Monday, June 16, 2014

Schomburg vs. Orange Zone - Round II... Week 64

G'day all!
Here I am, with my head spinning about all of the things that I have to do ever; manage the district, manage companionships, manage a trainee, manage the area, manage coordinating efforts with the ward council, account for my efforts and the slowly dying Clarence Park area, and all the rest of it... thoughts of food have actually not yet entered into my mind, but I should probably eat soon if I want to get through the day. What're you going to do!? Just keep doing!
I think that's mostly the report I have to offer this week. I got a good rebuking from my Mum about redirecting my thoughts because I have been sorely concerned about matters that just... don't need to be concerned over right now. And yes, 9 months left- the Return Missionary Elder Schomburg has been conceived, so watch out world- it's inevitable xD
I've never been so tired, or so stressed, or felt so alone before. Everything that I find myself involved in at this point is reliant upon me and my actions. It's just the Schomburgster and the Lord, taking on the Clarence Park area as it slowly grinds to a halt in missionary work! Doesn't matter- the Lord is with me and that's got to count for something.
I guess I'm being vague, but my thoughts are everywhere and I only have 17 minutes to communicate them all (thank you, stress meter, for going up even more with that little tidbit). Our area has ONE investigator who is progressing by the skin of his teeth, and after the blitz, we ended the week with 17 potential investigators. Not enough... we're about 5 time short of how many we need, statistically speaking (not that's it all stats, but the stats show that ten investigators will be gleaned from every 100 potentials, and only one of those investigators will be baptized). Ask me how I'm feeling? My area needs to be a model area for the other missionaries and it isn't. My area needs to be teaching more so my companion can actually learn and we've no one to teach. My area is not going anywhere. I know it's on me- I just haven't figured out what I'm doing wrong yet. If I had, I would've solved the issue STRAIGHT AWAY because I'm really tired of this slugging through the trenches stuff.
My companion takes everything to heart- it's difficult to give him improvements because he'll take it personally, or at least sometimes he does, which makes him unpredictable. He has this idea in his head of what we should be doing as missionaries, and when I tell him "No, that's actually not what we do" he continues to do it anyways until he learns the hard way. For instance, we were tracting and his door approach was "We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and we've come to share a message with you." He asked me why it wasn't working. I asked him why the people should care that we're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with a message to share. I guess it got him thinking. Regardless, I told him to actually treat the people like people and hold conversation that is controlled and directed towards a gospel principle or doctrine that applies to the person (easier than it sounds). He continued with his approach. It didn't work. So I showed him. I took the next door, got to know the lady properly, assured her that our message would apply to her because -fill in the blank (it was eternal families and guidance for parents through prophetic teachings, but simply put)- and asked if we could come back. She said yes! I didn't rub it into my companion's face- that isn't how anyone should teach ever. Instead, I went to the next door and kept working. I could see the Spirit working hard on him.
"Okay, what was different?" were the words I asked him. He picked up on everything, but only then was he willing to try it out. Only after he had "fallen on his face" was he willing to try it out! Why does my son insist on learning the hard way? Why can't he just trust me when I tell him that "the stove is hot"? Oh well... we're working past it. Just needs more humility. He'll learn.
Met an investigator at church that I taught twice on trade-off's back in Hectorville (I was serving in Evandale). His name is David from China, and I was the first missionary, with Elder Lisati, to teach him. Now he's moving into my area, and he actually has a baptismal date. Coincidence? I've run into him three times now, and all three times, I've seen drastic change. Whoever was working with him did something right... now it's up to me not to stuff it up xD no pressure xD
Hey, I love you all heaps, I am okay- just orange for now. I have to go rapidly find something for my district to do today (cold and rainy, so that limits us GREATLY and I have no idea what there is to do in anyone's areas...  wish me luck!).
Love you all! My prayers go out to you!
-Elder Schomburg

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