Once again almost made it....but failed

[LDSVALLEY]

The week before I was asked to be a Ward Mission Leader I could not sleep one night because the Lord kept giving me Missionary stuff. Something I never wanted to be involved with ever. The next day, Sunday, as an EQ 2nd C I ended up meeting with the Stake visitor and he held a special meeting with EQ, RS, HP on his role as High Councilor over Missionary work! And he reviewed what the Lord had given me as how we should deal with new members.

That week at a baptism the Bishop asked to meet with me, going in I knew why. When he offered the calling I was able to give him a four year mission plan from the Lord.

2.5 years I have held that calling a new record for me, I had been down to an average of 8 months duration with a calling. Two weeks ago I submitted our Mission Plan for year 4 which is next years. After 2 1/2 years of hard work it was almost all there. I was at the point where auxiliary leaders were seeing we needed to do things the Lord's way even if it takes longer at the beginning. The programs I had been pushing had almost broken down all the resistance.

My goal from the start was to not just change how I did things to bring our retention rate from 25% to it's current 80% but to get the Lord's plan installed in the Ward's collective mind set so it would sustain itself after I was released. I just finished telling a Stake Leader that 3-6 months and my role was done.

I was released yesterday. My replacement is one of the ones who fought against what I was trying to do. He believed it was the Mission Leaders job to find people, baptize them and then it was tossed to the Ward to deal with retention.

I am now a councilor in EQ, I am replacing the person who is now going to be WML. He was a high Priest who was serving because there were no other EQ available. We only have 10 active Elders, most of the Ward are high Priests. The new Bishop decided he could no longer serve in EQ because he was a high Priest. 3 EQ are already serving in the EQ leadership, 3 are unreliable, 1 (in his 70's) refuses callings, 2 have just been called to Young Mens three months ago. Lets see that leaves me.

I was told the Lord wanted me there. But he gave me a plan to fulfill that was not completed yet. It is hard to not look at the fact switching the two of us satisfies an administrative issue. I do not disbelieve that I was prayed about and an answer was recieved. But I have learned from experience that the manner something is prayed about makes a difference on the answer received.

But I am left wondering why I am never left in a calling to finish what the Lord wants. I keep hearing about how people are stuck in callings for years. With the latest my average of holding onto a calling is back up to a year.

I throw as much energy into my callings as I can because I am accountable to the Lord for what I do. But it gets harder to care every time this happens. I know why so many in the Ward don't care about callings.

I know I did many good things and helped keep many in the Ward but it stinks to once again not finish what I was to do.

So my question is how do you keep caring enough when you can't seem to achieve any lasting difference with a calling? Or do you just do the day to day items and not worry about fulfilling the larger mission of the calling? My new calling with such a small EQ it would be very easy and tempting to just coast, do what I am asked and not worry about it.

[Moksha]

So my question is how do you keep caring enough when you can't seem to achieve any lasting difference with a calling?

The answer is in how you frame your concern. You had a marvelous run at a project, which really should stand as a role model. Unfortunately, those you dealt with were unable to discern how having an 80% retention rate was outstanding. They are the ones to let go of the bird in the hand and pursue some hoped for birds in a bush.

People are like that. What you did was really good and very valuable as well. What a waste to do missionary efforts to have converts walk into the door and right back out again. As long as you did well, that is sufficient.

:)

[pam]

I'm with Moksha. Go out knowing you did the best you could do and knowing you made a difference. Don't sweat the other stuff.

[beefche]

LDS, I understand your frustration. Something I learned recently (in the past couple of years) was that there are 2 ways calls are extended. One is through inspiration and one is through desperation. Sometimes, calls are made not because God inspired the leader, but because there is a need to be filled and the leader knows you would accept. What I have learned was that regardless of the root of the call, whether inspiration or desperation, once the call has been made, God will support you. I think of it as a compliment from God--He knows that we are obedient and that by supporting our leaders and accepting the calling, the inspiration then comes.

Let it go, brother. Whether the WML continues with your program or not is not your concern anymore. As a member of the church you are asked to sustain others in their callings--even when/if they do them poorly.

You now have an opportunity to make a difference in the EQ--and continue your efforts as a mission leader in another organization. You know how important home teaching is. You know how important fellowship of new converts or inactives is. You know how important missionary splits and support from families are to missionaries. Go after the inactives in your EQ. Look to them as brothers who need a friend and then find them one.