This is our missionaries going home this month...From the left,
Elder Dioso, Sister Billings, Sister Mathangi, President, Me, Sister
Escalona, Sister Guzman, Sister Tumaliuan and Elder Castor.
Our missionaries going home are gathered for a Family Home
Evening/Testimony meeting. In the front is Sister Mathangi,
Sister Billings, Elder Dioso (leaning forward with a smile), Elder
Castillo & Elder Packer. In the back, Elder Navarro and Elder
Cortez getting ready to show a "going home" video. The three
sisters on the couch behind them on the left is Sisters Tumaliuan,
Guzman & Escalona, then Elder Diaz, Me and President.
The new batch of missionaries just arriving from the Manila MTC
by bus. The APs are helping them come across the street to the
Mission home.
Here we are having breakfast with the new missionaries.Elders
Cook, Navarro and Diaz are at the table on the left. All the
new missionaries are with Elder Cortez at the other table.
Starting with the sisters, going around that table is Sister Begontes,
Sister Calla, Elder Ocuaman, Elder Bandoy, Elder Cortez, Elder
Dela Rosa, Elder Caling and Elder Abad.
Just finishing a wonderful big lunch after a long morning of
orientation for our new batch of missionaries! Starting at the left,
Rubi, Elder Bandoy, Elder Cortez, Elder Navarro, Elder
Dela Rosa, Elder Caling, Elder Abad and Me.
Here we are with our new missionaries...President, Elder Caling,
Sister Calla, Elder Ocuaman, Elder Bandoy, Sister Begontes,
Elder Dela Rosa, Me and Elder Abad.
My talk for Transfer Day...
Relationships
& Principles for Effective Companionships
Relationships, more than anything else, contribute to the quality of our lives. Our relationships with Heavenly Father, with His son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Ghost are our most important relationships. These require daily exercise of faith and prayer. That is what will give us the confidence to know that God loves us or is interested in us.
You have the wonderful blessing of being taught through experience here on your mission to do what it takes to build good and strong relationships with your companions. This can help you in your eternal companionships. If you can learn to use faith and prayer along with communication and serving you will be given the strength and means to do what it takes to achieve the wonderful lasting relationships with those that matter most. Learn it here, Elders and Sisters.
May I make a suggestion…?
Three Principles For Effective Companionship
1. COMPANIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIKE YOU IF THEY FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES WHEN THEY ARE AROUND YOU.
· Express genuine respect, caring and consideration toward your companion.
· Compliment frequently; express appreciation regularly.
· Be quick to apologize.
· Recognize that effective communication begins with an attitude of genuine concern and desire to understand your companion.
· Regularly employ the power of empathy in your active listening to your companion.
· Ensure your companion knows you understand his/her comments before responding yourself.
· Accept that being an effective missionary means being the best companion you know how to be regardless of your companion’s attitude or behavior.
2. REACTING BADLY TO YOUR COMPANION’S ANNOYING BEHAVIOR DEFINES MOST COMPANIONSHIP PROBLEMS.
· Avoid harsh responses, withdrawal, or the silent treatment.
· Assume your companion is doing the best he/she can from his/her point of view.
· Be willing to regularly discuss the strengths as well as challenges in your relationship, including suggestions on how you can improve.
· Avoid being critical toward your companion.
· Criticism is the least effective and laziest of all techniques designed to effect change in others. It is also the most likely to backfire.
· Instead, employ requests for specific changes in behavior (rather than personality or attitude) and always include compliments for actions they are currently performing well.
· Say “Yes” whenever possible to your companion’s requests. If responding with a “No” to the other’s request, always include a legitimate alternative suggestion to which he/she is free to respond.
· If receiving criticism from your companion:
· Allow your companion to express his/her concerns completely. Ask sincere, clarifying questions. Paraphrase his/her concerns to show understanding.
· Find something to agree with in his/her stated concerns.
· Genuinely apologize for any wrongdoing while ignoring any exaggerations in his/her statement.
· Assert your own position regarding the issue non-defensively.
· Set the stage for negotiating.
3. YOUR HAPPINESS IN A COMPANIONSHIP IS PRIMARILY YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY
· Improve the quality of your own missionary life.
· Avoid anchoring your happiness in your companionship on fundamental changes in your companion’s attitude or way of doing things.
· Recognize that any change in a companionship must be precipitated by a change on your part first.
· Make yourself happy from other aspects of your missionary life.
· Maintain a ready and consistent sense of humor. Avoid taking yourself and your companion’s natural weaknesses too seriously.
· Improve the quality of your own missionary life.
· Avoid anchoring your happiness in your companionship on fundamental changes in your companion’s attitude or way of doing things.
· Recognize that any change in a companionship must be precipitated by a change on your part first.
· Make yourself happy from other aspects of your missionary life.
· Maintain a ready and consistent sense of humor. Avoid taking yourself and your companion’s natural weaknesses too seriously.
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