G'day all!
Today I am feeling unusually spiritually filled, and I feel like saying something uplifting. But first, an update on the week.We have one new investigator! The first one in three weeks! Welcome to my mission. His name is Harry, he's 84 years old, and the only reason we found him was because we were referred to him by the friend of a former that we had intended to see but wasn't there. I have a testimony of asking everybody for a referral, because -as I predicted, or rather, estimated using previous knowledge gained from past outlying areas- the only investigators we are going to receive and baptize are going to be referred to us while I am in Port Pirie, of that I am certain. Our first lesson was appalling, which made me into a raving psychopath in my head because that's where you lose investigators: that first lesson needs to be darn-well near spotless, tailored perfectly, made to fit, and topped with a cherry if we want to get a return appointment. The Lord made up for our imperfections and shortcomings; we're seeing him again on Wednesday and we'll be covering the Book of Mormon. That's about the most exciting thing that's happened all week. Oh, well, just to report, I've given probably 10 blessings since being in Port Pirie- I reckon we give two-three blessings a week. This is a branch full of widows, and there's not enough Priesthood to go around. The Lord's church really does need the Priesthood to function and we're feeling the lack thereof.
Over the course of my service thus far, I've come to several conclusions (many of them the hard way) about how missionary work should be conducted in order to be effective, and thus, display Christlike discipleship.
1) A missionary needs to forget him/herself and get to work. I don't mean this in the way that most people think of when they hear that phrase. Rather, I intend to communicate the following: if a missionary is worried about what he (I mean she's as well) is going to say next whilst speaking with someone, he has not forgotten himself. If a missionary is worried about how he did not plan an effective day and is finding it difficult to accomplish anything, he has not forgotten himself. If one's thoughts are still self-centered in the least degree, he/she hasn't forgotten him/herself yet. When the missionary begins instead to worry about the person's salvation, and what they need to hear and what they need to learn, then the missionary begins to show true discipleship. Paul did not write all his epistles whilst worrying about the possibility of sounding like an egg; he wrote them understanding that those who were receiving his words needed to be told what the Lord had told him, and that was the end of it. A missionary should not worry about himself and the way he looks or sounds as he preaches the gospel; that is not Christlike discipleship.
1) A missionary needs to forget him/herself and get to work. I don't mean this in the way that most people think of when they hear that phrase. Rather, I intend to communicate the following: if a missionary is worried about what he (I mean she's as well) is going to say next whilst speaking with someone, he has not forgotten himself. If a missionary is worried about how he did not plan an effective day and is finding it difficult to accomplish anything, he has not forgotten himself. If one's thoughts are still self-centered in the least degree, he/she hasn't forgotten him/herself yet. When the missionary begins instead to worry about the person's salvation, and what they need to hear and what they need to learn, then the missionary begins to show true discipleship. Paul did not write all his epistles whilst worrying about the possibility of sounding like an egg; he wrote them understanding that those who were receiving his words needed to be told what the Lord had told him, and that was the end of it. A missionary should not worry about himself and the way he looks or sounds as he preaches the gospel; that is not Christlike discipleship.
2) A missionary needs to stop worrying about the numbers. Numbers (referring to the numerical goals that we use as missionaries) represent people. We need them to hold ourselves accountable to something. But the Lord doesn't care about statistics. Surely, as Jeffrey R. Holland pointed out, a God who will leave the ninety and nine to save the one is not worried about or preoccupied by percentages or statistics. At the end of the day, a disciple is not asking himself "How many lessons can I teach today?" but is instead asking "How many people can I draw to Christ today?"
3) A missionary needs to go back to his purpose in the most pure and raw form. "My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ." That is all. That is the end of the story. When we engage people in conversation on the streets, we should not be pushing for more than that which they are willing to do. A disciple does not condemn, because a disciple is not the Judge. A missionary that is a true disciple of Christ will show mercy, forgiveness, and will do all he can to leave a positive impression of Christ in the life of the individual he just entered to whatever degree. A missionary will do all that he can to invite the person to learn of Christ, not do everything in his power to force the individual into doing something he/she does not want to do or is not prepared to do.
But I've actually got to go now- my computer was slow and didn't start up properly so I'm behind as it is, but my companion is finished and as per the usual, P-Day is already not going according to plan and it probably won't. Ahhh... P-Day's are the most stressful days of the week. But a disciple does not stress about P-Day!! xD
Love you all, I'm good to go =D
-Elder Schomburg
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