Belgium Netherlands Mission

Thursday, October 25, 2012

President's Weekly letter.....

…VAN EEN VERNUFTIGE MAKELIJ…

(1 Nephi 18:1)

Belgium/Netherlands Mission

PRESENTATION

Since this Operation Build a Stake was announced on September 19, 2012, we have baptized 17 through 21 Oct. 2012. We have 433 to go. Keep up the great work.

Our Temple Zone Conferences on the 16^th and 17^th were inspirational. Going to the temple is always a treat. We enjoyed training the Presentation Skills that afternoon. It was fun. The major points of the training follow.

Everyone makes prejudgments about people based on first impressions. We are told never to pre-judge but it is an instinct that will probably always be part of human nature. Likewise, people we meet pre-judge us based on first impressions. Furthermore, our physical presentation behavior can either enhance or can be a distraction to people causing them to miss the spirit testifying to them.

Studies have shown the overall communication for an average person is 7% from the words that are spoken, 38% from the voice and 55% from visual. We have the spirit that teaches and testifies as well. Our challenge is to be good at our presentation skills to give the best chance possible for the spirit to have its affect. We spend most of our practice time on the words we plan to speak. It is worthy of our effort to be aware of and work to improve these other parts of communication.

A sales follow-up after a selection interview often goes like this: “Your team came in with 3 or 4 ideas, really wet our whistle showing us what could be done with our project. Congratulations, you are hired.” What this statement really says is; it is about them not you.

The IFBP process works every time - Issues, Features, Benefits and Proofs. The ‘I’ is issues of the people you are talking to. All people have issues - fears, concerns, problems, etc. They do not want to hear about how great you are or how great what you are peddling is. The ‘F’ is the Features of your proposal, i.e. of accepting the gospel and becoming baptized in the church. The ‘B’ is connecting the dots between their Issues and your proposal’s Benefits. People never connect the dots themselves. So, as soon as possible, determine their Issues, and then specifically state or show how your Features will overcome their Issues. The ‘P’ is your witness of how the Benefits of the gospel have resolved the same Issues for others.

The visual content of communication is essentially the body language of looking confident and eliminating distracting habits that people see on our countenance and in our presentation. This consists of posture, stance, gestures, eye contact and facial expressions make up. Good posture can best be remembered by tuck you rear, roll your shoulders back and lift the imaginary string tied to the top of your head. Your stance should be attentive. Arms and hands at your side or in a natural place but not folded. Do not play with keys, coins, pick at your face or other nervous releases. Hand gestures from the head signal intellectual, from the chest signal heart-felt and from the lower chest signals trust. Lifting your chin, cheerful, smiling and steady eye contact is always a must. Genuine and reasonable facial expressions make you interesting to listen to.

Voice content includes: pitch, pace, pause, inflection and volume. Nobody likes to listen to a monotone or a high pitch or a pitch that indicates a question after every sentence. Points can be greatly reinforced if pace is fluctuated. Pauses are powerful. They give you time to collect your thoughts, your investigator to think and feel and they give points time to sink in. Inflection makes you more interesting to listen to and changes the whole meaning of sentences. Volume variation emphasizes points.

Teaching with the spirit the doctrines out of PMG and the scriptures is the key to conversion. The Quorum of 12 Apostles (PMG p. 29) wrote:

“Our purpose is to teach the message of the restored gospel in such a way as to allow the Spirit to direct both the missionaries and those being taught.”

When Nephi and Lehi, sons of Helaman preached we read:

“…they did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many of those dissenters…Nephi and Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them. Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them…” (Helaman 5:17, 18-19)

I cannot visualize members of the Quorum of 12 Apostles or Nephi and Lehi preaching with such success while using sloppy or distracting visual and voice presentation quirks and habits. We need to become good at what we do and what we have control over. We cannot control the spirit, but we can learn the lessons, purify ourselves so we are eligible for the spirit and work hard. We also need to work on and improve our presentation skills to enhance our effectiveness in teaching.

October Zone Leaders Council

Front Row: Elder Klippel, Elder van de Graaff, Elder Maughan, Elder van Overbeek, Elder Li

Back Row: Elder Schulte, Elder van Rij, Elder Guanuna, Elder Culkins, Elder Bickham, President Robinson

One of my favorite meetings is the Zone Leaders Council held monthly in the Mission Home. On October 12, 2012, it is a pleasure to have them in the home, and prepare lunch for them. It is the least I can do to show my gratitude for the tremendous responsibility that is placed on their shoulders to not only be missionaries, but serve in leadership positions in the Mission. This require extra time and effort to make it all work.

This particular ZLC was bittersweet. We are sending Elder Klippel home on October 25, Elder van de Graaff will be leaving as Assistant to the President and will be opening Vlissingen and will be training one of our new Elders, and Elder Guanuna will be leaving as Zone Leader and going to Brugge Belgium to serve as District Leader. We are grateful to Elder Klippel, and are excited for Elder van de Graaff and Elder Guanuna. We love you all from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for your service to the Lord in your leadership responsibilities. Well done.

Working with Elders in Zwolle

One of my favorite things to do is work with Elders. We worked with Elders Stanley and Leach from Zwolle on October 10, 2012. We did some look up and call back that didn't turn out to be productive, so we went knocking on doors. It is always a pleasure to do that with Elders. I really learn a lot when I go with Elders.

President Robinson, Elder Stanley, Elder Leach, Elder Culkins and Elder Li (Zone Leaders there for a quick pickup of their phone)

Outside the Zwolle Ward Meeting House

We knocked on the doors up and down the street. Finally, we knocked on the door for house #33. Both Elder Leach and I thought it was going to be a lucky door. We were both excited to discover it was a young family. The children were under 10. The father listened to what Elder Leach had to share, but said he had no interest. When asked if he know of anyone that might have a desire, the man gave us a name and an "I think he lives at #18 over on another street", and he gave us the name of the street. We were not sure if it was a real referral or a practical joke. Non the less, we looked up #18 and it was the real deal. Very nice young father who had almost given up looking for or ever finding the truth. He asked very thoughtful questions as Elder Leach shared the message of the Book of Mormon. We left him a Book of Mormon and our contact information, as well as information to get on the church website. I felt the Spirit as Elder Leach taught at the door. I know this young father felt it also. He also had two of the cutest boys ever, maybe with the exception of my grandsons of course :).

Thank you Elder Leach and Elder Stanley.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

P Day in Ieper with the Antwerpen and Gent Districts

The Kortrijk Branch President lives in Ieper, Belgium. He offered to take the missionaries on a day tour of Flanders Fields and WWI battle sights. It was great! The trenches are something I have often wondered about. Also, the famed "Christmas cease fire and singing of Silent Night". Well, I got to look over the wooded area that was once a battlefield where that took place.

Here are just a few of our pictures of the day.

Sister Hinchcliff, Sister Robinson, President Robinson, Elder Van Rij, Elder Ombach, Elder Praag, Elder Klippel, Elder Huff with the Book of Mormon held high, Elder Moscon in the shadow, Elder Stoddard, Elder Farmer, Elder Mathis, Elder Merrill, and Sister Jones. Kneeling is one of our tour guides, a member of the Kortrijd Branch.

Elder Huff and his Book of Mormon with President outside the city of Ieper. The old part of this interesting city is within that huge wall and surrounded with water.

The whole group---again.

Then, to the war sights, Hill 62

We visited Hill 62. One of the main strong holds of the British forces during WWI. These trenches and shell holes are original, they have been preserved, they have not be recreated. This is all authentic.

Shell holes.

Of course, the vegetation has grown back, the trees, but they have preserved the trenches.

Really, the trenches were not that deep. Nowhere in this trench system are you completely out of sight except for when it becomes a tunnel system.

Really an eye opening experience. I am grateful President and I saw the movie "War Horse" just prior to coming on our mission. If you can visualize this whole area with blasted out trees, dirt mounts, and barbed wire all over the ground and strung everywhere.

Here is a tree in the fore ground and another behind and to the right. They are original tree stumps left from the war. There were only four or five left to see. It is nearly 100 years ago that this war took place.

It was of special interest to President Robinson. His Grandfather, Charles Christensen, fought in WWI and was a member of the 'Lost Battalion'. He lived through the war and returned to Kanosh, Utah and to his family. However, he died later of effects of the war on his health, leaving his wife, Freda, to raise their five children. Their daughter, Leah Christensen, is President's mother. President Alden Charles Robinson received his middle name from his Grandfather.

Antwerpen District Training and Interviews

After a day of interviews with the Antwerpen and Gent District on Friday, September 28, President and I spend the remaining afternoon and evening working with Elder Stoddard and Elder Praag.

We went to visit a member in Zelzate, Belgium

She is the Mother of one of our missionaries, Sister Omozokpia

Elder Stoddard, Elder Praag, Russ, Jenny and boys

...........and then to dinner with a member family from the Gent Branch,
Russ and Jenny and there two little boys.

Thanks Elders. Keep up the work!

President's Weekly Letter....

…VAN EEN VERNUFTIGE MAKELIJ…

(1 Nephi 18:1)

Belgium/Netherlands Mission

ABIGAIL

One person being offended from actions by another person seems to occur often in the church. I have known offended people in my home Stake and understand it occurs here in the mission field as well. Taking offense is a human frailty and is understandable; however, the truth is, nobody has the power to make someone else feel offended. “Offended” feelings are always a choice that someone chooses to have. Why does one choose to be offended? Usually the pay off for being offended is a license for the offendee to punish the offender with a broad spectrum of retaliation from the silent treatment to criticizing to getting even.

The Lord has expressed many times the requirement of forgiving others their trespasses. The Lord’s prayer includes the line, “…and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…” (Matt. 6:12). Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”(Mark 11:25). The doctrinal excerpts of forgiving others are endless. Essentially, we are expected to give people the benefit of doubt and forgive. We normally expect or hope to receive the same leniency when we make a mistake or offend someone. One reason it is so important to forgive is brilliantly expressed in the story of Abigail, Nabal and David in 1 Sam. 25.

Nabal was a great man with great possessions, but he was evil in his doings. Abigail was his wife. She was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance.

Now, Nabal’s men were shearing sheep in Carmel. David was on a military operation and was foraging the area in need of provisions. He sent 10 young men to Nabal to greet him in peace and ask for sustenance. The young men were to remind Nabal that David had on previous military operations, protected Nabal’s possessions and workers and, “neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.” David had been good to Nabal, his people were not hurt, nothing went missing and they were “a wall of protection” to Nabal “night and day all the while they were in Carmel.” They spoke to Nabal accordingly in the name of David.

Nabal was greedy, unappreciative and declined giving provisions. He answered, “Who is David?” He was unwilling to share of his excess and suggested he did not even know David. So the young men returned to David and told him what happened. David responded by ordering 400 men to take-up swords and follow him against Nabal. One of Nabal’s workers told Abigail of the messengers from David, that Nabal had railed against David, they could not speak to Nabal and reminded her that evil is now determined against Nabal and his entire household.

Abigail made hast. She took provisions to David and when she saw David, she fell before David, bowed herself to the ground and said, “Upon me, my lord, upon me let this inequity be…” She took upon herself the misdeeds of Nabal. Therefore, by this unselfish act it became as if Nabal had done nothing and Abigail had offended David. She then said, “I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid…”

The metaphor here of the Savior taking upon himself our trespasses is obvious. That she is now asking forgiveness from David underscores the natural result of one taking upon himself the responsibility for the consequences of the actions of another person.

When someone sins against you, the atonement has already paid the punishment for that sin. Christ has literally taken the sins of the world upon himself. Therefore, like Abigail, it is Christ who seeks your forgiveness not your neighbor who offended you. When you cannot forgive and plan to inflict punishment on he who offended, then you are really telling the Savior to go back to the garden and get back up on the cross because you think the suffering he went through during the atonement was not enough to satisfy you for this particular issue. You plan to dispense additional punishment until you think it is sufficiently paid.

This is one reason we are commanded to forgive.

Interviews and District Training for Den Haag and Rotterdam....

We are almost done with interviews for another six weeks. President and I have enjoyed it immensely. It gives us another opportunity to have one to one with absolutely the greatest missionaries on earth! Parents, you need to know that you son or daughter are wonderful missionaries and are doing an outstanding job in their callings. They have 'rolled up their sleeves' and 'put their shoulder to the wheel' to move the work to a higher level of excellence.

I have taken random pictures--some districts I got pictures, some I didn't. The interviews went over time many of the Elders and Sisters had left the meeting and gotten back to work! (Just as it should be)

Den Haag District Interviews

Sister Herring, Sister Gardner, Sister Omozokpia

Sister Schwab and Sister Townsend

Elder Harvey's back and Elder Wait, District Leader

President and Elder Cundick

Elder Pope and President

Elder Guanuna, Zone Leader

Elder Taylor, Elder Maughan, Zone Leader, Elder Van Koman

Later that afternoon President and I spent the afternoon with Elder Taylor and Elder Van Koman doing look-ups (no one was home), one call back that was home, but too busy for an appointment (but we met her) and into the centrum of Den Haag to do some street contacting. We placed one BoM, made one appointment, and got one family's telephone number to call later to set an appointment. All in all, a great afternoon's work. Elder Taylor and Elder Van Koman took us with them to their dinner appointment. We had dinner with couple in the Den Haag Ward. They have been married two years and he serves as the Elder's Quorum President. He is a real asset to the missionaries. His wife is from Mesa Arizona. It was great for me to enjoy English for one meal! It was a wonderful day spend with missionaries and members.

Rotterdam and Utrecht District Interviews