Hiya! Sitting on my bed with the windows open,
wearing jeans and a Woot! Shirt and listening to cds almost makes me feel like
I’m at home, not just P-day. Strange how
comfortable that make me. It’s nice to
feel at home in my home away from home.
I got a few
really cool inbound calls this
week. Time to explain the RC to
you. When we’re not on the Square, we’re
in the call centers. There we either
teach or make “RC call”. Teaching is
somewhat self-explanatory. We set
appointments with investigators and have a short lesson with them over the
phone. We follow up, extend
commitments/invitaions, have kneeling prayer, the whole shebang. And all in 10-15 minutes. I’d like to see other missions do that! And that’s teaching. Right now the big thing is changing our focus
to baptism. Before, it was IRC, which
stand for Investigator Referral Confirmed and means they are meeting with local
missionaries. But our prupose is
preparing the elect for baptism, etc.
Our new…thing: we find, we teach
to baptize, we baptize to seal.
Now
RC. RC stands for Referral Center. This is where we call referrals from
members. And call members to get
information about their friends/family, as well as report on how the calls
went. So when someone calls you to ask
about your people, they’re doing RC.
When we call member referrals, the overall objective is to invite them to
meet with local missionaries. We try to
go by what we call the Contacting Model (which we also use for the
Square). Here it is:
Contacting Model
Establish a
relationship of trust
(who you are, why
you’re calling, get to know them, crack a dumb joke)
↓
Create environment
to teach
(PMG
pg 107 Briefly teach to their need, usually from lesson 1 and usually the
Restoration or eternal families. Key:
brief and clear)
↓
Teach
& Testify
(PMG
pg 107 Briefly teach to their need, usually from lesson 1 and usually the
Restoration or eternal families. Key:
brief and clear)
↓
Invite
(Invite
them to learn more from local missionaries.
Promise blessings specific to them.
If they say yes – get their infor and make teaching appointment. If not:)
↓
Re-Invite
(ask
why they said no, find concern , address concern, invite again)
And that’s what we try to
do. In 10 minutes. Talking to a complete stranger. The thing is, it's not as terrifying….no, scratch that. It is as terrifying as it sounds, but it's
not as terrible. I’ve talked to some
amazing people. And they never think
it’s as weird as you think they will.
(Bad grammar, I know. Sorry
Otter.) I like what Elder Holland says on
PMG pg 8 (I’m applying it a little
differently), if they don’t refer “the first thing you do…is be devastated!” It’s true.
“teach with power and authority and then be devastated” if they don’t
accept missionaries. But we move on. And that is the RC.
And now you’re remembering that I mentioned “inbounds”. Mmm. The fun part. Inbounds come from two sources: Mormon.org and Pass Along Cards (media inbounds, technically speaking). Those come to us and other Visitor Centers (but mostly to us). The Mormon.org are honestly trollers most of the time; just pranking, arguing or being insincere. But media inbounds are usually great. They call because they actually want something: a Bible, Book of Mormon, a DVD about Christ, families or the Retoration, or a visit from the missionaries. We take their information, teach a principle (again, Restoration is standard and most effective – duh), invite them to get their –whatever- from the local missionaries in person and learn more about the gospel, and then call them later to check if they got the item.
So that’s what we do in the lair, I mean Call Center. I still like thinking of our mission office as The Secret Lair of Temple Square. The offices (of the Presidency, APs and OAs), guest services, one call center, the kitchen and several study rooms are in the basement of the South Visitor’s Center. It’s fun to “emerge” and guests look at you funny because you basically appeared out of nowhere when you came up the stairs.
I’ve discovered something since I’ve been here. I have an almost entirely different experience as a missionary (and temple patron of my age) because of my 3 months as a temple worker. My roommates were asking about all sorts of stuff related to me having worked in the temple. I have more understanding about how things work there than anyone my age. Obviously not about the things that actually happen. I counted back in my first transfer and by that time (not sure if I included the times at the MTC), and I had gone through approximatelly 30 sessions as a patron or ordinance worker. What 21 year old can say that? Granted, I wish I had done more with that time, but nobody is perfect. Anyway, it just struck me yesterday that I am really lucky.
President Hansen’s letter included the pew aerobics section of Stake Conference. Huzzah for the new High Council members. It will be fun to have Brother Little come to our ward. And I know Brother Keller will enjoy working in Young Mens. And Pres Hansen included a personal note about loving a picture Mom showed him. Is she carrying them around in her purse? Jeez. I’m glad he got to see a picture.
Hard to
believe, but in two weeks, I will have served half my mission. Wow.
PS:
Another quick note.
Went shopping and got two Christmas cds: Frank Sinatra and Bing
Crosby. Yep, I’m a very happy
missionary. Bing’s cd even has his song
with Bowie. And Frank’s has a medley he did for a WWII
broadcast. I am a VERY happy missionary.
You have no idea how happy I am that there was no Stake Presidency change.
He just has to make it through one more and I’m safe. I know that since I want it so badly it’ll
probably happen just the opposite. I love President Hansen so much.
Update on your wandering missionary. Compy got her Visa to Brazil and I am now part of a trio.
New Companions: Sister
F from China
Sister
V from Sweden
New Apartment: a
mattress in their room
New Zone: None. Still a District Leader, too
 | |
| My New Companions, Sisters F&V |
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