Jared's Mission - July 2004

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#CC6633" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c006e0ddvuzq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>              </B></FONT><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission"><U><B>Jared's Mission -  New Mexico Albuquerqu</B></U></A><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission"><U><B>e</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>  | </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.theHaslams.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theHaslams.com"><U>theHaslams.com</U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >             <IMG SRC="05a44320.gif" border=0 width="68" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFF33" TEXT="#080000" background="03dbec00ddxazb.gif"> <div> <A HREF="photo_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission Photo Album"><U><I><B>Mission Photo Album</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="companions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission Companions"><U><I><B>Companions</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mission.net/new-mexico/albuquerque" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mission.net/new-mexico/albuqu"><U><I><B>New Mexico Albuquerque Mission Alumni </B></I></U></A><I><B>  </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>--------------</B></I></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission March 2005"><U><I><B>March 2005</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission February 2005"><U><I><B>February 2005</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2005.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission January 2005"><U><I><B>January 2005</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission December 2004"><U><I><B>December 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission November 2004"><U><I><B>November 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission October 2004"><U><I><B>October 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission September 2004"><U><I><B>September 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission August 2004"><U><I><B>August 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission July 2004"><U><I><B>July 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="june_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission June 2004"><U><I><B>June 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission May 2004"><U><I><B>May 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission April 2004"><U><I><B>April 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission March 2004"><U><I><B>March 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2004.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission February 2004"><U><I><B>February 2004</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission MTC"><U><I><B>D</B></I></U></A><A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission MTC"><U><I><B>eparture Day</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="preparation.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jareds Mission Preparation"><U><I><B>Mission Preparation</B></I></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>   </B></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>July 2004</B></div> <div> <B>Albuquerque New Mexico</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>July 26, 2004 - </B>Jared's letter can be summed up with excerpts from two paragraphs:</div> <bR> <div> "This last week was kind of tough. We are having some trouble getting our investigators to progress and keep their commitments, granted this is an every week thing, but this week was worse than most. It is so frustrating when you can't get your investigators to progress especially when you have such good discussions and everyone feels the spirit and they are so excited to learn more, but then they don't keep their commitments that would further their progression. It's even more frustrating when you don't know what else to do to help someone progress. It's amazing because it's on your mind all day. "What can I do to help this person progress?" And when you can't figure it out it can be frustrating."</div> <div> "We had zone conference this last week and it was way good. I learned so much, I already love and respect my mission president, which is kind of weird for me. It usually takes people a while to earn my respect let alone my love."</div> <bR> <div> <B>July 19, 2004 - </B>Jared wrote "Can you believe how fast summer has gone?" "It's gone by even faster than when I was in school". "Things are changing with my good friend Elder Landon as zone leader and with President Koyle taking over as mission president. I miss Elder Landon as my companion. We've loved to work and gave it all we had."</div> <bR> <div> I had my first interview with President Koyle on Wednesday July 14th. "He's an amazing man. I was amazed when I came in to be interviewed. I shook his hand and knew immediately I could trust him. He is truly inspired ... I am very excited to heed his counsel and strive to become a better missionary..." We have zone conference next Thursday July 22nd and I'm excited to see what changes are going to start being implemented."</div> <bR> <div> Jared reported that their teaching pool is growing (6 now) including a newly married couple who are strong Christians but who have some doubts about organized religion. The wife told us "I've been wanting to talk with Mormon missionaries for a while".</div> <bR> <div> <B>July 16, 2004 -</B> Sister Giras called to let us know that an automobile hit Jared while he was on his bike. Jared had the right of way and the driver was at fault. Jared was not injured, but his bicycle was tweeked. Elder McAllister fixed the bicycle so that it is still usable.</div> <bR> <div> <B>July 12, 2004 - </B>Jared wrote "I have very high hopes for this area. There is a lot of potential here. We are really working hard right now to try to find those who are ready and have been prepared to listen to the message. It has made a rather long week though. Trying to find all week is different for me. 90% of the past week was spent tracting. </div> <bR> <div> Bishop Larsen of the Sage ward was touched by a recent stake conference leadership meeting. He is now very missionary oriented. The members are starting to get involved and I know they will make all the difference in the world. I am excited about this and I know a lot of good will come from it. I am just hoping I will be here long enough to see it succeed.</div> <bR> <div> Elder Landon told me that he completed things in Farmington. He had 4 baptisms there during the last 6 week period and 3 of them Rose, Alice and Jessica were people I had worked with pretty much from beginning to the end. Billy will also be getting baptized there some time soon. I was so happy I was able to see them make changes in their lives and come unto Christ.</div> <bR> <div> <B>July 5, 2004 - </B>Jared e-mailed to say that transfers were so busy that he did not have a chance to mail a letter on June 28th.</div> <bR> <div> He reported that his new senior companion is Elder McAllister from Sacramento California. Elder McAllister has been out 17 months. He is confident that he and Elder McAllister can get some "work done". Further he reported that his trainer Elder Landon has become Zone Leader of Jared's zone and that he and his companion are assigned to the same ward namely the Sage Ward of the Los Lunas stake. Jared was real happy to have Elder Landon so close by again. He concluded ... there is a lot of work to do here so were are going to be real busy!</div> <bR> <div> Jared wrote "Things are different now that the Zone Leaders have moved into the ward replacing the sister missionaries. It has been a long but very productive week. I think we may have found a couple of families that have been prepared to hear the gospel."</div> <bR> <div> I met my new mission president on July 1st. We had a zone conference and he and his wife spoke briefly with us. Then all the missionaries got to shake hands with him and introduce themselves. Jared added "I know he will do a fine job". He introduced some changes to missionary work that are taking place all over the world. These are (1) missionaries will no longer report proselyting hours, rather we'll focus on 9 key indicators. (2) The old blue planners are getting replaced by a pocket six week planner (a full transfer in the U.S.). Missionaries are now expected to take 2 hours per week to plan. They are also changing the discussions from 6 to 4 and having only 1 post baptism discussion! Just when I thought I was getting to know the discussions well ... they are changing.</div> <bR> <div> The Giras family in the Sage ward has been helping the missionaries by allowing them to visit on P-day and do their laundry at their home. Sister Giras also spoke with Sherry on the telephone during the past week.</div> <bR> <div> <B>July 1, 2004 - </B>President Koyle replaces President Mansell as mission president in Albuquerque.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>