"Appoint Yourself A Teacher"

When holding a meeting, having a lesson, or leading a council, the principles in D&C 88:122 show us the way the Lord would have us go about it. (This could be super applicable in Family Home Evening)

Elder Bednar came to the mission and spent 3 hours with just the missionaries. He commended us for our preparation. He said, "The second I walked in I knew that you all have been preparing for today" 

That was a good little compliment! 

He got up and asked US what we learned from our preparation, it gave us a brief opportunity to testify to an Apostle of the Lord. After we testified and shared what we learned he would go into a brief teaching moment and WOW. It is amazing how he clearly shares his thoughts. 

After about an hour and a half he opened up to questions. I quickly found that all my questions were already answered in the teaching phase of this devotional. 

I was his mic passer arounder so I got to take a few notes but I was going back and forth constantly. 

At the very beginning of the meeting he used me as an example and pointed me out and said, "I apologize in advance, but may I use you as an example? Okay. Everybody look at this Elder, he seems like a confident man but if I were to tell him to stand up and tell you what his own name was he'd be blubbering and stumbling over his words, for some reason because I am here with other general authorities he no longer can remember his name. Is that true? and he just looked at me smiling, I smiled back and said yes sir! He responds, I knew it!" Everybody was laughing at me, it was fun :)

NOW THINGS THAT I LEARNED:

- The first thing I learned was when we as missionaries try to play, "Guess what's in my head" by asking one answer questions we take away people's ability to think and choose to answer how they feel. Because they will then immediately just try and give you an answer you want. 

- I came to realize that when we ourselves act as a "True agent" it takes away A LOT of excuses. (Ex: She made me mad, He offended me) in all honesty, they didn't. We choose how we are influenced.

- I learned it's not "smoothness or clarity" in my speech that converts people. But it's really the spirit that we bring to the doors. (This really helped our missionaries that were struggling with language or speech impediments) It humbled me to the max.

Those were just some things I learned. Luckily I've had a few more days of study since then and in reality most of the time an answer to prayer is though our own studies. 

- One thing stuck out to me when I was reading in Jacob

Jacob in 5 chapters "(wrote) [...] the things which (he) considered to be most precious" (Jacob 1:2)

The first principle he emulated was the example of diligence and accountability. for he 

"(took) it upon (HIM) to fulfill the commandments of (his) brother Nephi." Which was to, "Persuade all men NOT to rebel against God, (but to) believe in Christ" (Jacob 1:8) 

He delves a little deeper in exclaiming his commitment to his work, 

"And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence" (Jacob 1:19)

I've been wanting to see how I can be more diligent and these scriptures have shown me the way. I'm grateful for them. I want all of y'all to know that I am committed. I love what I am doing. Being an agent and not an object is how I've gotten out of ruts. (With God's help of course)

Joy does not come from our circumstances, it comes from our focuses.

It is my prayer that y'all will focus on things that matter most.

Love y'all!

Pictures:

1. District Lunch @ CFA

2. Exchanges with Elder Rich

3. Some sisters gave us FOOD

4. TBT to the Shelley District

5. Elder ORGANDURF

6. My Granny Found some of our sister missionaries! Isn't she beautiful??

7. Elephants :)

8-9. Exchanges with Elders Dyson and Chamorro!