Vancouver Mission Star
This message was written by President and Sister Middleton. It also appears in the Vancouver Star, the weekly newsletter of the Vancouver Mission. It is sent to each companionship throughout the mission.
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I am Leonard Calvert and I’m a Mormon. What is Your Name?
One of our most missionary minded wards in BC is the Quesnel Ward. Following is a report on their excellent work:
Quesnel Ward Members Are Great Missionaries, by Elders William Hatton (and Alan Weinert)
“The members of the Quesnel Ward are awesome! The whole ward seems to be breathing missionary work, and the leadership is certainly setting the example for everyone else. Bishop Darcy Dyck is very missionary minded, and looks for opportunities to share the Gospel everywhere. The Bishop has even taken it upon himself to help our investigators commit to being baptized.
“During P.E.C. each week, which we full-time missionaries attend, missionary efforts are discussed thoroughly. The last week’s progress is talked about, and we quite often will receive a list of referrals for us from the ward leadership in attendance. A large emphasis is placed on the missionary effort, displayed by the fact that anywhere up to 75% of the meeting is spent in discussing missionary work.
“We also have a tremendous member missionary in the ward by the name of Leonard Calvert. He’s like having a second companionship here in Quesnel. He’s finding more people on the street and everywhere for us to teach than we can do ourselves! He introduces the Gospel to everyone he meets, including those he meets for the first time. We’ve been meeting with one lady for about a month now whom brother Calvert just met on the bus one day. The next thing we knew, we were sitting in her home teaching her about the restoration. There are other similar examples.
“Brother Calvert is a man who is definitely not ashamed of his beliefs. He introduces himself to random strangers on the street by shaking their hand and saying, ‘my name is Leonard Calvert, and I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What is your name?’ No hesitation of any kind, but just a desire to help the Lord. He sets a marvelous example, to us missionaries as well as the Ward. So as a whole, I would say that this ward is more missionary minded than any other one I’ve seen.”
Victoria 3rd Ward Members Are developing New Ways to Focus on Inviting, by Elders Kyle Shaw (and Samuel Taylor)
“Brother Martin Hall, as you know, is a legendary Ward Mission Leader. He has shown us his latest tool – cards that ward missionaries can hand out to other members with a list of all the things one can invite non-member friends to: Tours, upcoming Church events, Family Home Evening, service activities, Relief Society Activities, baptismal services, etc. Then there is a list of blank spaces for members to put names of friends they should invite. The card can then be placed on the refrigerator where it can be seen often.
“The mentality here in the 3rd Ward is so great – we met briefly with Bishop Randy Smith after Conference just to introduce ourselves. His whole family was excited to start telling us about all of the families they were inviting to the upcoming Ward Carnival. They have an ‘Invite, Invite, Invite’ mentality.”
How Should We Deal With Mission Dry Spells? by Elder Jared Fullmer (Written in response to the question of how to help the Elder who sees little or no baptismal success on his mission)
“As I began my mission I was very energetic and enthusiastic about the Lord’s work. I was so excited to work and to help people change their lives and become better people. I couldn’t wait to watch people accept the gospel and become members of the true Church, but I learned that I was going to have to.
“It was about a year before I was able to see someone who I taught get baptized. Frustration and discouragement often crept into my mind because I did not know why I wasn’t seeing success. I felt that I was doing all that I could, but I still wasn’t seeing very much success. ‘What am I doing wrong?” and ‘Why is that Elder seeing success when he isn’t obedient and doesn’t work hard?’ were thoughts I sometimes had. But, I just continued to do what I knew was right. I can look back and realize how much that period of time strengthened me. It is easy to work hard and do what you are supposed to when you can see the immediate blessings. It is much harder to continue to endure and be obedient when you don’t see the immediate blessings. I believe that it takes a very strong person to continue to endure, and that may be why some missionaries see the success and others don’t. Many of us need to see the blessings or we will slack off, become discouraged, or even give up.
“Just as in life we all face different trials and challenges, the mission is just the same. It may have been a real test for the Elder who did not see any baptisms. Is it because he is a bad person or a bad missionary? No, it may be that the Lord needed him to prove himself and endure. By doing so, he has been prepared for the future events which will occur in his life.
“We must also remember the harvest as well. The glory comes as we reap, but without the planting and sowing there cannot be a harvest. I am truly grateful for the time I had to work and prove to the Lord I was His, and that I would be diligent in His work. That was a time where my faith grew and I grew very close to my Savior. Thank you for posing this question to me and I hope this helps.”
How to Deal with Periods Without Baptisms, by Elder Noueru Shibayama
“I had the opportunity to think about an issue you brought up recently. Some missionaries see several baptisms and others see none, even through both of them work hard and do what they are supposed to do. To me seeing someone’s baptism is to see the harvest of our labors. I think sometimes it’s hard to continue to work without seeing the harvest of our work or reward.
“In my first transfer, I saw one baptism, which was because of other missionaries’ hard work and prayer. But I hadn’t seen any baptism after that until I had been out 16 months. During that period of time, I had struggled and tried to change myself for the better. At one point I was a little bit discouraged but, at the same time thanks to personal study time, I made up my mind to work hard even if I didn’t see any baptisms. I had peace of mind through that period of time even if I didn’t see any baptisms, as I learned to understand that the Lord judges our missionary work by how hard we work and whether our heart is in the work. Elder Boyd K. Packer gave a talk four or five years ago in which he noted that sometimes our efforts don’t openly appear, but our Heavenly Father gives us His reward. He quoted D & C 117: 12,13; D & C 124: 49. ‘…I remember my servant Oliver Granger;…for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord…’ ‘..and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform their work, and cease not their diligence,…behold it behooveth me to require that (missionary) work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.’
“I learned that our sacrifice is the most important thing in the sight of God. Satan tries to discourage us. He may whisper to us, ‘You are not enough, because you didn’t see any baptisms’ or ‘you saw lots of baptisms, and therefore you don’t need to work much anymore.’ I know that that is Satan’s lie and I am determined to work hard both in my mission and after my mission. I love to help other missionaries if they become discouraged.”
Editor’s Note: Elders Fullmer and Shibayama have noted a most important point about missionary work—whether you as a missionary see several baptisms or no baptisms during your mission your missionary service will be judged by the Lord on your sacrifice and determined effort, not by the number of baptisms you produced. We feel certain that the main measurement the Lord will use for each of us is whether we were truly ‘anxiously engaged “for our full 2 years (or 18 months for the Sisters). That we each might become anxiously engaged and remain so and might feel the Lord’s loving approval for doing so, is our constant prayer. We love you!
President and Sister Middleton
(Check off weekly whether you have achieved each of the nine goals below.)
q Ask for a referral name in every conversation with a member or non-member alike… “Will you bring an acquaintance on a Spiritual Tour?”
q Challenge members to achieve a Spiritual Tour or a Church event which can be coupled with a Spiritual Tour with their non-member friend at least 3 times yearly. Help them understand that the best way members can reach this goal is to adopt a Personal Mission Plan by which they issue at least one invitation each week.
q Our goal is to find at least one new investigator daily, and spend at least one hour daily in focused, effective Personal Finding.
q Our goal is to teach 15 or more full lessons weekly, with 50% or more with an investigator present…
q Our goal is to have at least 50 contacts daily (100-200 per day is possible in most areas in the mission), with the contact goal being prayerfully set for each area by each companionship.
q With at least 3 Spiritual Chapel Tours Weekly.
q Extend at least one baptismal invitation and commitment each week.
q Remember our mission goal: a Gospel message to everyone you see.
q As weekly goals are set for each Key Indicator, pray for inspiration, and set goals that are lofty yet achievable. Our ultimate long-term goal is for at least 3 baptisms per companionship per transfer.
“And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” -- Doctrine and Covenants 14:7
The Coveted “Off the Hook” Award:
(Week-ending April 27, 2008)
In Recognition of the following:
Baptisms Year to Date
Abbotsford and Vernon: (10 Baptisms each)
Baptisms this Week:
Prince George, Kelowna and Vancouver : (1 Baptism each)
Investigators with a Baptismal Date:
Vancouver and Abbotsford: (each with 3 Baptismal Dates )
Investigators Attending Sacrament Meeting:
Abbotsford: (39 at Sacrament Meeting)
Honorable Mention: Vancouver Language (31 at Sacrament Meeting), Surrey Language (26 at Sacrament Meeting)
Other Lesson:
Surrey: (247 other lessons)
Honorable Mention: Victoria (242 other lessons), Vancouver (241 other lessons)
Lessons with member Present
Abbotsford: (26 lessons)
Contacts
Kelowna: all companionships over 100 contacts
Surrey Language: (31.4 contacts per day average)
Honorable Mention: Victoria (31.28 contacts per day average)
Progressing Investigators:
Vancouver: (21 Progressing Investigators )
Honorable Mention: Abbotsford (20 progressing Investigators)
Tours:
Surrey: (5 Tours)
Honorable Mention: Prince George and Vancouver Language (4 Tours each)
COMPANIONSHIPS:
Elders Fullmer and Hea: 434 contacts, 1 with baptismal date, 2 at Sacrament, 3 member present, 138 other, 1 progressing, 3 new
Elders Terry and Hunsaker: 1 at Sacrament, 1 member present, 31 other, 1 new, 127 contacts, 20 full, 11 to non-members
Sisters Overlock and Lee: 1 with baptismal date, 4 at Sacrament, 2 member present, 3 progressing, 114 contacts, 20 full, 11 to non-members
Sisters Anderson and van den Bosch: 114 other, 4 progressing, 6 new, 363 contacts, 33 full, 28 to non-members
Elders Kim and Huh: 4 at Sacrament, 76 other, 3 progressing, 217 contacts, 21full, 16 to non-members
Elders Miles and Banks: 1 with baptismal date, 3 at Sacrament, 3 member present, 20 other, 1 new, 120 contacts, 16 full, 4 Tours
Sisters Dye and Weber: 1 at Sacrament, 79 other, 1 new, 175 contacts, 27 full, 16 to non-members
Elders Heinzen and Green: 21 at Sacrament, 9 progressing, 175 contacts, 17 full, 16 to non-members, 2 Tours
Sisters D’Amours and Falk: 4 at Sacrament, 4 progressing, 15 full
Elders A. Johnson and Hatton: 11 at Sacrament, 4 progressing, 16 full
Honorable Mention:
Elders Weinert and Reynolds: 1 with baptismal date, 5 member present, 20 other
Elders Barker and Park: 1 with baptismal date, 3 at Sacrament, 4 member present,
Elders Spongberg and Kirby: 1 with baptismal date, 5 member present, 2 progressing, 16 full
Elders Curtis and Wilson: 1 with baptismal date, 6 member present, 4 progressing,
Elders Knapp and Jenkins: 5 member present, 61 other, 155 contacts, 2 Tours
Elders Hall and Godfrey: 3 progressing, 145 contacts, 17 full
Elders Curiel and Lassetter: 5 at Sacrament, 6 member present, 40 other, 4 progressing, 17 full
Sisters Nibley and Anderson: 3 at Sacrament, 66 other, 152 contacts, 19 full, 11 to non-members
Elders Brunt and Feinga: 3 at Sacrament, 5 member present, 5 progressing, 19 full, 13 to non-members
Elders Mun, Gist and Jung: 2 at Sacrament, 2 member present, 63 other, 2 progressing, 1 new, 393 contacts, 17 full, 10 to non-members
Elders Thompson and White: 3 at sacrament, 3 member present, 6 new
Elders Dietz and Carlisle: 1 baptized, 6 at Sacrament, 4 member present, 19 other, 15 full
Elders Howard and Ramirez: 1 at Sacrament, 2 member present, 2 progressing, 1 new, 15 full
Elders Klekas and Taylor: 2 with baptismal date, 8 at Sacrament, 7 progressing, 100 contacts
Elders Mather and Cheng: 1 with baptismal date, 2 progressing, 16 full, 10 to non-members
Elders Leavitt and Seebeck: 1 baptized, 1 at Sacrament, 2 progressing, 258 contacts,
Elders Roberts and Bowles: 1 with baptismal date, 8 at Sacrament, 7 progressing, 215 contacts, 19 full, 17 to non-members
Elders Zmoos and Smith: 10 at Sacrament, 3 progressing, 162 contacts, 14 full, 10 to non-members
Elders Ruesch and Fillmore: 3 at Sacrament, 5 member present, 1 progressing, 108 contacts 17 full
Sisters Caribou and Wu: 2 at Sacrament, 2 member present, 4 progressing, 125 contacts, 19 full, 12 to non-members
Elders Earnest and Peck: 1 baptized, 3 member present, 3 progressing, 2 new, 121 contacts, 18 full
Elders Barker and Park: 1 with baptismal date, 2 at Sacrament, 1 progressing, 301 contacts
Sisters Dalling and Chevalier: 3 at Sacrament, 4 progressing, 15 full
Elders Heaton and Anderson: 3 at Sacrament, 3 member present, 3 progressing,
Elders Brown and Szypkowski: 1 at Sacrament, 1 member present, 38 other, 99 contacts, 14 full
Elders Walton and Evans: 1 at Sacrament, 2 member present, 99 contacts, 16 full
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS WEEK
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