President's letter

Dear Missionaries,

It’s hard to believe that it’s really May and that we are embarking on the daylight season in the California Ventura Mission.  We’ll get through “May gray” and “June gloom” before you know it.  This increased daylight will give us more time to meet and greet people on the streets and in their homes. 

Our CVM Target for this transfer is “To baptize monthly, we set attainable goals and work inspired plans.”  You will become aware that the Standard of Excellence for the mission has been modified by the mission leadership council and district leaders last week.  The focus is to set goals that will help us as a mission be balanced in finding the souls to receive the gospel whether they know it or not quite yet.    

While the Standard of Excellence have been adjusted to help you setting your own companionship goals, they are designed to inspire success.  The Mission President’s Handbook says that they “…must be carefully balanced with the need for personal initiative and the workings of the Spirit.”  Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “Set goals that you can reach.  Set goals that are well balanced – not too many, not too few, and not too high, not too low.  Write down your attainable goals and work on them according to their importance.  Pray for divine guidance in your goal setting.”

Growing up, my Uncle Reid who was a professor of Chemistry at BYU, suggested that I set a goal of becoming a Sterling Scholar in High School.  That didn’t match what I wanted to do and my goal was to become an All-State football player.  When I was recruited to play football in college, my mother was impressed with the marching band at halftime and suggested that I ought to focus on that.  Those goals suggested by my uncle and my mother were not in line with mine and I didn’t achieve them.  I did reach the goals that I made.  After high school with a state championship and being all-state, I received a full ride scholarship to play football.  I then made the decision to serve the Lord as a missionary and gave up football for a season.  The blessings of dedicating my life to serve the Lord as a missionary was great.  You will always have whatever you accomplished in the past and there might be plans for what you will do after your mission, but you are here now.  Let this time as a missionary be your focus. 

Elder Richard G. Scott cleverly stated “To reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done.”  It is my prayer that you will understand in your heart what it means to be a consecrated missionary and that you will adjust your goals to be more effective in representing the Lord in all things, in all places and at all times.  

Love with Heaven sent success,

President Felix