Passwords and Power of attorney

So some of the things you will want to leave at home in the care of someone mature, and responsible include: access to your blog, email and bank accounts, all passwords to social media accounts, school records,and missionsite.net. This would mean you make a spreadsheet of names, web address and passwords, then print it or save on a flash drive, or both. It needs to be given to someone responsible in case of emergency. This will help your representative communicate with extended family, or your university when you are on your way home. If ever your credit/debit card were compromised, your rep would need access to this information.

That someone should also have a notarized power-of-attorney. This document gives a person the ability to take care of legal matters for you while you are in the mission field. Issues regarding schooling, loans, credit, taxes, health care decisions, are best determined by someone who knows you. Most missionaries choose a parent.  Take the document unsigned to your bank or credit union with ID and the people you have chosen to care for your legal life. They will have all parties sign it and be your witness that will notarize the signatures. Most credit unions notarize for free, some banks charge a small fee.

Disclaimer:::I can send you a blank document that we used if you comment with your email. I am not an attorney but it will give you a starting framework.

God is LOVE

I was sent a link to this great article for missionaries and their families. When facing a challenge while on mission, all do at some point, read this article and renew your faith, hope and pure love of Christ.

http://www.ldsmag.com/article/1/12544

Letters to Struggling Missionaries
By Larry Barkdull

Second tip for today. If you are struggling, only write your mom or dad, or someone that will bouy you up, encourage you and edit your letters prior to posting on your blog. It is OK to have challenges and to write about them. (Not OK to post whining).

God is shortening his work- Pres David O McKay

When President Hugh B Brown spoke to the missionaries in the New England Mission, he told how Pres. David O. McKay was touched when he thought of the missionaries preparing the way for the Second Coming:

I met with President McKay, Friday of this week, in his room. And he asked me if I would extend to you his love and blessing and his gratitude. And his voice broke as he said, “Brother Brown, when I think there are 12,000 young men out teaching what you and I taught a half-century ago, and when I think of the accomplishments of these young people, I cannot but believe that God is shortening his work and that the final days are upon us. And that some young people, now living, will be instruments in [the] great work to be done in anticipation of and participation in those final wind-up scenes.”  (italic added)

I think you men and women are chosen, not only that, I think you were held back from coming into the world until the time when your particular type of young people would be needed.

I call upon you young men and women to resolve irrevocably today that you will continue true to the truth while you live on the earth. First, because you were called and sent here from the other side. Second, because inspiration is coming into your lives as you go about teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. (New England Prophet [New England States Mission Publication, Jan 1964])

 

Making The Most of Your Mission- Whetten (part 1)

I have condensed some of the ideas from this book to share with you. This is the first two chapters. More to follow.......

Making the Most of Your Mission—John D. Whetten

1.       What Makes a Great Missionary?

Your mission, like every mission, has successful missionaries.  These missionaries change lives because they have followed certain principles and gained certain attributes. As you learn and follow the principles of effective missionary work, you too will become a successful missionary.

These principles include dedication, seek to be led by the Spirit, effective teaching, develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and have a Christ-like character.

Do not compare yourself to other missionaries. Instead, emulate the example of the Savior’s greatest missionaries, Paul, Nephi, Alma, and the sons of Mosiah.

 

2.       Catch the Vision of Your Calling

Missionaries frequently experience a great change during their mission. This mighty change will come when you suddenly become aware of : 1) the eternal importance of your calling, 2)why you are on a mission, 3)the eternal effect of you message on others, and 4)the spiritual power available to help you succeed. This perspective of your mission is something you do not inherit; you have to work extremely hard to receive it. The degree to which you achieve this-not the office you hold- will determine the success of your mission.

D&C 15:6,  D&C 18:10, 15-16

Missionary work is so important that in the premortal existence which who was to serve as a missionary was foreordained to that calling. This gives new incentive and responsibility to a call from the prophet to modern-day missionaries. Not only do they have the calling and authority from the prophet, but also from the grand council of heaven!

D&C 4, D&C 61:34,

One of the reasons you go on a mission, is to gain a spiritual conviction and to begin achieving your salvation. Second reason is to learn to live by the Spirit. You will then be better able to make inspired decisions concerning a profession, selection of a spouse, and other matters throughout your life. No better time will come to learn to live by the Spirit than during your mission. You will reap the benefits of this knowledge throughout your life.

You also go on a mission to be molded by the Spirit of the Lord, and be an emissary of Jesus Christ in teaching his gospel to others. You are an ambassador of God blessed with his power and sent forth with his promises. You are an emissary of Jesus Christ and bring the message to others of peace and goodwill toward men and women. Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith said, ‘We are all called to raise the warning voice to invite men to forsake the world, and to come unto Christ and gain all of the blessings of the Gospel.’(Improvement Era, Sept. 1970 pg13)

Your message will have an eternal effect on the lives of those you teach. Through you , people can know that a prophet is here upon the earth speaking the words of God, that the authority of the apostles has been restored, and that a father can hold the authority of God to bless his family.

Your calling is the opportunity to help Father bring back his children into the fold. Your calling is a partnership with God; D&C 84:88-89. You will need to rely upon your knowledge of the spiritual power available to help you succeed. You are not alone. There are those of the priesthood in heaven who help bring about this great missionary work. Herold B Lee commented, ‘There is a tremendous spirit here this afternoon that I feel- now if you will keep it. The Lord is sending his angels to watch over you and guide you, if you’ll only put yourself in the way of listening and being prepared when the spirit comes.’ (Church News, Nov 23, 1963, p5)

 

Especially for sisters-- prepping

Some of the best suggestions given while preparing to serve include:

1)   Wear your mission clothes for at least 1 month to check out the fit, especially shoes. Some missionaries get into the field and then find out how uncomfortable they are walking in cute shoes all day. Be more practical and be comfortable. Tired, achy feet slow down the work.

2)   Start taking vitamins and probiotics a month or two prior to leaving home. There is a lot of strange and wonderful food in this world and just because it is edible does not mean you will feel great afterwards.

3)   Sisters have personal hygiene needs monthly. Try to determine what kinds of supplies you will need during your mission and the availability in the area you will serve. Stateside, you will have a Walmart around every corner. Foreign areas may have low quality, if any supplies. Be prepared to take 18 months worth of supplies like my friend did for Japan. 

4)   First aid kit and medications. Get some instruction if you have never dealt with allergies, a cold, flu or stomach upset by yourself. Buy a thermometer at the dollar store and put it in. A few bandaids and ointments go a long way towards comforting blisters, foot fungus, bug bites and heat rash. Familiarize yourself with these and test them to make sure you don’t have allergy to any.

http://missionarymedicine.com/shop/

This website will help you be familiar with the kinds of region- and illness-specific medical information so that missionaries and their families can find all the health information necessary at the click of a button.

 

Keys to Missionary Work

Keys to Missionary Work

by David Ren Jenkins

1)      Develop a deep gratitude for what the Gospel of Jesus Christ has done in your life such that it is consciously in the forefront of your mind throughout your day. (In other words, you think about it constantly.)

2)      Perfect your love of others and your desire to see them blessed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This, too, must be consciously in the forefront of your mind throughout your day. Soften your heart through scripture reading, prayer, and fasting, but DOING it is what matters. If you so choose, ‘take it upon yourself’ to share the word of God ‘all the remainder of your days’. Read and pray about Helaman 5:4. Also  come up with a list of scriptures that inspire you to do missionary work, such as D&C 4, Alma 36:24, D&C 60:2, Mosiah 28:3. etc.  Read and ponder them DAILY. If you do not do this daily, it will just be something you think about occasionally, but never do!

3)      Care more about others than what others think of you. D&C 60:2

4)      ‘One is all that matters’. One person. One soul is all that matters in all of God’s creation. Learn to love ‘the one’ enough to share everywhere, for every person you ever meet means everything to God.

5)      Be ready for you greatest fear. My greatest fear is that someone will yell at me and treat me rudely. I am ready for that fear. If someone does yell at me or treat me rudely, then (inside my mind) I say, ‘Yes! I did it! I talked to them!’It doesn’t matter what they say. I am not after an answer of ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I am after a ‘way of life’ of sharing, and each time I share, it will be so much easier next time. Sharing the gospel is about getting yourself to do it, over and over, in the moment and getting used to that.

6)      Don’t base your self-worth, or any judgment at all on what they say.  Many people share the gospel and are so scared that the person might say ‘no’. IT IS OKAY IF THEY DO, as a matter of fact it is their right. When people feel it is okay for them, either way, they feel comfortable and will make a decision based on their heart instead of on ‘not wanting to hurt your feelings’.  This way they can feel the Spirit.

7)      Tell people what it means to you. Don’t try and convince them of anything through scriptural rhetoric and proof. Tell them what it has done for you (they can’t argue with that) and the Spirit will manifest the truth of it unto them.

8)      If you feel comfortable, they feel comfortable.

9)      The first thought is the Spirit saying, ‘Go talk to that person’.  The second thought is just you talking yourself out of it. Learn to recognize this! You can always give yourself ‘great reasons’ no to do anything (and you will find them!) Learn to talk yourself INTO it all day long.

10)   When the Lord knows you will talk to people, he will bring them out of their way.  This is a very important key. When you are willing and ready to talk to people (and maybe even pray and say, ‘Heavenly Father, please put people in my path today who are ready and I will talk to them.’) the Lord will drag them out of their way to meet you. When He drags them out of their way to bump into you and you just say, ‘Excuse me,’ and keep going, then He will be reluctant to do it again.

11)   Never condemn someone to saying ‘No’.  You can never tell if someone will say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The person you are sure would say ‘yes’, may not be interested at all, and the person you thought would say ‘no’, may voraciously wish to hear the message. Never condemn someone to saying ‘no’ by not giving them the gift of choice. Let them decide.

12)   Share because you love them.  They will feel when you are speaking to them for this reason.

13)   Allow the goodness of the Spirit to flow within you as you speak.  You have so much ‘goodness’ inside, especially regarding the gospel. Allow it to animate you and your smile as you share the gospel.

14)   Know the strength of your message in the moment you share it.  In other words, ’No Stinky Rag’. If in the moment you share, you doubt anything about your message, yourself, or that the person may not want to talk to you, they will feel it. In the moment you speak, you must know the power of your message and the truth of it.

15)   Be conscious of where the other person is at, and follow the Spirit.  When called upon, bear a powerful testimony about the truth of this message. But if you feel inspired, be conscious that they might need something different. Telling them this is ‘the one true church’, when they don’t believe there is a true church, may be like telling them, ‘This is the one true yogurt and you must eat only this kind’. The Spirit will let you know, but be ready to witness the truth, powerfully, at all times and in all places (Mosiah 18:8-9).

16)   When they feel the Spirit, invite them to make a commitment  (go to church, etc.). The Church spent a lot of money researching how people become converted. They found that when people feel the Spirit, and are asked to make a commitment, then they keep it, that is how they are converted. The key here is to always ask, but especially ask if they feel the Spirit. That is a key moment.

17)   If the Lord knows you will talk to people, he will drag them out of their way.  When you are willing to talk to people everywhere, the Lord will set up opportunities.

18)   Train your mind to be a ‘Missionary Mind’. Train yourself to consciously see missionary opportunities everywhere, and you act on them.

It is my prayer you will learn to overcome your fear and share, and make a difference in the lives of others constantly. The gospel is true, and not only true but so important. It can change the heart of any man or woman and return them to who they are as a child of God. It is my prayer we will do so, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen- Brother David Jenkins

You can download a copy of the missionary book, In All Places (for all members) at

www.thecorporatepitchman.com/missionary.doc

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. I saw a quote posted a while back on several blogs and on here a few times, BUT it is not a real quote from President Hinckley.

This is the false quote:

"Today many sisters are being called to serve. Many more are preparing to serve. Not because they aren't married or don't have anything else to do, but they have the desire to serve. One reason that the Lord wants more sisters to serve is because within the next generation He will send His priesthood army to the earth. He wants to send choice spirit children to mothers who have been prepared, properly trained, and taught in the gospel. What better schooling can a mother have than the experience and growth she gains through serving a mission?" -President Gordon B. Hinckley 

If you search LDS.org for the quote, there is no result. Even if you google search it, it can only be found on blogs. Never on a church website or news site. Also, it can be proven that President Hinckley believed that it was more of a priesthood responsibility and that sisters should not feel obligated to go.

"I wish to say that the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve are united in saying to our young sisters that they are not under obligation to go on missions. I hope I can say what I have to say in a way that will not be offensive to anyone. Young women should not feel that they have a duty comparable to that of young men. Some of them will very much wish to go. If so, they should counsel with their bishops as well as their parents. If the idea persists, the bishop will know what to do.

I say what has been said before, that missionary work is essentially a priesthood responsibility. As such, our young men must carry the major burden. This is their responsibility and their obligation.

We do not ask the young women to consider a mission as an essential part of their life’s program. Again to the sisters I say that you will be as highly respected, you will be considered as being as much in the line of duty, your efforts will be as acceptable to the Lord and to the Church whether you go on a mission or do not go on a mission.

I certainly do not wish to say or imply that your services are not wanted. I simply say that a mission is not necessary as a part of your lives (Gordon B. Hinckley, Words of the Prophet: Forget Yourselves and Go. New Era, Oct. 2002).

During a separate talk, President Hinckley also said this: 

"Now I wish to say something to bishops and stake presidents concerning missionary service. It is a sensitive matter. There seems to be growing in the Church an idea that all young women as well as all young men should go on missions. We need some young women. They perform a remarkable work. They can get in homes where the elders cannot.

I confess that I have two granddaughters on missions. They are bright and beautiful young women. They are working hard and accomplishing much good. Speaking with their bishops and their parents, they made their own decisions to go. They did not tell me until they turned their papers in. I had nothing to do with their decision to go.

Now, having made that confession, I wish to say that the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve are united in saying to our young sisters that they are not under obligation to go on missions. I hope I can say what I have to say in a way that will not be offensive to anyone. Young women should not feel that they have a duty comparable to that of young men. Some of them will very much wish to go. If so, they should counsel with their bishop as well as their parents. If the idea persists, the bishop will know what to do.

I say what has been said before, that missionary work is essentially a priesthood responsibility. As such, our young men must carry the major burden. This is their responsibility and their obligation.

We do not ask the young women to consider a mission as an essential part of their life’s program. Over a period of many years, we have held the age level higher for them in an effort to keep the number going relatively small. Again to the sisters I say that you will be as highly respected, you will be considered as being as much in the line of duty, your efforts will be as acceptable to the Lord and to the Church whether you go on a mission or do not go on a mission.

We constantly receive letters from young women asking why the age for sister missionaries is not the same as it is for elders. We simply give them the reasons. We know that they are disappointed. We know that many have set their hearts on missions. We know that many of them wish this experience before they marry and go forward with their adult lives. I certainly do not wish to say or imply that their services are not wanted. I simply say that a mission is not necessary as a part of their lives.

Now, that may appear to be something of a strange thing to say in priesthood meeting. I say it here because I do not know where else to say it. The bishops and stake presidents of the Church have now heard it. And they must be the ones who make the judgment in this matter.

That is enough on that subject (Gordon B. Hinckley, Some Thoughts on Temples, Retention of Converts and Missionary Service. General Conference, Oct. 1997).

I hope none of you are terribly upset that this is a false quote, and I hope that you have been reminded to seek the sources before spreading things around (or using them in your farewell talks)!