Monday, January 18, 2016

Time Passes Strangely: Frankfurt Week 4

January 4, 2016

Hello!
[DadNote: Hayden is restating some questions before answering]
You are almost at your year mark now!! Is it going by fast or slow! How are you doing with the responsibilities as zone leader? How is the area? I am assuming whenever there new missionaries that arrive that you'll be involved?
What is the weather like right now?  

Time definitely goes really fast, so strange to think that I´m halfway done with my mission... Time passes strangely, it´s nice to look back in the journal sometimes since it gives you a better idea of how much time is passing as well as how you have grown. Often I set so many goals that and it can be hard to realize that I´m progressing, but looking back at journals or old things that I´ve written during language study can be helpful for that.

To be totally honest I feel like as a zone leader I have less responsibility and less direct work/influence as I did as a district leader. I have less splits and most of them are in the same building, I plan a meeting once a month instead of once a week.. It´s different and I like it, change is always fun and invites growth and learning in different ways. Frankfurt is different. It´s so big and so fast and it seems like with big city life people are sometimes faster to say no when you approach them on the street. The apartment is smaller (which is actually a good thing, we had more space than we used in Wetzlar and it was just extra stuff to clean). Elder Taylor and I are both really excited to eat healthy and be fit. The Ward is big and excited about missionary work, excited to teach with us as well. Yep, pretty much whenever new missionaries arrive we´ll probably be involved. We´re on our 5th week here now. Time flies. We´ll have new ones coming in in about a week and a half. The weather is getting cold again. For a couple weeks it was really cold, but in the last 2 or so weeks it´s been warm.

New Years was crazy. Pretty much anyone can buy fireworks. All through the city fireworks go off, like the type that the city will set off, but right next to the balcony, it´s great :)

On Sunday a man from the international Ward accidently came to the German Ward in our building so he stayed and I translated for him. It´s really fun, but at the same time tiring, especially on fast Sunday. In priesthood we talked a lot about goals. I love goals. It´s not about what you do, but who you become as a result of what you do or achieve. Matthew 5:48.  Follow the example of Jesus Christ, become as he is, acquire his attributes and his love.

Love you all!
Hayden

Information added by Dad: Mission Life, Zone/District, Ward
Mission Life: a link to a neat page I found about providing information about mission life

Some other items I found that help explain the Mission Structure: Mission/Zone/District.  

Organization of missionaries

Missions are organized in two parallel structures. The first is the organization of the missionaries. There are two or more missionaries who serve as assistants to the president (not to be confused with the counselors in the mission presidency). The assistants carry out the direction of the mission president in the organization of the mission, the assigning of companionships and proselyting areas, and oversee the welfare and training of the missionaries. The missionaries are divided into zones, each led by one or more missionaries assigned as zone leaders.[5] The zones may be geographically large or small depending on the mission. The number of missionaries in a zone also varies widely. The zones are divided into districts, each being led by a missionary assigned as a district leader. A district usually has two to four missionary companionships. The zone leaders and district leaders train the missionaries, see after their welfare, conduct interviews, proselyte together, and share successes. In general, only single male missionaries serve as assistants, zone leaders, and district leaders, except in non-proselyting missions which only contain single female missionaries or missionary couples.
Each missionary companionship has a geographical area which may include part of a ward or branch, one ward or branch, or several wards or branches. The missionaries are responsible for preaching to the people in their own area. In a mission, the ecclesiastical line of authority is from the mission president down to the missionaries. The missionaries answer to the mission president directly, as opposed to the local branch president, bishop, or stake president.
Ward (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a ward is the larger of two types of local congregations, the smaller being a branch. A ward is presided over by a bishop, the equivalent of a pastor in many other Christian denominations. As with all church leadership, the bishop is considered lay clergy and as such is not paid. Two counselors serve with the bishop to help with administrative and spiritual duties of the ward and to preside in the absence of the bishop. Together, these three men constitute the bishopric. A branch is presided over by a branch president who may or may not have one or two counselors, depending on the size of the branch

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