Employment news

This past week, as is in most weeks, sometimes we're busy and sometimes not so much. When we stop and "see" and listen and "hear" we notice the Lord's hand in his work. Take for example the days in Gastonia and Shelby, Thursday (25 Sept. 2014). Sister Slade and I went to the Gastonia stake building for a career days, it was set up sort of randomly by the ward employment specialist. We were ask to be there by 5 pm and meet with whoever came in, now this is not how it is normally done, we usually have set appointments. We were there at 5 set up and ready, nobody is there nor comes at 5 or 6 or 7, but while we are waiting President Poole (Gastonia stake president) comes in and and we introduce ourselves. He tells us he is having bishopric training and ask would we come and do some training with the bishops. I said no thanks, ARE YOU KIDDING, I said I would love to. So I spent the better part of about 30 min. talking to the bishops about what we were there to do ( as far as our mission).  I expalined to them using a train analogy, here it is so bare with me. I explained that the engineer on a train controls the train movements, he can apply power and move faster or reduce power even apply brakes to slow down, he is in control of the movement of the train. Trains now have multiple engines (helpers as they were called but now is called distributed power) throughout the train, they have engines on the front (lead) entrained (middle) and at the rear. All these engines are controled from the lead engines, got it? Ok. The lead engines  are the priesthood leadership            ( stake press. or bishop), we respond to the priesthood, the middle and or rear units are the Hp group leaders, EQ pres. or RS pres. employment specialist and employment missionaries, the train is the ward members whether using welfare service or not.. Here is how it works the lead engines can try to move the train all by themselves they may or may not move it but either way it's a strain on resources. So the lead engines use the additional power to help move the train forward over the tracks sometimes your pushing hard and sometimes you back off, it all depends on how much the priesthood needs helpers, I told them if the lead engines don't use the power (helpers) at all they not only don't help but actually become dead weight. I said I do not want to be dead weight, so use us. After that the bishops started asking questions about what we did who we have been working with. I told them we need to get each priesthood leader (all of them) signed up on ldsjobs.org as leaders so they can effectively search and help. We (missionaries) email or call on the phone to our candidates every 10 days or so, they see them every week in person, they have a close, and personal relationship with their own members. I told them I am not trying to re-invent the wheel I just want to get the wheel rolling gain. Anyway that's a lot of info, but the point is the Lord's hand is in his work He supplies the engines (power) to each train, He knows how much is needed and how hard the terrain is. We just need to run the train effectively as He directs us. Love you all and Keep the faith.