The Best Two Years: Stoplights on Pacific Highway

I don't know why I was so surprised. It's basically like Kam Highway, but not. It's an interesting comparison. But the drive up to Newcastle was pretty cool. We never hit the freeway in our area, so life in the fast lane was a change.

Special Training featuring the Worldwide Missionary Broadcast was legend though. You've probably heard about the changes to our schedule and key indicator reporting by now, but I'll quickly summarize. Basically the church has put a lot of trust in the missionaries and want us to be able to exercise our agency. The changes should help us to be more accountable as well as more efficient.

I think the update to key indicators was even bigger than the schedule change. Instead of reporting on all of the key indicators from PMG, we just report on investigators baptized/confirmed, investigators with a baptismal date, investigators at sacrament meeting, and new investigators. For me, this was huge, because sometimes we focus solely on the numbers to measure our success and just get caught up in those numbers. Now, we can just go out and do what we're supposed to, which is work.

Most of the Broadcast was reviewing clips from last year and then members of the Mission Department would analyze them. So we got to hear from Elder Oaks, Elder Bednar, and Elder Andersen and their thoughts on how we can be more effective missionaries. Here are some of the things that stuck out to me:

1. We need to simplify and focus on the doctrine of Christ, which is a repeating process

2. I must act differently because I understand the Gospel

3. Real intent is when investigators do things on their own, according to their desire

4. Quit worrying about success (Elder Bednar)

5. We remain worthy of the Spirit as we partake of the sacrament meaningfully (Elder Oaks)

6. When the Spirit needs to testify, GET OUT OF THE WAY (like you would if Elder Heu came cutting down the lane to yam it)

7. Don't beat yourself up, just be as good as you can be and let the Lord lead (Elder Bednar)

8. The Spirit comes to those who desire it and answers come when you intend to do something

9. If you aren't baptizing, teach faith and proper repentance. Don't lose the flame of baptism. (Elder Andersen)

10. A testimony is not just what we say, but what we are

So this is getting pretty long, but I'll add a few updates. J, our "g'day mate" investigator is going well. We visited him twice this week, and brought a fellowship on the second. Alma 32 was inspired as, he felt like it was written for him. We invited him to "experiment" and find for himself if God is there and will work with his desire! Last P-Day, we did play basketball with the kids. We weren't keeping score, but someone was, and I'm pretty sure we won by a considerable margin. Ourimbah Ward should be getting a Samoan sister in sacrament meeting sometime this transfer! Maybe even some of the boys will come too. We haven't met with our referral family yet, so pray that we ce'll get something scheduled for this week! Elder Heu and I got a second transfer together, and that's us.

Love you's heaps!

Elder Muh