This week has been pretty slow... I'm not sure what it is, but nearly all of our appointments keep cancelling on us. We still have been working hard, and the Lord has blessed us with three new people to teach this week. I don't know if they have a whole lot of potential at this moment, but I'm optimistic!
Elder Greenwood was called as the new District Leader for this transfer which has been a great learning experience for me! I get to go to all of the trainer meetings and see what it is like to be the district leader. Odds are that I will be a District Leader at some point within my mission. Nearly every elder gets that opportunity in this mission at some point.
We are teaching this married couple, Fred and Kim, and they are somewhat of an enigma. They go to church every Sunday. Fred has read the entire Book of Mormon. They watched all of general conference. They're pretty much living all of the commandments. Yet, they refuse to get baptized! I'm at a loss here. I don't know what we can teach them to help them realize that Baptism is essential for salvation! They are progressing, just very slowly. We're planning to teach them about temples and eternal marriages next to see if that sparks some interest.
"Nothing in missionary work happens until you find people to teach" the question is, what is the most effective way to find people to teach. Let me tell you what the answer should be: members. Referrals given to us by members have a higher likelihood than any other to continue not only to baptism, but to temple covenants. Why do I emphasize this? I think of my family back home. In the nearly 20 years we lived in that house, we gave the missionaries maybe one or two solid referrals. From personal experience, it's easy to think that you are already doing enough, that there is not more you can do. Sadly, that is not true at all.
We have met many, many, many members here in Utah. There is a discernable difference between those who actively try to get to know their neighbors and prepare them for missionaries, and those that think they are doing enough. So far, in this area, out of the 16 people we are teaching, maybe 3 of them were found through member referrals. I know that may seem like a lot, but, in Utah, that is terrible. Most of the people we are teaching should come from members having prepared the way through friendship and love.
Now don't think that I am just a bitter missionary who is complaining that I don't have more work to do hahaha. We have plenty of work to do! Every moment of every day has work for us to do. We are constantly busy. This past week has had far more time spent trying to find people to teach rather than actually teaching. It's slow, but steadily increasing.
I hope this next week is as amazing for all of you as I know it will be for me!
Elder Francis
This is mine and my companion's haircut which we got last p-day. He asked for a little off the top and the sides and they shaved his head hahahaha.
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