Part of something big-learning to be more dignified

From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: December 16, 2013 at 8:28:10 PM MST
To: Cyndy Weiss <cyndyweiss@gmail.com>, Bishop Weiss <dadweiss@me.com>

This week as I prepared a district meeting I noticed something again in PMG about teaching clear concise summaries of restored truth. It gives a very good example of the restoration but I wondered how it could apply to the other lessons. So for district meeting we prepared short summaries that we could share with someone about the first three lessons at a bus stop or wherever you might be. I want to make many of these quick summaries and practice them so that teach and testifying become a second nature thing.

Dad's mission prep class is right on! I took a look at the binder that I made full of DRS' and noticed a page that said, "6 Missionary Skills". Man, Those things are golden. They are the real deal. I hope that by the end of my mission I have mastered those skills.

This week a miracle that I saw was that we had an amazing ward Christmas party with heaps of non-members. We brought our investigators and it was a good time. However, the members did not reach out to the non-members as well as they should have. However the next day in priesthood meeting, the elders Quorum President got up and called the ward out. He invited one of our investigators and brought his wife's grand kids so that the investigators kids would have someone their age. He sat with them and took good care of them and was a perfect example of fellow-shipping. It felt good to hear someone else say it and to feel like someone else understands as well.

Also we went to an appointment with our progressing investigator yesterday and he wasn't there. His phone doesn't work so in an effort to find him we called his sister that came to the Christmas party to see if he was with her and she said no but we did set up and appointment with her! Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways. Hopefully we'll have a new investigator!

Today we went to the temple and before got to go to the distribution center. I got the Christmas CD by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Bryan Stokes Mitchell! So excited to listen to it. Last sunday a RM from the stake spoke in our ward. Something that he said struck me. He said that what we celebrate at Christmas is that Jesus Chris was born. And what that means is that he kept the promise that he made to us that he would put himself on the line as a sacrifice to save us from our short comings. And his birth was the start of it all. The sign of hope.

I love my savior so much for what he did for me. Christmas is a happy time, but also a quiet time of reflections. That's one thing I'm learning is to be more dignified. I can be pretty spontaneous and quick with words but it's easy to do or say things that don't accurately represent the Savior. I'm trying to act in a more dignified manner because only have 18 months left of being missionary and I'm not getting any younger.

I love the mission so much. I feel so lucky to be here. I don't ever want to go home. I miss my family members but I love the life of a missionary I don't ever want to stop. As a missionary you are somebody. Part of something big. I'm so glad God trust me to help him out.

Love you all so much!

Elder Weiss VI