| (This article was prepared for us by one of our advertisers, Clem Muck,
the owner of CTR Bikes, and has been re-printed with his
permission.)
Preparing temporally for a mission begins with commitment. The first
and most obvious step is determining that the prospective missionary is
truly committed to going into the mission field. Social, peer or parental
coercion may launch the missionary into the field, but it's quite possible
the target will be missed and the missionary will end up coming home
early. So, starting with the correct principle - a missionary who really
wants to serve the Lord - is the beginning of building an eventually
successful mission.
Earning money is a part of proper temporal preparation. Making sure
that the future missionary begins to earn and save early is a key form of
temporal commitment. Parents who subsidize the cost of the mission, or do
not expect the future missionary to make a significant contribution toward
his own mission deny him the opportunity to make a true commitment to his
mission.
Proper physical preparation is very important. Read the article by Dr.
Donald Doty in the March 2007 issue of the Ensign about the importance
of getting physically ready for a mission. Unprepared missionaries who go
out are abruptly forced into much more physical exercise than they may be
able to tolerate. A missionary who stays up half the night in recreational
situations, who is overly infatuated with computer games, or who gets
little or no exercise is truly in for a shock when he gets into the
mission field. Walking, running, bicycling and swimming are all good ways
to begin getting physically fit.
Learning social skills is often overlooked in temporally preparing for
a mission. How much focus is given to learning to be a good communicator
with adults and not just same-age friends? What is the value of learning
about a firm handshake, good eye contact, and a genuine smile? What about
table manners? How often do we see missionaries sit down at the table, not
knowing what a napkin is for, or how to properly use their eating
utensils, or who wrap their arms around their plates as if somebody was
going to steal their food? Missionaries who exhibit gracious and pleasant
social skills will build confidence with members in their assigned wards,
and that will mean the work will be easier for them to accomplish.
jli>Refining presentation and speaking skills is a helpful step toward
building confidence for the new missionary. We seem inclined to begin
sacrament meeting talks with apologies, or lamenting the fact that we were
asked to speak, or joking that the bishop roped us into talking. Somebody
once said that speaking in sacrament meeting is a privilege and a
cherished opportunity to help ourselves and others build testimonies. So,
if we expect our missionaries to be effective when called on to speak in
sacrament meetings and present discussions to investigator groups, it
would seem we should set the example and also encourage them to be good
presenters. There are speech classes in school. Missionaries have the
opportunity to cope with self-presentation situations if they are
encouraged to learn the art of public speaking.
Who is chiefly responsible for outfitting a missionary? If it is the
parents, there is less commitment by the missionary. Who selects the
missionary outfitter? Who decides on the suits and clothing accessories?
Who researches and orders the bike if one is required? If the future
missionary is experienced in how to shop for values, quality, and
selection, it will put him quantum steps ahead of many missionaries who go
out having been totally ministered to by their parents.
Knowing how to be self-reliant is very important. Can the missionary
make his bed without waiting for somebody else to do it? Is he ready to
manage his own personal hygiene including keeping his clothes properly
laundered or dry cleaned? Has he been taught to watch his own health while
attempting to avoid situations that may bring unwanted colds or flu? Does
he know that he is the one who is expected to keep his apartment and room
clean? The Lord has taught us that we are to keep our houses in order -
that includes our missionaries. Have you thought about having the future
missionary prepare the family shopping list and then head to the store to
buy the groceries? That would be a practical method to refine skills that
will be needed in the mission field.
There have been effective ward and stake missionary preparation
classes provided by local leaders with the intent to temporally prepare
their missionaries for the mission field. An example is a stake in Arizona
that conducted weekly classes for prospective missionaries that involved
such events as a meal being prepared by the relief society and served with
the intent to emphasize proper table manners and personal conduct at the
table. You may be able to help organize such a class in your ward or
branch.
Send future missionaries out with missionaries in your ward. One of
the best ways to learn about being a missionary is to be with
missionaries. Encourage your future missionary to spend every minute
possible with the missionaries in your ward. Suggest he go with the
missionaries to teach investigators, that he spend mornings in scripture
study with them. Propose that he be involved in their planning, and go to
correlation meetings with them. The more he works with the missionaries,
the better prepared he will be for the routine of living a missionary
lifestyle.
A final comment for parents - you love your new missionary and you are
justifiably proud of him. The best way you can truly help him toward a
successful mission is by making him self-reliant and less dependent on
you. Parents who lead their sons and daughters through school and guide
them to successful accomplishments may not really be helping them in the
long run if they haven't taught them self-sufficiency at the same time.
And, keep this in mind - you will worry much less about your new
missionary if you have given him the tools to be successful without always
needing your influencing hand in his daily activities. When he is gone,
you will no longer be able to help him temporally, but you can certainly
help prepare him ahead of time, and then it only remains for you to pray
for him when he is on his own.
Top of Page |