GEM- part one

Once upon a time President and Sister Wolfgramm found themselves at the MTC preparing to come to the Italy Milan Mission.

Long before that, however, President Wolfgramm had learned an important lesson when he was trained as a stake president. Every big project, he learned, needed a battle cry. A battle cry would give purpose and direction to work. It would be a constant simple reminder of what the end goal was and what was really important. In times of excitement it could be shouted at the top of you lungs, or whispered quietly to oneself in times of need.

A perfect example was that of the Vietnam war and the war in Kuwait. The Vietnam war seemed to drag on- no one really knowing what they were fighting for or why. There was division and confusion on exactly why they were fighting. Kuwait on the other hand had a clear purpose that was made clear in an unforgettable two word battle cry- Liberate Kuwait.

And so, our fearless President and Sorella Wolfgramm knew that as they prepared to lead the Italy Milan Mission they would need a battle cry, which brings us back to the MTC. One night they met a few missionaries that would soon be serving under them. They talked and got to know them and as they walked away they said to themselves, “They’re just gems.” They had found a battle cry.

Gems stands for “Grow Every Missionary.” The Wolfgramms, as you may have noticed, were very wise. Although they were coming to lead 150 missionaries they knew that each of the 150 was an individual. Each with their own personality and opportunities, strengths, weaknesses and passions. One less wise might think they were coming to lead a mission of 150, but the Wolfgramms knew that they were going to lead 150 ones.

They would have different expectations for each missionary. Some would know how to work, some would know how to study, others would be more ready to love and others more ready to knock on doors. Although they would expect different things from different missionaries there was one common expectation, and that was growth. As we already know, the Wolfgramms are smarter than average, so they knew that it didn’t matter the condition a missionary might be in when they came to them but, that they would leave them better. They would leave be more ready to love, they would be a little smarter and they would have greater faith in Jesus Christ.

And so our very smart President and Sorella Wolfgramm went to work. Today they grow, they nurture and they push each missionary to new heights helping them realize who they can be and all that they can do.

So if you ever find yourself with an Italy Milan missionary take a moment to look for the gem in them. Watch how they work. Watch how they help each other. Are they better than the last time you saw them?

 

Do you have a battle cry? What is it? Does you life have direction and purpose? What has helped you grow? How have you helped other people grow?