they are a. not tourists b. as representatives of the Church, we don't need a Missionaries doing Dumb Things youtube channel. Or  Missionaries Teaching or whatever. There are also privacy issues with people we teach, etc, etc. The short answer is you need to have your President's approval to film.

Second, the background--I kept the San Fernando and El Camino zones after zone conference to sing their musical number again.  So I could film it for Mother's Day.  I don't know why, or for whom but I felt impressed that I should.  El Presidente gave the OK and he did the filming (I can't hold a camera steady to save my life).

Third, the apology-There are 9 zones in this mission.  Only two zones are highlighted here.  I am worried that this will hurt some feelings of the other 7 zones of parents. Even if your missionary is in the video, you may not be able to see them well (or at all). The musical numbers in their conferences have been outstanding.  I wish you all could hear them all.  I really do.  But we won't be recording them, they are bringing the Spirit to the meeting in an amazing way.  It isn't a talent demonstration--it's worship.

Fourth, the summation: We love the missionaries of The Great California San Fernando Mission!  All of them!  If your missionary is not in the video, please remember that these missionaries represent all missionaries all over the world.  Please don't ask your missionary to film themselves. Ask them to tell you what they are doing, what they are learning, how they have grown.

Fifth, and most importantly, HAPPY MOTHER'S and FATHER'S DAY  Your missionaries are SO excited to skype/talk with you this weekend.  They love you SO MUCH! And we are grateful to all the Mothers and Fathers of our missionaries.

Sometimes You Just Have to Deal

One of the very best sermons I ever heard was from an 8(?) year old girl and was only one sentence long.  She said, "Sometimes you just have to deal."

She was right.  You may not want to, you may try not to, but sometimes, my friends, you just have to deal.  As in deal with whatever it is that life has thrown your way.  The key, I suppose, is how we deal.  Last week President Dieter F Uchtdorf  put it this way,

"Everyone’s situation is different, and the details of each life are unique. Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious.

We can be grateful!

It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God. But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding."

I don't know too much about the goblet of gratitude (I tend more towards the cookie jar of comfort) but I have learned a thing or two about the attitude of gratitude.  

1.  Attitude matters.  Mosiah 24: 15 says the people of Alma did "submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."  When it comes down to it, we all have to submit to something (see, above--sometimes you just have to deal) but cheerfully and patiently are optional.  They are also pretty tough to do sometimes.  

In our family, we refer to this verse as "the brain tumor" verse.  We decided to take the Lord up on the challenge that if we were cheerful and patient, he would strengthen our backs so we would not feel the burdens.  Turns out there was a lot to be cheerful about with a brain tumor--like the fact that it was 1994 not 1894, or that Exxon had one of the premiere insurance plans in the country (brain surgery for $5 copay--score!).  Also, the looks on people's faces when you told them.  The neighbors and friends who helped and prayed, the parents that came and stayed.  The young man in our Violent  Valiant 11 class who fasted for me. 

Patience also played a role--but it was much easier to be patient when we were cheerful.  I often say, you haven't lived until you've had to have you mother-in-law help you to the bathroom.  Patience with learning to walk un-assisted. Patience in trying to get your body to move correctly.  I am still working on that--I am excited for the resurrection to get my nerves back in working order, though it does make for some amusing and clumsy moments here.  

2.  It's not a surprise to the Lord.  It may be to you--Surprise!-- but it isn't to the Lord. 

As many of you know, our 17 year old has been suffering from terrible and chronic migraines.  Those of you who have not had a migraine are thinking, "that's too bad" and those if you with migraine experience are clutching your heads and weeping.   Besides the pain (she says casually) his whole life has shut down.  We had to withdraw him from school and put him on home study.  He has been to church once in the last two months.  As the doctors work with him everything takes time (patience).  In fact, if you really want practice with patience, get yourself admitted to the hospital--and then try and get discharged.  Took us 8 hours to get discharged because so many doctors had to sign off.  

So Thomas's life is not going according to our plan.  But it is going according to The Plan.  It wasn't a surprise to the Lord that Thomas would go through this.  As surprising as it is to us, we are sure, absolutely sure, that for whatever reason this is the plan for Thomas--and we just have to deal. So we are dealing.  Maybe someday we will be able to see more clearly what the blessings are from this, but until then we are confident that there are blessings.  Some are obvious (modern painkillers, anyone?) some are tender (helping a sick child) and some are amazing (hearing Thomas talk about the peace he has felt through the whole ordeal).  

Patience and Cheerfulness.  Gratitude not bitterness.  

Maybe someday I'll relate this concept to missionaries and their struggles, but it looks like Tom's medicine has just kicked in and he is once again vertical.  I think this calls for a cookie. 

Our Very Favorite Missionary

First, I must explain how phenomenally awesome this picture is.  On the left is Sister Lucille Hall, serving in The Great California San Fernando Mission in the office, outside of the office we call her Mom/Grandma.  Center is Sister Katie Hall, newly set apart as a full-time missionary and now serving in the New York Rochester Mission.  Lastly, there is me--the original San Fernando Sister Hall (but not the only, we also have two Hermanas Hall, which reminds me--please put your missionary's first name on any letters or packages, we have multiple sets of same named missionaries).  We have a picture with Elder and President Hall, too, but we're way more cute :)

So, in case you couldn't guess, Sister Katie Hall is our very favorite missionary.  Elder and Sister Hall run a close second.  The rest are all tied :)

January Zone Conference Pictures

Merry Zone Conference

The title of the blog is The Great Experiment, because when we were called, Matthew (who was 7) bore his testimony and said, "I know this will be a great experiment."  I think he meant "great experience" but, I think experiment just about sums it up.

So the whole mission thing is an experiment and I am about to embark on another.  I just gave my blog address to the missionaries.  Now they can't check it out, but I asked them to pass it along to their families so I could post pictures of them.  I am not promising I will post any pictures, I certainly can't take requests, but from time to time, I hope to post pictures.  It will mainly be zone conference group shots.  Boring, but efficient. As for non-picture blogging, it happens when it happen.

Zone Conferences are quarterly and they are great.  We just had conferences last week and they were great.  We focused on finding, because nothing happens in missionary work happens until you find someone to teach. Maybe someday I'll tell you about it. In the mean time, ask your missionary--they can help you.

So here is what you all really came to see. For privacy,  I have purposely not included any names--hopefully you can recognize your missionary :)

Merry Christmas!

What Your Missionary Wants for Christmas

Candy.
The End

Actually, most of them don't even want that.  The members will make sure they are well supplied with candy, cookies and all kinds of food--delicious and otherwise :)

Some may need new shirts, shoes, skirts or a tie/blouse/whatever that they haven't worn 500 times.  But that isn't it either.

As families begin the countdown to the Christmas Day Skype call, take a moment to put yourselves in your missionary's well-worn shoes.

Christmas as a missionary is different.  Because Christmas is so filled with family, community and neighborhood traditions, it is easy to imagine what your family and friends are doing--doing without you. You know what they are doing, you know what they are eating!  It is a time of homesickness for many, even seasoned missionaries.  Today we picked up 21 missionaries fresh from the MTC.  They are exhausted, they are in a new place, they are in sunny Southern California--in December.  It will be a challenge for some of them to have Christmas directly after leaving home.

But they will do it, and it will change them.  Elder Holland put it this way:

For such an uneventful Christmas—clearly the least festive of any I ever had before or since—it says something that those special days in December of 1960 remain in my heart (after more than 50 years!) as one of the sweetest Christmases I have ever had. I think that is because for the first time in my life, I found myself understanding Christmas rather than just enjoying it. I think for the first time in any truly significant way, I was getting the message of Christ’s birth and life—His message and His mission and His sacrifice for others.

Instead of celebrating Christmas, understanding Christmas.  Instead remembering Christ, representing Christ. It is a unique and wonderful privilege.

So what does your missionary want for Christmas?

Your missionary wants you to understand why she is not home for Christmas.  Your missionary wants you to understand what he has committed to do.

What your missionary wants for Christmas is your testimony.  Specifically, your testimony of missionary work.  Your own missionary work. 

When you finally see each other through the miracle that is Skype, your missionary wants to hear how what they are doing and sacrificing is so important, that bringing the gospel is so vital, that you are doing it too. You understand that Jesus Christ was born in that manger so that all mankind could be saved.  That the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth and with it the priesthood keys and ordinances that bind and seal us together for all eternity.  That because of Christ's atoning sacrifice we can change, we can improve, we can return to God again.

You've got three weeks.

Start by praying every morning and every evening for missionary experiences.

Keep a pass along card, mormon.org card or Book of Mormon with you--just in case.

I know you have a ward party, a RS dinner, a choir performance that you can invite people to--invite them!

When you are chatting at work about how busy the season is, how far behind you are on your preparations, etc. go the extra step and say how much you love Christmas and how amazing it is that Jesus was born, lived and died for us.

Actually bear your testimony to your visiting teachees.

Ask the missionaries in your area to find someone to teach in your home.

Easiest of all, TELL PEOPLE YOUR MISSIONARY WILL NOT BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS AND YOU ARE SO GLAD!  Sorry for the yelling, but if you have a son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandmother, aunt, neighbor or former cub scout on a mission, tell the world!  I guarantee if you start talking about how your missionary being away, or how you only talk to them twice a year, people will want to know what kind of crazy peppermint you've been smoking.  Tell them!

We know you miss them, but we also know how proud you are of them.

Come Christmas morning--tell your missionary what you did because of their example.  Tell them how you wanted to be a part of something so very dear to their hearts.

Christ is  the point of Christmas.  Joy to the World!