QUESTIONS FOR ZAK:
What did you do for exercise today?
Ran for just about 10 mins, did a few chin-ups
For your mission, does the zone or mission have a big fireside or something for the missionaries going home that transfer? If yes, how does that work? Who gets to go, as in how far can a missionary travel to go to that? Do ward members go? Who speaks and who organizes that meeting?
Just the regular transfer meeting. Only missionaries in affected companionship get to go. All members and non-members are invited to go and they really encourage us to invite people and get a ride. The meeting general theme recently changed a little to be more member/investigator focused and less of a "missionary meeting" i.e. more of a genral spiritual meeting/farewell to the going homer's and less missionary training. The departing missionaries testimonies is a central part of it, and also President/Sister Packard speak.
Do you have a sense of feeling old as a missionary?
after being in Lynnfield a little while I started too. All the missionaries were newly meeting me and I was kind fo old, plus a zone leader. Also I started noticing more and more a lot of the training from president were things I've heard before. Sometimes it's neat because missionaries will ask for advice and things.
Do you have any notion of how old the new missionaries are that are coming into your mission, like are most of them 18? Can you tell? OH, do the girl missionaries seem way younger....19 as opposed to 21?
ummm, I think most elders are 18 and definitely most sisters are 19 or 20. I haven't noticed a big difference, like seeming younger or anything. About sisters, I didn't know many sister before the age change.
Tell us where you sit in the chapel during church...front, middle, back? If you don't have an investigator, do you try to sit by certain people?
usually with someone closer to the back, partially because the people we like to sit by (usually less actives and non-members and part-member families) tend to sit back there and it's easier to see everyone. The few times I've got to sit on the stand (when giving a talk) i really liked it so I could look out and see everyone
Do you always sing the hymns in church?
yes
Have you ever had a companion that didn't like to sing or that just didn't sing?
ummm, not really. I've had a few companion who really liked to sing. Maybe 1 who tended to sing quiet enough not even he could hear himself. Whenever I sit next to a youth I always hold my hymnbook out to him so he is expected to sing too.
Do you have some good plans this week? Much unscheduled time?
yes good plans. Continue finishing prep for Sara's baptism lined up for June 21st. She just got her interview. Also this Saturday a member has a big piano recital with all her students (like 60) and she is having us help, which is neat.
How are you doing staying within the boundaries of your car miles?
having a hard time. Also they just lowered our. We are taking the "T" (subway system) today to go to Cambridge for pday (2 zones playing ultimate frisbee) to save miles and talk to a ton of people on the way.
This week has been neat. Like I mentioned, the baptismal interview went well with Sarah. Things are still great with Linda (recently baptized). Jill's mom (Jill being the 15 year old taking the lessons becuase she was inspired by her miamaid friend) has been responding really well, we have our next lesson with her this week. also a neat little story about Mary, someone we've been teaching for a while. She hasn't visibly progressed a ton recently, she' still coming to church about twice a month and has great scripture studies, but doesn't want to change from catholic; but we have been training her to be a good missionary! she brought a daughter in a law to a lesson once and is trying to get her again. We may get to teach her nephew sometime. She is very supportive of our other investigators at church (but in class she does sometimes say things about how she thinks infant baptism is good, etc, but we're working on that). She loves to send out what is basically uplifting chain-mail; she has a giant email list she sends little messages on, similar to the "by strict obedience..." you sent me (maybe you should send it to her??). Sometimes we "reply all" to her giant email with a lds.org uplifting picture message, and this week we decided just to send her one from general conference and tell her she should share it and she said "I'll send it to many of my contacts" so all of that has been fun.
Since the Elder Holland conference lots of missionaries have been especially inspired which is great. There have also been an abundance of trials for many people too, which is both hard to experience and watch. We had our mini-zone conference worth President Packard this week, which was really great, all about receiving personal revelation,e specially through prayer. The whole thing was a great spiritual experience. Part of the push now with all of this is also to be better personal contacters (talking to everyone all the time). Some are better at it than others. We decided to hold a mini-zone meeting with just our zone before the zone conference to talk about this. we also rolled out our idea of the Cambridge North Zone 2014 World Cup of Personal Contacting. everyday for each piece of material you give out to a stranger you get 1 point, if you get their contact info 5 points and if a return appointment 10 points. we have a goal to get 5000 points in June. It has been fun and we've heard some good stories form people already, it sounds like everyone is enjoying the points without it taking away from the real purpose. We should have used your hot-lava analogy.
This months PMG focus chapter for the mission is chapter 4 about recognizing and following the spirit, which fits right in with the zone conference from president Packard. My biggest take-away is the benefits of being pro-active about revelation.
This week while at dinner we were with a great family and I asked them about their own experiences with revelation. They basically talked about trying to live the right away and trusting they will be lead. I think that is super important and true, but I still something special about spending time to really ask God questions. "what can I do for _____?" "What can I say to ______ to help them build confidence?" "What does it mean to pray always?". Nephi prayed and asked where to find ore to build a boat and got an answer, Alma prayed to know what he should do when members of the church break the commandments. Another Nephite prophet prayed to know what happened to the spirit between death and resurrection. One life-changer decision for me was to start praying with a notebook and pen, to start I think it increased my own faith that i really expected to feel (mentally or otherwise) an answer and show I would really go and do!
Also, thank you for forwarding QUinn's email, that was fun to read! It's interesting to see him in a "Elder Cole" name badge. Glad he has a great companion.
Also, Happy birthday!
That's all. Love you
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