Humbled Bathurst Zone Leader

From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: February 24, 2014 at 6:52:09 PM MST

This week was very bitter sweet. Actually mostly bitter. I've been transferred to Bathurst to be a Zone Leader. I feel inadequate to the job. My mission has been change by the example of one of my Zone Leaders and I hope I can be that example for other missionaries. Even in the mission missionaries need someone that will stick up for the Lord. I hope I do a good job. I know the Lord will make it possible. Although, I loved Dubbo so much. I wanted to be there at least two more transfers with my aboriginal little brothas (We had three at church on Sunday.)

However, in the time I spent there we did some awesome things. The previous record for total lessons in the week was 9 when I arrived. After two good weeks of 10 and a bit more we set a goal to reach 60 lessons by the end of the transfer. We prayed and strived for our goal and by the end of the transfer we had 61 and were averaging higher than the previous record.

It wasn't any credit to myself but having my Father (first companion) Elder Urbina taken from me so young that I had to rely on Preach My Gospel and the Lord. As I struggled through my early months in the Spanish ward I came to see that success comes as we turn to the Lord through Preach My Gospel and apply it's principles to missionary work. Preach My Gospel is the Lord's way of doing missionary work and it will never fail. Bit by bit we need to make our wards and areas into PMG areas and then the growth of the Lord's kingdom will be unhindered.

It says in PMG that asking good questions helps the investigators open up and share their feelings. Last week Elder Janes and I were teaching a single mother with two daughters ages 1 and 4. While we were teaching her little four year old daughter was being a big distraction and the mother's patience was wearing thin. For some reason it made sense to ask, "What matters most to you in this life?" She paused and pointed to her four year old daughter and said, "That is." We asked her why and she expressed to us how much happiness and joy her kids bring to her. It was beautiful what she said.

For a moment when she talked to us about her daughter she forgot all about the problems of her life, which are many, and pondered on how good she's got it. It was a beautiful experience. Towards the end of the lesson we asked her, "Do you believe what we've taught you?" And when I said that I thought, "Well that's a stupid question!" but through her answer she told us exactly where she was at, and we had a good idea of where we need to go. Good questions are the next level.

Elder Nelson stopped by for a mission conference last week. I'll tell you more next week when I have my notes but he basically taught us the Helms deep principle. He said, "The Lord uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible." He said the Israelites fought a battle and before hand the Lord said, "You have too many soldiers!" So he made them get rid of them until the ratio of Israelites to the opposition was 1 to 500. Then they smashed the opposition and the Lord was glorified. Right now with our current church membership, the ration of members to the worlds population is 1 to 500. Who's on the Lords side who?

Love yous heaps! (man I'm gonna struggle speaking proper English when I get back.. "yous" is valid pronoun here)

Elder Weiss