Minding the Gap
A few years ago Sister Brubaker and I were serving as public affairs missionaries when we were given an assignment to travel from Paris to London and staff the Area public affairs office for a week.
While there, we travelled to and from the office on the ‘Tube”, an underground Metro system. Each time we were boarding the tube a voice would come over the public address system … “please mind the gahp”. After a while we realized that the voice was actually saying “mind the gap” with a lilting British accent. This warning was to remind riders about the space between the train car and the platform. If you were to drop something or get your foot caught in this “gap”. It could be serious and you might loose something. (Hopefully not the foot)
After hearing this over and over again, most former visitors to London will quickly remember hearing that phrase.
There is a real danger in this “gap”. Some very unfortunate experiences must have taken place for this reminder to be so relentless.
As missionaries we often hear certain principles over and over again. This too is because experience tells us much that we can learn from. Often there exists a gap between what we are doing and what we could be doing to be a great missionary.
Each of us must examine what our “gaps” are as missionaries and make a plan of attack, if we are to be the servant that the Lord wants us to become. For many, the most concerning gap relates to finding abilities and confidence in speaking to new contacts.
Overcoming the fear to talk to people about the gospel is fundamental to your mission. Many missionaries arrive in the field without much experience at striking up conversations with people who they don’t know. Some even arrive being downright shy.
If you want to be a good tennis player you have to master the art of the serve. It you want to be a good fly-fisherman you have to master the art of the cast. If you want to be a good ballet dancer you have to master the art of dancing on your toes. Each of these activities has many other aspects; but there are some skills that are essential in order to really participate.
Mastering the art of speaking to people that you have never met before is an essential skill in missionary work.
Even if you are a terrific teacher, even if you feel guided most of the time by the Spirit, you just can’t be an effective missionary without learning to be effective at speaking to those you haven’t previously met. The best missionaries have come to love finding. They are good at it. They practice it and ask their companions how they can improve. They plan and prepare for settings such as standing at a bus stop with a group of people, sitting next to a middle-aged man on the train, offering to help someone in with their groceries, the man next to you in line, the nurse in the clinic, the mailman, etc. etc. etc.
I can tell much about a missionary when he describes his/her feelings about finding. What would you think about a tennis player that says, “I hate serving”, “I’ll be glad to volley, but just don’t ask me to serve”. How about the fisherman who says, “I hate casting the line”, “I’ll reel fish in all day long, just don’t ask me to cast out the line”.
A missionary who says, “I really don’t like finding”, “I’m good at working with members and teaching, just don’t ask me to go finding” sounds just as absurd.
If you are convinced but are wondering, “How can I learn to be a great finder”, here are a few tips.
1) In the early stages of your mission talk to as many people as you possibly can. Just as the serve becomes second nature to the tennis player who practices serving for an hour or two every day, so too will you become confident and adept at finding as you practice every day multiple times. There is no substitute for constantly talking to people in order to become good at talking to people.
2) Don’t be discouraged if they aren’t interested. I’ve cast thousands of times to fish that aren’t the least bit interested in what I had on the end of my line. But each time I cast out the line, I get better at it. You too will get better at it, but only if you practice.
3) Watch the experts closely. Learn from them. Imitate them. Go over in your head the things that you see them do well. When you have the opportunity to work with a great finder, listen carefully as they make a first contact. Just as soon as they are through, you try the same approach with a person. Then watch the great finder again as he makes his next approach. Immediately make a contact where you imitate him. Occasionally ask the great finder to give you some pointers about how you are doing and what could help you improve.
4) Write in your journal 10 ideas for conversation starters for different situations. Note ideas for door approaches, Bus/Train finding, street contacting and others. Continually add to your collection of ideas.
5) Feel an interest for those you talk to. Wonder about them. Ask questions that will both help you get to know them and also know the best way to introduce the gospel message to them. Look them confidently in the eyes as you testify of a gospel related truth. You might not notice but often they are more afraid of you than you are of them. Share a broad smile and a happy word and remember Love is the key.
6) When contacting, never go without ‘both of your companions’. By praying for and listening to the Holy Ghost, we invite the most powerful of all finders to come along and guide us to become great finders ourselves.
As you kindle a strong desire and put forth the required effort, you will be able to feel a sense of joy and accomplishment as the gap becomes smaller and smaller between who you are and who you want to become as it relates to this most fundamental missionary skill.
To succeed in this work we must start by mastering the art of speaking with people.
Love,
President Brubaker
P.S. Here are some reactions to Consecrated Days from the missionaries.
I have only one thing to say...2-2-5 works!
The work is going great! I am really excited about the Consecrated days!
I am so happy about the new consecrated days. It is so much better and I already see a HUGE increase in our productivity
We have seen many miracles because of the Consecrated Day
We had a really good week this week and we saw a lot of miracles because of the new program and we are really trying to work our hardest
De 2-2-5 plan werkt redelijk goed voor ons.
We’ve begun to integrate the new program, but are exited to go into a fuller use of it this week. It just feels SO right.
We’ve already seen success trying 2 2 5.
We also found a new investigator this week, the first day of consecrated days!
I would like to share some more with you about migrating away from consecrated hours. The whole feel of "I don’t have to contact others, its not finding time" is gone. I love it because I really strive to feel the spirit in all that I do now. It makes me feel like I am fulfilling my missionary purpose so much more than I was previously. There is a new excitement in the day, and there are so many people to talk to. This is how I pictured my mission being.
The people here are amazing and 2-2-5 is working great!
I've really seen how much the Lord has blessed us with the new consecrated days! Just yesterday, we set up three appointments with a single mom, a former investigator, and new couple who we talked to as they sat on their balcony!
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