Missionary Work

by Ranzel Ganzon

Good evening, dear brothers and sisters. Eight months after I joined the Church, I received with great anticipation my Melchizedek Priesthood. I was ordained an Elder and the following Sunday, I was called and set apart as a Branch Mission Leader. 

At that time, I was really new to the teachings of the Church, but my learning has greatly increased through the blessing of this calling. My home branch was new and almost if not all are pioneering members of the Church. 

It was always a joy for me working with the missionaries. I have several branch missionaries working with me and we spend as much time as we can have helping the missionaries find investigators, helping them with their teachings and home visiting new and inactive members. 

It was a tough calling but the spirit was there. I feel light and strong despite a long and hectic day of walking and teaching. My calling then as a Branch Mission Leader prepared me for the bigger challenges I faced in the mission field serving as a full-time missionary. I was called to serve as a full-time missionary exactly one year after my baptism. 

Fast track ahead, 3 years after my mission, I found myself working here in Hong Kong as an Architectural and Interior Designer. I thought that was it. Yet once again the Lord has called me to continue serving in His Church. My first calling was to serve again as Branch Mission Leader. 

This time it was not the same experience as I have had in my home branch in the Philippines. Hong Kong Island Branch, before it became Island 1st & 2^nd Branches, used to be a very large branch of Filipino members, comprising a membership of more or less than 2 hundred members with baptisms of more or less than ten new members each month. It was an exhausting part for the Branch President to keep track of the activity of each of the new members joining the Church.  

Part of the burden that lies upon the shoulders of the Branch President now becomes a part of my calling. As a Branch Mission Leader I was to report directly to the Branch President of the whereabouts of each and every newly baptized member of the Church who are one year and below. I was to report whether they have completed their new member’s discussions which was taught by the Branch Missionaries. I was to report whether the newly baptized member is actively attending all the Church activities and participating class lessons. I was to provide reminders to the Branch President of the upcoming interviews of the new member, to give them callings and to sign their temple recommends for baptism for the dead.  

I also have to make sure that the branch missionaries are doing their part in their callings. I have to assign companionships and review which lessons are they already with their assigned new members.  I have to complete a weekly report detailing all activities of the newly baptized members. I actually have designed a special template outlining step by step all of the necessary activities a newly baptized member has to take upon and accomplish within a year. I fill it up every week and discuss it with branch council.    

The weight of the calling of the Branch Mission Leader is more or less like the calling of a Branch President. Only that he is mostly in charged in shepherding the newly baptized members of the Church.  

Under the bishop’s direction, the ward mission leader has the following responsibilities: 

He coordinates the ward’s efforts to find, teach, and baptize investigators.  

He coordinates this work with the work of the full-time missionaries and ward missionaries.  

In ward council meetings, the bishop may ask him to lead discussions on missionary work.

He conducts missionary coordination meetings and directs the work of ward missionaries.

He arranges as many teaching opportunities for the full-time missionaries as possible each week. 

He organizes convert baptismal services, assisted by the full-time missionaries. 

He helps coordinate the confirmations of new members in sacrament meetings. 

He participates with full-time missionaries in teaching and fellowshipping investigators. 

He attends the Gospel Principles class, and he may teach the class when assigned by the Branch President. 

In my honest opinion, a Branch President won’t be able to fully function well in his calling first and foremost without the help of the Branch Mission Leader and its branch missionaries. What a responsibility! 

President David O. Mckay, once admonished that - ”every member is a missionary”.  Each one of us, and not only the Branch Mission Leader, was given by the Lord the mantle of responsibility to go forth and teach and to care for His sheep. Each one of us carries the responsibility of overseeing the younger sheeps of the fold. We may not be serving as a full-time missionary yet we can still be missionaries. The Lord expects us to show our very best example to those who we come to contact with.  

There is a tremendous need of missionaries in our Church. My son is preparing to serve a full-time mission in a few months time. Our family is very excited about that. At last we finally got one valiant soldier in our family who is willing to serve God in this holy war.  

It is my sincere testimony that Heavenly Father loves each one of us, His children. And that He has prepared a way for each one of us to return to His presence someday. I know that Heavenly Father has promised many and wonderful blessings to those who are willing to come and follow the teachings of His son Jesus Christ.  

It is my testimony that God lives. He hears and answers our prayers. I know that when we serve with a sincere heart, with all our might, mind and strength… Heavenly Father will look down upon us and say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” 

And I share this testimony with you in the sacred name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.