Preach My Gospel Completed

We finished our training on Preach My Gospel. What a great book. You should all pull it out and read and apply.  Our last three days were spent on practicing what we learned.  The first day we taught a new couple, our first meeting.  We had to find out their spiritual background (15 min) and then present a lesson which would meet their needs (30 min).  Teaching by the spirit is the only way this can happen.  Thursday we moved to a woman who was a 2nd contact.  We had to determine if she had kept the commitment the missionaries gave her during her last lesson and proceed from there.  If the answer was yes we talked about her feelings, the blessings which come and complimented and encouraged her to continue.  Lucky for us our investigator had kept her commitment and we were able to move forward to the Plan of Salvation.  On Friday we became the inactive members and another set of missionaries taught us and then we switched places.  Talk about doing a hard thing and it becoming easier to do.  We all felt more confident by the end of the week.

MTC District:  Lewises HK Temple, Tarbets,(Jamestown NY), McPhie's (Philippians Manila Temple) Nelsons (Manhattan NY Temple), Brother Barney, Instructor

If we had any advice to give it would be, in whatever calling you have, INVITE.  Invite to pray, invite to read the Book of Mormon, invite to come to Church and invite to be baptized (if applicable). Inviting causes them to act.  Bringing the spirit into their lives will bring them unto Christ.

We spent a couple of evenings with our language tutor, Ammon Fong.  He has been a great help and support. (Neih-hou ma? Hello, how are you?  Mh-goi-saai   Thank You) He is from Hong Kong and served his mission in Australia and speaks Cantonese and Mandarin.

We came home for the weekend to finish packing and attended Church this morning.  Everyone was surprised to see us but nothing happens on the weekends at the MTC for the Senior Couples.  Tonight we are meeting with the Wilsons who have recently returned from the Hong Kong Temple.  The Victors are attending the fireside at the MTC for outgoing missionaries and we will exchange stories tomorrow.  Monday morning we meet at the Provo Temple and will be trained by Rex and Bonnie Pinegar.  We are in for a great week.  (I'll try to do the blog on Sunday or Monday)

MTC Day 2

Katie sent us a copy of our family picture we took Sunday.  We turned out pretty good.

Today we prepared lesson plans to teach lesson 1 or whatever our investigator needs.  We learned how to assess their needs and also how to invite them to the big 4:   1)pray  2) read Book of Mormon  3) come to Church  4) baptism.  We have great young return missionaries teaching us.  We are very blessed.

Tonight we had a Devotional with Elder Neil L. Andersen and his wife Kathy.  First he reminded us it was President Monson's birthday today and when he saw him this morning he told President we would all sing Happy Birthday to him, so we did.  He then spoke of President Monson and some things he knew about him that we might not.  He gave us nine points:

1. Follow the Prophet.  All of us in attendance can say yes, because two years ago he asked all worthy young men and women to serve a mission and more senior couples and here we are
2. Do your duty--that is best, leave unto the Lord the rest.  
3. Trust in the Lord   Proverbs 3:5,6 
4. Let the Lord shape your back--those whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies--deep conversion of Jesus Christ you will see and feel His power
5. Smile, enjoy yourself
6. Love the people you serve 
7. Never ignore a prompting--pray for the feelings
8. Testify of Joseph Smith--those who love him, the Lord will honor
9. Become converted to the Savior--speak of Him--testify of Him--you will never have a wasted day.

MTC 1st Day

I better start with the weekend.  All our family arrived and Friday night we took Courtney and Kaylee to the Oquirrh Mt. Temple to do baptisms.  They have made it a goal to go every month and are doing great at keeping that goal.  Saturday we all went to Brigham City for the open house of the new temple.  It was beautiful.

Sunday we spoke in Church in the River Ridge 9th Ward.  What a great ward family we have here.  Everyone has made us feel so welcome and at home.  After Sacrament meeting we went to the Stake Center where President Snow, Duke, and DeMill set us apart as missionaries.  Elder and Sister Victor were also with us and were set apart at the same time.  We are blessed to be going with friends from our home ward. 

President DeMill,  Elder & Sister Lewis, Elder & Sister Victor, Karen Bradshaw, Bishop Bradshaw, President Snow and President Duke.  

Monday morning we checked into the MTC around 10:30 where we received our orientation and met the other 33 couples and 5 senior sisters who will be with us this week.  It is thrilling to hear where everyone is going.  Most are serving in temples throughout the world like Keiv Russia, Columbia, Argentina, Manhattan, Washington, D.C., Boston, Hong Kong, PA, Siberia, can't remember all the rest.  It is so exciting to be apart of this great work.  Some important comments we heard throughout the day.

• Thrilled to be here
• Bless the lives of those we serve
• This is a defining moment
• Keep a record for your posterity
• "I will go before your face" D&C 84:88 (this applies to you and me)
• Significance of doctrine of Christ taught throughout the Book of Mormon
• "Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape"
• The most important thing you take with you on your mission is YOU
• The language you learn is an eternal gift which will be used throughout eternity

Josh's baptism January 2012

Preparing for Hong Kong Temple Mission 8/20/2012 - 2/20/2014

I have missed blogging and am anxious to get back to it.  Now that it is finally time to leave for Hong Kong it's time to get started again.  Just a quick update of the last 22 months.

• Returned from Slovenia the end of October 2010
• Went on the 4 day cruise out of Long Beach with the whole family (18)
• Spent Christmas in Island Park with family snowmobiling
• Started serving in the Jordan River Temple two days a week early morning
• Paul was called as Ward Mission Leader and I served as a missionary and Primary teacher
• Trip to Ohio for 50th High School reunion, on to Palmyra, took Mallorie (10)
• Attended family reunions during the summer
• Spent a week at Lake Powell with family
• Back to Island Park for Christmas 2011
• A couple of trips to California to visit friends in Camarillo
• More family trips to Lake Powell and Island Park

We submitted mission papers in January and received our call to serve in Hong Kong in the temple in March.   We were not available to leave until August 2012 because we wanted to attend three baptisms of three grandsons, Robbie Meier, Joshua Lewis and Brayden Radford.

  

Sunday, August 19, we speak in Church and will be set apart by President Snow, the Stake President, later that morning.  Monday morning we drive ourselves to Provo and check in at the MTC for a week of "Preach  My Gospel".  More news to come.