January 2, 2017

We didn't realize it but Spence was in the middle of helping Sister Missionaries move out of their area and getting help to organize all of that.

Something very special has happened however!!!  Filip got baptized!

       

Mark Owen Vickers	12/26/16
to me, laura.crum1988, vickers463, skylerbrooksby, nataliebrooksb., b.crum1984

So this is one of the dogs at the house we souped from yesterday. He
is as massive as he looks. Haha. He is a bull mastiff mix. One of the
nicest dogs I've ever met. Think basketball for the size of his head.

Mark Owen Vickers	12/26/16
to me

This man's name is Marcel. He is from Nigeria. He was baptized in 1991
in Germany in a town called Bielefeld. He walked into our ward and
asked if we could help him find the missionary who baptized him! The
missionary's name was Pead Scott Travis. Maybe you all can help me
find him through social media. I have Marcel's email so we'll see what
we can find out.

     

Mark Owen Vickers	12/26/16
to me

Have you seen this on the blog?

"Kaity Fisher, a dear friend in the Conroe area took beautiful pictures at our Christmas Conference. All the photos are available for you to view and download for free at this website:

http://kaitlynbeauregardphotography.pixieset.com/thmchristmas/

password:  thmchristmas

download code:  6233

The pictures will only be in this gallery for 60 days, so take a look and download the pictures with your missionaries in them. The missionaries cannot access this website because of the limitations on their ipads. I'm sure they would love it if you would download the photos they are in and share them via email. "

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	12/26/16
to Mark

Do you want us to download them all for your memories?   I just heard you weren't feeling well yesterday?   

Mark Owen Vickers	12/26/16
to me

Yeah I was sick..... I think it's just a bad cold.

-- Elder Mark Vickers

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	12/26/16
to Mark

 Sorry!   Are you better today?

Mark Owen Vickers	12/26/16
to me

Doin better. :) got some cold medicine.

-- Elder Mark Vickers

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	12/26/16
to Mark

Good!!!

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 1 (9 days ago)
to Mark, Spencer, Rachel

Good Sabbath Morning!!!

How has your week been?  I'm always so anxious to hear!  

Laura, Bryan, and Ellly came over.

Had fun, made Queso.

     

Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 2 (8 days ago)
to me

Hola Mi Madre! 

It's been a pretty great week. I'll probably have an update out not to long from now. 

Love you!

-- Elder Mark Vickers

On Jan 1, 2017, at 10:52 AM, DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com> wrote:

Good Sabbath Morning!!!

How has your week been?  I'm always so anxious to hear!  

Laura, Bryan, and Ellly came over.

Had fun, made Queso.

<Mark and Spencer Skype.jpg><Elly snow Dec 2016.jpg>

--

Momma

Sending pics.  Kirk's wife Katy.  Wait until you hear her play.  Pretty amazing.

<Elly Christmas Card 2014 to 2016.jpg>

<Christmas with Elly.html>

<Katy Messer Vickers.jpg>

<Year 2017.jpg>

<Elly Christmas card 2016.jpg>

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 2 (8 days ago)
to Mark

Good!!!   I just got dad home from dialysis and I know he is excited to hear

Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 2 (8 days ago)
to me

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

How's the truck holding up? Still working good?

-- Elder Mark Vickers

> On Jan 2, 2017, at 1:19 PM, DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> <IMG_3539.MOV>

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 2 (8 days ago)
to Mark

It has been a miraculous blessing.     Dad is so good about keeping the oil changed regularly 

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 8 (2 days ago)
to Mark, Spencer

How has your week gone?  Laura's getting ready for her birthday.  Kelly, her husband, and Casey are coming out to celebrate.

Elly keeps saying her Kelly and Casey are coming to play with her.     .

Dad told her he wanted to watch Nemo with her.  She said, "That's my favorite."

Skyler started being ward clerk today.  He should do a great job

Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 9 (1 day ago)
to me

This week has been pretty good, really can't complain. Finding has been going well although getting our investigators to keep their return appointments is turning out to be a bit difficult. What did you find successful in helping people keep their appointments?  We are going to try having the member we plan to take with us reach out to them rather than us.

We were at a local HEB(grocery store) and as we were leaving I noticed a man looking at us. I approached him and he told us that he knew Elders in California and loved having them come over. He then invited us to his wife's birthday party and we had some pretty tasty burgers. We hope to go back there this week and see what we can do to start teaching their family. Thank you for all your prayers on my behalf. I feel your love and the love of the Savior daily. Keep me posted!

Love you all!

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 9 (1 day ago)
to Mark

dad and I will pray and see if we come up with some ideas

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 9 (1 day ago)
to Mark

Hey Toade. Glad that this week has gone well for you. So you are looking for ways to help your investigators to progress. Here are some ideas that might help:

1.) Have your Ward Council pray for them by name

2.) Assign fellow shipping families as soon as possible

3.) Get permission to take them to others baptisms

4.) Try and teach each discussion on a split where possible. Have the member bear testimony of their conversion

5.) Remember your setting apart blessing. Strict obedience is the key for you to open up the windows of Heaven.

6.) You are on the Lord's errand. You are entitled to his help

Hope this helps. Have a fantastic week!

Love eternally,

Mom and Dad

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	10:25 PM (21 hours ago)
to Mark, Rachel, Spencer

Dad and I are watching the churches' "Special Witnesses,".  and weeping as we feel the spirit and thinkof you all serving in our Savior's mighty army.

Love you all!!

Momma and Dad Vickers

Happy Bday Laura!

Inbox

x

Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 9 (1 day ago)
to me

2 Attachments

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 9 (1 day ago)
to Mark

I can't wait to give to her!

On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 3:35 PM Mark Owen Vickers <mark.vickers@myldsmail.net> wrote:

-- Elder Mark Vickers

DEANNE VICKERS <deannevick@gmail.com>	Jan 9 (1 day ago)
to Mark

This is precious!   First thing on the 16th.

Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 9 (1 day ago)
to me

I haven't seen this one! Seems about right though!

Today has been a bit crazy, really good but busy. I will try to get an
update out though.

Love you all!

On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 2:49 PM Mark Owen Vickers <mark.vickers@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I haven't seen this one! Seems about right though!



Today has been a bit crazy, really good but busy. I will try to get an

update out though.



Love you all!



(Old town Spring)

Texas Houston Mission

 

Monday, January 9, 2017

Doctrine of Christ, Progressing Investigators, & Changes to our Mission Presidency

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

Due to the growing faith and obedience in our mission, this month is shaping up to have more people coming into the safety of covenants than any January in the history of this mission! We are inspired to see the efforts you are making to find and teach with power! Many lives are being blessed. Wards and stakes are seeing the fruits of your faith and are making greater efforts to get involved more purposefully. We can influence the outcome!

This past week we role-played how to drop investigators with power. It was clear to me as I watched that role play that it has been some time since we have taught how the Doctrine of Christ applies to progressing investigators. If we don't understand this, it will be difficult for us to know when to continue with certain investigators or when to drop them.

Faith is the first principle in the Doctrine of Christ. It is critical that we know how to see the evidence of faith in our investigators. We ought to ask each other after lessons, "What evidence of faith did we see in our investigators during the lesson?" In PMG, we learn that one of the ways we can detect faith in our investigators is in their willingness to ACCEPT commitments as we promise blessings.

Second, real faith should lead to action. In PMG (ch 11) we learn that as investigators KEEP commitments, they are giving evidence of repentance. Keeping commitments is a form of repentance and is a necessary step in their preparation to keep covenants later. Similar to the question we ask ourselves after each lesson regarding faith, we also ought to ask ourselves, "What evidence of repentance did we see in our investigators during the lesson?" For example, did they read AND pray about the Book of Mormon? Do we know? Did we ask? Did we ask what they learned? These are the ways we find out if someone is truly repenting. When they are truly repenting, they are ready to discuss the "first fruits of repentance" (Mor 8:25) which is baptism.

Once we understand these principles, it is easy to determine if we should continue teaching or not. This principle is the key to progressing investigators: IF AN INVESTIGATOR IS NOT EXERCISING FAITH UNTO REPENTANCE, WE CANNOT INVITE THEM TO ACCEPT A BAPTISMAL DATE. They are not ready. In fact, if after the first lesson or the second lesson they are not keeping commitments, they aren't ready to talk about making and keeping covenants. It is in this context that we introduced the drop lesson. After we have taught as powerfully and as convincingly as we can and cannot see the evidence of repentance, we teach the drop lesson with the intent of dropping them, NOT with the intent of begging them to keep their commitments. The hope is that, if we do it effectively, they beg us to stay and then we can set the expectations going forward. If they don't beg us to stay we drop them.

We also have one exciting announcement! As many of you know, we have been privileged to have President Jose Vasquez serve as second counselor in the mission presidency over the last two and a half years. With is impending retirement plans and the prospect of moving out of the area, we have extended a release to him and wish the choicest blessings upon him and his family for his faithful service.

After receiving the approval of the Area President, We are pleased to announce the call of brother Steele M. Kizerian (Klein Oak ward, Houston North stake) to serve as second counselor in the mission presidency. President Kizerian served as a missionary in Chile Santiago North mission. Previously he has served as a Ward Mission Leader, Elders Quorum President, Young Men’s president, stake Mission Preparation instructor, early morning seminary teacher and worked previously as a teacher in the MTC.

We have asked President Kizerian to work closely with each of you in some of the post baptismal activity necessary to retain these new converts and get them to the temple as outlined in the attached policy change issued on June 22nd 2014. You will find him to be a wonderful resource.

We love you and continue to be inspired by the growing unity and faith throughout this great mission. The Lord is hastening His work!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen