ADVENTURES IN THE ERC PART 6

One of our candidates came in with a big smile on her face this morning while I was at the front desk. Coila (an unusual name!) is someone I've spent lots of time with over the weeks, and she happily reported that she had found a job!! We were all excited for her and rang the bell and clapped. She stayed to work on the paperwork her company required. The first time I saw her was when I was walking around the whole complex, as per instructions by my chiropractor to get my body acclimated to my new routine. She was sitting with her head down smoking outside the DI where she was interning. Later, when she was about done with her training and the CNA training she was getting, she came in to the office to register on the website. She spent weeks coming in every day, looking for job openings and putting in applications. She was often out of sorts, but I felt that Heavenly Father's love for her was great and I did my best to show her love and encouragement. Because of that, she would seek me out for help and hugs. It was so good to learn of her new job, and I didn't even smell tobacco when I hugged her!!

ADVENTURES IN THE ERC PART 5

There have been so many “candidates”, members and non-members who I have registered and/or met since I started in Oct. It will be Thanksgiving this Thursday, so it will be almost two months since I started all this. I have now helped four people complete their resumes!! Last Friday a young man named Bryce , who has been working at DI completing job training, came in for some help. He really could not put his thoughts (or his skills) down on paper, so I kept asking questions and writing down information. I helped him write a very engaging (if I do say so, myself) “me in 30 seconds” personal profile paragraph, which should be attractive to potential employers. Then, using the experiences of his life, his training at DI and some other skills he had used (but didn't realize, like leadership), I helped him word his “skills and accomplishment” part of the resume. We added the meager employment history at the bottom along with the sketchy education. It looked really great, and earned actual compliments from our resident experts, Elder Theiss and Sister Splain!! I hope it helps Bryce get an interview. I have also helped several other people in this way. The first, Ethel, was a lovely lady from Jamaica who had mostly worked as a Nanny and had little formal education. It was such a challenge to find a way to make her skills and accomplishments appear more impressive, but, when we finished, it was quite good and will help her get a good interview, I hope (at least, my mentor, Sister Splain felt it was as good as it could be). Because of this, Sister Splain has “fed” me several more people who need this kind of help, the last being Bryce, and I have continued to improve. It is so fun getting to know these people better, and they are so grateful for the time and care we take. Richard is an older slightly mentally challenged man, who has been a good Church member all his life and is descended from the pioneers. I helped this sweet man to register and realized he was really mentally challenged. I still encouraged him to take the career workshop, which he did, and he began to grow in confidence, although his writing skills were lacking. I sat down with him and helped him identify his strengths and skills and keyed them toward the job he was seeking. I completed his resume much faster than Ethel's and he loved it (as did Sister Splain). We haven't heard from him yet, but he was going for an interview. I'm hoping he is too busy working to come in to tell us! The third resume was much more challenging. Eder, a young very motivated and intelligent (with great organizational skills) but with no English skills (in writing), was my most difficult. I really had no idea what he wrote in the wordy resume he showed me, but it clearly needed to be put it a better format. He also explained in broken English, some of the projects he had managed and they helped to build an impressive resume, after I rephrased some of his managing skills to his advantage. His completed resume was so good, it got him three interviews and job offers!! I was so happy for him. He came in, though, because he thought he might want to start a family business with his father and brothers—and he had all the information and projected expenses on paper! He must have thought I had more knowledge about self-employment than I do (which is next to none), but I encouraged him that he could probably do anything with all his talent, but he would have to choose which way to go. I asked him if he had prayed about his plans, and told him some of my experiences with answered prayers, letting him know that I felt God had an active interest in his choices!! He looked so happy and said that that was what he had come here to learn that day, and he would pray to know Heavenly Father's will in this. He also said that he loved my resume so much he wanted me to help with his brother's, which he left with me!! I told him to have his brother come in and I would do my best. I don't believe it is good to just “ do” any resume without their help and active participation. Our goal is to help them become self-sufficient, not dependent on us!

 Tonight I received an inkling about what Heavenly Father is trying to do with me to help me become more fit for the kingdom and it is nothing I would have thought (except now it is becoming so much clearer).  It is very hard to put in words, I have just a vague understanding yet, but my eyes filled with tears when I began to realize how perfect His plan is.  I'm learning daily how my efforts fit His purposes, but now I am beginning to see how He is trying to transform me into a person who can relate to and love His children.  Of course, I can pray to feel His love for His children, but He wants my heart to grow in my own ability to love (and relate to) others, instead of running away (psychologically and/or physically).  Because of painful experiences from a child, I have avoided closeness, trust, intimacy with other people, and I  have felt very alone--safer than the pain, I guess.  Most people who know me wouldn't guess that this is the case, but I know it and have suffered because of it for years.  The reason this mission is literally "wrenching" me apart is that He is trying to help me come back together whole and healed.  This will be His gift to me, I believe, because I have been willing to do His will, which is so different from my natural inclinations. I didn't think I could describe this--and I know it isn't very clear, even to me, but I feel I will learn more as I submit myself to His will.  These promptings came to me as we were watching the Forgotten Carols, a deep and unique spiritual perspective.  I could literally feel His gentle working with me.  Today was a really difficult morning.  I felt very "apart" from the other people working in the center and very lonely and of little worth.  I also was aware that the terrible weather here meant snow, glorious snow, in the mountains which I was missing.  It was almost as if He deliberately orchestrated this test of my faithfulness--we seldom have such great snow so early, and last year was not too great.  If I was really loving my mission, it would be of no consequence, but it has been a painful experience, mixed with indescribable joy.  Here I am and I can't escape from these difficult relationship issues and my own feelings of estrangement.  I have to learn to deal with it in a Christ-like way and become better and happier in the process, and I have made some progress today, as I came home so much more content and happy than I left, despite the fatigue from the day (and no sleep last night).  I'm sure this makes little sense, but perhaps it will as I learn and become more.

ADVENTURES IN THE ERC PART 3

Because we are officially missionaries from 8AM to 5PM at our employment “adviser job”, even though we are “full-time” missionaries, we have evenings, Saturdays (P Day) and Sundays to do as we see fit. Usually, in the evenings, we are so tired (and it is dark when we leave the office) that we don't do much more that prepare dinner and eat , have companion study, and get ready for the next day and for bed. We usually rise up around 5:30 AM to get ready for work. However, there have been some notable exceptions: namely, the Gladys Knight concerts! The one we went to was at our own building (still a good 15 to 20 min drive from our apt.) and we lined up over an hour before we were alllowed to go in (a new record for me, but, it was so worth it!). Because they had let in all those who were disabled and many non-members and their friends, we had to sit back behind the chapel despite the fact that we had arrived early enough to be well front of the line. Then, a friend of Sister Houseman, who was an usher, brought she and Sister Splain, her companion, clear up to the front! We were a little sad there weren't seats for us to be with them,  yet, our seats gave us  a great opportunity, even before the concert, to do fellowshipping with good people, There was a wonderful well-spoken black man and his wife in the seat next to me (Sister Clark and I didn't have seats together until later when they brought an extra chair). It was so fun to share the Gospet and lots of laughs with them, and I really felt they would love being members of the Church. We had so much fun talking I didn't notice the time, and there was quite a wait for the concert (which started quite late). Anyway, I told him about the neat gift they were going to give non-members of the Church if they filled out a referral (with a CD, DVD, and Book of Mormon), and they both laughed, but in a very welcoming way (felt they would like it). Anyway, when they announced about the referrals and the gifts, I told them that I saw “their” pen on the floor provided for that purpose, and they laughed again, but they filled out the form! Anyway, after the best concert I have ever been to, they thanked me and said they hoped they would see me again ( I told them to stop by our ERC!). It was really fun being there as a missionary!! The concert was amazing and quite indescribable. It was very entertaining, the group were very very professional, the singing was beautiful, fun, exciting and spiritual, but turns, and the testimonies were so touching and wonderful. I had a very strong impression as I sat in the midst of this heterogeneous group (as Gladys said, you look like ice cream, chocolate and vanilla!), that this is the time of the African races, here and around the world. You remember how different groups and races have come into the Church (remember the “day of the Lamanite” in President Kimball's time?), Well, I felt strongly that this wondrous group of happy and easy-going people were going to come in in droves, and their special traits would greatly bless the Church with fun and joy, as well as bless their people. I feel a particular sisterhood with these special brothers and sisters, and I feel very blessed to be part of this. Afterwards, there was such a spirit of brotherhood and people lingered to socialize, so we got home particularly late that night!!

ADVENTURES IN THE ERC PART 2

As I wrote before, we get to the office at 8AM in the morning, and we have a spiritual thought and prayer, which rotates around to all of us. Some of them are very touching or interesting (today, Elder Bunn told about the six different temple angels (Moroni) used at the top of the temples). There are a number of activities going on at once when we open (usually we open the doors at 8:30 because many of our candidates have to use public transportation (if they can afford that—some are homeless), even though we are “officially” open at 9AM.   Someone is always at the desk, the “con” (Elder Bunn described that person as in charge (or 'controller') of making sure our activites are “in order”. The front desk person is either very busy or not, depending on the people who come. This position is rotated throughout the day in two hour shifts that are posted for the month for each of us. Besides answering the phone, greeting (warmly) our candidates as they come in (asking to print clearly their names—they seldom do!), making sure they have someone to help them if they are new or need resume or other help, and, if we are not busy, she/he records the notes for those who came the day before. Every client has a file and there is a computer procedure for recording the notes and doing the “claim tasks” (this is when a new person is registered and his account is enabled and “welcome” letter is sent by email). There is another responsibility that was told to me when I came but I had never done it, because my shifts were usually later in the day. The first person at the desk is supposed to turn off the phone “night line” when he starts, so people calling in don't get the “after hours” message.   I was never shown the place on the phone where it is, and, though I looked on the phone, I couldn't find anything flashing (I thought they said "night light"!!). I wondered when there were no calls, but it was quickly discovered and explained and I was so embarrassed!

It has now been going on two months and there have been so many people who have come in. I have helped to register dozens and I honestly don't remember most of them, even though I tried to take notes on them, so I can keep my eye out for incoming jobs that they might want. Most of them come in just once to register and use their home computers to search for a job, come in to register just to satisfy their bishop's requirement that they look for a job before they get help, or find a job quickly on their own (with our counseling help!). Some we see almost every day as they work so hard to find employment. We are all excited (and ring a bell) when someone comes in to celebrate with us. There are some, however, who really touch my heart. One of my favorite ones was an older very dignified black man in his sixties, Paul, who was so pleasant and appreciative. He is not a member of the Church and was impressed that so much help was offered without charge. I registered him on our website, showed him all about the website (including links to other job sites, networking events, self-employment information, school and community job sites), and showed him all the jobs that have come directly into our center and are posted in our “job” books by date (latest at the front). He was extremely well qualified and well educated, especially in electrical installation and repair in heavy construction, and there were several openings he was quite over-qualified for that he seemed interested in. Then he told me that his big problem with some of the jobs more suitable for him was the mandatory background check, because somewhere in the distant past he had a felony.  He had obviously had a difficult life and was in combat during the Viet Nam War.   I was so surprised that someone so refined would have that problem, but he was quite sad about it so I just encouraged him that there was surely someone who would need his expertise. He said he was really impressed with the Center and commented about “something here” meaning something special. I talked about the Spirit and how this building was dedicated and consecrated for the Lord and His work. After he left, I found another possible job for him with a small (one man) electric company and gave him the number. I called him on the number in his profile and told him about it (we often do this for people we've come to know). He thanked me again and several days later, he called the Center to let us know he got the job (and to thank me—I was told, as I didn't get the call). I was so happy for him. Later, he came by to thank me in person, but I was not in the office (was in the back or running an errand to the Mission Office) and I was so sad I missed him, but, because he had such a special spirit, I felt impressed to refer him to the missionaries through the Mission Office, which is just down the building from us. 

ADVENTURES IN THE EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE CENTER PART 1

I am beginning to become proficient at the computer, something I never thought I would ever do or even  want to do. I want to start describing some of the adventures I've had in the ERC, and will try to do a weekly entry after this, but now I am going to try to recall experiences from the last month. When I first came to the office, there was so much to learn about how to do things. From the first, the best part to me was counseling with people who came in seeking employment. I was so impressed about how much help was available, that, in the ward Relief Society meeting (my new ward here), I shared briefly what the ERC had to offer (the lesson that week was on the welfare plan of the Church in connection with becoming self-sufficient..). I noticed a lovely young lady watching me intently and smiling, and later talked with her. She said she was trying to find a job and wanted to come in to learn about it. Her name was Debra, and, sure enough, the next day, during our brief devotional (spiritual thought and prayer), I saw her waiting outside our door. I got to register her on the website and show her how to access our resources. It was so fun and she hugged me as she left. I didn't realize she was not a member, just a friend visiting. Imagine how thrilled I was when I learned she had found a job—and so quickly! I learned this from the elders who asked if my companion and I knew a “Debra---”. And I said I had introduced her to the center. They said she was so grateful (and she later came down to the center to thank me, but I had just left for a couple of minutes).  I was so sad not to see her, but I was so happy that this blessing came into her life, and I know it's not about me, but about Him and everyone who serves countless hours here. In any case, she is being taught the gospel, and I asked if I could come to the lessons, but haven't heard back. I continue to pray for her and feel blessed to have participated in this small miracle.

Since Coming Here to My Mission...

I have been almost overwhelmed with my experiences here and all the new conditions of my life. I knew that this mission would be a test, but had no clue how difficult it would be. My life is so totally different from what it was before, which is causing a lot of homesickness, but there are lots of blessings here, too. Our apartment is really nice, for a missionary apartment, and is very roomy, equipped with all we need to live comfortably. There are beautifully landscaped courtyards inside each apartment cluster (in which the apartments are built around a square) and in every one there is a pool or hot pool. Ours is the largest courtyard with a large swimming pool, small nicely hot jacuzzi, and a playground. I can also walk from one courtyard to another and see a variety of landscaping trees, bushes and flowers. It is mostly more deserty , not tropical, but very well done. My bedroom, very large, has a nice bathroom, huge closet, and a patio door that opens onto the courtyard, with a tiny porch right outside the door. We are on the ground floor, so I can just walk out the door and look at the lovely trees as I walk. I often go for a walk around the courtyards on the cement paths that circle each. We leave from this to go to our assigned labor every morning at 7:454 AM and return some time after work which officially ends at 4:30 PM (or later, depending on whether we have a training or something else), so it's kind of like a regular job, five days a week. I have so much to learn about this, but I am making really good progress, even with my nemesis, the computers! In the center, we learn how to help “candidates” obtain jobs in a marvelously simple but effective way. When someone comes in for the first time, member or non-member, we help him or her learn what we are about, first of all. This is my most favorite part, because I have the privilege of greeting these people and helping them feel the love that our Savior has for them. While this is not a proselyting mission, we represent the Church as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and are often the first “face” non-members meet. After we ask about their employment goals, we tell them about the importance of “networking” with others and groups which we have for this very purpose (70 to 80 per cent of jobs are obtained through networking). We invite them to go to some of the Church networking groups in the area, and we let them know that after they are registered on theldsjobs.org website, they will be able to see a lot of different job information. When we register them, the website opens up into several really useful places. First, we show them a place where they can fill out a job profile which is similar to a resume, but a bit more personal. It starts with a “me in 30 seconds” statement, which describes the strengths and abilities, and desires of the “candidate.” There are also a place to put six power statements with more details about their strengths. We explain that we have a valuable free workshop, the Career Workshop, where they can learn vital lessons that will help them obtain a job more easily. I have witnessed for myself how valuable this workshop is. First, they learn to accentuate their strengths, something many of them have forgotten in their despair about unemployment. They write their “me in 30 seconds” statements with our help, as well as “power statements” about themselves. They learn how to write a resume and, with our help, they leave with a good one. Also, a cover letter, how to dress, how to interview and what to say, and what not to say. We have “mock” interviews using commonly asked questions by employers and coach them on what to say. This workshop in invaluable in helping them. It was a private workshop which commanded thousands of dollars as a private course, but was given free to the Church to use for our “candidates.” Most serious “candidates” sign up for the course. We tell them that after they have completed 90 per cent of the “profile”, they can enable it to allow potential employers to see it. On the flip side, we also recruit potential employers to register in the website and look for candidates there, and we have a large number of companies registered (some owned by members of the Church, most, not). This is often a good way for candidates to find the right job. On the website are many helps and tips for the “candidates”, but they is much more. There is also a “search” box that helps them locate the latest job openings before most job-seekers see them, which are accessed by “keywords” and are listed by date, the most recent appearing first. Some of the jobs available are thousands in number!! In addition, we have put all the local and national (even international—we had a Canadian company come to the center to interview potential employers!) websites, including job sites, like Hot Leads, sites for work at home, community and government openings, job fairs, schools, and virtually every possible website, which they can click on and browse. We help them fill out applications, attach and or email resumes right there. However, the best thing is that they can use their own computers at home for the same purposes and come in for help any time. Most of those who come in to use our computers don't have computers (some don't have a home), or they also come in to look at the latest job listing that are emailed to our center and put in books (most recent in the first pages). We also keep track of everyone who comes in and registers. We phone and email every one who registers, especially as they come in and work with us. Even those we never see again, get calls and emails of encouragement until they find jobs. It is very intense at times—one day I was registering three members of a family at one time!! We have about 7 computers available all day. I love it when we are busy and I get to help lots of people (new and returnees), but then sometimes it is slow, which is much harder for me. Right now, I am still learning so many things that it fills the time, which is good for me, and there is a lot to learn. I love the opportunity of doing the Lord's work to encourage and give hope to people who often feel hopeless or worthless, letting them know they count and have wonderful things about them as God's children. I think that sometimes we see more non-members that a lot of missionaries!

This is several days later...Although my mission is essentially at the ERC (Employment Resource Center), just telling a little about what we do, leaves lots of stuff out. It is now a full month since I arrived here, and I can now tell about some of the difficulties which have been more or less resolved. I feel I have really turned a corner and am now re-committed to what I thought might be impossible for me to do. I think in the Church we try not to talk about all the difficult things that are part of a mission, so as not to seem of wavering faith, but during the first week, I thought I would have a nervous breakdown I was so conflicted. On the one hand, and I never lost sight of this, I wanted to serve the Savior who has, and continues to bless me so very much. However, everything about this mission was either a terrible shock or terribly uncomfortable from the start. I literally left everything that was familiar and a blessing to me from Heavenly Father (my home, my bed, my dogs, my wonderful family, walks in the garden, hikes in the mountains, alone time, meditation time, skiing in winter, my friends, my yard, chickens, climate I loved, visits to and from grandchildren (and children), good times, movies, TV shows with Danny—literally everything I loved—to come to a climate I hate, a city apartment, no mountains, no grass, few and small trees, people who have little sense of humor, a hostile companion who is as different from me as night and day and who is pretty set in her ways, critical, controlling, an office atmosphere that leaves me walking on eggshells because I felt so uncomfortable, no alone time, no fun food and no going out to eat (except at restaurants with horrible fast food, etc. I was devastated, and felt that I could not do this for more than a week or two without expiring! I tried to talk to my companion and being nice and deferential to those I work with, but I felt I was just not accepted or even liked. I prayed—cried every night—and begged him to let me go home. I couldn't sleep, sometimes several days in a row with no sleep at all, and began to feel ill. Part of the problem was that, as missionaries, I was told by the three sister missionaries, we are supposed to stay together, but I was informed by someone in Salt Lake, when I phoned after my call came, that the

rules are not as clear-cut for senior missionaries. However, my companion and the other senior lady missionaries feel we need to be together whenever we want to go somewhere, which has caused something of a delemna for me. I feel I need some alone time to walk and ponder (which I have depended on for most of my life as an opportunity to communicate with my Heavenly Father and get rid of excess frustration and/or anxiety). My companion, Sister Clark is a very good person and is 6 years older than me She is extremely talented in crafts, sewing, and homemaking, as well very well versed in the work we do in the ERC (employment research center), but she is disappointed in the fact that I am not too interested in crafts and want to walk in the nearby park (the closest thing I can find to what I need). . When I prayed about staying here for 23 months, I was in despair that I could do it. When I contemplated about what I felt I could do, the number 12, or 1 year came to my mind, but I was afraid to mention it out loud for fear that I would be even more despised as some kind of heretic. Finally, I knew I needed to talk to the mission president about all my concerns, including the feeling I had that I had traveled from a place I loved to one I hated to work only 8 hours a day, leaving 16 hours to be useless and miserable and homesick, when I could literally do what I was doing here in American Fork and still be surrounded by everyone and everything I loved (and do more good, I felt). I had clicked on the 23 on the computer when I really felt I should choose the one year option, but had not wanted to limit Heavenly Father's work for me. Because, as I later learned, they are short 50% of the seniors, I felt they had just “taken it” and not prayed about the length of time. Finally, I knew if I didn't talk to the President, I would just go home “in shame” rather than bear another miserable day.. I was so glad I did!! He was wonderful and so inspired, and I remembered the feelings I felt when I desired to serve the Lord. I told him I knew I could not be here 23 months and he asked how long I felt I could serve. I told him I could serve “one good year” (actually, by then, I wasn't sure I could serve even three months), and asked if he would pray for me about it and let me know what he learned. He replied, and I felt the Spirit confirm with kind of a “wind” feeling, that he didn't need to pray more about it, but that a year felt “right.” I was so relieved—I wouldn't have to run away after all, I could do this for a year! Then, to my joy, he said I needed to be more busy and use those extra hours going with the sisters to teaching appointments, and he would arrange that to happen in about two weeks!! I was so elated about this. The one thing that I did love about my mission was helping and fellowshipping those who came to the ERC, non-members and dismayed members, and I felt that I could feel Heavenly Father's love for them and encourage them to have hope, which is really hope in the Savior. He also said I should have “companionship inventory” with my companion, which I had already tried unsuccessfully. However, since that time, we have had our “inventory”, and it was wonderful. I learned much more about her and how she saw things, and I realized I had been mistaken about many things—and she seemed to find the same thing. Now, I feel, we are really close, and I think about being “one” with her—working together, rather than the urgency of my own needs, and I am sleeping better, and I don't even feel the urgency to walk like I did. Most of all, the very difficult technical knowledge I need to know in the ERC to even begin to really help those who are unemployed (which I haven't even mentioned yet,because it seemed so beyond me!), I am now actually learning! I have learned so many things and how to do them, and on Fri (Nov 8) I passed a milestone! I actually wrote out a resume (with lots of help with formating, filing, copying, emailing, etc.) for someone applying for a job. There are so many technical computer things you have to do, which was carefully—and patiently—explained to me by Sister Spain. But I actually wrote up most of it by myself! Now I am really learning why I need to serve this mission right here. I have learned so much about sharing, patience, putting others' needs before mine, and all the technical things I need to know, and I could never learn this in my comfortable home. I could never grow into the person Heavenly Father wants me to be without this painful stretching and changing in situations I have always been able to avoid!! And I am changing! I really love my companion now and we enjoy being together, but I am very careful to consider her and her needs and not just my own, and I like myself better. I am still somewhat uncomfortable in the office situation and feel not as accepted as I would like, like I need to “prove” myself before they will like or even accept me. However, it occurred to me that Heavenly Father is using a talent that I have had and wanted to use: I have a gift with words—I can chose words and phrases (and sentences) most appropriate and helpful to any situation, which really can help make a good resume, accentuating our “candidates” strengths and minimizing his/her weaknesses. Also, I can use my gift of Heavenly Father's love for each of His children, which He has enabled me to feel, to help people who come in feel loved and welcome. Not to mention that I will have the opportunity to help the missionaries soon, and partake of that incredible Spirit, helping to teach people. So, in effect, I feel that I will be able to do twice the work in half the time, but learning and doing the work in the ERC and helping teach Gospel lessons with the sister missionaries during the next year. If I grow to love it, I may want to extend, but I still feel I should be there for the year only, as there are more things He wants me to do.