Our Secret Weapon

Our secret weapon:  

I found a simple card game at a thrift store we use often, especially if there are children—sometimes just with adults—we use Rook, different than face cards—the cards just need to have numbers.  Rook goes from 1 to 14.  We call the Rook card zero. 

 Name of our go-to game:  Golf. 

 Goal:  get the smallest number (of your cards added up.) We deal four cards to each person, two facing up—two face down.  Remaining cards placed face down in the middle.  Next to the remaining cards, place one face up to create a discard pile. 

Each person goes around clockwise in turn to choose either a mystery card (from the remaining cards facing down) or one from the discard pile (facing up) to trade to make their set of cards total a lower number, choosing from the mystery card pile or the discard pile. 

  

If you draw a high number and don’t want it, you discard it.  If it is a low card, you will want to keep it to trade with one of your cards, either one facing up or one facing down. If you begin a trade with a card facing downward (your own “mystery card”) the trade is one-way.  Once you uncover a personal mystery cards, you MUST trade, even if the mystery card has a lower number.  Simply discard it, and your neighbor gets the low card.  (Appropriate words from the neighbor: “¡Gracias!)

If and when a player thinks he or she has the lowest number (sum of four cards) it is time to  KNOCK on the table.  This signals each remaining player to have one more turn, after which all cards are revealed.  Everyone adds up the numbers on their cards, and the person with lowest sum of cards is the winner!

But really everyone wins.  Ice is broken. Kids learn to add.  Adults enjoy knowing a simple game to play with children, grandchildren, or by themselves.  We use this in our Family Night lessons, at the end of gospel lessons, and just for fun with members, friends, or just US.  

And it becometh every missionary...

 And it becometh every man 
to warn (or warm) his neighbor.

We are inviting ideas!

Here's our best few for now:

We have been very appreciative of Friday night dinners, thankful for delicious meals, a lovely home in which to meet, and more so, a forum to gather light.  We are ever grateful for your choice to serve.  

Grateful, we are for Heavenly Father allowing us to serve with you.  Elder Starkey was  impressed with the encouragement from our mission president’s area training (see area presidency directive and mission training plan;) also a quote from Sister Wendy Nelson of the prophet’s encouragement for us to increase our focus. We love this idea.  

I recently reviewed highly acclaimed book about life design and brainstorming—feeding off each other’s ideas to come up with a bigger better vision.  We ask the Lord for ideas, but when we share what works to inspire, motivate, encourage—it lifts and strengthens.  

I was impressed to compile our list of “best ideas.” (Activities, resources, and priorities that invite success in our calling.)  

Ideas that have helped us—

1.       Leave something at the door.  (See page 190 Preach my Gospel)   Our mission “thank you” card, 

a shortened version of words from Elder Uchtdorf (or a different quote) inviting members or nonmembers to “Come and See,” invitation to an activity, personal note of appreciation…

2.     Serve.   Elder Starkey found a youtube video teaching how to clean car headlights with toothpaste, toilet paper, and water in 15 minutes—when we have done this WITH our members—engaging young and older hands in serving together, we have felt increased bonding.  In the summer, he made reflectors with aluminum foil and cardboard to keep sunshine from heating up the windows.  This has opened doors


Looking for apartments, helping members look for work, each act of service often brings help far beyond just the individual family being served. 

3.       Share.  My grandpa gave me a homemade whole wheat bread recipe that I like to make (wholesome, no sugar.)  It makes 15 small loaves, which gives us reason to visit with a smile—doors have opened with smiles when otherwise there has been a tiny crack coupled with suspicion and non-interest.  When there is not time to do this, a simple melon, cut up, or other fruit, with a few pomegranate seeds in a mushroom or tomato container is received.  (Not a lot of time or expense—happy, healthy.)  This also has warmed hearts.  

4.       Gospel Library.  We love helping members and nonmembers download this app.  We have found that often nonparticipating (less active) members still appreciate and enjoy the scriptures.  When we have showed them how to listen, which they can do with Old and New Testaments (as well as the Book of Mormon and other scriptures of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).  This is useful.  Also, the search function (the magnifying glass icon in the app, that helps locate scriptures you have at the tip of your tongue, but don’t remember exactly where to find them), the children Bible videos (English), the note-taking, definition, and marking functions.  Downloading has been great.  Teaching affords even more “nourishing with the word of God” which can continue after missionaries leave. 

5.       My journey of Faith:  Elder Starkey purchased a host of composition books.  As we invite the members to share their testimonies—how did I come to understand that Heavenly Father is real, that He loves me, and His Son established a church upon the earth that is restored (or whatever their faith may be) and/or stories of their family (that teach values, or may be something in the future that might be added to Family Search) many families, as we share our personal pedigrees on the family search app have an interest and will share things of the soul.  We also use the MY FAMILY pamphlet.  Both work.  I copied pages out of Family History Coloring Book and bring crayons.  (Children love coloring and paper airplanes.)
  

6.       Music—we hold a Wednesday piano lesson, with materials provided from the Harmon family foundation.  One sister who never was in church before has nearly finished with the lesson book and has played prelude and postlude in Relief Society and Sacrament meeting. (Upon completion, serving and willingness to offer service the students may apply to own the keyboard.)

7.       Preparing for branch council has been useful as we encourage branch members in helping us to minister.  Sister Starkey has had success in offering to minister WITH sisters, one to another.  Elder Starkey, has offered blessings with other Elder’s Quorum fellows.

    Branch activities, service projects and a branch fast have come from these meetings.  And goals to work on together!   

8. 8. Working to support a monthly temple date has encouraged some members who have names to prepare family names and procure temple recommends.  We have been asked to teach, and had positive interactions teaching the Endowed from On High, Preparing for the temple lessons to three families. 

9.  Sharing games.  (After reviewing directives, not sure if we are advise to share this…only SENIOR missionaries are permitted.  Shhhhhh….  We use simple games in our Family Night lessons, at the end of gospel lessons, and just for fun with members, friends, or just US.  

Other things we gathered from you: 

1A.  Sister Peck talked to us about finding the talents of our ward/branch members and working to grow this talent or use it in the group. 

Also, learning and sharing
talents between our members
offers joy

A sister in our ward offered her home last week to make Christmas wreaths and table arrangements.  With a glue gun and a table filled with tree boughs and Christmas bows (simple, dollar items) members chatted, laughed, gathered, glued.  A recently returned member brought a neighbor and friend we have been trying to teach.  The member felt valued, blessed, the sisters “met together” (and my feeling was, this needs to happen often.) Moroni 6.  

2B.  At another previous dinner, Elder and Sister Schoenfield? Shared with us their 40 day fast, where members were invited to include growth of the branch/ward (missionary work) and people they minister to in their fast.  The fast was successful—we heard among the result was augmented unity, increased activation and a baptism.  They also do a ward Family Home Evening at their military base.   

4C.  Sister Brandt shared an activity she uses (her talent) of teaching simple English lessons with simple verbs and simple nouns, helping those she visits to practice. 

5D.   Brother Marcom shared an idea of looking on justserve.org to find ideas to serve the community (as a ward or companionship.)

6E.  Sister Roper uses an phone application with  a scripture citation index she loves to help her with talks:  scriptures.byu.edu.  She also has prepared and mailed letters to less active members inviting each to consider help with their genealogy.  

If you have corrections, additions, subtractions, we are simply inviting each couple missionary to pray and think hard about what has helped you most in your companionship with progress in your areas.  Appreciating you shining further light!

Will you contribute further ideas (similar, different, variations) of things that are helping or have been useful in your companionship and your calling?  

Love, from Patterson, Crows Landing, and the Starkeys