Tag Archive for: work

The Road to 200…

“Can it be done?” asked the missionary.
“That’s a stretch” was the reply.
Nevertheless, the goal was set.

Finding

Every week, finding new people with which to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is a challenge.

Missionary work is finding people, teaching them and helping them to come unto Christ.

Since 2017 in Belgium and the Netherlands non-religious people have been in the majority.

Indeed, recent censuses show that those following no religious belief is increasing.

Its tough out there!
And yet we try.
Our previous best, 10% shy of the new goal, was achieved with a seasoned group of experienced missionaries.
Things change, our mission is now made up of youthful inexperience, yet aflame with a fire of faith.

Impossible?

The scriptures are replete with examples where the Lord employs the unlikely to achieve the impossible.
Could it happen again?
“And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” – Luke 18:27
Faith is a principle of action and power.
I know that struggles yield learning and growth.

Momentum

And so, with obedience, prayer, inner belief and frankly, a lot of effort, the missionaries went to work, with all their heart, might, mind and strength.
Momentum started to build.
Hour by hour, day by day, miracles happened.
One by one, clutching a Book of Mormon, missionaries spoke with everyone they met.
Here’s just one example.
By mid-week, I received a message from Kate, Emily, Anna and Grace.
They’d been working their socks off all day in Amsterdam and online.
The result, that day, they found 32 people themselves.
By Friday afternoon the mission goal was done.
By this morning, it was completely smashed.
A remarkable week! How could that happen?
President Russell M. Nelson taught that as we increase our faith in Jesus Christ, focus on eternity and build our strength and courage in Him, miracles happen as we acknowledge the Hand of the Lord.
And they did!
How have you seen the hand of the Lord in your life?

Missionary WORK

“This is hard work,” said the young missionary.
“Yes, it is,” I said, “but isn’t it great!”
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤: “an activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.”
We held Zone Conferences in Antwerp and Zoetermeer this week.
There was insightful instruction given throughout each session.
For a large portion of my time, I chose to focus a lot of my direction around one word…. “𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊!”
Today, many have forgotten the value of work and look upon it as something to avoid.
David O. McKay said, “Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that power to work is a blessing, that love of work is success.”
I learned the value of work through my parents example, they were certainly unafraid of hard work.
In the summer of 1977, when I was 12 years old, I started a daily early morning newspaper round.
By 5.30am, I was in the newsagent’s sorting out the newspapers for early morning delivery.
Frequently, I’d head off on my round on my bicycle.

Dynamo’s

In those days my lights were powered by a dynamo on the wheel.
The output of the dynamo was determined by how hard I pedalled.
If I pedalled hard, the lights were bright.
Pedalling softer, the lights were dimmer.
If I stopped there was no light.
And so, it is with all of us in life, especially in missionary work.

Pedal hard

You have to keep pedalling and working hard to have light in your life.
It’s my experience that industry, devotion, and hard work lead to enlightened progress.
There is no substitute to hard work.
Gordon B. Hinckley said “Nothing happens unless we work. You never will plough a field by turning it over in your mind. You have to get out and take hold of the plough and go to work. Work is what makes things happen.”
In Missionary work, the requirement is 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌!
It became part of me a long time ago.
Let it become part of you too.
It is through the discipline of work, that we determine what we become.
What role has work played in your life?

Step by Step

The dictionary says that to walk means to move along on foot or advance by steps.
In life, people take many kinds of walks.
As we walk, we advance 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑.
The greatest of life’s rewards coming from walking along the right paths.
Jesus Christ recommended the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14).
We are encouraged to become like Him, “to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6).
Becoming like Jesus Christ will not happen in an instant, it happens gradually, 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑.
He will guide us in our walk, at the right speed, in the right direction.
As we walk, we learn to control our thoughts and behaviour.
It takes time, maybe even an entire lifetime and beyond.
It requires daily work and daily effort.
Small steps in the right direction can sometimes turn out to be the biggest steps in our life.
All it takes, is one small step.
Becoming like Him is a slow, steady, and sure process.
The Apostle Paul taught, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Having faith in Jesus Christ will help us move forward, even if we’re unsure of the next step.
Step by step, inspiration will come.
Step 1, say to yourself, “I can follow Him.”
Step 2, speak to a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It is a process you can start today, one step at a time.
Answers are only one step away.

Work in Progress

Are you satisfied with where you are now?
Preparing for the day ahead, it struck me that I’m a work in progress.
Later this morning, I’ll be working with missionaries to help each one of them to become a better missionary… I guess, a few, like me who are also, a work in progress.
Deep down I think we may all see ourselves as a work in progress, whether we admit it to ourselves or not.
Isn’t each of us a work in progress in the hands of God?
Progress means moving forward even when we encounter difficulty along the way.
I’m allowing myself to be a work in progress.
And you can, too.
How are you a work in progress?

His hand to the Plough

Around 1 year ago, whilst preparing for Zone Conferences, an image came to mind that I’d seen many years ago.
My good friends Gary & Jo Griffiths had used it when they presided over the Scotland Ireland Mission.
I scoured the internet to try and find a copy of the image and reached out to Gary too. But alas, I was unsuccessful.
A few days later, one of our missionaries Atticus Snow, mentioned to me about a blank canvas he had, and asked if he could paint anything for me. A serendipitous moment, if ever there was one.
I then shared with him the image I had in mind.
Time passed by
And for a while I forgot about the image and the painting.
More time passed.
Earlier this year, I asked if he’d made any progress with his “drawing”. He’d been busy and had only made a little bit of progress.
Even more time passed and the time for him to return home was approaching.
Again, I asked about his “drawing”.
He told me progress was being made.
A few days ago, I asked “Did you finish the horses?”
He replied, “No it’s not finished.”
I was a little disappointed.
Returning home after a busy morning on Thursday, Monic said that there was something in the office for me.

Surprise

And there it was. He’d surprise me!
The most exquisite painting of the image I had described 12 months previously.
I must admit that I shed a tear or two.
Later that day, at our departures meeting we asked everyone gathered to share their own impressions of the painting, and what it meant to them in regard to missionary work.
Many poignant thoughts were shared, things of our souls, touching all of our hearts.
Consider, Luke 9:62.
Atticus told us about the research he did for the painting and a few finer particulars.
If you look closely, those details will emerge.
It is a labour of love.
One meaning, I see symbolically, is two strong missionaries, straining to fulfil their purpose, as the Lord directs them in their work, guiding the blade true and straight, with His eyes future focussed, fixed upon the furrow to be cut.
Let you heart ponder for a while.
What do you see?

Faith precedes the Miracle

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
Over the course of the last 2 years, we have made many friends in Belgium and the Netherlands.
One of my new dear friends, is Melina. With her husband Michiel, they run a farm where they grow sugarbeets, wheat, Belgian endives and onions.
I love reading their posts on Facebook and Instagram.
In my personal study this morning, I got to thinking about planting and harvesting.
There is if you will, in planting and harvesting a design, a method, a sequence, a system, an order, a pattern.
It’s a simple one.
𝐖𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭.
Mingled with lots and lots of hard work in between.
And so, it is with 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡.

Faith precedes the Miracle

In his book Faith Precedes the Miracle, Spencer W. Kimball taught; “In faith we plant the seed, and soon we see the miracles of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and have reversed the process. They would have the harvest 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 the planting, the reward 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 the service, the miracle 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 the faith. Even the most demanding labour unions would hardly ask the wages before the labour. But many of us would have the vigour without observing the health laws, prosperity through the opened windows of heaven without the payment of our tithes. We would have the close communion with our Father without fasting and praying; we would have the rain in due season and peace in the land without observing the Sabbath and keeping the other commandments of the Lord. We would pluck the rose before planting the roots; we would harvest the grain before sowing and cultivating.”
Melina and Michiel are amongst some of the hardest working people I know.
They understand that faith is a principle of action and power.
Although faith is a gift, it must be cultured and sought after until it grows from one tiny seed into a marvellous harvest.
Remember the order, through exercising our faith, first we plant, we work hard, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 comes the harvest.
What harvests have you seen as you have exercised your faith and gone to work?

Diligence!

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭?” asked the missionary…
We agreed upon a definition that diligence was someone who was steady, consistent, earnest, had zeal and energetic effort.
We also agreed that diligence implies that we really care about whatever it is we are doing.
To be diligent takes some effort.
I considered the opposites for a moment, negligent, lazy, careless, idle.
The scriptures are filled with references to diligence or being diligent.
One of my favourites is found in Moroni 9:6, when Mormon counselled his son Moroni saying: “Let us labour diligently…. For we have a labour to perform…”
I thought for a moment about the labours I have to perform, and am I diligent in performing them?
What labours do you have to perform?
As a father, as a mother, as a brother, as a sister, as a son, or as a daughter?
As an employer, as an employee, as a volunteer, as a missionary?
At home, in the workplace, in the community or in the mission field?
“He who labours diligently need never despair; for all things are accomplished by diligence and labour.” – Mark Water.
Diligence is a prized possession that I hope we all want to have in our lives.
How does a lazy person transition to being diligent?
In my experience, there is usually some kind of a wake-up call, a painful experience perhaps, that opened their eyes to the trouble their lazy ways have reaped.
I hope that you haven’t had too many wake up calls in life and choose to be diligent!
Are you diligent?

Ambition

When Joe Wilson finished college and joined his father in a small family-owned business, Mr. Wilson was overjoyed.
“It will be good to have some aggressive young management around the place,” he said.
“Your first duty as my new partner is to replace that sign out front with one of those father-and-son signs…. you know the kind.”
“Yes, I know just want we need,” Joe said.
Later he invited his father out to inspect the new sign.
Mr Wilson was speechless for a moment….then he said…
“Now that’s what I call real aggressive young management.”
The sign read: Joe C. Wilson & Father.

Your true potential

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞?
I believe that happy people are involved in something they believe is much bigger than themselves.
Indeed, I have found that those who are happiest oftentimes lose themselves in a meaningful job or worthwhile cause.
Furthermore, those who find satisfaction in many organisations often describe their daily work as a “𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈” rather than a job or even a career.
Individuals who make this connection with a calling see their work as contributing to the greater good, to something larger than they are.
Those feelings are prevalent in our current service opportunity here in the Belgium Netherlands Mission.
It is an honour and a privilege to work with so many young missionaries from all around the world.
Like each of our missionaries, I have a strong desire to serve and help others.
In essence, simply, to do good.
It drives my behaviour and aligns my beliefs and thinking.
What about you?
Being involved in a cause can give our lives greater meaning, purpose and direction in lots of different way – it keeps us actively involved in something we feel is worthwhile, that is making a difference to a greater good.
It helps us by looking beyond ourselves and our own self interest.
“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realise your true potential.” Barack Obama
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫?

Too much to do?

Are you pushing yourself too hard?
Personally, I’m the kind of person that likes being busy, at least most of the time.
If you are not careful enough though, the side effects of the daily routines can include – physical aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, missing meals, abandoning exercise, headaches, stomach problems, forgetting things, feeling overwhelmed, feeling guilty, isolating yourself, irritability, anxiety and even depression can all kick in.
Have you noticed any new aches and pains recently?
Maybe you should listen to your body more often?
Yes, we all need to kick into a higher gear occasionally to get things done, but we need to put things into perspective, by taking care of ourselves and our relationships.
The way to succeed is not to work long hours, but to work hard in each hour.
And take short breaks – regularly!
Remember – life is short!
It is important to take time every day for yourself and to slow down, to enjoy the beauty you can find all around.
Open your eyes and see.
Perhaps it is time for you to re-connect with your core purpose and watch how your behaviours will shift along the way.
What can you do to slow down today?