Yesterday was our program. It was beautiful, and everyone worked so hard on it, including the kids.
Saturday we had a pizza party/practice where we bribed the kids to memorize their parts for pizza. I would say more than half of them had their parts memorized, so that is a definite win!
My friend helped me make some fliers to pass around to remind the kids about the program practice Saturday morning as the week before had been Stake Conference and I knew they had forgotten. When I dropped the fliers off, many parents confirmed that fear.
Here is the cool thing, though. While I was out delivering fliers, I came to a house on my map (I still don't know where everyone lives as we have been in the ward less than a year). The house was labeled with the same name as one of my counselors. Confused by this as I thought they lived in another part of the neighborhood, I knocked on the door. A man came to the door who I did not recognize and who I knew was in no way related to my counselor. I told him I was looking for the [Smith] family, and he confirmed that [Smith] was indeed his last name. We got to talking, and it turns out he has a kid in the primary. I asked him why they haven't been to church in so long, and he said there was no reason, they just hadn't. They were lazy, he guessed. His parents are currently serving a mission, so he and his wife both came from good strong in the Church households, they just sort of fell out for no reason at all. As I talked with him, I was impressed that me finding him was no accident. I know his parents have been praying for him, and I feel I was led to knock on his door. It was really a very neat experience for me, and I am excited to be able to be in touch with him.
I invited him to come to the program on Sunday, and for his son to come to the program practice and at least get some pizza, but they weren't there. Here is the thing, though. It doesn't matter that he wasn't there. I found another child in our ward who is not on our records who had fallen through the cracks. I can absolutely feel the Lord's hand in directing me and helping me to find those who aren't on our records and who aren't attending. The ball is in my court now, to help the teachers get out to visit the people that I am finding. What a beautiful and amazing experience it is to know I am being used as an instrument in the Lord's hands to find his children and help them to feel of his love.
The primary program is such an amazing missionary tool. The primary is like a little gospel sharing army who doesn't have the same fears and reservations that we as adults have built up over the ages. Taking this into account, my presidency and I made invitations for our program and gave them to the children with the instructions for them to invite their neighbors, teachers, bus drivers, coaches, and anyone they wanted to come to the program and learn more about what we believe. After the program we would have an open house with treats and the missionaries would have a little something prepared to share with everyone who came. Then it would just be a mingle where the missionaries could do some contacting, and members could do some greeting and maybe even fellowship. It is a win/win ward mission experience. We passed out invitations to the Relief Society, the Priesthood, and the Young Women on top of giving invitations to our primary kids. We were very optimistic that we would have a good turn out.
Unfortunately, it was a bust. Leading up to it, I was very excited and worried about the Missionary Mingle, more so than I was about the program. It was the first year of doing it, after all. Sadly, not one person showed up. Not even the missionaries. Some of the primary kids did stop by for cookies, and seeing their smiles certainly was wonderful. Hopefully next year we will have a lot more success. Also, I am hoping to ask some of the other auxiliaries to help us plan and execute it next year. Perhaps with more help there will be a better turn out. This is, after all, possibly one of the best ways that we, as a ward, can have an incredible missionary experience.
