Urdaneta Mission: June 2016

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Mission Leadership Council - May 13th, 2016

The Mission Leaders gathered again for their Mission Leadership Council at the Mission Home on May 13th, 2016. This MLC was held right after the transfers and so many new Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders got a chance to counsel together and to learn from each other.

Assistants - New Mission Vision of Excellence, 3 months Baptism Plans, UM Initiative:H.O.P.E and Nine “Indicators of Conversion and Church Growth".

Our Assistants shared with the Council various ideas and strategies to raise our Mission to greater heights with an introduction to our revised Mission Vision! We are now R.E.D: RELENTLESS EVERY DAY!

72-Hour Kit - Sister Deyro

Sister Deyro taught the leaders about an excellent idea for 72 hour kits. Instead of using tupperware boxes like in the past, we were taught to use 6-liter bottles of water and to store and fit our food, rice and other things in it. We then would seal it up using duct tape so that we would only open it in emergencies.

President's Message: Review of Power Principles from Elder Bowen

President Deyro took some time to reinforce and to counsel with our Leaders on the things that need to be changed and improved on so as to achieve Power in the Urdaneta Mission

Good, Better and Best

Elder Johnson, Zone Leader of Urdaneta Zone, was asked to explain a concept that Sister Deyro shared in District Meeting the previous week. She said that there are 3 types of Testifying Contacts: Good, Better and Best. "Good" ones are those where you testify about the unique message. "Better" ones are those where you leave something behind with the people you talked to. "Best" contacts are those where you set a return appointment. We are all striving for "Best" testifying contacts each day!!

Candid Shot

Thursday, June 2, 2016

May 2016 Arriving Batch!

On May 11th, 2016, we welcomed another batch of missionaries to the mission. These missionaries have prepared themselves for the past few months and have arrived now in the field. After they left the MTC, they took a bus to Urdaneta, where they were met by our Office Staff and Assistants. They were shuttled to the Mission Office, where they met President and Sister Deyro, and were subsequently ushered to the Mission Home.

Pictures with President and Sister Deyro

Sister Diaz

Elder Paz

Sister Alpino

Sister Alinton

Elder Leones

Sister Olave

Sister Matthews

Sister Velez

Elder Kainga

Sister Talamaivao

Sister Latu

The new missionaries were then fed a good lunch after the long bus ride from Manila. Once they were done, President Deyro took the opportunity to talk to each of them individually while the rest took care of some admin matters. After that, they were paired up temporarily with missionaries from the surrounding areas of Urdaneta and were sent out to work and to experience the mission field. They then had dinner and were shuttled back to the apartments in Urdaneta where they spent the night.

After a good night's sleep, the new missionaries returned to the Mission Home for their orientation meeting, where they were oriented to mission life by President and Sister Deyro and the Office Staff. After which, they had lunch together with the trainers. However, at that point, they still had no idea who their trainers would be.

Lunch time!

Once lunch was done, the companionships were announced and everyone made their way back to their new areas to begin pruning and dunging the Lord's vineyard.

Message from the President

The Miracle of 12 Weeks

As soon as missionaries are in-field they start the First 12 Weeks training program. Their magnificently inspired trainers teach them about the rudiments of the work of the Lord, introduce the mission culture, and refine their teaching skills. The training in being exactly obedient goes on continuously until the end of the mission term. All of them would learn what Elder Sta Maria summarized:

“I observed as we continue trying to become exactly obedient, we felt that God is reaching out and helping us to find people to teach and our prayer was answered right away and especially this area became more fruitful than I ever expected. I felt like when we are doing our best everyday He also do his best to help us in doing His work. Now I realize the importance of being exactly obedient. It’s not just for safety nor restrictions but it’s also the way for God to bless us.”

Mission life is bumpy life. Many ups and downs. Many highs and lows. Jubilee (of baptisms) and misery (of being punted). This is exactly what missionary life ought to be – compressed life experiences in 24 months or 18 months. What is important is you did your best! Sister Piutau related this account:

“Although the sun burns, and we walk for miles, by the time the sun sets, there's nothing that satisfies me more than knowing that we've tried our 100% best.”

On their last 2 transfers, every elder and sister that I know who has set his/her mind to baptizing a family or one more before going home indeed baptized some more. How is it possible that on the last months of their mission they can do this? They intensely exercised their faith to find, faith to teach, and faith to baptize. They actually did what Helaman described,

“…wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.”

The wonderful thing about it is that you don’t have to wait until your last 2 transfers to baptize. Imagine that every transfer cycle is your last. Every area is your last. And you will do your utmost best as if your time is running out. See the miracle unfold!

Weekly baptism is a reality! Those who have done this will testify of it. These are the joyful, joy-filled, joyous missionaries! Indeed, we retain the recent converts and nourish the less active members but our main purpose will always be to teach repentance and baptize converts.

I believe that when we work relentlessly every day as if it is our last transfer, we will find, teach, baptize and confirm those whom the Lord has prepared for us. Witness the miracle of the last 12 weeks every transfer cycle!