Worn Out

After our missionary interviews in Apeldoorn on Thursday, we headed to our hotel room.
It was late afternoon, and I took my shoes off to settle down for a wee nap.
I was pretty tired that afternoon.
Whilst napping, Monic took this photo.
She captured my socks – perfectly!
Little did I know they were in such a threadbare way! ☹
Just like my socks, I admit, I’m starting to feel a little worn out.
My socks reminded me of my shoes from the last few weeks of my mission in the 1980’s.
Whilst serving in Cambridge, England in May of 1985, I remember cutting up cardboard from cereal boxes and putting it in my shoes.
Both shoes had a big, huge hole in them!
Let me the state the obvious, whilst serving a mission, things get 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒕!
Especially, socks and shoes!

Definition

Worn out; “showing signs of wear, drained of energy, extremely tired; completely exhausted.”
I love this quote from Spencer W. Kimball, “My life is like my shoes – to be worn out in service.”
During His ministry on the earth, Jesus Christ spent His time serving and helping others.
True disciples of Christ do likewise.
Every missionary knows about the importance and value of rendering service and lifting others.
Alma 37:34 states: “Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.”
When I’m tired, I slow down, sit still, listen and pray.
Yet, growing old on a mission (or in life) is never easy.
There is so much more to endurance than just surviving to the end!
How we finish a mission, just like a marathon really matters.
Endurance is an important principle found within the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Enduring to the end, can be one of life’s most difficult challenges, but it can also be one of life’s greatest triumphs.
Enduring signifies “patient continuance in well doing” – Romans 2:7.
I know that it is the joy of being with the missionaries and many others that refreshes me. I also know that never being weary of good works, ultimately brings rest to anyone who may feel a little worn out.
How do you endure when you are feeling a little worn out?

Relentless

Its been a great week in the Belgium Netherlands Mission.
On Monday we held our last Mission Leadership Council (MLC) at the Mission Home in Leidschendam. There was lots of counselling together and discussions on our plans for our final full transfer, including setting some stretching goals for the mission!
On Wednesday we held our last Orientation meeting with our new arrivals in Gouda, followed by a Temple trip in Zoetermeer.
Then, on Thursday and Friday we were in Apeldoorn to complete our final coaching interviews with all of the missionaries in the Apeldoorn Zone. For some of our missionaries it was not only their first, but also (sadly) last interview with us, as we prepare for our own departure in a few weeks time.
Life as mission leaders may be unceasingly intense, but it is also a real joy and delight to work with some of the most incredible young people on planet earth! 😍

Tartan

On their recent visit, family members brought a final new supply of tartan ties and scarfs.
All this tartan certainly keeps me grounded in my own heritage.
There are some very distinctive things about Scotland, including the highlands, castles, bagpipes, kilts, haggis, whisky, shortbread, plain bread, square sausage, thistles, tartan and of course the Loch Ness monster, Nessie!
I’m not quite certain what is it, but there is something about tartan, that so many people find so interesting.

Tartan defined

Tartan: “a woollen cloth woven in one of several patterns of coloured checks and intersecting lines, especially of a design associated with a particular Scottish clan.”
I guess there are some folks who are fascinated by the Scottish clan system and any potential ancestry connections.
Anyhow, it got me thinking about the many different cultures and traditions of all our missionaries in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission.
We have quite a mix of missionaries from all around the world, each with their own distinctive genealogy, customs and practices.
As each one of them departs for home, they receive a tartan gift from us. Although this transfer we may be giving out a few more!
I’m grateful too for my good friend Bryan at Kingdom Kilts who has looked after me well these last 3 years!

Embracing Differences

Just like the many colours, lines and patterns of a tartan scarf or tie, I thought about how we are all different, all unique and how each of us embrace those differences about one another in the mission field.
One thing is clear however, we just don’t accept these differences about one another, we love and embrace them.
I may wear a tartan tie, and occasionally my kilt too, but setting aside those cultural differences, we are after all brothers and sisters, each of us a child of a loving Father in Heaven.
In his memorable speech on Mars Hill, Paul declared to the Athenians that we are the “offspring” of God. (Acts 17:28.)
The Lord Jesus Christ, invites all to come unto Him, “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ unites us together as one.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf said “The Saviour loves all of God’s children regardless of their socioeconomic circumstance, race, religion, language, political orientation, nationality, or any other grouping. And so should we!”
Lets embrace our differences!
I hope that we can gratefully acknowledge God as our creator and honour that unique heritage that unites each one of us.
What does it mean to be a child of God to you?

Mothers of Faith

Across a large part of the world today, it’s Mother’s Day.
To each of you dear mothers, we express our sincere gratitude and thanks.
Your precious sons and daughters are safe as they serve here in Belgium and the Netherlands.
We appreciate you for being the kind of mothers you are and doing the things you do.

Faith

Thank you for your faith and constant sacrifices.
We know you love, cherish, encourage, respect and inspire each of them.
Like you, we hope and pray for their success and happiness – daily.
We promise to love them, help them, watch over them and treat them as if they were our very own sons and daughters.
We feel as if they are!
We can’t send you your missionary today.

Flowers

Nor is it likely that you’ll receive real flowers from your missionary son or daughter.
But take a look at our latest mission pictures below.
What we can send you are some pictures of a few of your sons and daughters surrounded by lots of flowers! 😊
We are pleased to report, that they are blooming, just like Keukenhof’s tulip gardens!
It is a sweet honour and privilege to serve side by side with each of them.
We truly work with the greatest young men and women on planet earth.
We know that, and feel that, every single day.
We know too that they love you, so very, very much.
We likewise know that your love is unconditional, unbreakable, and forever.
The love you have for your son or daughter is like nothing else in the world.
You will recall a recent statement by President Russell M. Nelson…
“Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits—perhaps, I might say, His finest team—for this final phase. Those noble spirits—those finest players, those heroes—are you!”
It is our witness, that each of your sons and daughters are part of “His finest team” here in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Dear Mothers – may the blessings of heaven be poured out upon each of you on this special day as you continue to exercise your faith and watch from afar.

Be

Put your mobile down.
Set your tablet or laptop aside.
Turn the television off.
Put down your book.
Are you paying attention?
Just be here.

𝐁𝐞.

In a world filled with distractions it can be easy to get side-tracked and lose focus on the person or people that matter most of all.
In a recent coaching interview, one missionary asked me a question something like this…
“President, how can I improve my communication skills?”
Reflecting for a moment, as I observed the missionary and made eye contact, I asked a question that focused on being present and the unspoken dialogue I observed before me.
I asked, “Look at me and tell me what you observe?”
Hesitating the missionary responded… “I see you!”
“What else do you see?” I asked.
“You’re sitting comfortably”.
“Yes, I am sitting comfortably, but what else?” I said.
There were a few more interactions.
However, unable to see what I was driving at; I described my body language.
Then the missionary understood that I’d been delicately mirroring or matching the gesture’s, expressions, tone of voice and seating posture throughout our conversation.
What was I really saying?
I was indicating… “I am curious about you and making an effort to understand you.”
I had slowed down.
It was a moment of true bewilderment, to watch the reaction unfold.
Observing and listening, along with things we speak, are equally critical parts of communicating, that show you care.
“We must develop the capacity to see [others] not as they are at present but as they may become.” – Thomas S. Monson.
True disciples of Jesus Christ seek to follow His example in the ways they communicate.
I love this scripture from Ephesians 4:29 …“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
If you want to develop Christlike communication, then speak with a missionary today.

Walk and Talk

As we approach our last missionary transfer, I reckon that Monic and I are now approaching some 3,000 coaching interviews – each!
From the outset, we chose to invest a lot of time (15 to 30 minutes) per interview, as a catalyst to enable change with each of our missionaries.
We started off sitting for all of our interviews, but as time has passed we now both enjoy the occasional walking interview too!
Pacing ourselves in our walking is a joy and it can slow down the conversation.
It got me thinking about the process of our interviews…
Our journey together always begins in a similar manner.
We smile, greet one another, say hello and settle in.
Then, the conversations go something like this.
I speak and ask a simple question.
The missionary listens.
The missionary speaks.
I listen.
I speak and carefully, ask more questions.
The missionary listens.
The missionary speaks.
I listen.
I try hard, very, very hard not to interrupt.
I am curious and interested as to what the missionary thinks.
There usually always comes a point when they ask me a question.
I push the missionary hard to see how far they can go in their own thinking, before I offer any of my own thoughts.
Like any great coaching conversation, the process is all about helping the missionary to become more self-aware.
Frequently I find that I reinforce their strengths and help each missionary to explore their challenges.
And the walking?
Well, it simply helps to stretch our legs and our minds!
Changing the environment can also really help us change how we look at things.
Fresh air can really awaken all of our senses and aid both our thinking and every conversation.
“Walking is man’s best medicine.” - Hippocrates
Little wonder then, that the most frequent question we are asked at interviews is “Are we going for a walk today?”
When will you next venture outside for a coaching conversation?

Set Apart

In our recent missionary zone conferences in Antwerp and Utrecht, there were many wonderful sessions of training and instruction given.
In one of my own, I focussed on the term “𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭” and I asked the question….
“What happens when you are set apart as a missionary?”
In my pre-mission life as a coach and facilitator one of my favourite coaching practices was to consider how far people can go in their own thinking, before they need my thinking…!
What followed was a lively exercise of very insightful thinking!
Having missionaries together in zone conferences are some of my most favourite moments of mission life.
So what does it mean to be set apart?

Koningsdag

The Dutch love a good party, and yesterday, King’s Day, may very well have been the best party in the Netherlands, despite the rain!
It was a national holiday to celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s birthday with lots of music, dancing, street markets and fun fairs.
To me, it seemed like the entire country dressed in orange!
Our missionaries enjoyed the celebration too, by joining in the festive atmosphere and getting into the party spirit.
Throughout the Netherlands (and abroad), they all dressed up in as much orange as they possibly could!
You’ll find a few of my favourite images below.

Kingdom of the Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander became the reigning monarch of The Netherlands in 2013.
He represents the Kingdom of the Netherlands at home and abroad, holding a great deal of influence and earthly power.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honouring, and sustaining the law.” Article of Faith 12.

Kingdom of God

As the missionaries honoured the traditions of their mission culture, oftentimes they turn their thoughts to an unearthly reigning monarch, the 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.
Gordon B. Hinckley explained…
“Jesus Christ, He, the Son of God, who by His matchless and eternal power overcame death. He is the Redeemer of the world. He gave His life for each of us. He took it up again and became the firstfruits of them that slept. He, as King of Kings, stands triumphant above all other kings. He, as the Omnipotent One, stands above all rulers. He is our comfort, our only true comfort, when the dark shroud of earthly night closes about us as the spirit departs the human form. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God.”
His influence and power continue to change hearts, minds, and lives in deep, meaningful and an everlasting way.
His name is Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
We, too, can know in our hearts that Jesus is the Christ, and that He will come again to reign as 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.
Speak with a missionary to find out more…
Is Jesus Christ a King to you?

Brolly to the ready

The Dutch love to talk about the weather.
I believe it to be one of their most beloved national pastimes. 😊
…At least that’s what it seems like to me!
And these last few weeks, one thing has dominated lots of conversations.
𝑹𝒂𝒊𝒏!
“April showers” is a well-used phrase that is engrained in our culture – there have been many of late.
It seems to have rained and rained and rained constantly this month.
As a Scot, I am all too familiar with it too!
Recently, my umbrella has been particularly useful.
The fact is, Dutch weather is indeed mild, damp, and windy.
It is comparable to my homeland.
Similarly, in life we have all experienced showers, or seasons of gloominess and sadness.
Sometimes I grumble a little about the rain. You probably do too.
What could be “right about rain?”
Yet, I love the hopeful phrase “right as rain” implying that everything is satisfactory.
Then, I remember that rain is essential for new growth.
April showers help much more than just May flowers.
Spring is a time of renewal and regeneration as things long thought dead, once again spring into a newness of life.
In a like manner, spring is also a time of reenergizing ourselves.
Rain brings 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.
In Ezekiel 34:26 we read; “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing…”
Just like this scripture, we are reminded that even the most unpleasant of things, in this case the heavy rains of April, can bring forth great showers, even an abundance of blessings.
Because of Him, I know that the same God that gives us rain also gives us sunshine.
There are always intermittent rays of sunshine to brighten our days, they’re called missionaries! 😊
Watch carefully, the weather always changes.
Maybe it is time to change your outlook.
There is sunshine ahead!

Consecrated

I gave one of our missionaries a blessing this week and as we talked about consecrated oil, this story came back to mind.
… Some years ago, I was passing through airport security.
Like many times before, I put all my loose items in the security tray.
Picking up my keys, the security officer pointed to one item.
Uncustomarily, he asked “What’s this for?”
“Its an oil vial” I responded.
He looked puzzled.
Explaining further “It’s a religious item. It contains consecrated olive oil for blessings…”
He looked at me rather quizzically, placed them back in the tray and signalled me to move on.
With a large queue of people behind me, I regret that I didn’t take more time to explain.

Religious

What does it mean to 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 something?
“To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as sacred, devoted to holy purposes.”
Why olive oil?
Olive oil is used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in blessing the sick and anointing in the temple.
The consecrated olive oil is then stored in a vial and used when required.

Parables

New Testament parables use oil as a symbol of healing, light, sacredness, purity and the Holy Ghost. (Luke 10:34)
In the New Testament, oil was used to anoint the sick (Mark 6:13; James 5:14). Just as I had done earlier this week.
In a similar manner, all of our missionaries make sacrifices of their time, as they consecrate their service by quietly going about doing good, just like our Saviour, Jesus Christ – see Acts 10:38.
It takes a great desire, dedication, endurance, and obedience to be a missionary.
Jesus Christ demonstrated that a consecrated life, is a life of service.
As they leave their fears behind, we have seen many of our missionaries in Belgium and the Netherlands make great sacrifices to become truly consecrated servants of the Lord.
For us, it is a real joy to be with such consecrated missionaries.
As they consecrate their efforts, the Lord always makes up the rest.
How can you consecrate your efforts to God?