Week of January 31, 2016

It seems like forever since we’ve had students, but it has really just been two weeks. We had no new full time missionaries in January so that left us with an extra week. We have spent most of the time working on the new classes. We’re not really sure when we will have the final versions of the classes we are to teach, but we are using our current outlines as models. I had sort of a breakthrough this week, realizing that I need to focus my efforts more and prepare myself to be of greater service. I have become aware of how much we need to do to be successful as missionaries.

Because we had no students this week, we were able to attend Rootstech. It was an amazing experience. On the opening day I saw Elder Fallabella and thanked him for the video we’d seen at the Red Rock Stake Family History Conference last summer. The classes I enjoyed most emphasized taking a broad approach in research and looking at entire neighborhoods instead of just focusing on direct lines. It was a really beneficial experience.

Thursday one of the keynote speakers was Paula Madison, a lady who had found her Chinese grandfather on FamilySearch and connected with that entire branch of her family. It was a very touching and amazing story. Her message was that because of the records, she and people like her are able to find who they are. She was leaving immediately from her speaking engagement to fly to China for her great-uncle’s funeral. She said that if we ever wonder if it is worth all the effort, to her it was worth her life.

Another speaker made the following statement: “Everyone dies. Not everyone lives.” I have gleaned three things from this conference: I need to participate in indexing, either in English or in another language—they give training for the basic vocabulary necessary; I need to go further than I usually do with my research; and I need to write my stories about me, my family, my parents, before it is too late. I’m not quite sure how I am going to accomplish that, but it is the message I got from the conference.

This week especially made me really grateful we are in the Training Zone so we could attend this conference. Most of the other missionaries had to work in their various areas at least part of the time and some all of the time. We are very blessed.