January 16, 2017

   

Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 16 (2 days ago)
to me

Nope! We went rock climbing this morning at an indoor gym and just got
back from shopping. :)

                    Weekly Update 01.16.17

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Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 16 (2 days ago)
to me, bcc: me

Hi Everyone!

What a great week this has been. We started by doing some service for a senior couple in the ward. They needed some power washing done on their exterior siding, windows, and driveway. The driveway gave us some trouble however we got it done! We also got invited by the Sanfords in our ward to join them for dinner. They are an awesome family and working here in Houston for a couple of years before returning to Utah. They showed us some pictures of their property and you just want to go there looking at it. They are in a area considered to be high desert and often get snow in the winter. (Yes mom, they are feeding us out here. ;)   

We do a lot of personal contacting looking for people to teach. I am struck by how many people we talk to who know of someone who is LDS. It makes me realize that people take notice even if we mention it just the once. While they are sometimes leery of discussing the church, people almost universally say "they are just so nice!" So keep it up and invite where you can. 

We have been working with this wonderful family over the last month or so. We have Celma, Patrick Sr., and Patrick Jr.   Celma is originally from Brazil while her husband is from the states. They met when he was on assignment in Brazil for work. For most of their marriage they have lived here in Texas and Colorado. Great people. There is a family here in our ward who live right down the street, the Brassaninis, who clicked with Celma's family right away. Sister Brassanini is from Brazil and her husband is from the states as well. Sister Brassanini has a sister in the same neighborhood. Last night we were able to pop by and share a lesson from Matthew 14 about Peter walking on the water to the Savior. There was a great atmosphere and we even learned a bit of Portuguese.  

We are seeing great miracles here in The Woodlands Texas Stake as more and more of those we teach decide to be baptized. We are off to a great start this year and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for this Stake and the Texas Houston Mission in the coming year.

I love you all. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or anything you're wondering about mission life. I'd be happy to answer. 

All the best,

I made a new friend this week

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The dip to end all dips....

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Mark Owen Vickers	Jan 16 (2 days ago)
to me, b.crum1984, skylerbrooksby

Ground beef, refried beans, velveta and Rotel, string cheese mozzarella

Now that is a sunset

This is how we do it in Montgomery

  

Texas Houston Mission

 

Monday, January 16, 2017

Edifying District Meetings

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We love to see the growing sense of purpose in our mission. The growth in our collective faith to find is leading to rises in our mission to every key indicator. We are inspired by your efforts to find and your growing efforts to incorporate members in our efforts to invite and get people to church. We are influencing the outcome and lives are being blessed :)!

We hope you each had edifying district meetings. Each of us has a responsibility to come prepared to district meetings to contribute to that edifying experience. We hope every district leader will share the monthly training plan with all of the district members so we all can come prepared (hearts and minds) to participate to receive that inspiration the Lord sees fit for us to receive. We also hope you will take an interest in one another's investigators. This can be a wonderful time for us to be strengthened and enlightened.

We have noticed two things that we think will enhance the Spirit of these meetings. First, too often we approach role play in district meetings with a mindset of trying to "get through the material." While many of you role play well, we aren't seeing the evidence that we are trying to "move" people in the way we practice. We need to remember that we play the way we practice. You can't practice with little warmth and little enthusiasm and then expect miracles when you are sitting in front of those whom the Lord has prepared. Please expect higher quality teaching of each other. Bear testimony with power and teach through the investigator's experience. You will feel a greater power and confidence that will result in many more hearts being changed.

Second, we would like to invite each of you to pay closer attention to using the language of prayer in your personal and public prayers. We would like each of you to read a conference talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks given in April 1993 entitled the language of prayer. This seems like a small thing, but we promise you that as you incorporate the appropriate and more respectful language of prayer into each prayer we offer, we will feel greater reverence and purpose in our own prayers and the Lord will bless us and those for whom we pray more openly.

We love you and pray for you and those you teach.

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen