Elder Wong then shared with us 2 Kings 5:8-14, reminding us that sometimes the test of obedience required for blessings may seem so simple that we won’t comply out of unbelief. We ask ourselves, “How can dipping myself seven times in Jordon cure my leprosy”? It makes no sense to me so I’m not going to do it, I choose to continue as a leper. He then shared 1 Kings 17:10-13 pointing out the contrasting response to the prophet Elijah’s seemingly unrighteous request to a poor widow women and her child, leading to an incomprehensible blessing of, “and she, and he and her house, did eat many days.” The reward of willing sacrifice motivated by willing obedience.
This week we had a breakthrough phone call with Salt Lake concerning a technical project that we have been working on. The team in Salt Lake agreed to support us in creating a business flow in our CRM that will support automated work flows including reminders, prompts, and reports. This will help us manage our relationships much more efficiently and provide us a way to measure our efforts. We are the first Area to ask for this development and Salt Lake’s computer techies expressed a strong willingness to help us achieve this pioneering enterprise.
We had another opportunity to serve in the Temple this week which is always a highlight. Thursday, we met with Elder Wong in his office for our monthly Public Affairs meeting. This is always a fun meeting because we have the opportunity to discuss issues high on the Area Presidencies priority list. He will inform us of future events or activities that need our attention now even though they were not a high priority to us going into the meeting. It is not irregular that after this meeting we have a completely altered agenda for the week. This week he seemed anxious to tie up loose ends as he prepares to turn things over to his replacement so there is a sense of urgency in what he is doing. Tom asked him to share with us any advice that he would give us as a Public Affairs office going forward. His advice was to stay tuned to what the Area Presidencies goals and objectives are and line our efforts up accordingly. He is such a good man and will be such a great Mission President in Vancouver.
I am going to conclude this week’s blog with a document that I finished this week concerning how Senior Missionaries can be better Ambassadors of the Church. Hope you enjoy it and will talk to you next week.
Being an Ambassador for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Senior Missionaries
How can we more reflect the responsibility placed upon us as Ambassadors of the Savior’s Church?
Reflect Wisdom
As we ponder the question of Ambassadorship we may want to consider as a Senior Missionary we bring a much different perspective into the Mission Field than the younger Elders and Sisters. We bring more years of living life and all the learning experiences and maturity that come with those years. I have often looked back and wondered, would l have been a better missionary as a young Elder if I would have known then what I know now? Ironically now as a Senior Missionary I ask myself, if I had the virtues of youth today that I had as a young Elder would I be a better missionary now? I recognize that I may have the experience I lacked as a young Elder but have learned as a Senior Missionary in the field that when Oscar Wilde stated; “Youth is wasted on the Young”, he could have followed up with, experience is tethered with age. Fortunately for Senior Missionaries the years of living, learning, and knowledge gained, will ultimately cultivate wisdom and “Happy is the man that has found wisdom.”—Proverbs 3:13-15.
Reflect Experience
Elder Bednar taught; “My dear young brethren, the single most important thing you can do to prepare for a call to serve (a mission) is to become a Missionary long before you go on a Mission. Please notice… I emphasized becoming rather than going. Let me explain what I mean. In our customary Church vocabulary, we often speak of going to church, going to the temple, and going on a mission. Let me be so bold as to suggest that our rather routine emphasis on going misses the mark. The issue is not going to church; rather, the issue is worshipping and renewing covenants as we attend church. The issue is not going to or through the temple; rather, the issue is having in our hearts the spirit, the covenants, and the ordinances of the Lord’s house. The issue is not going on a mission; rather, the issue is becoming a missionary and serving throughout our entire life with “all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. It is possible for a young man to go on a mission and not become a missionary, and this is not what the Lord requires or what the Church needs. My earnest hope for each of you young men is that you will not simply go on a mission—but that you will become missionaries long before you submit your mission papers, long before you receive a call to serve, long before you are set apart by your stake president, and long before you enter the MTC”. (“Becoming a Missionary,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 45). Senior Missionaries over years of obedience to covenants typically have already matured into missionaries because of their experiences. A full-time mission provides an opportunity to experience continued blessings and growth as we serve with “all of our heart, might, mind and strength.” (D&C 4:6) “Nothing ever becomes real 'til it is experienced.” (John Keats)
Reflect Conversion
Dallin H. Oaks taught us; The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. ( The Challenge to Become ) In this light, how can we become worthy Ambassador’s for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Here are a few thoughts;
Keep your words, thoughts, and actions in harmony with the message of His gospel. Righteous conduct will influence your effectiveness as a missionary and your personal salvation. Your conduct also affects the trust and confidence of nonmembers, members, and other missionaries have in you. Show respect and love to your companion. Conduct yourself always in such a way that everyone who sees you will recognize you as a representative of Jesus Christ. (Preach my Gospel)
Reflect Example
The late President David O. Mckay taught; “Every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone, it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she is. Every person is a recipient of radiation. The Savior was conscious of that. Whenever he came into the presence of an individual, he sensed that radiation—whether it was the woman of Samaria with her past life; whether it was the woman who was to be stoned or the men who were to stone her; whether it was the statesman, Nicodemus, or one of the lepers. He was conscious of the radiation from the individual. And to a degree so are you, and so am I. It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us.” Hopefully over the many years in planning, preparing and looking forward to the day of serving together as a Senior Couple we have already graduated from just going to church, or going to the temple. But rather morphed into worshipping and renewing covenants when attending church, and have in our hearts the spirit, the covenants, and the ordinances of the Lord’s house. That we have met Elder Bednar’s earnest hope; that we will not simply go on a mission—but that we have already become missionaries long before we submitted our mission papers, long before we received a call to serve, long before we were set apart by our stake president, and long before we entered the MTC.
Reflect Ambassadorship
We have as Elder Oaks taught”; through a lifetime of living the gospel of Jesus Christ become something”. Being an Ambassador is defined as, “an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country.” Being called by the Savior Jesus Christ to represent him in the world as a Senior Missionary would clearly qualify one as his Ambassador. “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long- suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; “By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile. . . . “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven”. (D&C 121:41–42, 45)
We took a a ferry to Cheung Chau Island with the Chattertons and Sorensons
It's so different when we get out of the big city.
It's fun seeing the little markets, here you can buy 1 egg at a time.
There are no cars here, but people get around just fine.
A morning walk along the harbour toward the sunrise, and seeing how pretty the reflection was behind us.
Our Filipino Sisters completed their Business Presentations. They've earned their certificates of completion.
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