Orange Zone Success

From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: March 9, 2014 at 8:04:51 PM MDT


This week was a bit tough having Mission Leadership Council and Zone Training Meeting. Lots of driving and time outside of our area, however I am learning to love being a zone leader more but mostly I just love Bathurst. I reckon people in the city care too much about money and things, while people in dubbo don't care about anything, but Bathurst is right in the middle. People are very friendly and down to earth here.

Our Branch is awesome. Our Branch president has organized Wednesday nights for a branch tennis night to invite non-members and Less-actives. The Branch has heaps of potential right now and I hope we can capitalize on it. Our miracle was setting a baptismal date with our investigator. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ to her and asked her to be baptized and she was all for it. She said she would love to. The only thing is that we need her parents consent. Her mum is catholic and her dad is a Less-active member so I don't think that should be too much trouble. They said they'll discuss it and get back to us.

Also our zone is amazing. Orange was one short of twenty lessons. Our Missionaries are working really hard. Dubbo got a Branch mission leader! Bro Harlow out in Dubbo asked President Ryan if he could do it and President Ryan said that it'd be alright! I was afraid also of leaving Elder Janes and Elder Randall out in the Dubbstomp but they came through big this week with 13 lessons. I feel really good about the potential in our zone right now. I hope heaps of miracles come of it.

I studied repentance and something that stuck out to me is the last sentence in PMG on repentance says, "Repenting daily brings great joy.". Sometimes it's really hard but that clarity of conscience is worth it. I thought I offended my companion and so I was worried he was hurt by something I said. So I brought it up later and he said, "No it wasn't you it was something else." and I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. It truly is a blessing for us to repent. As a missionary you have to ask people to change their lives. You yourself need to have a strong testimony the repentance is what they need. You have to be bold and tell them how it is so they can know how to repent. President Joseph Fielding Smith said, "I call the church to repentance because I love the members of the church.". If we as Brothers and Sister love our neighbour we will try and help them to start living the gospel as well.

Man, My companion has been reading parts of History of the Church during lunch. Joseph Smith makes my head hurt. But I have gained a greater eternal perspective by reading about him and what he taught. The Gospel is becoming much more real to me. I bet you already now all this stuff but didn't want to explode my mind so you didn't tell. Hugh Nibley is a genius. When I get home I want to read some of his stuff. It astounds me how smart he is. He knows so much. I would love to sit with him for a month and just ask him questions... or I guess I'll just read his books when I get home.

Ok enjoy your nice weather!

Love you heaps, Elder Weiss