Keeping Commitments

I GOT THE PACKAGE!!! Thank you so much family for the beautiful photo album and the notes and for all of the notes from the family reunion. I felt a little bit like I was there. :) And everyone was very impressed with the quality of the photo album (there’s nothing like that here.) And everybody liked what Grant wrote and could read it because it was in Spanish. :)  My 3 compañeras (companions) also got pretty excited about the popcorn too. It traveled well.

I got to use a machete for the first time! In Mexico, people don’t garden with little shovels and rakes and gardening gloves. It wouldn’t work anyway because it's all cement. Everybody gets a machete (like the length of your arm) and goes to work and you just hope that you don’t hit anybody else. Somebody took a picture and they’re working on sending it to me.

I don’t know how it’s happening, but I really feel that every time I go to work with an area, I really am guided to see what it is that they need to work on and I’m able to explain it and they’re able to get it and we make real goals. And when I do my follow-up calls, things are actually changing and improving! The other capacitadoras (trainers) have been saying the same things. Area by area the mission is getting better. Thank you for all the people who are praying for me because it’s definitely working.

This week it dawned on me like a rock the importance of teaching to COMMITMENTS. Last week I made a few comments about teaching to what the person doesn’t understand that is impeding them from coming to Christ. But this week I realized that the way to come to Christ is by repenting, which specifically means accepting and keeping the commitments that are listed in Preach My Gospel (please go study why.)   If you want RESULTS, or CONVERTED people, focus all of your teaching on sacando dudas (removing doubts) of what the person doesn’t understand that impedes them from KEEPING THEIR COMMITMENTS. All of the doctrines in Preach My Gospel are written for the intent of that purpose.

So. Coming unto Christ= Repenting= Keeping Commitments in Preach My Gospel.

That goes for everyone, not just investigators. :) I think we can always be asking ourselves, “What is it I don't understand that is keeping me from correctly/fully keeping my commitments (or covenants...)?” And then go study and pray about that thing.

I was really hoping to do a training on that tomorrow, but there was a change of plans so we’ll see. But transitioning to that thinking pattern has been drastically changing the sister’s length of teaching time (much shorter), the strength of the Spirit in the lessons, the understanding of the investigators (because the lesson has a clear purpose and focuses on what PMG says), the focus and effectiveness of personal and companion study, and makes for shorter and more purposeful planning sessions. Yesss... And the people keep their commitments. :)

Sorry I don’t write very much of stories anymore... I’m trying to find less lecture-y stuff to write about but that has kind of become my life... :)

I love you all very much. 

Mmmwah! (Besos).

Sincerely,

Hna Ludlam