11/02/09 Mission Prep.

Since I've long abandoned attempting to reconstruct all of my recent activities, partly due to the fact that mom's probably already done it, I think I'll spend more time focusing on things that have been of special interest to me. One of these at the moment is missionary preparation class. I decided to go to it partly because I thought it'd be cool, and partly because leaders thought it'd be a good idea– not that I don't too or anything. I just wasn't sure if I would be taking it right now. There is a bit of time before I'm old enough to serve a mission, but I guess there's no harm in getting a nice early start.

Speaking of the class itself, though, it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it might have some practicing time, but mostly I expected to be taught /what/ we would be teaching investigators. But that's not really the point of mission prep. class. I mean, we should already know and have a testimony of that.

What we learn in mission prep. has more to do with /how/ to teach– and that's something I've really taken an interest in. There are a whole lot more effective ways of teaching than merely reading a lesson. The key is really in applying lessons to investigators. You do that by first learning about the person being taught. You get a feel for their life, ask questions, and listen to the spirit. It's only after that that you really know what will mean the most to them. We've learned how being excited ourselves helps them to feel that what we're saying has meaning, how to use companionship study to prepare to teach on a more personal level, how to make commitments with investigators and follow up to see how they've done, and how to recognize and resolve concerns they may have.

It's the kind of information you can really apply to life, even outside of missionary work. It's also allowed me to see some of my own faults. I am a talker. I don't really initiate conversations with others all that much, but when I speak, I use a lot of words to express my meaning. It always makes me feel like it flows easier that way, yet I learned in mission prep. that that isn't always the best way to teach someone. People can get lost in too many words. Often, it's the short, powerful statements that really drive home what we mean. Now, is this something I plan on doing on a daily basis? Probably not. I mean, it's not my nature, but until I can learn to cut my thoughts into these compact statements, I may have to try it once in a while. And it is a useful tool to have. It allows you to listen more. And if there's anything that makes someone skilled at small talk or anything related to it, it's being able to understand the person you're talking with– knowing what questions will provoke the biggest response. Not exactly my strong suit, but it's a work in progress. Currently, I'm limited to reading people. The problem with that, though, is that you can never truly be sure if what you think you're seeing is right.

All in all, I'd say that I'm extremely glad I decided to go. And while I'm still working on some things, I've really taken a lot out of it.



One thing that I've been noticing, though, is that my life has had a fairly simply pattern. When I was younger, I learned a lot about how to be taught well. I learned how to get the most out of lessons and how to look past the minor problems that come up. That doesn't really seem to common trait. Most people I've noticed are quick to get irritated with teachers, and aren't all that excited about what they're learning.

On the flip side of that, though, I'm only just now learning how to teach– how to get my point across more clearly. Before, I was terrible at talking to people, let alone teaching them. I remember being terrified to give talks in church, yet no matter how lame a teacher was, I always remembered getting /something/ out of the lesson, even if it meant studying on my own. I've been a little out of balance, now that I look back, but I oddly don't think I'd have it any other way. It's through listening and learning that I've learned about myself. I have a greater understanding of who I am, and that makes it much easier to express my thoughts.

Am I a contradiction? I don't speak much, but when I do, I almost speak too much, and I like listening rather than talking, yet I'm terrible at asking the right questions. I know why I want to be a psychologist, but could this just be another small reason that added to it? It's a skill that I've always thought about, and that I've truly wanted to possess. Maybe it's just another thing about psychology that I hope to learn.

-meaningful pause-

Hmm... it always amazes me how things progress. I began this post talking about missionary preparation class, and it becomes this rant about just how strange I've become compared to others I know. But really, is strange a bad thing? I dunno. I figure the more I think about that, the more I'll question my choice to pick a different path, not that it was really ever much of a choice. These things seem to just happen. I imagine all we can do is make the best of it.