We have had a wonderful and very busy week. We feel grateful for the many experiences and blessings that we have had.
Tuesday evening the Huntsmans arrived from Utah. They are a delightful couple and we really enjoyed getting acquainted with them. They have 11 children, six by adoption, and several other foster children who have adopted them. They will be so wonderful for the branch in Chelyabinsk! They have signed up to serve for twenty three months. He doesn't think he will learn Russian, but she is determined to. They are from a small town in northeastern Oregon. We feel blessed to have them.
On Wednesday we had the first of two zone conferences. We combined five zones and held it at the chapel in Yekaterinburg. It was just a wonderful day! Dad had planned it prayerfully and spent a lot of time with each zone leader helping them prepare for their assigned presentation. Every zone leader had a topic to teach about. Dad began the day by teaching them about ministering. As ordained ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ we should seek to bless and help every person we meet. He taught them to leave a blessing on each home they visit, blessing each person and need specifically. He talked about their role and how they can minister to everyone they meet. Today in his letter to the missionaries he summarized what he taught. I think you will enjoy reading that, so I will attach it to the end of this letter.
Thursday we flew to Ufa for the second zone conference. We had the Huntsmans with us, so we each took one of their large suitcases to check. We arrived in early evening and met missionaries at the church. The zone from Chelyabinsk had arrived for the zone conference and were so excited to meet their new senior couple.
Our hotel in Ufa was memorable for two not so good reasons: it was the smallest hotel room I've ever been in! (About 18 inches on all sides of the bed!) and also the hottest! We tried to crack the window but it was so cold outside that even having it open for a minute was enough to start giving us headaches, yet as soon as we closed it up it became just sweltering in our room. We finally just slept in the heat, but it kept us tossing and turning. It was however, a very clean room, which is not, we have discovered, to be taken for granted! (There is always a bright side!)
Our zone meeting the next day was equally wonderful. The spirit was strong, the missionaries who presented did so well, and there was such a strong feeling of love and support between the missionaries. Saturday and Sunday were spent at the branch doing work with members, an open house for investigators, and attending church. Sunday Dad had a full schedule of interviews, ending only when the taxi had been waiting outside for 10 minutes to take us to the airport.
Dear Elders and Sisters,
Our Zone Conferences with you this past week were wonderful. We always love being with you and are so grateful for you love and for your devotion to our Savior.
I have no doubt that we will accomplish our goal of strengthening our branches with 85 strong new converts in 2014. As consecrated missionaries, with greater language, finding, and teaching skills, who work effectively with members to find together, teach together, and friendship together in anatmosphere of love, we will experience many miracles. I love the fact that despite so many differentlife experiences, backgrounds, personalities, and talents in our mission, we are all united in consecrating our time, our talents and our efforts to the work of gathering our Russian brothers and sisters into the family of our Father in Heaven. Each of you, in a slightly different way, hascommunicated to me your love for each other, your love for the members and your love for the sons and daughters of God residing in this mission. Each of you has expressed your desire and commitment to be consecrated, to submit your will to your Father in Heaven. Each of you has expressed your gratitude for the privilege of serving here. And each of you has expressed your faith and confidence in the miraculous help of God and shared specific examples of miracles you have experienced.
As we focus on these three things – being fully consecrated, being highly skilled and effective, and working dynamically with members – we are, as we discussed in Zone Conference, serving asministers of the Savior, ministering unto our brothers and sisters whom He loves, and for whom He suffered more than we can comprehend. I testify that we are working side by side with Him to bringto these, our brothers and sisters, the doctrines, priesthood power and ordinances that will enablethem to experience the cleansing, healing, and comforting power of His atonement.
As you minister to others, you love them with the tenderness of a brother or sister. You lift their burdens. You offer comfort and encouragement. You teach them doctrines of hope and joy. You help them understand who they really are and their true potential. As you minister to others, you will experience the fulfillment of King Benjamin's counsel that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." The Lord has given us this charge: "Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." (D&C 81:5.)
We have been set apart and given special power to provide solace and encouragement to those who are sad, weary or discouraged, to "lift up the hands which hang down", and to give courage and strength to those with troubled or fearful hearts.
As you sincerely pray for guidance, I promise you that the Lord will help you recognize, and engagein conversations with, His sons and daughters who need your ministering. Everyone in this lifeexperiences uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, despair and fear. No person can ever be completely confident that his circumstances will not change unexpectedly.
As Christ's minister, set apart by one holding priesthood keys, you can offer peace, hope, comfort,and joy that no one else can offer. You can bless their lives with the wise counsel only a servant of Christ can give through the power of the Spirit. You must never judge people you encounter or give up hope in them because of appearance or obvious faults, mistakes, or limitations. With Christlike love for all, please always look for opportunities to strengthen feeble knees or hold up hands that hang down.
Prepare to minister to others by ministering first to your companion. Strengthen and build your companion by pointing out his or her good traits and unique qualities. I love the saying that we should concentrate on "rubbing out another's mistakes instead of rubbing them in." The Apostle Paul said it this way: "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph. 4:31–32.)
The Prophet Joseph Smith was consistently a minister of the Savior to all he encountered. He was described by everyone who knew him, and by strangers who encountered him, as the kindest, most generous, happy and selfless friend one could possibly have. He rarely thought of himself, and was constantly concerned about the happiness, comfort and well-being of others.
Elders and Sisters, we are always ministers of Christ to others when we "are willing to mourn with those that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:9). Sometimes, we minister best when we simply encourage someone to share their favorite memories, and then just listen. Often we can provide comfort and peace by providing someone the chance to release sad or troubled memories and feelings and then teach a message of hope. People you encounter will feel comfort when they sense your sincere love and then trust you enough to share with you their fears and doubts, with confidence that you truly offer a bright vision of hope. After suffering the loss of his only son, a friend shared with me how our neighbor, whom he did not know well, simply knocked on his door and then reached out and hugged him. He told me that this gesture of compassion touched him so deeply that he began sobbing. And the neighbor just continued to holdhim silently as he cried. He didn't say anything, but he communicated his concern and love by his actions. You will recall how Jesus wept repeatedly in the presence of the Nephite people.
You can provide a meal, give a hug, send a not, or bring flowers. Sometimes it is helpful to suggest a specific activity, such as simply taking a walk. Following the example of Alma, while visiting Amulek's family, we should always, as we discussed in Zone Conference, offer a powerful prayer on behalf of those we visit, asking for the specific blessings that they need and desire. When appropriate, we should offer the administration of a priesthood blessing. I promise you that if you take some time to observe and gently get to know someone, the Spirit will give you specific ideas of what to say and how to minister to the other person's needs.
By ministering to others, we become more perfect followers of Christ and will enjoy a greater abundance of the Spirit. We must never forget that each person we meet during the day, each less active we visit, each member we spend time with, and each investigator we teach has his or her ownunique needs and problems. Each child of God has problems to deal with, some minor and some serious. Each has his or her own hopes and dreams. Some are strong, some are weak, but all need and will respond to the pure love of Christ. With your sincere expressions of love and concern, almost everyone will respond to your sincere desire to offer comfort and strength. By so doing, yourservice and sincere expression of love and compassion will become a living testament of the message of redemption you were sent here to teach.
Elders and Sisters, when we visit members, both active and less active; when we interact with our Russian brothers and sisters on transports or on the street; when we teach investigators; when we interact with each other, let us always be ministers of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us be clean, filled with the pure love of Christ, our minds filled with the words of eternal life from the Holy Scriptures. Let us each listen carefully with our hearts and feel sincere compassion. Let us be guided by the whisperings of the Spirit. Let us be able to speak, in the Russian language, the words and phrases of hope, comfort and joy expressed so perfectly in Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon. Let us demonstrate with our love and our purity as consecrated missionaries that we are true ministers of Christ whose message they can embrace with confidence.
I love each of you dearly and pray for you daily. I am most blessed for the privilege of serving with you.
President Christensen
No comments:
Post a Comment