Spiritually Uplifting Week

This has been a spiritually uplifting week.  It started with preparing for a seminary lesson. The chapter was Alma 7, verses 11-13. Here Alma the High Priest is talking to the citizens of the city of Gideon. He is bearing strong testimony of the Savior to them. In these verses it talks about all the things the Savior took upon Himself. Sin was not the only thing. He suffered six other things: pain, afflictions, temptations of every kind, sicknesses, death, and infirmities. It is because of this that we are told we can “apply His atonement in our lives” when we are struggling through any of these physical or emotional difficulties. 

I wasn’t exactly sure how to define or explain to the youth how we “apply” His atonement. Then I watched the film recommended for this lesson. It's called “Like a Broken Vessel” featuring Elder Jeffery R. Holland www.lds.org/youth/video/broken-vessel?lang=eng

I showed it to the kids and explained that to apply the atonement to your life means coming to an understanding that the Savior knows exactly how you feel. That He understands first-hand what you are dealing with. It is also knowing that you are not alone in your personal struggle. And finally, realizing His perfect love for you regardless of how inadequate you, yourself, may feel.

The New First Presidency

Dallin H. Oaks, 1st Counselor; Russell M. Nelson, President;

Henry B. Eyring, 2nd Counselor

Tuesday evening we watched the announcement of President Nelson becoming our next prophet. The best portion was the press conference. I’m not sure if the questions from the press were staged or prepared for, but the answers were not rehearsed. You could see how they thought about the answers before answering and many of the comments were spontaneous as President Nelson and his counselors interacted with each other's comments. Overall, we could sense how much love President Nelson has for all the people of the world and that as old as he is, 93, he is still very active, full of energy and that he is very optimistic and full of hope. 

That night we had two sister missionaries and four elders watch these broadcasts with us. One elder companionship brought along an investigator. He is from China and has almost no religious background. Everything is so new to him which made it difficult to talk about anything church doctrine related. I was stumbling terribly as I tried to explaining a minor doctrine, because it tied into other doctrine with which he was unfamiliar. Had we had time and different conditions, we could start from scratch and simply explain who God is.   

However, Sister van Hoff asked him a question, “In the Chinese culture, do they have a lot of respect for family and concern for ancestors?”  He said that they do and began to tell us how they even honor those family members who are dead. Then she pulled out Family History information with pictures going way back. He was absolutely astounded and fascinated. I then opened up familysearch.org and we looked for a family name. He was amazed that there were records of people with his grandfather's last name. He searched through the names, but there were too many and he didn't have enough information to know which names belonged to his family. He was so engrossed in his search that when the elders, who have been teaching him announced that they had to leave, this young man wanted to stay a little longer to search more records. Sister van Hoff was truly inspired by the Spirit where to lead the discussion.

Wednesday we had Zone Conference. Most of the talks came from the senior missionaries who will be leaving in the next month or so. What wonderful testimonies and stories from their missions they had. It made for an emotional meeting.  After they spoke, Sister Johnson got up to say a few words. She told us that she and Elder Paul V. Johnson (Europe Area President) have nine kids. They have made a great sacrifice to come to Germany to serve for who knows how long, yet she said that she looks up to us senior missionaries. In her opinion, we have made the greater sacrifice. Like she and Elder Johnson, we left family and friends to serve the Lord, but, unlike them, we were not called by the Lord, we willingly volunteered to serve.

Yesterday we met with our supervisors, Diego, Luis, and Ruben.  In our meeting, we were given two new assignments.  Unfortunately, we cannot reveal the details because they are confidential. However, the one thing we can share and the reason we are so excited about these new assignments is that both involve using technology to help “the one” come closer to the Lord.  Isn’t that what this mission is all about? If we are successful, many people who are isolated, due to circumstances beyond their control, will be blessed and spiritually fed.

How wonderful it is to be in the midst of the Lord's work. We are uplifted every day by missionaries, old and young, and by Church employees who could use their skills to work for a business or company and make much more money. All of these individuals have one thing in common. They want to help and serve the Lord. We feel humbled to be in their presence.

We love our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is our testimony which is written deep into our hearts, that this is Christ's Church, that He leads it. He loves us enough to provide us with a living prophet who can be His spokesperson. How wonderful that is! To have someone who can give us all the current and important information that Lord wants us to know. We don't have to wait for a churchwide consensus or rely on personal interpretation of the will of God. We have a prophet who has direct communication with the Almighty. We know these things to be true and can say it boldly in the name of Jesus Christ.

Impressions

A week ago last Friday we had our weekly ATS meeting. This meeting is our opportunity to report to our supervisors what we are doing or talk about things of concern. We had a few items to talk about and then I told them of a thought I came up with. 

I had discussed this thought with Diane just the day before while we were taking our early morning walk. I need to mention here that we walk every morning, bad weather or not. During these early morning walks we discuss work or seminary or the Oma and Opa Show. As we discuss these things, almost always we receive revelation that helps us. We are amazed how the Lord reveals so much to us those short 15-20 walks. The walk that morning was no exception.

In the meeting, I presented the idea of Diane and I going to a stake that is not using webcasting and does not have an technology specialist.  For their next stake conference, we would do a trial run or a real webcast for them.  This, hopefully, would allow the Stake President see the value of using technology to bless his members.  I told them that I had found a stake that met those conditions. 

Our department supervisor then told us that just the day before, he was told by his supervisor that they he was interested in Diane and me doing just that same thing. They had several stakes in mind where it was of great importance.

We had a similar experience a few weeks before. We had an idea for an upcoming newsletter that would require a poster for each country in Europe in each country's language. We went to the public affairs office to see if they already had posters made. It just so happened that they were in the process of having the posters approved. 

These situations have made us mindful of how the Lord works to fulfill His desires.  Not only were we prepared by the Lord to do something for Him, but he also prepared a way to do it.  In this case, the same revelation was given to those in position to cause it to happen.  Obviously, this reminds us of 1 Nephi 3:7, "...the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

St Martin in background.

Saturday, by invitation of our friends, Elder and Sister Skoubye, the four of us traveled to Mainz. This is the birth and death place of Johannes Gutenberg, who first printed the Holy Bible on a printing press with movable type, making the Bible more readily available to the people. What an enjoyable day. First we visited two churches – St. Martins (or Mainz Cathedral) and St. Stephans.  We were very fortunate to enter St. Martins as they were in the final minutes of a mass.  That was fascinating to watch with great singing by a combined youth and adult choir. Shortly after that an organ concert began. We listened to the first song. What a powerful sound the organ is even in a huge cathedral! 

After the mass, we walked around looking at painted wall murals and stone carvings of previous bishops or honored leaders. Many were shown praying, reading the scriptures or just looking forward. In each, either in the background or facing the person was Christ dying on the cross. I understand that this illustrates their focus on Christ and conveys their commitment to worship Him. I have a difficult time understanding why someone would want to think or be reminded of a suffering, dying Christ. When I think on Christ, I envision Him as He is now - glorified, extending love and, with open arms, inviting me to be with Him. I am sorry and grateful that he suffered and died for me, but that is not who He is now.

Right after mass.

Notice Christ on the cross in front of bishop.

Walking up to St. Stephan

Famous for stained glass windows by Marc Chagall.  Organ pipes to the right.

We started up seminary again. Our first day back we had all but one student. That was wonderful. Speaking of seminary, this year I have gotten so much more out of the Book of Mormon. Obviously, that is the book of scripture we are teaching in seminary. It is also the only scripture we cover in our ongoing senior missionary class that we attend each week. That class, with all those seasoned Elders and Sisters, has provided very insightful understanding of the Book of Mormon. In addition to all of that, the Book of Mormon is what I’m reading for personal scripture study. I reference my reading with the Church's institute manual. It has been wonderful.

Wednesday night seminary was fun. We taught the kids how to use the features in Gospel Library app and about LDS Media. That evening, my testimony was strengthened in the fact that the Lord has prepared these spirits to come forth at this time when technology can be used to hasten His work in an accelerated way. 

We showed them several features from that app - how to make notes, bookmarks, notebooks, tags, save quote references, linking, and other things. Every once in a while, I’d hear, “That is so cool!” or "Wow! I didn't know that." However, there were a couple of times that I forgot how to do something, but before I could find the answer, they had already found it and did it themselves. I am sure that I was more amazed at their skills than they were of ours.

We are hearing more and more that other senior missionaries are helping the younger missionaries to teach their investigators. How wonderful is that? Diane and I had one of those opportunities a week ago with a man from Nigeria. The sisters were teaching him about the restoration. Periodically we would intervene with a scripture or an example. This seemed to help him understand a little more clearly what he was being taught. At other times, he would veer off topic. We would quickly respond to his comments and bring it back to the discussion and hand it back over to the missionaries.

The missionaries do a great job teaching, but they don’t have the experience we older people have in understanding and dealing with other people. I believe this makes for a great team; each bringing their abilities together to effectively teach and be understood.

One more observation that I have noticed. There is a new member of the church who is struggling in finding employment. I felt so certain that once he was baptized that the Lord would shower down blessing on him and bless him with employment, but that just has not happened. I was reading in the Book of Mormon this week, how the people of Alma were suffering under the rule of wicked Amulon. Things were not easy for them, so they would pray for help. Then Amulon made a law preventing them from praying.  In response to that, they continued to pray, but in silence.  

It was recorded how the Lord strengthened these people to withstand their burdens. In Mosiah 24:14-15 it says of the people of Alma, “…and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” I have always thought that to withstand one's burdens, meant to be given physical strength. I now understand that it can mean strength of attitude or strength of comfort. 

As I was talking to the unemployed member, he told me how being unemployed seems to be pulling him down, but somehow finds the ability to remain hopeful and encouraged. He also expressed how he receives strength in knowing that the Lord and the church members who know him and love him give him support.

Do You Feel A Sense of Urgency?

This is a special blog.  We want to speak to all those members of the Church who are retired or are getting close to retirement and those who have grandparents or even parents who are retired.

When we had arrived here in Germany, we were interviewed by the Europe Area President, Patrick Kearon. I remember that he told us how grateful he was that we decided to serve a mission. He said that, currently in Europe, there were only enough missionaries to fill half of the missionary positions needed in Europe.  He said "needed" because they would be thrilled to accept even more missionaries than what are just needed.

This past week we had the opportunity to talk with some other senior missionaries in our office.  Each couple train and support various programs of the Church in Europe.  Each are designed to help strengthen the various units and individual members.  They, too, have expressed how short-handed and understaffed they are of senior missionaries in the field.  Those couples out there are doing such a great work and seeing miracles, but there are too many areas where there are no couples available to fill those assignments.  This is just in Europe.  We can't imagine what all the needs are in other parts of the world.

Just to give you one small example - one senior couple who is involved with digitizing family history records, told us of a very large country that does an annual census of its people. That provides a lot of valuable information, especially for temple work. This country records everything digitally, but at the end of the year, the digital information is destroyed and paper copies are stored. We were told of one building that is indescribably huge. These paper records are stacked all the way to the rafters and the building is now filled up. The Church has learned that the country is considering burning the paper records which will destroy all those years of information  The Church does not have enough senior missionaries to help digitize all those records and will probably have to contract the work out to save those records.

Do you feel a sense of urgency?

We understand that many of you do not want to leave your grandkids or are concerned about health issues. Remember the sacrifices others have made for us to enjoy the fruits of membership today. We know that the Lord needs your help and, as it says in 1 Nephi 3:7, He will provide a way to help you as you serve Him. Please seriously consider coming on a mission or two or four. You will be blessed and we are promised that our families will be blessed also. What better gift can you leave your family!