TAIWAN
TAICHUNG MISSION
JUNE 2002 NEWSLETTER
High Flight
Dear Elders and Sisters:
I'm
not sure if there are geese in Taiwan, but if you are in North America during the fall time of the
year, you will see geese heading south for the winter flying along in
"V" formation. You might be
interested in knowing what science has discovered about why geese fly that
way. It has been learned that as each
bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the
bird immediately following. By flying
in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying
range than if each bird flew on its own.
As missionaries, we share a common direction and a sense of
community. We can get where we are going
with a greater number of baptisms quicker and easier when we are traveling on
the thrust of one another. It's called
"companionship."
Whenever
a goose falls out of a formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of
trying to do it alone, and quickly gets back into
formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in
front of it. If we have as much sense as
a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed in the same
direction in the missionary work we are called to do.
When the lead goose gets
tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. You see, it pays to take turns doing
difficult and different tasks in missionary work.
As
the geese honk from behind, they encourage those up front to keep up their
speed. You have your companion, a
District Leader, a Zone Leader, the Assistants to the President, Sister Larkin
and me all honking from behind encouraging you to get going in this work. So what do you say when someone honks from
behind?
Finally, now I want you to get this, when a goose gets sick or is hurt
and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and
protect him. They stay with him until
he is able to fly again and then they launch out on their own or with another
formation to catch up with their original group. If your investigators know that you stand by
them (like geese), they will be pushing down the walls of the chapel each
Sunday trying to get in.
You
see, Elders and Sisters, all we have to do in order to attract those who are
missing out is demonstrate to the Taiwanese people that we have as much sense
as a goose. That seems little enough
price to pay to win the love and minister to one another, doesn't it? We need only to really care and show
it. There is no need for northern charm
mixed with salesmanship, just genuine Christian (missionary) love. Even geese have enough sense to know it works
every time.
Let's
have another baptizing month for June.
Thank you for working hard and diligently.
I love each one of you,
President Larkin
Sister Larkins June 2002
Message
Dear Elders and Sisters:
I
salute you! Apartment checks went very
well. The majority of apartments were up
to standard, and by the time of this writing all of the apartments will have
reached that point. "What is that
standard?" you might be asking. It
is having your apartments clean so the Spirit of the Lord can dwell with you.
Some
of you may feel that you are environmentally challenged, but I do not think
that this is the case. I feel that you
are willing to and capable of bringing order out of chaos. If you do not agree with me, then you are
leaving out the single most important companion in your apartment - the Holy
Ghost, and he does not like soiled clothes lying around, or dishes on the table
and in the sink, or books strewn about, or a moldy refrigerator or an unclean
bathroom. When the Lord says,
"Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a
house of confusion" (D&C 132:8), He means just that.
"The
simplest, most direct method of creating sacredness in everyday surroundings is
cleaning. I know this activity is
usually relegated to the realm of drudgery, but it can become a practical means
of infusing consciousness into (and of) your surroundings. Sacredness is experienced in the qualities of
purity, orderliness, balance, and renewal.
All of these are achieved through cleaning. In the process, neglected objects and corners
of our living environments receive love and attention. The glow of consciousness passes into floors,
furniture, dishes, and counter tops, making them shine. Without spending a penny on redesign, the
room is transformed." (L. Tom
Perry, Oct. 2000 General Conference)
I do
not want to see in our mission that you are treating secondary things with
primary importance. By that I mean that
basketball or an outing on preparation day is often positioned before apartment
cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping.
Remember, your success in life depends on being able to keep things in
proper order. Planning well your
preparation day does not have to signal drudgery. If everyone spends five minutes a day
straightening up, the entire apartment can be kept orderly and odor-free, then
preparation day will mean cleaning the kitchen and bathroom thoroughly, doing
your laundry, and shopping -- making it all a game, to be finished by 10:00
a.m.,
at the latest noon, then the rest of the day is yours.
Start
with the basics: soiled clothes have an offensive odor! In our climate, unless clothes are properly
dried, they will quickly mildew and give your apartments a stale smell. Air-dry your sweaty clothes - this will
eliminate the need to do the wash before the next preparation day.
Garments
are sacred - treat them as such. It is
not only poor housekeeping but also poor spiritual etiquette to leave your holy
garment lying on the floor or the bottom of your wardrobe. Make sure you have a hamper, basket, bag
(hanging) or box to put your soiled garments in. After you have washed your garments, fold
them and put them in either a drawer or the bottom of your wardrobe. Never compromise on handling sacred
clothing. The Lord declared,
"Trifle not with sacred things" (D&C 6:12). The word trifle means to treat lightly or
jokingly. You cannot expect to treat
disrespectfully that which God has given us and then ask for his divine help
during your day's work.
Many of you transferred this May move call, so it is a time of new
beginnings, I would like to invite you to have a companionship council and set
up a cleaning schedule, so no one will feel overly oppressed by having to do
something to keep the apartment clean.
If you will all agree from this new beginning to keep a clean apartment,
you can reinforce each other when you start to slip a little. Have a set time for quick cleaning (the five
minutes just before companionship prayer prior to leaving for the day could
work well), then on preparation day you will do a
deeper, more thorough cleaning. The key
is to establish a routine; then follow through to make it happen.
Many apartments need to be painted, and we are working on that, but in
the mean time washing your walls will really spruce up your apartments. Soap, water, and rags are cheap, but the
dividends are amazing. Your apartments
will actually smell like home! That
would be nice. Don't let needed repairs
slide. If you can make the repair
yourself, then do so; if not, call Elder Peterson so arrangements can be made
to have the repairs done. When your
apartments look and smell bad, it is discouraging. Do yourselves a favor and clean, and make
repairs, so your apartment is a fitting abode for servants of the Most High
God. It doesn't have to be a palace, but
it shouldn't resemble the city dump.
Take pride in stewardship.
I do not want you to live in unsanitary conditions. Doing so is hardly fitting for an ambassador
of the Lord. Elders and Sisters, if
there needs to be an attitude adjustment, do everything within your power to
bring about the change. Ignoring
unacceptable behavior only postpones the lesson that must be learned. We all have to learn to be clean enough to be
welcomed into the presence of our Heavenly Father. We aren't doing ourselves a favor if we think
someone else will help or keep us clean, that is our responsibility.
"The
Spirit of the Lord is at the ready, and if we build a spiritual edifice, He
will come." -Elder L. Tom Perry
I am
here to help, please call. I love you.
Sister Pat Larkin
Welcome to our new
missionaries:
Elder Andrew Adair Sister Mary
Hansen
Elder Chen Yi-Cheng Sister Kristin
Holmstrom
Elder Jay Gordet Sister
Emily Love
Elder Caleb Rowley Sister Leah
McLaughlin
Elder Brett Warren Sister Annie
Mortensen
Elder Keith Wilson Sister Eriko
Murayama
Sister Brittany Pugh
Congratulations to those who
have recently certified:
Elder Thayne Lewis Sister Carolyn
Newbold
Sister Shari Bignall Sister Marcee
Taggart
Sister LaNell Brown
Thanks to these returning
missionaries:
Elder Bryce Clarke Sister
Melanie Mickelson
Elder Jared Hill Sister
Mellanie Witt
Elder Alexander Septon Sister Emmalee
Worwood
The Assistants June 2002
Message
Elders
and Sisters-
What
a wonderful month May was! We have truly
felt and seen the Lords hand in this great cause, that of helping our brothers
and sisters find their way back to the fold.
How truly great is [our] calling.
We thank you for your faith, prayers, DESIRE and HARD WORK. The Savior is our leader in this great
cause. We must always follow Him by
seeking out His WILL. In Helaman 10:4-5,
the Savior said to Nephi: Blessed are
thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou
hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given thee,
unto this people. And thou hast not
feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought
my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with
such unwearyingness, behold I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee
mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works;
.
As we do this WORK with unwearyingness, a pure DESIRE
and a focus on seeking His WILL, these promised blessings will come. Can you feel it?
Love,
Elder Smith Elder McAllister
