Mike's Mission - April 2008

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c006e0dkfegl.gif"> <div>                          <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Michael's Mission Page</FONT>      <IMG SRC="04e55390.gif" border=0 width="85" height="57" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                     California Santa Rosa Mission  June 2006 - June 2008    |   <A HREF="http://www.theHaslams.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theHaslams.com"><U>theHaslams.com</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#009933" TEXT="#080000" background="03dbec00ddwnzy.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Front Page"><U><B>Front Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="latest_news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Latest News"><U><B>Latest News</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="photo_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission Photo Album"><U><B>Photo Album</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="companions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Companions"><U><B>Companions</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2008"><U><B>May 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2008"><U><B>April 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_w008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2008"><U><B>March 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission February 2008"><U><B>February 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission January 2008"><U><B>January 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission December 2007"><U><B>December 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission November 2007"><U><B>November 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission October 2007"><U><B>October 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission September 2007"><U><B>September 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission August 2007"><U><B>August 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2007"><U><B>July 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="june_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike_Mission June 2007"><U><B>June 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2007"><U><B>May 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2007"><U><B>April 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2007"><U><B>March 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes mission February 2007"><U><B>February 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission January 2007"><U><B>January 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission December 2006"><U><B>December 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission November 2006"><U><B>November 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission October 2006"><U><B>October 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission September 2006"><U><B>September 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission August 2006"><U><B>August 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2006"><U><B>July 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="arrival.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arrival in Santa Rosa"><U><B>Arrival in Santa Rosa</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission MTC"><U><B>Departure & the Missionary Training Center</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/rosa/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/"><U><B>California Santa Rosa Mission Alumni Site</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>April 2008</B></div> <div> <B>April 28, 2008 - "Let the Last Transfer Begin" - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Tomorrow is the last transfer before Michael returns home.  He is staying in the Ukiah 2nd Ward, but will have a new companion Elder Lythgoe from Orlando Florida.  Michael will eat well these last 6 weeks because Elder Lythgoe is a professional chef.  The new zone leader in the Ukiah zone is Elder Bush who will be serving in the Ukiah 1st Ward. Since Elder Bush has previously been a zone leader Michael will not have to do any training with him.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Elder Lloyd was transferred to Vacaville. According to Michael, <I>"His shoulder is doing better every day".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael said, <I>"I've tried to keep my departure time secret but more and more members are finding out and I feel that there may be a breakout by the time I get there.  I just hope they don't count down for me and hope that they still try and introduce their friends to me".</I></div> <bR> <div> Looking forward Michael said, <I>"This week we have a zone leader council and then we will have zone development council next week and a trip to the Oakland Temple".</I></div> <bR> <div> Looking backward Michael reported,  <I>"Anyway, nothing really happened this week, we still have nobody to teach.  We talked to a part member that said he wanted to get back into church but he has a mental handicap and so his teachability might fluctuate a lot.  The other contact is a girlfriend of an inactive member.  She doesn't know much about the LDS church but said that her grandfather was one and that she would be willing to learn".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael concluded with, <I>"I have set goals for each week of the transfer and they are on study and Christlike attributes as well as finding teaching, and baptizing.  I will need God's help to reach these goals and will rely on him heavily each day.  So the work is not over for me.  Don't count me out yet, I'm still in the game".</I></div> <div> <I>  </I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>April 21, 2008 - "Handsprings are NOT Good" - </B></FONT>Michael reported that after he sent his e-mail last Monday, his companion Elder Lloyd tried to perform a hand spring flip and did not land it. Result - Elder Lloyd injured his shoulder. That injury will not require surgery, but rather plenty of physical therapy. Michael reported that the result for this past week was they had to take some "time-outs" to take care of the required physical therapy. Michael added, <I>"He can't sleep well and he needs to ice the shoulder each day".  </I></div> <bR> <div> He answered his Mom's question about how they use "Preach My Gospel". Michael reported, <I>"Basically it is at the core of every district council and zone conference. It should be used by every companionship almost daily.  We have a training plan in our mission to go through the entire manual in one year, carefully studying each section.  We also are asked to complete the study program which asks us to go through each and every activity and scripture study.  That should be completed by each missionary within the first 6 months of his mission.  We use it every day in our teaching.  That manual combined with the scriptures is what should comprise probably 75% of all that we study.</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael concluded with, <I>"I will continue to press forward.  I'll do my best and finish this transfer strong and look forward to the last one and do my best.  I definitely don't want any regrets".</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>April 14, 2008 - "1-Year Mark" - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >The title to Michael's e-mail refers to the fact that he has now been serving as a Zone Leader for a full year now. Not many missionaries in any mission in the church serve that long as a zone leader.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Speaking of the last week, Elder Haslam said, <I>"This week was pretty rough.  We really didn't get any numbers at all.  No new investigators, no old ones were taught, nobody came to church.  It was tragic.  Both of the investigators we have been working with are falling off.  We dropped Brother Frary and we may be dropping Sister Cluver.  Both of them just won't give us any time.  They won't come to church and they won't do what we ask them to.  It's frustrating but we'll find some new ones".</I></div> <bR> <div> Michael had district council and interviews with President Stoddard on Tuesday. He added,<I> "I never seem to get much out of those interviews.  It always seems to be "why isn't your zone baptizing".  Or this time it was "if you can't baptize anyone will you at least commit someone?"  I know he cares about us more than that but I just can't seem to feel it from him much.  We'll have zone conference this week so we'll see how that goes".</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>April 7, 2008 - "Conference was Amazing" -</B></FONT> Michael reported on his teaching during the past week. They had good lessons with both contacts, however, both contacts seem to have roadblocks.  The male investigator won't accept that women don't hold the Priesthood, while the female says she does not like the Book of Mormon, even though she has read several pages! Michael said, '<I>Hopefully something will happen with them, or we'll just have to find new ones'. Neither of these contacts attended a conference session over the weekend".</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>[Editors note:</B> I think it is good that the missionaries have some guidelines to help them decide when to drop a potential investigator. When I was a missionary in Thailand we revisited many investigators for too long. The quickest baptism in Thailand was after about 3 months of instruction. The average was probably 6 months.]</div> <bR> <div> Regarding General Conference Michael said, <I>"I loved it.  It was amazing.  Every Apostle did a great job and some of the seventies as well.  Of course there wasn't a missionary in the world that wasn't excited to hear Elder Bednar say 'Missionaries are full-time teachers, Members are full-time finders'.  I liked President Packer's talk as well on the transition to the new prophet and the call to be an apostle.  I liked how he said that the only qualification he has is to have a testimony of Christ.  I also like how he talked about the keys that are held in that quorum and exercised by the Prophet.  It was definitely powerful to hear President Monson speak.  He spoke differently than I have ever heard him before and I know that it's the new responsibility he has.  Elder Eyring also made a good point on the oath and covenant of the priesthood and all covenants for that matter:  Whether we try and fail or don't try at all the result is the same!  So we better try and then rely on God to make it the rest of the way. Elder Holland's was amazing.  It got me excited from the very beginning of the session.  I am really excited for the new First Presidency, the talks in Priesthood were one of the best 1, 2 ,3 talks in a row that I have ever heard from the Presidency.  Elder Uchtdorf did a great job and I'm excited to hear from Elder Christofferson in the future as well.  This church is true, no doubt about it.  It is a LIVING church as Elder Eyring put it from the Doctrine and Covenants.  It is able to mold and adapt to everything and is led by great and powerful inspired brethren".</I></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>