Parlez-vous rendezvous?

Today I had the pleasure of hosting our good friends Geoff and Darcie Davis and their three young daughters at the mission home. They are on their way to Menton, France, a small village on the Mediterranean, close to the Italian border. Geoff is recovering from a serious illness and is under doctor's orders to live in a picturesque Mediterranean village for 10 months. Remind me to get the name and number of that doctor! In all seriousness, we pray for Geoff's complete recovery and know that this change in life is a true leap of faith for the entire Davis clan.

In the year 2000 some friends and I started up a little organization called Unitus (www.unitus.com), with the goal of helping relieve suffering, while promoting economic self-reliance, in the developing world. In early 2001, I had become chairman of this fledgling non-profit and needed to hire a CEO. Elder Neil Andersen, Quorum of the Seventy, suggested I interview Geoff who was just completing an advanced degree at Harvard. We flew Geoff and Darcie out to Seattle on the one sunny day of summer and gave them an offer they couldn't refuse.

Seven years later Unitus has become a leading innovator in the field of microfinance. The organization, headquartered in Seattle, has 22 microfinance partners in 8 countries. And through these unique partnerships, we are providing microfinance loans and other services to over 4 million families. The outstanding loan portfolio is approximately $750 million. Imagine that -- 4 million families having access to capital to invest in sewing machines, milk cows, farm seed, a used taxi cab, etc. The income from their endeavors pays back the loan (average size $190) and they begin climbing the economic ladder. To see a list of all of the 22 partners, go to www.unitus.com/news-and-information/media-center.

This was not just a job for Geoff. It was a calling. He was prayerful, on a daily basis, about his leadership role. He approached this much like our dedicated missionaries approach their work. This should not surprise those who know the real Geoff Davis -- he was an assistant to his mission president years ago in France. His mission president was Neil Andersen, now Senior President, Presidency of the Seventy.

Parlez-vous rendezvous? It was not a coincidence that I met Geoff on a sunny day in Seattle in 2001, nor was it a coincidence that he came to the mission home today on his way to France. How else is God directly involved in our lives, and we fail to notice and to acknowledge? It causes me to slow down a bit and be more reflective.

Three Things I've Learned

I gave a talk in the Seaford Delaware Ward last Sunday about three things that I’ve learned through my service as a mission president. I’ve modified it slightly for this posting.

1. God’s vision (and expectation and definition) of missionary work is much broader and deeper than ours.

We have conveniently narrowed the definition so that it fits into our busy lives and accommodates our fear of doing missionary work. “The crowning work and glory of God is…as he has said, to bring to pass the eternal life of man. As God’s work and glory is to bring to pass the eternal life of man, so the desire, hope, and work of every man should be to obtain eternal life for himself,” Marion G. Romney (Sept. 19, 1897 – May 20, 1988 & member of the First Presidency of the Church).

And once we have personally come unto Christ and are holding to the rod as members of the Church, it is not just our opportunity, but our duty to help all other men, women and children obtain eternal life for themselves. “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel,” Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of Matthew 6:33 can be read as a personal “mission statement” for every member of the Church: “Wherefore, seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

God’s vision of missionary work has been shared with his prophets. They see the same opportunity that He does. Consider these words from President Spencer W. Kimball, “If you could only see the vision I have. I wish I had your bodies to do this work. I would run from house to house telling everyone of the gospel, and after I lost strength to run I would begin to walk, and after I collapsed from walking, I would begin to crawl, and after my knees were so bloody that I could not use them I would use my arms to drag myself, and once my muscle in my body was gone I would begin to yell…oh, only if you could see the vision as I have.”

We translate God’s vision into this simple but powerful statement for the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission: “Our goal is to help build the Church in every unit in which we serve.”

We do this by focusing on all three legs of the missionary stool: (1) Finding and teaching investigators, (2) Helping recent converts succeed in their social transition and (3) Helping reactivate and reconvert those who have fallen away.
And we know that without a successful partnership of missionaries, members and leaders, we are hosed (hopelessly lost) in our ability to achieve our goals.

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency has taught, “For years we have heard the phrase, 'every member a missionary.' That is not a choice. It is a fact of our membership.”

It takes the efforts of active members, unit leaders and missionaries to help our recent converts stay “in the right way”. But if we are not willing to make this effort, then what is the point of doing the initial finding and teaching?

“And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith” (Moroni 6:4).

President Hinckley has taught, “This [missionary] work is concerned with people, each a son or daughter of God. In describing its achievements we speak in terms of numbers, but all of our efforts must be dedicated to the development of the individual.”

2. The Lord is directly involved in the work.

Heavenly Father’s architectural plan for the universe provides a path for all of His children to come home. The “veil of forgetfulness” results in the majority of mankind not knowing of the restored gospel. We who have this knowledge are obligated to help our clueless brothers and sisters. This is one of the reason why missionary work is our “most important duty”.

For this reason, we can expect Heavenly Father to be directly involved in the work. Without his heavenly help, we cannot overcome the power of the Adversary and the gravitational pull of the natural man.

We therefore rejoice when reading this scripture: “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88).

We must replace our fear with faith and trust in the Lord. On a typical week we visit the homes of 200-250 Active members and teach them from Preach My Gospel. “Many members of the Church have fears about doing missionary work. Many are unsure where to begin or what to say. Many fear that they will lose close friends if they try to share the Gospel with them. There are many ways to help the members. For example, help build their faith by teaching them the message of the Restoration and other doctrines of the lessons. Help them feel the Spirit and power of our message…. Help them understand that offering the restored Gospel will flow more naturally out of relationships where they are seeking to love and serve their family members and friends…. In all you do with members, seek to lift and build their faith to help them do missionary work.”

3. Missionary Work changes lives.

The Lord’s plan of happiness is purposely designed to give each recipient greater peace, direction, and purpose in life.
“The gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the prophet Joseph Smith will bless your family, fulfill your deepest desires and meet your spiritual needs,” Preach My Gospel.

This promise is certainly true for all investigators. But it is equally true for all who get involved in missionary work.

“We care because the Lord, who knows the source of all happiness, has asked us to do [missionary work] and has assured us blessings and happiness and joy if we will do it. We care because when we share the gospel with others, we unavoidably get outside of ourselves; we think and pray and work for the blessing of others, and this only further enriches and quickens us by the Holy Spirit. The list of byproducts to ourselves is endless – growth in our testimonies, growth in our knowledge of the gospel, growth in our faith, more answered prayers. The eternal truth is: that which we willingly share, we keep; and that which we selfishly keep to ourselves, we lose.” President Thomas S. Monson, Oct. 1977.

I’ve learned three things during my first year as a mission president: (1) I need to repent of my limited vision – and step up to God’s vision of this work; (2) I need to remember – and exercise greater faith and trust – that the Lord is directly involved in this work. I must replace my fear with faith and trust in the Lord. I must do more; (3) I have seen the gospel change MY life and the lives of my wife and children – I’ve seen it change the lives of 130 exemplary missionaries – this is the Plan of Happiness. All deserve to have it. All need to have it.

ER - in real life

We have about 130 missionaries in our mission. They come from all walks of life. Some arrive full of "vim and vigor" while others have that familiar "deer in the headlights" look. But within a few weeks they galvanize into powerful, faith-filled teachers. From my unique vantage point I can clearly see the hand of God transforming these young men and women into His missionaries.

With this size of a group, it's statistic certainty that a few will end up visiting a hospital's Emergency Room (ER) every now and then. The Church provides wonderful medical resources, including consulting physicians and a medical insurance program for our missionaries. We triage with these resources whenever a missionary is sick or injured.

When one of our missionaries ends up spending a day or two in the hospital, Sister Murray and I respond as if its our own children in the hospital. This reaction is not because a training manual suggested this to be appropriate behavior. Rather it is driven out of pure love for our missionaries. When they suffer, we suffer.

Anniversary Dinner

A few weeks ago Joyce and I were driving home from a long day of missionary work. It was dinner time and we were hungry. On most nights (and days) we try to eat a very healthy diet. But then I saw a sign that said, "Big Mac's 40th Anniversary". It wasn't our anniversary, but we're a romantic couple and we were hungry.

I can remember when the first McDonald's came to my hometown of Klamath Falls, Oregon. It was 1970 or 1971. My grandfather and I would occasionally stop there on our back into town from a day of working and fishing at his Five Mile Ranch. We would eat this unusual burger called a Big Mac. Eating out was a real treat in those days. Today, a home-cooked meal is a real treat for many people!

Joyce and I really like Big Macs and we had a terrific guilt-free meal including fries, a Coke and a milkshake. And now its back to high fiber, low-fat, blah, blah, blah.

Do you remember what's in a Big Mac, besides 540 calories? "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun".

In Need of Counseling

Every mission president enjoys the help of two locally-based assistants. These men receive a church assignment, or calling, as counselors in the Mission Presidency. Typically they have years of Church leadership experience and enjoy the missionary efforts associated with building the Church.

I am fortunate to have two great counselors. Russell Hakes (left) is my 2nd counselor. While serving in this calling, he is known within the Church as President Hakes. Professionally, President Hakes is Vice Dean and Professor of Law at Widener University's Delaware campus. He received a B.S. from Brigham Young University in 1971; an M.S. from Yale University in 1976; and, a J.D. from Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1978, where he served as a member of the BYU Law Review. He teaches and writes in the areas of Property, Payment Systems, Secured Transactions, and Sales and Leases. In the Church he most recently served as bishop of the Wilmington Delaware 2nd Ward.

Pierre Koncurat (right) is my 1st counselor. He graduated from BYU in 1965 and is a retired insurance industry executive. Pierre and his wife Sharon recently served a mission in New Caledonia where he was the unofficial "assistant" mission president. He was located on a remote island with a group of missionaries. Because they were some distance from the mission's headquarters, he was in charge of day-to-day mission leadership on this island. Pierre is a former bishop and is a highly enthusiastic "member-missionary". His schedule allows him to attend many of our mission meetings and events.