iPads

I have been slothful this past couple of weeks and have not written. So I am repenting. I realize there may be a few of you who might actually read these and notice that I didn't write.

 

We have had 6 car accidents in the past 10 days and the roads aren't even slick yet. I am nervous about what will happen when the snow flies. Fortunately no one has been injured but I now have 6 cars in various stages of repair in body shops across Illinois and Indiana.

 

The two of us spoke in church for the first time this past Sunday. I realized that other than speaking just before we left, this was the one of the few times I have spoken in the past year. That seems so strange since I spoke so often for 17 years in the stake presidency. It was a positive experience and hopefully we invited the Spirit into the lives of some and also encouraged some.

 

I monitor almost 200 posts on Facebook daily and also have 25-30 chats with various missionaries. Most of the missionaries are doing a great job of posting uplifting, inspirational information, inviting people to learn more. It just hit me that I really need to 'like' more of their posts so that they will appear on my timeline. If you want to be 'friends' just type in Elder Bruce Taggart and send me a request. When you think of the reach of Facebook, just consider that most people have at least 300 friends. If someone gets 50 'likes' on a post, that would mean that at least 15,000 people would see that post. That is a very fast way to get an inspirational message to many people quickly.

 

So, here are just a few exciting successes from using Facebook this past month. A missionary from Poland is the only member in her family; she joined the church just 3 years ago. She reached out to her mother and her brother and his wife. Her mother isn't interested in learning more right now. But her brother and his wife are. This Sister served in Poland for a few months before her papers came through for her to come to Chicago. She contacted her brother via Facebook and communicated with him until he was interested in learning more about who we are and what we believe. She then had Sister Taggart send a referral to the mission there in Poland to contact her brother. She prayed that great missionaries would contact him and be able to teach he and his wife. Well the missionary who was given the referral in Poland just happened to be the Sister who had been her companion while she served there. His brother and his wife are now being taught by Sister Lidtka and her companion. Yes that is Sarah Lidtka from the Renton Washington stake back home. There are no coincidences, God really is in charge of everything. We just sometimes fail to see His hand in the details.

 

Another missionary has his mother on date to be baptized when he gets back home this next Spring. He has been able to teach her via Facebook chat and she is also meeting with local missionaries there in Germany, learning and preparing to be baptized when her son returns.

 

A young Sister missionary from California, who joined the church just 2 years ago asked me permission to reach out to her father to see if he might be interested in learning more about what she believes and what she is doing. She said he is a tough nut because he is a pastor for another Christian church. Well she sent him a link to Elder Holland's talk, "Lord I Believe" two weeks ago. This week he shared with her that he had used that as his text for his sermon last Sunday. I replied to her that little did he know that he was preparing his congregation to receive the missionaries and learn more; he taught them Mormon doctrine and they didn't even know it. But there very well may be some in his congregation who might invite two young missionaries into their home when they hear a knock on their door.

 

The possibilities for using Facebook and other social media to share the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ really have no bounds. So, if your local missionaries happen to be able to use Facebook, please don't be afraid to 'friend' them. You just never know who might enjoy one of the posts you 'like' and want to know more.

 

This coming week will be crazy but also exciting for this old guy. We have three different meetings where every missionary will receive their own personal iPad mini provided by the church to assist them is using Facebook and other social media to enhance their purpose as a missionary to invite all to come unto Christ. Yours truly gets to be the lucky one to oversee 200 missionaries using and keeping track of these devices. By Thursday they will all have their iPad, have it set up with approved apps and will begin to use them. That is when my life will get crazy with many questions, etc. I am sure. I am just hoping that they will keep better track of their iPad than many of them of their cell phone. More stories to come in weeks ahead.

 

Then on Friday, just because there won't be enough going on, the fleet manager from SLC will be with me because we will go live that day on a brand new software program to keep track of everything related to cars. I know I won't have time to be bored next week.

 

Have I said recently that I love what I am doing? I also love my companion and thoroughly enjoy being able to spend this time with her. She is becoming quite proficient in using the computer and various software programs. Kids watch out, she just might put you all on a spreadsheet to keep track of you haha.

 

Have a blessed week and don't be afraid to look for opportunities to let someone know how much you love the Savior and to let them know how blessed your life is because you know who He is. We watched an old movie last night, "Cheaper by the Dozen" and boy did it make me realize just how much I miss my kids and grandkids. But we are loving this time together. We love and miss each of you.

 

Elder Taggart, Oh this is a picture out my office window one night this week.