Letter from President Wooley

Mission President’s Letter
September 2, 2010

Dear Elders and Sisters,

Last week we completed all the training for the new Preach My Gospel training materials we received from the Missionary Department. A few of you have sent me emails indicating that the role-playing has been helpful, and that you have using some of the techniques discussed such as asking inspired questions and listening carefully to what the investigator is saying. I hope and pray that this training will be a great blessing to all of you.

Last month there were 8 convert baptisms in the mission. A few of those were the direct result of the missionaries being more bold in inviting people to be baptized. This is the highest number since last February, when there were also 8. Remember that baptism is only just a step along the way in the conversion process. Many of these new members have only a small understanding of the Gospel and of how their lives will change over the coming years. It is very important that you work with these new converts and continue to teach them. Do all that you can to help them be integrated into their branch. Now that the Kiev Temple is open, we will be encouraging them to go to the temple soon in order to do baptisms for the dead.

The dedication of the Kiev temple was a great blessing to the saints. We had over 120 people from our mission attend the actual dedication in Kiev. In addition we estimate that another 220 people attended the dedication at chapels in Russia and Kazakhstan. We are hoping that the saints will now start going to the temple in greater numbers and with greater dedication.

During the second week of September our mission will be having a mission tour with Elder Larry Lawrence and his wife. We will be traveling to Belarus, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, and Almaty. We will be having zone conferences where most of the training will be done by Elder Lawrence. This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to tour our mission with a General Authority. I am anxious to show them what great missionaries we have.

Sister Woolley has asked that in preparation for the zone conferences, each of you, for your talk, prepare and practice a short (TWO MINUTES AT MOST!) object lesson presentation using a “liken” structure as suggested by President Boyd K. Packer: ____________ is like ___________ because……. Example: Repentance is like soap because………
Do this for one of the first principles of the gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. No comparison is perfect. But think carefully about the object lesson. For instance, some people have compared sin to making holes in a piece of wood or immorality to a mishandled rose or a “licked” cupcake. These comparisons are doctrinally incorrect because after repentance, the atonement makes up completely any holes or lack of appeal of roses, or cupcakes.

To me, the greatest blessing of being a mission president is to associate with you Elders and Sisters. I am constantly amazed at your testimony, strength, enthusiasm, willingness to do hard thinks, love for your companion and the people, and hard work. The lessons you are learning right now will stay with your for a life-time. You are and will be greatly blessed by the Lord for your sacrifice and diligence. I have great faith in you!!!

Much Love,

President Woolley