According to the Senior Missionary Department in Salt Lake City there are over 400 requests for Full Time Senior Missionaries that are not being filled. Currently in the Florida Orlando Mission (The Promised Land ) Senior Missionary Couples fill critical roles and responsibilities in the office and wonderful leadership, rescuing and support functions in the wards and branches.
We have 52 Wards and Branches in the
Florida Orlando Mission. There is a
great need to rescue brothers and sisters who have become less active and to
support and embrace recent converts and support the dedicated leadership in
these fine wards/branches. We currently
have only 5 Senior Missionary Couples who are assigned to wards and branches as MLS (Member
Leadership Support).
The wonderful saints here in Central Florida need the benefit and
blessings of your strength. First, it is an incredible blessing to the
saints here who are less active and just waiting to be invited back and prepare
for the temple. The heart and souls of
those of us who have served here will never be the same as we have felt the spirit and witnessed the mighty change in members and recent converts
and in ourselves.
We are in specific need for a Senior
Couple to arrive mid-January 2015 and work in the Mission Office as the Mission
Secretary and Mission Finance Clerk.
Elder M. Russell Ballard said it best, “Missions
everywhere need more couples. Their
maturity and experience make them some of the best missionaries we have. Their special skills, honed over a lifetime
of faithful service and living, enable them to train local leaders effectively,
strengthen and reactivate members, and bring nonmembers to Christ by teaching
and baptizing them. The importance of
their work is almost beyond expression in words.”
Many humble Latter-Day Saints fear that they
are not qualified for missionary labours. But to such prospective missionaries,
the Lord has given this assurance: "Faith, hope, charity, and love with an
eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work
- Elder Russell M.
Nelson
We currently have over two hundred twenty young missionaries
serving in the culturally diverse Florida Orlando Mission, ranging in age from
eighteen to twenty five, and who speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian
languages, and several who can use American Sign Language. They come from places as far away as Denmark,
Guatemala, Brazil, the states of Washington, California, Utah, Texas, Nebraska,
Missouri, and as close as Pennsylvania and Florida. We also have several senior missionary couples
serving in the mission, ranging in age from fifty eight to seventy. One couple is
from Arizona, another couple from California and many are from Utah.
Your health issues should not prevent you from serving, unless
they are acute or severe. We currently
have senior missionaries serving who have some arthritis, asthma, diabetes,
heart conditions, pulmonary disease, migraines, back problems and others who
have had hip replacements, knee replacements, and back surgeries. If you are able to successfully manage your
health problems at home you can manage them here. Plus you have the added blessing of having
thousands of people praying for your welfare as a missionary each and every day
and those prayers are being heard.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE
In addition, the Mission Secretary, and
her companion assigned as the Finance Secretary, will have numerous
opportunities to attend the temple after the office is closed and will probably
be assigned to Home Teach a few families, find less-actives, teach the Temple
Preparation or the Gospel Essentials Class, attend the
Priesthood Executive Council when invited and
assist the young missionaries currently in the ward they
are assigned in teaching investigators and new converts.
Finance Secretary-normal
hours: 8:00-5:00 pm
Duties include, but are not limited to; manages all cell phone distribution and maintains logs of usage; manages the payment of all Mission related expenses as they relate to rent, utilities, credit card expenditures, purchases office equipment as authorized, maintains a log of transactions, helps the Mission President prepare the yearly budget, and works with the administration office during regular financial reviews. Locates, sets up and sometimes closes down apartments. Manages young missionaries’ debit card transactions, orders proselyting materials through the Church Distribution Center and prepares the materials for distribution. Orients new missionaries and orders and transports food for various scheduled training meetings as needed.
Duties include, but are not limited to; manages all cell phone distribution and maintains logs of usage; manages the payment of all Mission related expenses as they relate to rent, utilities, credit card expenditures, purchases office equipment as authorized, maintains a log of transactions, helps the Mission President prepare the yearly budget, and works with the administration office during regular financial reviews. Locates, sets up and sometimes closes down apartments. Manages young missionaries’ debit card transactions, orders proselyting materials through the Church Distribution Center and prepares the materials for distribution. Orients new missionaries and orders and transports food for various scheduled training meetings as needed.
Mission Leadership
Support (MLS) Couples-schedule their own hours according to needs
Their duties include but are not limited to; Finding less
active members in the wards they are assigned. Teaching; simple FHE
lessons; lessons for men preparing to
receive the Melchizedek Priesthood;
lessons for new Melchizedek Priesthood holders about the ordinances; lessons on
how to Home Teach and Visit Teach effectively; lessons on how to fellowship and
how to prepare to go to the temple. When invited the MLS Couple will assist the
younger missionaries in teaching investigators and oftentimes provide
transportation to those in need.
Attends District Meetings once a week, Zone Training Meetings once a
month and Priesthood Executive Council when invited, and will have numerous opportunities to attend the temple.
President
Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008), the 15th President of the Church, counseled:
“Rise to the great potential within you. I do not ask that you reach beyond
your capacity. I hope you will not nag yourselves with thoughts of failure. I
hope you will not try to set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. I hope
you will simply do what you can do in the best way you know. If you do so, you
will witness miracles come to pass” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 696).
RULES
AND GUIDELINES
The inspired guidelines provided in the
Missionary Handbook are designed to protect us spiritually and physically and
to help us more effectively accomplish the Lord’s work. Senior Missionaries may have some anxiety
because of the false ideas about what is expected of them. They should not be required to meet the same
standard in work hours or other missionary activities that are expected of
younger missionaries. They may need rest
periods during the day. They should be
encouraged to set their goals and schedules based on their personal capacity
and the requirements of their assignments (Mission President’s Handbook). You
should still set standards and goals and follow the same dress and grooming
standards outlined for the younger missionaries because the young missionaries
will look to you as an example.
“We tend to become like those whom we
admire…We adopt the mannerisms, the attitudes, even the conduct of those whom
we admire-they are usually our friends.
Associate with those who, like you, are planning not for temporary
convenience, shallow goals, or narrow ambition, but rather for those things
that matter most-even eternal objectives.”
(Thomas S. Monson, “Decisions Determine Destiny”, LDS Student
Association Young Women’s Meeting, Logan, Utah, May 16, 1968)
CLOTHING
The
entire Florida Orlando Mission is in a semitropical climate with frequent rain
showers and the humidity is high, especially during the months of June, July
and August, when temperatures reach into the 90’s and humidity is 85-90%, but it
is not unbearable. It does get cool here, even cold sometimes, but it usually
only lasts a few days, and then it warms up again. During the cool weather, (December
and January) daytime temperatures will usually be in the 60s and nights will be
lower. A light coat will be welcome when the need arises. Layered clothing lets
you instantly adjust to heat or air conditioning. Consider cotton or cotton
blends in dresses and blouses. Elders wear short sleeved shirts and prefer a
cotton blend that does not wrinkle and requires little or no ironing. Suits are
usually only worn when attending church meetings on Sundays, Temple Sessions and
other important meetings. The businesses in Florida usually have their air
conditioners running non-stop and at a frigid temperature so wearing a light
sweater 24-7 is not unusual. Rain is intermittent except during the summer
months when it is daily. Please be advised that it doesn’t just rain in
Florida, it pours, but by the time you are able to retrieve your umbrella the
shower has usually passed leaving large puddles behind that quickly evaporate
in the heat. Sisters, closed toed shoes are requested wear, but you can
certainly wear open toed shoes and sandals on the weekends and after hours.
SHOPPING
SHOPPING
Publix,
Costco, Sam’s Club, Target Superstores, or Wal-Mart Stores are the most
prevalent grocery stores in the area. In the local malls here in Florida they
have an abundance of stores to fill your shopping needs. The Apple Store, Microsoft, Best Buy, Bed,
Bath and Beyond, Bath and Body Works, Banana Republic, Old Navy, the Gap,
Penney’s, Sear’s and Macy’s just to name a few.
HOUSING
Although
all of our Senior Missionary apartments are outfitted with the basic
necessities you will still need to bring the following items to make the
apartment your home:
Queen
sized bed linens/pillows
- Queen
sized bedspread and light blanket
- Towels/wash
cloths, bath mats
- Kitchen
cookware (crock pot/rice cooker, Kitchen Aid, or hand mixer)
- Flat
iron/small ironing board, hangars
- Small
tool chest/sewing kit
- GPS
- Sun
Pass-prepaid toll program-to save costs while driving in the area
- Family
pictures and other art work to customize your apartment and make it your own
ACTIVITIES
Yes,
you are actually allowed to visit tourist attractions and walk along the
beaches. If and when you have family or friends come to visit you just make
arrangements with those with whom you serve and take a day or two off and enjoy
their company! The best thing is the Florida Orlando Temple is just minutes
away from many of the areas the Senior Missionaries are assigned. Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 am until
4:00 pm the temple holds sessions every hour.
In the evening beginning at 5:30 pm a session is scheduled every 45
minutes with the last session at 7:30 pm.
On Saturday’s beginning at 7:30 am the sessions are scheduled every 45
minutes with the last session of the day at 3:00 pm.
Our
Senior Missionary District Meetings are held every Monday evening from
6:00-8:00 pm with the exception of transfer week, at a central location for all
of us. The host of the evening is
responsible to give a brief (10-15 minute) lesson from the recent General
Conference issue of the Ensign and provide light refreshments for the evening.
We gather as a district to attend the 5:30 pm temple session at the Florida
Orlando Temple the first Thursday of each month and schedule inexpensive
outside activities on the third Saturday of every month such as:
JANUARY 17TH-Blue Springs State Park to see the manatees and a two hour air boat tour
FEBRUARY 21ST- Kennedy Space Center. Visit the space shuttle Atlantis,
meet an astronaut.
MARCH 21ST-Rodeo at the Church Ranch
SEPTEMBER 19TH-Wild Florida
OCTOBER 17TH-Winter Park Boat Ride
DECEMBER 19TH-Fort Christmas, “Cracker Christmas” Pioneer demonstrations, large craft fair with over 150
crafters with handmade items.
Get
your Hepatitis A&B immunization series now! It is a six month process, so
to save time and money, do not delay get started today!
If
you are under 65 and are not currently covered under Medicare, find out
now if your current medical insurance will cover your medical needs out of
state. If it will not, Missionary
Medical will provide insurance through Aetna that will cost you $183.00 per
person per month. Keep that in mind when budgeting for your mission.
The
cost of serving in Florida is approximately $2400.00 per month. Although we do have one senior missionary
couple who pulled their 35 foot 5th wheel trailer from Alpine, UT
and are living in a fabulous trailer resort area in Leesburg for less, the
normal cost of rent in the Orlando area is well over $1000 plus utilities.
$2400.00
-1200.00
Rent and Utilities
- 125.00 Cable
and Internet Services
- 500.00 Gas
and Sun Pass fee
- 400.00
Food
- 175.00 Incidentals
It
adds up, but the blessings that come from your service are priceless.
Elder
David B. Haight gives more examples of blessings by saying, ‘‘Though you have
had many years of married life together, you will discover new blessings. You will never work so closely and so
intensely with one another in such a rewarding effort. Your love will deepen and you will discover
wonderful new dimensions of your companion’s inner soul and the depth of
his/her understanding. You will have a
greater feeling of unity, and a heavenly relationship will be strengthened—no
finer example can be given, no finer testimony can be borne by parents to
children or grandchildren, than through missionary service in their mature
years. Great joy and fulfillment will
come to you as you humbly give service in your newly expanded world of
neighbors.’’ (Ensign, May 1987:61)
Current Senior Missionary testimonies of the importance of the work :
Elder and Sister Western, from Alpine, UT
We knew we wanted to serve a mission but hesitated
because we did not feel we had enough knowledge concerning the scriptures.
However we decided that if we described the skills we do have that the Lord
would use us where he needed us. We are now serving in a smaller country type
environment to which we brought a 5th wheel trailer to live in. This
really is helping our budget. We are excited to write a couple of our missionary
experiences which we will always remember as being led by the spirit. We are
now 7 months into a MLS mission serving in Florida Orlando Mission
We are assigned to a great ward and are making many
lifetime friends. Our bishop asked us to
try to find and work with the inactive people in our ward. We also have a set
of younger Elders and Sisters to help with this huge process. There was a name
on the list that no one had been working with so we pursued them along with
many others. As we called this couple they seemed nice but were always too busy
to see us. You go through this a lot, people usually have an excuse and may
never let you in, but you keep trying because we love talking to people and
making friends. Surprising enough sometimes people say okay and that is what
happened when we called this couple back the fifth time. The day we rang their
doorbell they were waiting for us with snacks and nice easy chairs in their
“Florida” room, which is a screened in porch. We were amazed at how nice they
were and were able to sit and mainly listen to their story of being very active
to non-active due to taking care of her sick mother and just simply quit coming
and not knowing how to come back. Something that is hard for many people. Our
15 minute visit lasted for 2 hours and ended with a commitment to come to
church. They did and have continued coming. They now both have callings and
were warmly welcomed by some friends of their past. What a joy to see them
serve in every way with great enthusiasm.
We were contacted by the younger Elders wanting us to pick up a woman that they had invited to a baptism. They gave us Sister Smith as her name and told us just to look in the ward list for her address. We saw what we thought was the correct address and hurried to her home. We went to the door and the lady who opened it was surprised when we ask if she was ready to go to the baptism. She said she did not know anything about a baptism but told us that her name is Smith and that she had been inactive for a while. She invited us in and we laughed about the mistake and in the few minutes we visited she told us she would like us to come back again. That is the way the Lord works, if you do your best and have the desire to be obedient he will guide you. We thought we were in the wrong place but the Lord knew exactly where he wanted us to be. We set up our appointment but the day of our visit we could not get in touch with her. Arriving at her home we found that she was gone so we waited for a while, and then decided to go around the corner and park in the shade. We finally decided to say a prayer and drove back. She had just returned home and was looking at some flowers in her yard. She invited us in and we listened to a story she shared with us of a hard sad life that had left her feeling uncomfortable around people. She has a strong testimony of the gospel but because of anxiety attacks could not bring herself to come to church. Elder Western and her neighbor gave her a blessing and we all had a discussion about prayer. She was very blessed and was able to start attending church.
She told us the desire of her heart was to be
sealed to her parents in the temple. A few weeks later however, her Dad became
seriously sick and found out he had cancer and passed away at home with in the
week. We were able to help with his passing and also his funeral. His daughter
was the only active member of her family but was determined to do everything as
according to the church. Now her mother and her are attending church together.
We had the opportunity of going to the temple with
her and doing an endowment session together and then sealed her grandparents,
what a wonderful experience this was for all of us.
Elder and Sister Johnson, from Orem,
UT:
“Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office
which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang
down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” D&C 81:5
The application of this scripture was taught
to us through the Spirit tonight. This is a lesson we thought we already knew
through 40 years of Church service. Strategically, we had protected ourselves
from such unsavory encounters, a tactic many of us fine-tune to keep ourselves
fully armed in a comfort zone, thus denying ourselves the rich blessing of
feeling pure love.
Family
Home Evening tonight was with the [Adams] family. We entered, having
been forewarned by the Bishop to keep the coffee table between us and the
children for protection. In their previous Ward the Primary teachers had been
verbally assaulted and physically injured by these two kids and that is why the
Stake President asked Mom not to bring the children back to Church until their
emotional/mental problems were under control. Of course, no one in the Ward
Council felt inclined to send their own wife in to teach the gospel to the
family so we volunteered. It was out of duty, not desire, to be clear.
If
you have ever read the book “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” you will remember
well the fear and trembling the Herdman family imposed on the local church.
Well, that is pretty close to what we encountered when we entered the home.
Amidst the flying objects and screaming expletives we were able to locate the
12 year old offender standing on the back of the couch against the far wall. A
girl about 9 years old with long, red, matted hair, who had obviously cut her
own bangs off at the root about three weeks ago, was running helter-skelter
through the house screaming like she was being chased by a bear. Two cats
scattered for refuge, one down the hall and the other under the couch. Mom,
calm as a summer breeze, had prepared for the evening’s lesson complete with a
TV tray set up for each person which held a set of scriptures, a hymn book, a copy
of Preach My Gospel, pen and paper. We sat in our assigned lawn chair somewhat
satisfied the TV tray would be sufficient defense.
Elder
Johnson was asked to conduct so the family could learn how it should be done.
With a "Welcome to Family Home Evening" which resulted in an outburst
of cussing from the 12 year old boy and the girl screaming and running up and
down the hall, both finally sat down on their assigned bucket, separated from
each other in an attempt to cut back on the disruptions. This was followed by
all verses of an opening hymn and an opening prayer said with four letter
words, some of which we had never heard combined before. Then the lesson began.
As I sat there in all the chaos I wondered…”of all the people in this Ward who
need to be contacted and taught the gospel, what was I doing subjecting myself
to this circus of abuse? What would
Jesus do?” Of course, He would stay to the end, we just couldn’t determine “The
End” because it didn’t end. So following a more appropriate version of prayer
which we interpreted as meaning the lesson was over, we ventured to the front
door.
Mom
approached us in tears, throwing her arms around us, expressing gratitude to us
for joining the family for the evening. She misses attending Church and
partaking of the Sacrament. She longs for some adult conversation. She loves
her children deeply but it is a discouraging challenge sometimes and she has no
family outside the Ward family to lean on.
Once
safely back in the car, we just sat a moment. What had just happened
in there? A spirit of peace entirely overcame us, then, as we looked at each
other, we realized we had been taught a most valuable lesson in a profound
way. We asked ourselves, “Could we have done anything in the past two hours
that would have pleased the Lord more than what we had just done?” We had truly
been on sacred ground, the home of a
struggling mother who needs succoring, one whose hands do hang down and her
knees are feeble but could so easily be lifted and strengthened by someone who
is willing to “stand in the office which [He has] been appointed,” the
office to which every member of the Church has been called and covenanted to
uphold. It would only take a friendly phone call, a happy text, a visiting
teacher to peek in once in a while and a home teacher who will stand as an
example to a wild young boy who desperately needs a Priesthood man figure
somewhere in his life.
Oh,
the privileges we have denied ourselves but guarding our comfortable boundaries
thus binding the Lord’s hands and preventing the miracles He would otherwise
pour out upon us!
(We have also reaffirmed a testimony
that, “The study of doctrine and the teaching of doctrine will change behavior
more than the study of behavior will change behavior.” As we have visited this
Family Home Evening every week for the past four months we have seen the
ability of the children to understand and control their behavior increase. They
are not back to Church yet, but they are being blessed by a diligent mother and
a loving Father in Heaven in ways men cannot understand, except through faith.)
All of God's service fills the server's
soul with joy and love as they lift and help our neighbors and God's
children. For the MLS Couples that comes
from finding lost sheep (members) and helping them back. We have been blessed with several such
successes, but one that most vividly shows the full circle return has been the
Joseph Cervantes family.
The teaching from the Elders and preparations
for the baptism at least got Maria willing to come to church. She watched for every excuse that she was
unloved, ignored, and knew, as 10 years before; Joe would stop going to keep
peace in the household, if she proved her point. She was intimidated by the
fast pace of the Elders, but loved our slower, "Just loving them"
approach. Our age was a part of that,
but made us more a parent image. But
something about it was comforting and welcoming to her.
Elder and Sister Busath, from Sacramento, CA:
“Missionary
work is never boring! In addition to our
office duties, and serving as the District Leader and Activity Director in our
very active Senior Missionary District, we are also assigned to a small branch
and there are new challenges and new adventures every day. We have been able to use our talents and life
experiences, and have even discovered talents that we didn’t know we had. We are young in comparison to many other
Senior Missionaries and it has proven to be a great blessing in terms of the
ability to perform the “heavy lifting” as sometimes required in setting up new
apartments, shipping bikes, and performing necessary repairs in some of the
older homes our missionaries reside in.
We can personally testify to the
truthfulness of the statement: “Missionary (noun): Someone who leaves their
family for a short period of time so that others may be with their families for
eternity”, and have had the opportunity of teaching the Temple Preparation
Class both in the ward and in the branch that we have been assigned and have had
the honor and privilege of preparing and accompanying many as they entered the
house of the Lord for the very first time.
Tommy, 68, a convert of five years, Elizabeth, 35, a single mom of two
young boys, who was raised in the Church and has been a member since the age of
eight, Veniece, 45, single and the mother of two daughters and grandmother of
three, who has been a member for thirteen years. We currently are waiting
anxiously for specific dates to be set in the next few weeks when we will once
again be privileged to accompany Maria, 46, a convert of three years, single
and the mother of an 8 year old daughter.
Maria speaks Spanish and very little English, yet we were able to meet
with her at the local library each week and teach her with the help of our
Spanish speaking Sister Missionaries. We are especially looking forward to the
honor of escorting Miguel, 30, and Yachira, 25, also converts of three years,
as they receive their own endowment and are sealed to their three small
children for time and for all eternity.
Many of our class members have admitted that they had attended the
Temple Preparation class numerous times in the past, but confessed that after
attending our class they had simply run out of excuses and knew that it was
time. We know that it wasn’t us, but
recognized the promise found in Doctrine and Covenants 100:5-6 when it says, “Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto
this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts,
and you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall
be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall
say.” As we prayerfully prepared to
teach these incredible people the Spirit inspired our thoughts, our words and
we knew what to say, how to say it, and when to say it.
To
be honest, we were worried about being away from our children and grandchildren
like many of you. However, because of
amazing technological advances like Skype and Face-time, we probably hear from
and see more of our family than we ever did when we were home. Although we miss holding the two babies that
have been born since we left, we get to see pictures, sometimes daily, and that
helps. We also feel in some ways that we
have actually enlarged our family by going on a mission. We have “adopted” our
awesome friends in our Senior Missionary District, the wonderful people we have
shared the temple experience with and think of ourselves as ‘grandparents’ to
the young missionaries. Every day we
have the opportunity to mingle with the young missionaries. Sometimes to simply feed them or to provide
life skills instructions like housekeeping tips or how to repair a garbage
disposal. At other times to celebrate
their successes as they share their stories about the investigators that they
are teaching and to encourage and uplift them when discouraged because things
didn’t go exactly as planned.
Watching
the missionaries mature and grow into effective leaders, teachers, prospective
husbands and wives, fathers and mothers is priceless and worth every
sacrifice! We have learned over the past
eighteen months of our mission that we can do hard things with the Lord’s help
and the blessings we have received and that our family has received because of
our service have been more numerous than we can count.
The Florida Orlando Mission truly needs you!
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Elder M. Russell Ballard states, ‘‘To all married couples that can serve: Now is the time, thrust in your sickle and serve the Lord with all your might, mind, and strength. You will know more love and fulfillment than you ever believed possible. A mission is a sacrifice, yet your sacrifice will bring forth ‘the blessings of heaven.’ (See Hymns, 195, No. 27) In reality, the sacrifice of leaving home, family and comforts truly turns out to be a sacrifice of something good for something better.’’ (Ensign, June 1988:12)
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