Desciples of the Digital Age

This past week, we were able to bring everyone in our mission together for a special training meeting. We had Elder and Sister Brent Nielsen and Elder and Sister Kearon as visiting general authorities come. Elder Nielsen presided as they taught us about the iPads the young missionaries will be receiving this month. We thought it would be a list of what not to do and how to stay out of trouble etc. it was not! It was a very spiritually uplifting meeting. They explained that since we live in the digital age, we need to be part of it. The missionaries were taught about how to prepare themselves by making a plan. Their devices always need to be visible to their companions. There will be new ways to keep track of information and new ways to teach investigators. They will have their scriptures and pamphlets and videos all on their iPads and won't have to carry their DVD players. There were rules and suggestions like these. But also examples of being perfectly obedient and humble.  They taught how we can actually flood the internet which so much light and truth that the darkness will be smothered out. They told us how much trust the first presidency has in these missionaries and how much they are loved.  They also applied the scriptures and the white handbook to this new device.  It was quite a positive experience.
  Our lunch caterer worked out well so that we were able to serve all 250 people quickly within a few minutes. We had 7" buns with sandwich fillings, wrapped up, chips (called crisps here) little desserts all in a lunch bag plus a piece of fruit- apple, orange or banana and water bottle to pick up so the line moved quickly.
We had another little tender mercy as we talked to Elder and sister Nielsen. They knew my brother Dave and his wife Kayla while working in the Philippines as well as Dave works with him in the church offices with the missionary department. He also knows my brother Kimball as they served their missions together in Finland. When Kimball and his son Jon went to the Philippines a couple of years ago, to visit Dave and Kayla, the Nielsens came and they all had dinner together!
Elder Nielsen gave a wonderful talk in the latest general conference and shared a story about his sister Susan. What a good man from which to learn!