Hasn't he grown!

Elder Mitchell asked:

How is the missionary work going in Livingston? Enjoying being Ward Mission Leader? What are the missionaries like? yesterday, we had one of the members thank me and Elder Holmes for being "outstanding missionaries" I don't feel I'm doing that good a job at times, but I'm glad someone thinks so.

The work is going well here in Reading though, so I can't complain.

Well, I hope you are all doing well.

I love you

Elder Mitchell

I told him:

Hi Elder Mitchell,

You asked how the missionary work is going.  Well we have Elder Park from Utah, and Elder Allison from Leicester  (he knows Damian and his family).  Elder Park has been out about 3 weeks longer than you and Elder Allison has been out a bit less.  Elder Park has yet to have a baptism and Elder Allison has only had one.  They have a few investigators and seem to be keeping busy teaching. need We’ve set a baptismal date of the 30^th March – no idea who, but I feel we need a date to work to. It’s not enough just to have a personal goal of how many baptisms each missionary wants for this year (as Pres Brown has asked each missionary to do).  I want, if I’m not out of order, to have each missionary that serves here to have the joy of seeing someone enter the waters of baptism.  It’s taken me this long to realise that.

I enjoy serving as the Ward Mission Leader – not sure how well I’m really doing at it, but I’m doing my best.  I haven’t been to Ward Council since I was released as bishop – I’ve just not been in town due to all the travelling I’ve been doing for work.

Two areas I want to see the Ward do better at and that is holding Cottage Evenings and service projects.  Delia and Spike have accepted the assignment of planning one in the next 6 weeks, so that’s a start, and we have the chance of a few service projects too.  I want the investigators to be involved in giving service – to show that we care for others.  I don’t know how important that is, but I know it is important.

Take care Zac, I love you as only a missionary’s father can!

God bless,

Dad 

He responded:

Hi Dad, its good to hear that the work is going well. So President Brown has got the missionaries to set a goal of how many they want to baptise this year? is that for the missionary alone? Down here President Millar has got us to set a goal for baptisms in each area. So Reading has a goal for 10 baptisms in 2013. It is interesting to see how different mission President's work, but even though they are differences there is no doubt that they have been called of the Lord and are the best ones for the job at this particular time.

I'm sure you are doing a great job at being Ward Mission Leader. Cottage evenings is a great idea though. As we get the investigators into members homes, they can have a friend in the gospel who will always been there to support them, even long after the missionaries that taught them have left. It is really important to get the members involved in the work. I'm sure I've said this before but with the amount of new missionaries coming in, it is goign to get to the point where simple tracting will not be good enough anymore. The members and missionaries need to work together as a team. For years and years the Prophets and the Apostles have been teaching us that every member is a missionary and now is the time that needs to come to pass. Us missionaries can't work without the hep of the members, the work will not progress. That's my little two pence worth haha.

I hope you are all doing well. I love you all so very much.

Love Elder MItchell