The First Twelve Weeks of a Mission

What you Should Know about the First Twelve Weeks of a Mission - 

One of the fairly recent additions to missionary work across the world is the program entitled "The First 12 Weeks for New Missionaries and their Trainers".  It came about after the age limit was lowered to 18 years old for men of the Church and 19 years old for the women.

As the MTC's (Missionary Training Centers) across the world were reaching their capacity for receiving new missionaries, the time a new missionary spent in training in these facilities was decreased tremendously.  In most instances, new missionaries learning a foreign language now spend no more than 6 weeks in the MTC.  Those not learning a new language usually have a 10 day length of stay.

These circumstances lend great importance to the first 12 weeks a missionary spends in their assigned mission with a new trainer.  It's important that those first 12 weeks be the most productive and beneficial that they possibly can.

I personally have a great testimony of this program.  While is was developed for training new missionaries, this is a program that benefits each missionary in the field continuously.

Live by the Whisperings of the Spirit . . .

One of the greatest roles of a trainer for a new missionary is to help their new companion seek for and heed the promptings of the Spirit.  This begins in the MTC training and is carried forward right into the mission field.  

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Are you Ready for a Mission (Part II)

Previously . . .

In our previous post . . .
We shared ideas and thoughts for advanced mission prep.  I've been trying to get this update prepared through all our interviews and mission traveling this month, so thank you for being patient.

Are you Ready for a Mission?

Part I of Advanced Mission Prep - 

A while back a popular LDS Magazine shared an article by Jeremy Goff entitled  -
"7 Ways to Come Pre-Trained for your Mission".

If you haven't had an opportunity to read and study the linked article, please do so.
I also suggest you read our post, Part I , so you understand that these remarks are continuing on from the foundation laid in the previous two articles.

Hastening the Work of Salvation - 

As our Heavenly Father hastens His work of salvation, it is up to us as members of His Church to keep pace.  I am inspired by the words of Elder David A. Bednar from instruction given at the Seminar for New Mission Presidents in 2014 - 

"The hastening of the Lord’s work requires His followers continuously to learn, to change, and “to press forward with faith in the Savior . . . Elder Bednar suggested that members ask themselves if they as individuals and as a Church will choose to keep pace with the Lord’s hastening. “Or will we insist on doing things the way they have always been done, or the ways we are accustomed to or comfortable with?”

When it comes to missionary work missionaries must now enter the mission field better prepared to serve!  We no longer have the long stays once possible at the MTC's (Mission Training Centers) and CCM's (Centro de Capacitacion Misional).  Stays are brief, focusing for many on learning necessary language skills and a brief introduction to the missionary lifestyle and Preach my Gospel. 

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