Tuesday August 26, 2014 - Listening while teaching, reading the Ensign, 113 out for a baby blessing and a broken toe!!!

Hey everyone, This week in Perth has been a good week. Unfortunately my memory isn't the greatest today SO you will have to bear with me.

So in my personal study this week, as you know I have been going through Preach My gospel. And this week we were studying Chapter 10 on Teaching Skills, and there was a few that stood out to me at this time. #1 For those who know me quite well will get a chuckle out of this but it 's LISTENING. #2 Teach for understanding,  #3 Use the Scriptures.

So as many of you may think, all thee of these are what we should do everytime, but anyone who has served a mission can probably attest to, sometimes when teaching lessons you teach, but we are to be teaching others through the scriptures.The scriptures testify of Jesus Christ and are a pure vehicle of the spirit and the use of scriptures are unbelievably powerful. As I was studying it I found that in my teaching, I use scriptures sometimes, but a lot of the time when teaching about the restoration specifically, I will teach it myself, but I have urged myself to try to use more scriptures in my teaching so that they can feel the spirit much stronger. 

As far as listening goes, it is very important to listen because 1: it shows them you care, 2: it helps them build trust, 3: they feel you are actually there for them. Everybody wants to feel important and as a teacher you must listen to understand what the needs of those you are teaching are. When I was young I had ADHD and in school I would get distracted very easily, so as a child in elementary school they would seperate me specifically from the other students, so that I wouldn't be distracted from people. The teacher knew this would work because she listened to me, I was a very independent person at that young age and always felt like an outsider so I was able to work better by myself, off from the other children. Listening is VITAL because as in Preach my Gospel We are promised that if we listen, something that is said will highlight an aspect of the gospel in which we can share and bear solemn testimony about. As we Listen we invite the spirit into the lesson, because we illustrate we care.

As far as teaching for understanding that one is pretty self explanatory however, I have learned that we as teachers need to be able to simplify our message and understand it so well that we can explain it in plain ways to help those we are teaching understand it. You can not expect someone or even have someone be able to gain a testimony of the book of Mormon or prayer or any other aspect of the gospel unless they understand what is being taught. Always follow up and see if people need you.

Along with those aspects I learned of more effective ways to include members in the teaching, and that is by helping prepare them. As we effectively work together with our members we will be strengthened and uplifted. As all three of us work together in unity, it will be more effective for both of us and we will all be benefited by it, us by helping our investigators, the members will feel empowered and the investigator will be supported and build trust.

So along with that aspect of my study I read several talks in this months ensign which were really good. There were two in the YSA section of it which were really good, "He said no and yes", and "Live on this Land?" I think that is the name of it, and then there were a few talks one was "Be of Good Courage" it was about a military person, and  another one about Light can't remember the name of it but it was really good.

So for this week it has been chalk full of excitement, not really but it was good .

So today I will summarizes it all in a paragraph, Taught some really good lessons. We had the opportunity to help offer a blessing to one of our investigators which was fun, went on an exchange with Elder Stewart learned a lot and had a very good day. Went out to a place called the Carvery which is like a traditional roast beef dinner. Had some great lessons, met some nice people.

We also did very well with getting members out and incorporating a lot of them so that was nice with our small branch, to see the possibility there. We also had a baby blessing on Sunday which brought out 113 people for it so our little branch building was filled to the max, it was awesome.

Also Yesterday was Zone Development had fun, EXCEPT, I might have broken my toe. Will be getting it checked out. It is nasty but I will attach a photo if you would like to see it.

Well love all of you

Live long and Prosper

Elder Reece Out

- Elder James Reece