An Email from Holly
(From Orlando, Florida on October 25, 2004)
Dad,
Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. Mom gave me the address but not the new phone number and that is really important too!!!
I would love to have conference. It would be a great blessing to be able to hear it. Especially since I missed the first of several sessions with the satellite problems (they seem to be even more finicky after the storms). Life is treating me well. I am anxious to move into our apartment. Sister Harris is sweet but I really would like to be in my own apartment. I really like the picture on the front page of crystal oak. Can you send Sister Staten and I each a copy of it? We had lots of fun with Mom last week.
Tell everyone who emailed me thanks. It is so great to open the mail box and find love :)
This last week was really busy. We got to teach in relief society about exchanges to encourage sisters to come out. Especially now because we have been told we are pretty much not to teach beyond a first discussion without a member present to fellowship so we NEED the sisters to come out with us. We also got to teach the gospel principles lesson on talents. It is amazing to think that there really is nothing that we do in life that isn't somehow connected to a talent the Lord has given us. Like mom has a talent to organize. You have a great talent with computers. And I could go on and on. I have come to be grateful also on my mission for some of the less "visible" talents like people's willing hearts to serve. Or a great ability to feel the promptings of the spirit. I really am grateful that I know that as we work to strengthen our talents and try new things the Lord is developing us for an even greater work. I am going to get to sing at zone conference tomorrow and for church next week, and I am glad for music and that talent I get to share.
To answer your questions about Preach My Gospel. There are now four lessons instead of 6 before baptism. They are what was the 1st and the 3rd now combined for the first. This covers all of the restoration including the first vision, prophets, the priesthood, the Book of Mormon, and the Godhead (including the atonement). It also talks about eternal families. The second lesson is what was part of the 4th discussion. This is the plan of salvation. The third lesson is what was the 2nd discussion: the first four principles and ordinances of the gospel. The fourth lesson is call the commandments. This is all of the commandments like tithing, fasting, the word of wisdom, the law of chastity, the tem commandments and such. It is really intense and yet good. With the whole teaching by the spirit we can teach one principle at a time or an entire lesson in the visit, whatever the person needs. But every lesson has to start and end with a prayer to be considered a teaching appointment and has to include a commitment of some kind. A woman we taught last week is Muslim and so we spent the whole time talking just about heavenly father and his prophets. Next we will talk more about the Bible in general and the Book of Mormon and modern scriptures. All lessons (notice they are now called lessons and not discussions!!!) are to be tailored to the person who is being taught. Also, these four lessons are then re-taught with a 5th lesson for the new member discussions.
Our area books have also completely changed. The church has initiated a church-wide accountability program so the mission no longer sets the accountability. But rather there are 9 key indicators that the church sets and one the mission president can tailor to his mission or the church can dictate for more specifics (now the church is keeping track of studies and planning daily). The nine things are "Investigators baptized and confirmed", "Investigators with a baptismal date", Investigators who attended sacrament meeting", "Lessons taught with a member present", "Other lessons taught", "Progressing Investigators" (people who are keeping their commitments and are taught at least one lesson every week), "Referrals Received and Contacted", "New Investigators" (those who you taught for the first time this week who accepted a return appointment), and "Lessons taught to recent Converts and less-active members".
They got rid of the blue planners and they now gave us six week planning books. So we can track our goals and everything daily. And many more things. But I am running out of time. So I will try to tell you of little things as they come up.
I wanted to tell you about something else but I don't know what. Oh well, the planners are good for those of us with faulty memories if we remember to write stuff down!!!
I love you. Have a good week and good luck with all the move.
Love and Hugs,
Sister Holly Boo
PS I still would love to see pictures when you are able to get them up. But don't stress on that. Settle in and make it home.