Missionary Beat: November 30, 2013

Around the web today for stories of interest to future missionaries, missionary moms, returned missionaries, member missionaries, and missionaries of every sort and variety.

  • Deseret Book Sale– For anyone looking for a head start on gifts for the current, returned or future missionaries in their life Deseret Book has a sale to kick off your hunt for Christmas gifts.

  • Kathleen Irving “LDS Church’s Annual Nativity Exhibit Begins Next week”– Like Mormons in so many parts of the world, those in Wenatchee, WA, are having an annual nativity exhibit. They’ve turned the event into a great missionary opportunity by opening up viewing and participating by community members, and advertising in their local paper. This article focuses on the experience of the woman organizing this year’s event. “Among her international collection is an Argentine Nativity made entirely from leather and a Russian matryoshka set of nesting figures. There are others from Mexico, Germany and Rome. She has a unique 3-D, laser-engraved crystal Nativity and a waterfall crèche that she acquired in Georgia.”
  • “Caldon Concludes LDS Mission to Paraguay” – One missionary, returning home next month, witnessed miracles working with the indigenous people of Paraguay. “I had the opportunity to visit a Paraguayan Indian tribe. We traveled for nearly four hours to arrive. As we arrived, the chief was there to greet us. As we entered into the chief’s straw hut, a grateful people of near a hundred greeted us with a prayer in their native Guarani language thanking God for sending two missionaries to them. They had saved up food for nearly a month for this meeting.”
  • The story I linked to on Thursday about the bishop who dressed up as a homeless man and visited his ward is going viral. Each report of the story has a slightly different focus. Some focus on the ingenuity of the Bishop, and his approach to teaching. Others instead focus on the lack of hospitality from the members. What do you think? Is this story a good missionary opportunity? Who are some people that may feel unwelcome in our meetings? What are ways we can learn to be more welcoming?
  • Colin MacLean “Spreading the Word, Learning the World”– These two missionaries in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, have found success by serving the local community and learning about the area they are serving in. “When the church leaders told Tusa where he was going he admits he had to do some research. ‘I know where Canada was because of some movies, but I didn’t know where Halifax was. I had no idea it was a city – I thought it was an airport or something,’ he said.”
  • Lynette “Being Prayed For”– In many parts of the world, missionaries hear on a regular basis that they are “being prayed for.” This is usually meant in a good spirit, but can sound very condescending. This article explores the phrase and how to best receive and reply to it. “There are situations in which telling someone that you’re praying for them can come across as quite obnoxious; an assertion that you’re praying for someone’s soul because it’s clearly in danger of eternal damnation, for example, isn’t always going to be received well.”

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