The progressing investigator I had chosen to portray is a man named Dave. Dave was found in my last area, just a few weeks before I went home. He had a history of drug abuse and gang involvement, and even several years of time in prison. He has since cleaned up, and he let is into his home because he was impressed that we wanted to pray with him and for him. We later found out that he was always home in the evening because of a house-arrest ankle monitor that was activated every evening at 8 pm. Playing Dave has been a powerful experience both for me and for the missionaries teaching me/him. I love that I get to share this special man with such wonderful missionaries.
I recently received a letter from a sister from my most recent district. She hasn't been in the field (Kansas) for more than three weeks, but she had something urgent to say. Apparently she and her trainer came across a gentleman who was very similar to Dave--almost the exact same person! This sister said how much she felt that teaching Dave prepared her to teach this man in Kansas. The letter continued, "Brother Turner, I've never been so happy to see an ankle monitor that was activated in the evening..." She thanked me for choosing to portray one of my favorite investigators, because she felt that it had prepared her to love this particular investigator of hers even more than she thought she would.
If treated appropriately and even reverently, P.I. can be an experience that will prepare our missionaries to teach not only at a general level but at a very personal, emotional level too. It warmed my heart as I read of this sister's love for this man and his progression in the Gospel.
This would be perfect in the "Ensign", in that last section with all the cool stories and personal experiences members have. Yeah... even the title is perfect for that. I recommend submitting this! Aside from the title and well written post, I feel that I, too, can take a more personal and spiritual approach to P.I. I had not thought that the investigators we portray may actually be encountered in their mission. Thank you for the post, and I will prepare to be the best P.I. I can be for our missionaries.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cool thing and I think that this type of experience is had by more missionaries than we might initially think. I recently received an email from on of my past Sister missionaries who, just a couple weeks into her mission, met a man named Brian. The Brian she met not only shared the same name as the PI she had taught here in the MTC, but was also extremely similar circumstances. She wrote with such enthusiasm about how she felt that teaching Brian had prepared her so well for teaching "the real Brian". I think it's no coincidence that God grants missionaries choice experiences while here in the MTC that help prepare them to teach specific people in their assigned fields. It's awesome.
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