The Missionary Portal

All I can think about lately is my Mission! About the type of people I am going to serve the places I will be serving in, If I will see snow (have a white Christmas even?)

In my mission pack they gave me a pin to access the "Missionary Portal"!!! It really is awesome!!! (missionary.lds.org - FYI, But you do need a PIN to access it, which you will only receive with your call package) 

So they have shortened the time in the MTC to 2 week now instead of 3, they are now encouraging that you do a lot more prep before you leave. 

Missionary Portal Progress

In the missionary portal it gives you the amount of days you have left before your mission, the flag of your country (or in my case, State flag) the picture you submitted with your papers. It also tracts your progress on things that they want you to do in pre-MTC prep. 
These things include:

• Go to the Temple and Receive your endowments, attend the Temple as often as you can.
• Reread the Book of Mormon. I started already and can proudly say I am in Mosiah 9.
• Watch "The District": A series of videos that show you what serving a mission is really like. These videos will teach you how to be a more effective missionary. Watch both parts - 3 episodes each If you want to watch the Series #AMAZING youtube has it: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOE4L7r4wxYnXqu1JB_Qjq9DkNV7ZHdSA
• Create a Mormon.org Profile (see mine at: http://mormon.org/me/C28F)
• Preach My Gospel Ch 3: Learn the doctrine found in chapter 3 in Preach My Gospel, and practice explaining it to others. (Work in progress)
• Missionary Handbook: Prepare yourself to live missionary standards by reading the Missionary Handbook.
• Missionary and Family History Work: Learn about your family history. Discover how family history work can help you invite others to come unto Christ more effectively.

 This Last week as I was watching "The District" I realized how much I actually still needed to prepare - And so I am VERY grateful for the 5 months they gave me to prepare, I am also very grateful for going through the call packet and starting on it immediately - I still need to write my acceptance letter. I plan to do that this week! :) 

With attending the unofficial missionary preparation class held by Bro Andre Bester (My former Stake President, former Zimbabwe Mission President, and currently serving in the Johannesburg Mission Presidency) I have learnt many things already: The importance of one-on-one interviews and how to conduct and participate in them. The Importance of union between yourself and your companion. I have learnt many things about my self, I have been asking more in depth questions, it has also started a burning desire for me to prepare as much as possible. In the District Videos I have realized how important it really is to be in harmony with your companion when you teaching investigators - the Spirit cannot be with you as you teach. I have seen the importance of an "area book" where they keep record of who they taught, what they taught and how the investigator responded to the message. I can only imagine how tough it can get when there are missionaries in and out of areas all the time. I read in a blog of a missionary serving in one of the small towns in the St. George Mission that according to the area book every door in that town had been knocked, every friend contacted. This is where missionaries need to start getting creative and encourage the member to help out. That is quite a challenge but what is life without challenges :)

I am busy preparing to go to the Temple now. I have already done the Temple prep class last year. But my dad's back is not allowing him to do much. I will hopefully set a date to go as soon as he gets a date to go for the operation. He is a strong man! And I love him dearly! He truly is the patriarch of my Home! I know I can go to him with any problem I might have.

I have missed not going to the mission prep class these past two weeks - they have become the highlight of my week, the first week was cancelled because of Some wanting to watch General Confr Live, this week there was Youth convention, Next week the Area is watching General Confr at the prescribed times. So 2 more weeks and I only get one Mission prep class and then I have YSA activities and devotionals to attend.

I love this gospel! And I am trying my BEST to prepare to be the best missionary I can be. I am not much of a teacher but I can learn!

Never Give Up. Never Surrender!

Sister Hollander