Transfer 3 week 2: Facebook advertisements, another good week

 

This week was good, I got a really nice office chair for my study desk now, which is a major blessing. It has been neat to see how the Lord blesses us in little ways to let us know that we are doing well in His eyes. This week the ads have gone up for our Facebook page, and we are already receiving referrals from it. We are way excited, and we are looking forward to what is coming from it. We also were able to do trainings in a couple of our district councils to bring everyone up to speed and to help them dictate their own goals for their circumstances instead of just shoving down a bunch of stuff from the top. We are attempting to be as simple as possible this transfer with our zone goals and having only in mind to be a Preach My Gospel zone. Our thinking is that if we keep our focus on just the ridiculously basic stuff, and really just PMG, then a lot of the smaller stuff will iron out as missionaries train themselves what they need to be doing and set that expectation, instead of us hounding on them to be doing every little thing. It’s a certain measure of them owning the task and the responsibility.

 

Overall, the missionary work and the zone are doing really well here in Minneapolis, and I have been totally blessed to come and serve here at this time. The only big downer at the moment is the current state of the ward that I am in. Lake Nakomis has always been known for having a very transient population that comes and goes in droves every few years, with a number of old timers, but things have gotten really bad over the last 6 months. Scores of families have left, and more are on their way to departure. Only about 35 people attend church on the Sundays where folks with kids at home are invited and about the same number of people come on the Sundays when people without kids at home are invited as well. In other words: half to one third of the attending members will be deceased over the next 15 to 30 years, and there is only 9 regularly attending primary children. With all of the youth having gone to college or moved somewhere else. It does not look good. I was wondering if I was the only one thinking this until we had a dinner with one of the few good strong families in the ward, the Chryslers, who admitted a lot of this to us and gave us some more insight. Brother Chrysler had been more or less acting Stake President while President Kurr was performing both area seventy duties and stake president duties simultaneously until just last month. The sacrifice of both of these fine men has been just tremendous, and brother Chrysler was happy to be made a Sunday school teacher this Sunday, in an era where Sunday school still isn't happening yet.

 

This doesn't mean though that the Minneapolis stake has been suffering comparably to Lake Nakomis, the contrasts are striking. Go out just a few miles into the regular towns and suburbs and away from the cities and you will find thriving wards with lots of families well serving. The entire situation regarding the exodus of members from Minneapolis has this eerie feeling that makes the words of "Ye Elders of Israel" almost terrifyingly relevant.

 

"Oh Babylon, oh Babylon,

We bid thee, 'Farewell!'

We're going to the mountains of Ephraim to dwell."

 

The more folks that we talk to, members and non-members, the more they are telling us that they are getting out. Kind of scary. The good news is the only solution to this problem is missionary work. We can take care of that!

 

All in all, things are going well, and we are looking forward to the future. I already have action plans for election night in place for our elders that live closest to downtown. Our unendowed elders are beginning to receive appointments booked for the temple over the following 2 months, which is very exciting. I am hoping they can let some of us go through again as well, I feel like I could use a temple visit soon.

 

Take care guys. I love you all and hope you stay safe.

 

Sincerely,

Elder Shill