The Area Vision

Area authorities were called to Salt Lake a few days early last October before General Conference to be instructed by the Quorum of the Twelve that we are indeed in the last of the last days and that the different areas of the church need to become self sufficient in tithing, missionaries and temple work.  Our area presidency was told to come up with a vision to help accomplish this over the next few years.  Mexico sends out about 4000 missionaries a year - 35% go "foreign." That means that about 60% have to be imported - from US and other Latin American countries.  I see lots of missionaries from Guatemala, Argentina, Columbia, Dominican Republic, etc.  Mexico needs to send out 2500 more missionaries a year.  My contribution to this vision is to fully implement missionary prep in all stakes and start working on the overweight missionaries 2 - 3 years before their calling - we have lots that cannot serve due to being above the allowable weight limits for height.  The church has a way to go in Mexico to be self-sufficient in tithing funds.  The Quorum of the Twelve noted that Mexico, Brazil and a few other countries need to be exporters of tithing when China opens up to the gospel because the excess tithing from the US will not be enough to support missionary work in China.  (Interesting that it was not if China opens up but when.) They are working hard to make sure that the names in the 12 Mexican temples are submitted by Mexicans and not imported from the US.  What a powerful testimony it is to see how forward-looking the church leadership is. The impact on us is that purse strings have gotten a lot tighter.  Peg and I may not be doing as much traveling as we thought.  Also building construction is being looked at closely.  They are thinking that maybe they don't need big stake centers - stake conference can be transmitted to various ward buildings.  Our stake center is quite a ways from our area.  Travel is difficult in Mexico.  This is an exciting time to be missionaries.

Greg