Day 1 of Self Reliance - PEF Training

Our morning started with a Sacrament Meeting at the MTC which began at 8:15,  which was followed by a devotional with Elder Joseph W. Sitati of the First Quorum of the Seventy.  One of the first things he shared with us is the change of the name of our assignment from PEF - Self Reliance  to  Self Reliance - PEF.  This may seem minor, but it is really a major change of the emphasis or our assignment. The Lord wants His children to be responsible for themselves, and not have a feeling of entitlement. Each person has a responsibility to chart their path to Self Reliance. PEF can still be part of that.

Our group was made up of 2 single Sisters and 5 Couples who will be serving throughout the world in the Self Reliance - PEF Initiative. [Elder and Sister Mickelson; Elder and Sister Spear; Elder and Sister Uzelac; Sister  Darby and Sister Murry; Elder and Sister Oveson; Elder Graff (Sister Graff was ill).]  We were told there are currently about 200 Full Time Missionaries serving in this capacity.

Here are some of the principles that touched us this morning:

1. Invite the members in your area to abide in Jesus Christ and to pull themselves out of their situation.
2. Self Reliance is having enough in your sphere so that you can serve the Lord.
3. Don't expect everyone to be at the same level. Bring them to Self Reliance to be the best they can be in their own circumstances.
4. Teach them how to live in their culture. Let it be good. To be clean in good.
5. If you can help them grow one inch permanently it is better than growing a foot and falling back to where they were when they started.
6. Resist doing it for them. Let them struggle to learn to do it themselves.
7. Be a trainer of trainers. This will work. It is the Lord's work!
8. It is not what you will do for them while you are there that will make the difference so much as what you teach them to do for themselves. Then when you leave, they will help others and follow your example.
9. Let them receive from our example so they in turn give service and teach others.
10. Inspire them to want to lift themselves from circumstances and aspire to serve as we serve.