Pilot Mission

Hello Familia, 

Well, we had a lot of meetings this week which means we did not have a lot of time to work. It turns out our mission, along with 3 others, has been chosen to be a "Pilot mission" to try a new idea. The other missions are Santiago South, Buenos Aires South, and Córdoba Argentina.  The idea of the plan is to 1) Baptize A LOT MORE. 2) Retain A LOT MORE. 3) Reactivate A LOT MORE. 

We are currently being instructed in the way to do so. The Area Presidency here believes that we will be able to do all three things if we focus on reactivating members. That will augment the attendence of the church, and present more investigators to teach and baptize. Thus with more active members of the church doing visits, we will be more able to retain our members. So, our focus is on the less active members. We are starting with members who have received their endowments, and have the priesthood. Those are our number one priority. 

As a result of this Pilot idea we will not be measuring the same key indicators as other missions. The Area South America South (my area) only requires 2 key indicators. 1) Baptisms 2) Less active members who are returning to church and have an assignment. From those two, the mission has the liberty to chose which we want to keep. President has decided to keep a few of the old ones, but we are no longer required to count other lessons, lessons with a member present, progressing investigators, references, nor lessons taught with less actives or recent converts. But we will be required to count total lessons.

We will measure our results in two months, in which we expect to see a 20% increase in church attendance. And we will keep this plan in affect until December. 

I am excited to be a part of this mission and to try this plan. I have faith that this plan will work. I think it is exactly what Chile needs in order to grow. It is so exciting to be a missionary in a time where the Lord really is hastening His work. I know that His coming is soon. I testify that this gospel is true and it is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify that there is "no other name nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, The Lord Omnipotent." And that means we must live his gospel. 

Con mucho amor,

Élder Kennedy