Dear Elders and Sisters,
I believe it’s time to learn how to juggle in the CFM. I have been studying up on this and have learned quite a bit. I have noted a couple of key words as I was reading and watching. They are:
1. Focus on the right ball at the right time.
2. Learn the correct movement and then keep moving.
3. As soon as you drop one ball, you must start over so as to not create bad habits. Plus, if you are juggling three balls and drop one, juggling two balls is just not very interesting.
4. Practice is key so keep practicing. Don't be discouraged. Just follow the steps and you will get it.
5. Timing is so important. Once you get the timing right, you can go faster and faster.
Well, I think there are some parallels to missionary work. We need to be jugglers! We need to focus on multiple things, each at the right time, so we don't drop any one "ball". The multiple things we focus on are; Finding, Teaching, and Baptizing (let's leave Planting and Retaining and Repeating out of this discussion for now as they come very naturally). Just as in Juggling, if we drop or stop Finding, it just doesn't work. It's not very interesting and ultimately nothing happens. Focus on the right thing at the right time. You need to be Finding each and every day. If you are just going through the motions without any results, then change what you are doing. If you don't, you'll continue to get the same results - too often nothing. Learn the correct movement so you can have better timing and more interesting results. More people will be interested when you get the timing right - I.E; 3:30:3, Pamphlets, etc. Practice is key so keep working at it as diligently as you can.
It appears to me that as we have focused on getting the lists of LAs and PMs and moving toward this model in our Inspired Vision, we have discontinued Finding in the traditional ways. This is the equivalent of juggling two balls which isn't juggling at all but rather just motion that is yet to be compelling or powerful. I didn't ask you to cease your traditional Finding. You need to keep doing it until you are so busy with LAs and PMs that there just isn't time for traditional Finding and in comparison, traditional Finding does not yield the same great results that working with the LAs and PMs yield. But you must juggle. We are seeing too much lumpy performance. We baptize and then we have to go Find again so we can Teach and Baptize again. We have a great month and then a not so great month. Remember, we want a positive slope to our Teaching and Baptizing x;y graph line and the best way to do that is to have a steeper, more positive slope to our x;y Finding graph line. "Nothing happens in missionary work until you FIND someone to Teach!" So, please invest more in Finding so you can and will Teach and Baptize more. Be great jugglers so that what we do moves from being interesting (60 - 75 Baptisms/month) to compelling and powerful - 90 to 110 Baptisms/month!!!!
One last thing that will help you with your focus. As you consider what things you will do to Find, please consider also what things you should cease doing in order to merit the blessing of Finding, Teaching, and Baptizing! I fear many are holding on to thoughts, actions, and conversations that are holding us back and not allowing us to fully participate in the Hastening of the Work.
Now, I know something very important and I think you do as well. It is that "with God all things are possible." So, I believe if we'll do better at juggling and dismiss some things from our lives God will bless us with our righteous desires - in this case the Strength of 1,000! Please exercise faith and works appropriate to call down the powers of Heaven in this great cause. I know we can do it but I know that we will only be allowed to accomplish this if we increase in our "juggling" capabilities, work harder, stay focused, and eliminate things from our lives that are impeding the work.
I love you and pray in earnest for you, the work, and the Mission each and every day. Sister Clark and I continue to pinch ourselves that we are blessed to be here, now, with you as the Lord Hastens His Work.
Love,
President Clark
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