Monday, February 14, 2011

February 14th Email !!! Happy Valentine's Day !!!!

Hey Everyone,
So this past weekend was transfer call weekend!! And you'll never guess where I'm going.......no where!! I'm staying here with Elder Cook in the Tampa 3 branch which will officially be a ward starting this next week!!! It's been great to be here in this area and see the member's grow and help make this branch a ward! We have accomplished a lot this past week that will hopefully get the missionary efforts from the members moving forward. We have met with our ward mission leader and made a ward mission plan and set goals that they want to reach as well as smaller goals to help reach them. Now that we have a better idea of what the ward wants from us we will go forward strong with member work. President said that it'll take some time to get investigators but has promised that if we diligently work with members that baptisms will double mission wide. He gave us some statistics for options to double baptisms. It would take the church 13 times more advertizing or 6 times the amount of full time missionaries or 2.5 times more members bringing friends to church. Makes the decision to change our focus a little more easier. As far as knocking doors 1 out of 1000 doors will get baptized in the mission, not a good rate at all. So President wants us to teach teach teach even if it's members. The Bishop holds the keys to finding not the Mission President or the Missionaries. The Mission President holds the keys to Teach and Baptize. So we have the attitude to treat members as investigators that just know more. As well as bringing less actives back to church. In this mission any area you go to you will have a 15-20 page ward roster and only 3-5 pages are active. We could make new wards and stakes by just reactivating! I love bringing people into the church and have grown a new love of bringing people BACK to church. Crystal has received her answer 3 times that The Book of Mormon and the church is true. So she is going to approach her dad over spring break and confidently talk about baptism. She has already talked to her mom about who she wants to be there! It's great that she has gained a testimony she will be a solid member! For the first time in a couple months I was able to meet with Brittney! She took us out for lunch and it was great to finally meet and talk with her. She is really struggling and we want to help as well as the members want to help her through it but she feels like she needs to do it on her own. I can respect that because I know that feeling and sometimes the best way is to figure it out on your own. I do want her to feel like she can still be able to visit with us and feel no pressure and we can at least build that friendship.
Happy Valentines Day!
I Love You All
Elder Salmon

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