Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 – Mission Training Meeting, Shortage of Senior Couple Applications

Bright and early this morning Sis. Johnson and I were off to our weekly mission-wide training meeting. For part of the meeting Pres. Hall asked the YSSM’s (Young Single Sister Missionaries) to share with all of us some of the success stories they’ve experienced while working at the “Teaching Center”.

The YSSM’s can use the “Teaching Center” in the visitor’s center computer room in Carthage as well as in the visitor’s center in Nauvoo. They use the computers and “Chat” on LDS websites with people from all over the US and around the world. They also contact people on the telephone if they have the phone number from a referral card. During these teaching opportunities they discuss the gospel, teach lessons, answer question, follow up on previous chats and collect referrals.

Seven of the YSSM’s got up to speak in the meeting. They said people contact the church for lots of reasons. Some want to know about family history work; some ask about eternal families, others want to know about the history of the church. Some have LDS friends that have set good examples and want a change in their own lives. One person called and asked if they could buy a Book of Mormon! 

One of the YSSM’s reported chatting with a lady from a little village in Kenya. The lady said there was a senior couple that came through and testified of Christ. She said she wanted to know more about the gospel. The YSSM took her information but couldn’t get through to the Mission Office in Kenya because all of the phones & internet were down. It took some time before she was finally able to have the full time proselyting missionaries visit the sister.

A number of the YSSM’s reported that their contacts have already been baptized.  A man that was baptized said that before he found the gospel he had no family and no friends, not even at work, now he has a whole ward family and lots of friends. All of the YSSM’s love working at the “Teaching Center.”

***** IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ *****

At the end of the mission training meeting Pres. Hall announced that he received a phone call from the church mission department in SLC. They called to tell our mission that there weren’t enough senior couples applying to serve missions and unless there were more applications, our mission, the Illinois Nauvoo Mission might not have its complement of senior couples next year! So . . . Here’s our passioned plea . . . To all of our family, friends and acquaintances that follow Sis. Johnson and I on Face Book while we serve our mission, please consider the option that you and your spouse CAN serve a Senior Couple Mission here in the Illinois Nauvoo Mission. It’s a perfect time to see your Bishop and start the paperwork. Serving the Lord in the mission field comes with a promise; it will not only bless your lives but the lives of your entire family as well. If you have a question, need help or encouragement, please call me, Elder David Johnson on my cell: 480-822-0828. Thank you.