MMM MISSIONARIES OF MIGHTY MIRACLES
What a wonderful time to be in Minnesota. We were blessed with 39 baptisms in June, after 47 baptisms in May. Baptisms for first six months are up over 10%. Many of these baptisms are families. Our new investigators are at an all time high and continue to increase. We have the highest number of new investigators in all of the Central States! Missionaries are having multiple experiences where the spirit is directing their teaching. We want to continue to find 3 new investigators and teach twenty lessons each week, baptizing one of the new investigators we have found during July.
The Lord is moving over this mission. The work is progressing and will continue to pick up speed and momentum. The door is opening up for the 30 stakes President Kimball foresaw. You are teaching with the spirit, finding out concerns and boldly committing, as you constantly improve and progress! The Lord is blessing you for your efforts in multiple ways; how we, too, love and appreciate each one of you!
HURRAH for ISRAEL!!!
The blessings of the Lord are showering upon MMM and HIS work here upon the earth!
Elder Jurca & Elder Whitehead opened up a new area in a singles branch in Northfield 2 weeks ago. We were concerned they could go from 0 to 20 in such a short period. Last Fri To help reach the goal they invited several members to be taught. One young man 22 had been coming to church. They planned to teach him that God was his loving Heavenly Father and how he could increase his faith in Jesus Christ. As they taught he started to tear up. He was baptized at 12. As a youth he loved being around the missionaries. But had not had opportunity to be around Missionaries lately. He shared with them that he had some doctrinal questions and testimony had been weakened. . He wanted to turn in papers but didn’t feel comfortable sharing his concerns. As they taught the spirit was present. He had been praying for help and he said that he knew HF had answered his prayer when the Elders called. Talk and discuss will turn in papers and go on mission.
We have worked for months to increase member present lessons, without a lot of success. As we have approached the 20 lesson mark, member present lessons have increased over 100 lessons more than last June, and there is a 40% increase in lessons taught to investigators.
Since Elder Alan Packer’s visit last October, we have worked on teaching quality. The effectiveness funnel has increased from 22 investigators to 1 baptism to 14 investigators to 1 baptism in December and 15 to 1 in January, a 50% improvement. Baptisms for December and January have increased 30% over the first 6 months of 09.
16 years ago married a member, last 8 years going to church. Shortly after Elder Perry’s last visit, Archie was invited by Bishop Watson to take lessons again by the missionaries. There is power in the Bishop, who has the keys to invite Archie. In his own words:
ELDER HANSEN, our area authority spoke, so beautifully and praised the elders. I will be downloading notes on his talk.
ELDER HALLSTOM seemed truly touched, congratulating them and expressing his love, then give an outstanding talk about continuing onward.
ELDER PERRY spoke about Martin Luther, living in Germany and gave scriptures that are exactly what we need for this time and area. It's exactly what we've been working on and discussing.
All the talks were so inspired. I'm going to download notes from each of them. We then sang our mission song, "This is the Christ," following a powerful testimony of Elder Perry's declaring Jesus Christ leads this church; it is his church. The missionaries, in turn sang their testimony to him of Jesus Christ and there were tears in his eyes. It was a very powerful night --- never to be forgotten!
Wow! This is what happens when I let the holidays get me behind . . . I miss seeing the picture of my son! He is LOVING his mission and loved his last zone conference. Thank you, President and Sister Howell, for caring for, guiding, and loving our boys!
ReplyDeleteTeresa Brooks