TAIWAN TAICHUNG MISSION
AUGUST 2002 NEWSLETTER
High Flight
Dear Elders and Sisters:
In
reviewing over your weekly letters/reports and in talking with you, I note
periodically some sense of discouragement in your missionary work. Although you are striving to meet your goals
and feel the Spirit directing you, it is normal to get discouraged once in a
while, but not to the extent that it is pulling you down. Missionary work is hard work, and you will
face many disappointments. It is how
you handle discouragement that is important.
Discouragement does not mean you are failing. Rather it should lead to a greater determination to press on, to
keep striving for the inspiration you need, to keep praying and keep
working. I want to share with you nine
principles for learning to better live with discouragement as a missionary:
1) Be
Secure with the Savior; 2) Forget About Yourself and go to Work and
Build Others; 3) Be Yourself; 4) Set Self-Improvement Goals;
5) Trust the Lord; 6) Overcome Self-Doubt; 7) Be Positive;
8) Rely on Others; and 9) Remember the Law of Agency.
Recently
a missionary told me about an area in which he was working. He said that for six weeks he and his
companion had had no success. He
received a new companion, and the first day they had success. They began teaching families who were later
baptized. When I asked, "What made
the difference?" the Elder replied, "Well, the new Elder and I had a positive
attitude and we had faith." When
you say, "I cannot do it, President," you are saying "The
Holy Ghost cannot work through me."
Negative thinking and faith do not go together. You cannot think negatively about your
companion, your leaders, your area, your contacts, or your investigators. When
you are negative, how can you radiate love?
Perhaps the greatest source of encouragement in
fighting adversity comes from our Lord and Savior - from His word which is a
lantern unto our feet. Not only can we
turn to Him for comfort and guidance, but we can also gain strength by
remembering what He has already done for us.
I call your attention to the words from the hymn, "Count Your
Blessings":
When
you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count
your many blessings; name them one by one,
And
it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
If counting your blessings
helps you overcome discouragement, it is because by doing so we realize we have
had success and therein we find self-encouragement.
All
missionaries get discouraged at times. It happened to me when I was serving
here 38 years ago. Discouragement is always overcome by success in teaching a
receptive family or individual. Don't
take the lack of baptisms as a reflection that you are unrighteous if in fact
you are serving with all your heart.
There are circumstances beyond your control. Don't despair or take it personally. Be positive, press on with faith, and continue to serve to the
best of your ability. Such was the case
in the Central States Mission in 1914 when Elder Spencer W. Kimball served his
mission. At times he had no regular lodging
for the night and had to ask for lodging.
He recalled a night when the bed bugs were so bad that his bed was
spotted with blood. (Edward L. and Andrew E. Kimball, Jr., Spencer W.
Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1979], pp. 75-76.)
There
is nothing wrong in admitting you need some encouragement. The communication of your feelings to your
companion, your mission leaders, or your family will help you as you share your
feelings. Be not afraid or embarrassed
to ask for help. Remember that any rejection
of your message is a rejection of Jesus Christ, not you. Don't take rejection personally. If you will remember this, you can keep your
spirits up and avoid discouragement when people don't accept your invitation to
hear your message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we just need to return back to the basics. Go to your testimony, go to the scriptures,
go to your patriarchal blessing for guidance.
The
Lord Himself has said, "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your
left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you,
to bear you up" (D&C 84:88)
"I know thy heart, and have heard thy prayers." (D&C 112:11) "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your
heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in
your heart" (D&C 8:2).
You
must not let Satan reduce your feelings of self-worth.
Your
responsibility is to continue to generate a bright light and to even
co-generate light and knowledge as you link up with the Holy Ghost as your
source of inspiration. We are on a
well-marked path that leads to our eternal home. (Elder W. Craig Zwick, August 2002 Ensign, p. 43-47)
President Hinckley reminds us: "You go out as an ambassador of the
Lord Jesus Christ with full powers, plenary powers, if you will, to represent
Him before the world and the fact is that on your narrow shoulders rest the
name and the message and the reputation of this Church. Be happy in this work. Wear on your countenance the truth of the gospel
of Jesus Christ - the good news which He came into the world to communicate to
the world. Be happy about it. There is no greater message in all the world
than this of which you bear testimony." (25 Jun 1999, Devotional for
Missionaries)
With love. Our prayers are with each of you daily!
President J. Kent Larkin
Sister Larkins August 2002
Message
I
would like to share with you "The Parable of the Mule."
Once
there was a farmer who owned an old mule.
One day the mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule braying. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized
with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the
trouble of saving. Instead, the farmer
called his neighbors together, told them what had happened and enlisted them to
help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially,
the old mule was hysterical! But as the
farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a
thought struck him -- every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back HE
COULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!
This
he did, blow after blow. "Shake it
off and step up... shake it off and step up...shake it off and step
up!" He repeated this to encourage
himself. No matter how painful the
blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought
"panic" and just kept on
shaking it off and stepping up! It
wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly
over the wall of the well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped
him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
THAT'S
LIFE! If we face our problems and
respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or
self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM
THE VERY REAL POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT US!
Never
be afraid to try something new.
Remember that amateurs built the ark, professionals built the
Titanic.
Never
forget to keep stepping up!
I love you for your courage
to keep 'stepping up'.
Sister Pat Larkin
Welcome to our new
missionaries:
Elder Jason Crawford Elder Joshua Thun
Elder Gary Gardiner Elder Luke Tobey
Elder Isaac Hinckley Elder Jacob Wadsworth
Elder Aaron Oxenrider Sister Kuo Yi-Chih
Elder Seth Root Sister Jana Schurig
Elder Devin Soelberg
Congratulations to those who
have recently certified:
Elder Taylor Bradford Sister Elizabeth Riley
Elder Linton Dean Elder Christopher Williams
Elder Ryan Jamison Elder John Woodland
Elder Derrick Stout
Thanks to these returning
missionaries:
Elder John Sipherd Elder Gregory Rosendahl
Sister Janice Sipherd Elder Alexander Soria
Elder David Barberi Elder Eric Stettler
Elder Clifford Clive Elder Steven Workman
Elder Peter Decker Sister Eveline Chen
Elder Erik Falor Sister Karin Inouye
Elder Caleb Gilbert Sister Gwendolyn Robertson
Elder Jeremy Rasband Sister Wang Shi-Fen
Elder Joshua Ray
The Assistants August 2002
Message
Elders and Sisters-
We have
thought long and hard about what to write, but honestly when it comes down to
it there's really not a whole lot to say... Let us not be like the Jews of old
who were always "looking beyond the mark." (Jacob 4:14) WE ARE HERE TO BAPTIZE. We eat to baptize, we sleep to baptize;
Elders and Sisters, we even brush our teeth to baptize. Let us not forget why we are here.
Elder
McAllister Elder Dunn
