Weeks Ending December 13 & 20, 2009 - Weeks # 5 & 6

It seemed strange to not have President with us, but we had a good time together. For the first time since I've been here, every missionary in the group had been to the Portland Temple before so they weren't interested in taking too many pictures. It was a cold day.

An enthusiastic new group arriving on a cold day. They are certainly getting a taste of a cold December for Oregon. Too bad there isn't a little snow to go with it.

The sun is shining and we are soaking it up even if it is still cold. Our zone leaders are wonderful young men. We love working with them. Some of those smiles look a bit mischievious, don't you think? Me too.

Due to the influence of various narcotics, I am not sure I will ever completely remember all that happened in these weeks, but the recovery is marching along as promised, just not as quickly as I might have hoped. :>) In week five we made transfer decisions. For the time I worked on transfers, either alone or with my assistants, I took no pain medication so I could be more receptive to the Spirit and its promptings. The Lord was kind enough to make His will known very clearly and very quickly and to allow my pain to subside during that time. Afterwards I was able to get back on the prescribed pain killers and knew full well that the Lord is in charge and that He is a God of mercy and kindness. Lest I sound like I am hooked, please know that the amount of pain medication I take continues to come down dramatically each week.

During week six we welcomed in new missionaries and sent off those who had completed their missions. I was able to do everything I needed to with the new missionaries. I even had pictures taken with them without my sling, but I put my arm back in the sling immediately afterwards. (I did this same thing for the pictures taken during ZLC.) Again we have excited young men ready to go to work.

With the returning missionaries I skipped going to the temple with them, but Sister Macdonald went with them. I participated in all other activities and had a brief interview with each of them before they went home. They go home ready to reach their potential.

Since we have Christmas next week, we also held Zone Leaders Council (ZLC) this week. Sometimes I have felt like this meeting is too much of a “top down” method of dispensing information, so we asked each zone leader to come with items they could discuss that worked particularly well in their areas. I was very impressed with the input we received and how much thought and inspiration they receive in their callings for the work they do.

As I close this posting I am so grateful for the Christ Child and all that His birth and life has meant to me and to all of humanity. As I do each year, I am enjoying reading the gospels at this time of year and drawing closer to Him. I hope that each of our lives will always be focused on Him and the possibility we all have to return to live in His presence.

Merry Christmas!

Week Ending December 6, 2009 Week # 4

Tom is doing better. He can get a shirt on now.

Two views of a lighthouse near Crescent City, Calif. This is just outside our mission, but we have to travel this road to get from one part of our mission to another.

Right now I feel good enough to make a quick post about a significant event that happened last week. I didn’t report on it then as I wanted my son to be able to tell all those he wanted to before the blog was posted. The day after Thanksgiving our youngest child, Clint, became engaged to Tava Erdmann. We are thrilled! They have known each other for a long time and she wrote to him throughout his mission. Things have been going very good between the two of them since he got home. They are planning to marry in May and Tava is kind enough to be willing to come to Portland to go through the temple for her first time, so I can be a part of that. Then they will go back to Utah to be sealed in a temple there. We are so grateful that now each of our children has chosen a wonderful eternal companion.

My brother and I spoke the day I was going in for surgery and he gave me some great counsel. He said that when you feel pain or fatigue you should be happy because you know you are alive. He went on to say that the only people who never feel pain are dead. This week I am happy to report that I am very much alive! ;>) I am also grateful for pain medication and for loving people who care about me. I have received many thoughtful notes and remembrances and I am touched by all of them. I believe that all is going as it should, and next week I start with my physical therapy and check back in with my doctor.

There are always many things going on that require the mission president’s involvement. This week seemed to have more than the usual amount. I am grateful for worthy and capable counselors who have stepped in and gone the extra mile to insure that all was handled in accordance with the Lord’s plan. They are both great men who are a significant source of strength and wisdom to me and to the Oregon Eugene Mission!

Well, I will close this short note and just thank you all for your prayers for me, and for our missionaries and the great work they are doing. We are pleased to be trusted by the Lord to take on this huge task. I know that when we show significant faith in Him, He takes over and the work moves forward.

Week Ending November 29, 2009 Week # 3

This is the beautiful table the Idiarts set for Thanksgiving dinner. It was an amazing feast.

Elders checking out their pictures.

Sisters Cutler and Thompson, two of our greatest!

Elders Judkins and Wonnacott





A view through the Redwoods.





A look at the dirt road we took through the Redwoods. It was a beautiful drive.

This was our Thanksgiving week and we hope that you all had a good day with your families and loved ones giving thanks. One of the things we love about our missionaries is how thankful they are for everything. In their prayers and conversations with us they give thanks for safe travels, for good companions, for family at home, for being blessed with people to teach, the list goes on and on. We are grateful to be among such wonderful people at this time in our lives who remember that the Lord truly does bless us.

We enjoyed our zone conferences this week. The order was Corvallis, Eugene and Medford on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday respectively. In each of the conferences one of my counselors spoke, as did a member of a stake presidency, along with Sister Macdonald, the assistants and me. We also had some wonderful musical numbers and spontaneous participation from various missionaries in role plays and the sharing of teaching experiences, etc. Sister Macdonald spoke about repentance, my counselors about feeling the spirit in your life, and the stake presidency member spoke about how missionaries and stake and ward leaders can work together better. My assistants conducted a great workshop on how to properly deal with investigators who are not progressing. I supported that with a reference to Alma 32. When the poor and truly repentant came to Alma, he turned immediately to them and away from those he had been teaching that were not as receptive. I shared the story about the “Countess and the Impossible” a great story about reaching a level you didn’t think was possible. I also spoke about ways we can become more effective.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving at the home of the Idiarts in Central Point. They are the missionary couple working in the office with the Giles. We all gathered at their home (along with the assistants and the missionaries who serve in their ward). All four of their children live close by and they were there with their families. It was fun to be in a warm and friendly family setting. We felt very much at home and are grateful for their generosity.

Saturday we traveled over to Brookings to speak in a sacrament meeting there. The drive from Medford to Brookings takes us into northern California which is actually out of our mission, but it would more than double the travel time to get there any other way. As a side benefit we were able to enjoyed seeing some of the famous redwoods that are in the Crescent City area of California. We have a wonderful senior couple in Brookings and were happy to get out there to support them in their work. After speaking in that meeting we stopped at a branch in Gold Beach for their final hour of church and found out that we were scheduled to speak. It was great to be with another group of faithful saints who, although small in number, radiate goodness.

On our “way” home on Sunday we stopped in Coquille for a baptism. The bishop’s wife was kind enough to prepare a lunch and we had a nice visit with the two of them prior to the baptism. That baptism was the 98th baptism for the month in the mission. The 99th happened later that day, and the 100th is scheduled for Monday. We are happy for the hard work of the missionaries and grateful that they were able to reach this level of success. While we don’t go after numbers, we do try to help people take the steps they need to for salvation. We are grateful that the missionaries were able to find so many receptive people.

My surgery to repair my rotator cuff is scheduled for this Wednesday. I may take a few weeks off from posting, or at least have shorter entries. If I don’t write for a while I wish you all a Merry Christmas that is Christ-centered and full of meaning for you and your families.

Week Ending November 22, 2009 Week # 2

Elders Fonseca and Ayala after meetings are over.

Elders Rawson and Carlson looking good for the camera.

We traveled a lot this week and were away from home from Tuesday morning until Saturday night. We were certainly tired at week’s end, but it was good to see all of the missionaries and much of the local leadership throughout the mission. Sister Macdonald completed the baking of cookies and making of fudge and I am glad! Not that I don’t like taking treats to share with the missionaries, but I haven’t figured out how to be socialable with them without eating a few of the goodies with each district and zone we visit. Each time I promise myself I won’t, but …. I noticed that some of the missionaries have trouble stopping with only three or four pieces of fudge and 6 or so cookies. I do much better than that as I only take one or two. It is the everyday thing that causes me trouble.

We started our week with interviews in Eugene and Santa Clara and then traveled to Redmond and Bend on Tuesday evening. The stake presidents in that area are so good to Sister Macdonald and me and they always make time to visit with us. This time we also enjoyed a dinner at the Perdue home. We are so grateful for their friendship. The next day we visited with the missionaries in the Cascade zone (the Burns Elders I visited with on the phone due to the distance factor) and found them all doing well.

Wednesday evening we traveled to Klamath Falls and went with two of the missionaries to the home of a great family where the mother and children were baptized in the last year and the father had served a mission 10 plus years ago. It was fun to see how much the gospel has changed their lives and to be with the missionaries while they taught a lesson. On Thursday we visited with the missionaries in Klamath and found them doing great. They, along with the missionaries in the Cascade zone, are enduring the cooler weather just fine and still radiate warmth of their own.

Thursday night I met with one of the zone leaders in the Temple zone and visited with one of the two stake presidents in that area (we met with the other one on Friday night.) Again these good stake presidents are taking an active role in furthering the work in their stakes. Friday we visited all of the missionaries in the zone and hope that they, along with the other missionaries, gain as much strength from us, as we do from them.

Saturday morning I attend a Correlating Council Meeting in Central Point with the Area Seventy and the stake presidents in the southern part of Oregon. And on Sunday afternoon we had the same meeting in Eugene for the other stake presidents in the mission. Although I have never been a fan of 4+ hour long meetings with minimal activity during them, it is good to be with the stake presidents regularly.

Saturday we met with the missionaries in Grants Pass. Although what we do is pretty much the same month in and month out, it doesn’t get to be routine or boring as these missionaries are each so unique and full of life. Those few who struggle are very anxious to be better and we love being with them.

Week Ending November 15, 2009 Week # 1

We woke one morning to turkeys all over the front lawn. Not just the five or six that we see now and then. We counted 19. They really put on a show too, spreading their tail feathers and gobbling loudly.

Let me start this posting with a bit of a recap of SOME of the medical issues that Sister Macdonald has become a professional at handling during our mission, and really throughout her life as a mother. In addition to all of the “normal” illnesses, a few weeks ago we had an elder with a case of kidney stones and all the pain that entails, another found out he is desperately allergic to nuts (we don’t know how you can get to 19 years of age and not know that already). Then of course, the swine flu, regular flu, and an appendicitis attack (we have mentioned it previously), various sprained ankles and a host of other maladies have required her wisdom and immediate availability. In all of this she has risen to the occasion and then some and done great at helping them get the help they need and also reassure them that all will be well.

As for our travels this week we started interviews going to the North and visiting with the missionaries in the Corvallis and Capital Zones. On Tuesday night Sister Macdonald met with a medical doctor in Salem who has agreed to be a support to her and help with medical issues throughout the mission. That same evening the Capital Zone leaders and I met with the young men in the Salem stake and talked about preparing for missions and what they can do to be better prepared. It was good to see that many young men interested and attentive.

The rest of the week we visited missionaries in Roseburg, Springfield and Coos Bay. Since this set of interviews is the last before Christmas, Sister Macdonald has been busy baking shortbread and making fudge to bring to the missionaries when we see them. We also gave each missionary a copy of the new LDS art book as a small Christmas present. We love the art work and think it will be useful as a teaching aid.

The stake conference we spoke at this weekend was here in Eugene. That stake has had three stake conferences since we have been here, but this is the first one we have been able to go to. It was nice to have a short drive and to feel a bit like we were “at home” since we know a lot more people in this stake than in any other.

This week we were also blessed to have visits from a few missionaries who have served here in the past. This is always a lot of fun. Catching up on what they are doing and getting to actually see how happy they are is a good thing. We also received letters and phone calls from former missionaries this last week, more than usual. We are feeling especially blessed. It is so good to hear from them. They are still in our prayers. We still love them and as we tell them when they are here, “You are ours forever”.

Week Ending November 8, 2009 Week # 6

A small group of new missionaries, but a great group. They are so ready to be here and get going. It's a good thing because we send them out the same day.

Sisters Hinton and Sonntag with our mission friend, Jen at the Portland Temple. It was a beautiful Fall day for our departing missionaries.

We couldn't get over the color in the trees. It was such a peaceful day with only four missionaries leaving us.

Another week of revolving doors, with some great new missionaries coming in and other mature faithful servants returning home. Our son, who returned home from his mission in August, is attending BYU in Provo and he has had a few chance meetings this week with missionaries who served here. Elder Livingston recognized him from photos we have at the mission home and said "hi" to him. Elder Rose and he work together at BYU and put together the common acquaintance with us while they were talking. That brought home to us the reality that although we send these great missionaries home, we never really lose them as they continue to be a part of our lives. This week we also received a few e-mails, calls, and letters from some of these former OEM missionaries and we are always happy to hear from them.

Although the receiving and sending of missionaries always makes for a busy week, this week we added Zone Leaders Council (ZLC) to the mix on Friday. This put additional responsibilities on Sister Macdonald, which she completed with excellence, as always. The time spent with these leaders is so important as it is a needed time for us to fill their “lamps” and make sure they have both the desire and knowledge to carry out the vision of the mission for this transfer. They continually do such a great job in leading their zones with love. Missions today are organized so much better to allow training and teaching than when I was out on my mission. I am grateful for the improved organization of the mission, but I am even more grateful for the spirit that can and should be a part of every meeting with investigators, members, other missionaries, and with each person we meet. That spirit is what is needed to truly to convert!

The reason for moving the ZLC up (and the plan to complete interviews in the next two weeks and then have another round of zone conferences during Thanksgiving week) is to free up a couple of weeks in early December for me to have surgery on a rotator cuff. I will also have time to begin the healing process before it starts all over again. In some ways this is a great place to have surgery because I know I will have many caring and worthy people praying for my recovery. In other ways this sure is a hectic life style to need to be down for a few weeks and try to heal up. I am sure it will all work out OK.

Sunday throughout the mission the stake presidents organized a “bring a friend to church” day. The idea behind it is that each ward would do their best to make sure that sacrament meeting was the best it could be and that the speakers would focus their remarks to those not of our faith who were at the meeting. Ward members were to reach out to their friends and invite them to come to church with them. If the visitors were touched by the message, then the members were to invite them to their home along with the missionaries to teach them more about the gospel. It is too early to measure the full success of this event, but we are grateful for the efforts being made. There were hundreds that attended throughout the mission and we trust that the Lord will bless this mission with more people to teach and bring unto Christ.

Sunday evening we were invited to speak at a special fireside in Monmouth. In addition to Sister Macdonald and me speaking, the stake president invited Sister Sonntag to speak. She was touring the mission with her family following her release. The talks were focused on the responsibility that members have to share the gospel with their friends, and I think there were good seeds planted.

During the week we had a treat of receiving a visit from a good friend from home, Rick Meeves, who had business in the area. He was also the Bishop who called the Giles to come on their mission here. He attended our ZLC and we had a nice dinner with him and the Giles at our home on Friday. Although our pace was still full throttle, we were glad we could be with him and that he would be willing to stay a couple of days with us. He is one example of the many good friends we have been privileged to make over the years. We acknowledge friends as one of the many sweet gifts we have received from our loving Father in Heaven.

Week Ending November 1, 2009 Week # 5

Elders really enjoy socializing with missionaries they don't see except when they come to zone conference. The foyers are all a buzz and be careful you aren't blinded by the many camera flashes going off.

We are so blessed to have wonderful relief society sisters throughout our mission who prepare fantastic lunches for us at our zone conferences. Parents, your sons and daughters are well fed.

When they arrive for zone conference, they start making sure their cars are clean inside and out for inspection. Then they greet each other. I interrupted their progress.

Monday we headed back down to the southern part of the mission for our first of the multi-zone conferences (MZC). We had just driven home from there on Sunday after speaking in two wards. That evening we had a delightful dinner with two of the senior missionary couples who had come in for the conference at the home of the Johnsons in Central Point. The Johnsons had previously served as a senior couple in our mission. It was great to visit with all of them before the conference and to hear an update on the work they are doing. We are so grateful for the seniors who serve here in the OEM, and we love associating with them.

On the drive down to Medford we were blessed to have the assistants travel with us and we were able to plan future meetings, discuss the mission, and just enjoy talking with them. Our conversations went all over the place, talking about future career possibilities and discussing how to ensure the girl you are planning to marry will be a good eternal companion, to mention a couple. On Tuesday I was reminded that the missionaries listen more intently than any other group of people I have ever associated with, when one of them quoted something I had said during the drive home. Fortunately what I had said was OK to be quoted on ;>) but it reminded me that people are ALWAYS listening to what we say, and I pray that I will always say things, even in a causal situation, that are worthy to be repeated.

I felt the MZC went great. In truth I was a bit worried about doing the first MZC following a visit by a General Authority. Some of the missionaries had written how much they enjoyed the counsel given during that MZC and I didn’t want to let them down at this one. I took solace from Pres Eyring’s remarks at the Priesthood session of General Conference when he said “In recent months I have heard deacons, teachers, and priests give talks which are clearly as inspired and powerful as you will hear in this general conference.” As we discussed, in zone conference, how this could possibly be true, we determined that it was in part because Pres. Eyring had prepared himself to be a good listener. I am sure the missionaries came to the MZC properly prepared to hear the word and to follow it. I hope they benefitted as much from these zone conferences as we did.

I should say a little about the great speakers at our MZC. In Central Point the temple president and Pres. Smith, one of my counselors, spoke along with Sister Macdonald, the assistants, and me. In the other two MZCs the speakers were Pres. Stewart, also one of my counselors, as well as a local stake president. They all did a great job. I enjoy being a part of it all. The two stake presidents who spoke had never been to a MZC as a leader. Since one had not served a mission, he had never been to one, and the other hadn’t been to one in over 40 years. They really seemed to enjoy being involved in this way with missionary work.

This weekend we had the wonderful opportunity to speak at a stake conference in Roseburg that was presided over by Elder Marlon K. Jensen of the Seventy. He was the man who had called me as a Stake President over ten years ago and it was nice to renew that association. On Saturday night we stay at the Smith's home in Glide and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. It was very obvious to me and many others that Elder Jensen was in tune with the Spirit and he delivered messages that were so heartfelt. One of the speakers at the conference was a 9 year-old girl who spoke with the same spirit. It brought home the point I mentioned earlier that we can get as much out of the talk of a child who is teaching with the spirit as we can from a General Authority.

This was a great week!

Week Ending October 25, 2009 Week #4

This Sisters in Eugene invited President and I to go bowling (celebrating his birthday) As you can tell it was no ordinary bowling game. Depending on the color of Skittle you drew, you had to bowl a certain way. It was a lot of fun--very non threatening for a poor bowler like me. Sister Toomey is demonstrating the "Granny Bowl".






The Elders in Coos Bay sang Happy Birthday and presented President with this alligator cake. Little did they know that all his boys were in Florida at a Gators game for the weekend. He sat home in Eugene and ate Gator cake instead.





What I was really after was the beautiful surroundings of the Etna Chapel. I was so taken by the beauty of this valley. The sun was still coming up so lighting wasn't great. I apologize to the parents of Elders Jensen and Orgill for a poor picture of them, but there they are, happy, wide awake and so excited to introduce us to the ward.

One of our goals while serving here is to attend baptisms as often as possible and to try and attend at least one baptismal service in every stake of the mission. This week we were able to attend a baptism in Eugene and one in Grants Pass for an entire family. This is the first time we have attended one in the Grants Pass Stake, leaving only two more stakes before we reach our goal. There are fifteen stakes in our mission. Fortunately we are able to attend one or more almost every week in the Eugene Stake. They always have such a wonderful spirit and we personally grow from each one we attend. The other stakes here in Eugene are also wonderful and much easier for us to get to regularly.

We made progress on another goal this week. We are trying to speak in as many of the outlying wards and branches of the mission as possible. It is helpful to me to be able to see first-hand the support for missionary work in the individual wards. This helps in determining where to put missionaries and where they will be most productive. In wards where there is strong support for missionary work the work flourishes. This week we spoke at a sacrament meeting in Etna, California and at a combined 3rd hour meeting in Yreka, California. The drive in the fall time was beautiful and the spirit in both of these wards was great. As we always seem to happen, we ran into people who knew people that we know. It just felt good to be there. We have two good missionaries serving in these outer areas and it is good to support them and let them know that, although they are far away they are not forgotten.

In addition to these events, we were able to complete our round of interviews by visiting the missionaries here in the Eugene area. We also planned transfers. I know I sound so very redundant, but I am so pleased with the Lord’s guidance as we make decisions about who to move where and who they should serve with. This process will never cease to amaze me.

Due to the increasing number of missionaries being assigned to our mission, we have also been notified that we will be getting a few more vehicles to help with the work. We made a few companionships very happy this week when they were assigned a car. Some of the companionships have large areas to cover. Doing this on a bike is very difficult. I am sure that the additional vehicles will lead to increased productivity. As our missionaries are obedient and stay focused, we continue to be blessed with better means to do the work.

This next week is zone conference and we were able to find a little time this week to prepare our thoughts for those coming meetings. We look forward to being with our missionaries again.

Week Ending October 18, 2009 Week #3

Elder Roberts is readily recognizable by his vest. He is providing our post interview entertainment--Amazing!

Just some of the views of the "crime scene". They really did a great job of wrapping the place up. We're a little afraid to show up on Halloween.

We had a few experiences this week that made us feel like we are really living here, versus just visiting. On Tuesday night we went out with the missionaries to a member’s house and were delighted to join them for dinner. We had prearranged to go to the home of Karen and Steve in Salem. Karen had worked for me in Orem back in 2004. At that time she was a newlywed. Now she has three children and their family is doing very well. The missionaries taught a great lesson and challenged them to invite their neighbors to hear the gospel. They responded very well.

The other two experiences were related to young men in families that we have come to know and whose company we enjoy. The first was a missionary farewell of a great young man in the 3rd ward who is leaving for Chile in a week or so. He has a brother serving in Provo right now. We went to his sacrament meeting and enjoyed hearing him speak. The next one is our home teacher. He was ordained an elder today and we were invited to go over to the institute building with his family for the ordination. I was able to stand in the circle as he was ordained. It was great to be invited into a part of their lives, and also to get a renewed glimpse of how the families of our missionaries feel when their children step up to important assignments and how they miss them. We are grateful for the responsibility that is ours to care for and love these good young people.

This week of interviews found us in the Corvallis, Salem, Coos Bay and part of the Eugene zones. We found those missionaries doing well, and mostly healthy. We are so happy with how our missionaries try to do all they can to build the kingdom. This week was one of the rare times when we had to make a transfer in the middle of the cycle and the missionary who had to pack up in a moment’s notice did so willing and happily. These young people are so supportive and have a great faith that their lives are in the Lord’s hands. This faith gives me an appropriate reminder that I need to do all I can to be worthy of receiving the promptings needed to receive His blessing and guidance in my live and therefore in theirs.

Now, although these missionaries are full of faith and work ethic, they are also full of humor. As we were driving out to Coos Bay I was talking to the office couples on various matters and they informed me that they were in the middle of a crime scene. I assumed there had been a break-in at the office and asked if they had called the police. They then clarified the type of “crime scene” they were in the middle of. Their desks were covered with yellow “Do Not Cross” tape and there was a tape outline of a body on the floor. Although we missed actually getting to see the office in this condition we were grateful that Elder Giles had his camera handy and shared a few pictures with us. We trust the Lord takes time out occasionally for a smile too. :>)

Week Ending October 11, 2009 Week #2

I need to get the camera going again. Truth be known, I think the missionaries get a little tired of me bringing it out. This week I will share three pictures that are just a taste of the regular beauties we get to partake of here in Oregon.

Our beautiful Portland Temple, which is just outside our mission. The most northern part of our mission attends this temple and the most southern part attends the Medford Temple.

We have watched this water spout for over an hour before and not seen it do this, let alone catch it on camera. Thanks to a visiting family member we got this captured. It was beautiful!

Just another beautiful view of the Oregon Coast. This one at dusk.

This week we were able to start the interview process again with our missionaries to the South and East. For those reading this who are familiar with the geography of the area, or who have children serving here, we started on Tuesday, interviewing the elders in Roseburg and Grants Pass. That evening we had dinner with our two sister missionaries, now serving in Central Point, at the home of a couple who served for two years in the office a few years back. It was delightful to see them again and to be out with the sisters.

Wednesday we interviewed the missionaries in the Medford area and then instead of driving home we drove over to Klamath Falls, about a 75 minute drive, which takes half the time it would to drive home. By making this change and cutting out some of the drive time required when we were making the trip to Klamath Falls from home, I had time and opportunity to be out with the missionaries. While with these elders, we taught a lesson to a person with a baptismal date, and visited with a ward mission leader. I was grateful to have the opportunity to watch them teach and to participate in the teaching. The spirit was strong with these good elders in that home and I was happy to be with them.

Thursday, after interviewing the elders in Klamath Falls, we drove up to Bend and I was again able to meet with the Stake Presidents and the Zone Leaders (ZLs) in that area. It was a delightful experience to be there. Afterwards we had the privilege of having dinner with the ZLs and a delightful couple who have a son in the mission field and a daughter at BYU. The husband in that family is not a member of the church, but he is so supportive of his family and of the missionaries in the area. I hope I was able to give them a Mission President’s perspective of how we interact with the missionaries in our missions. As we left, Sister Macdonald said, "They are delightful people. We could be good friends." I hope they felt the same way.

Friday, after interviewing the elders in Redmond and Bend, we drove home. This week was full with every day and night being involved in missionary work. Although we were tired by the end of the week, it was a good tired. On top of that, Sister Macdonald was busy with various health problems this week. The more serious one was an elder with kidney stones. This along with various other issues, including missionaries with flu symptoms and one elder having the swine flu, kept her busy and on the phone whenever she had a free minute.

Saturday night we had dinner with Elders Clayton and Arnold of the Seventy, the area 70s in the Northwest and the Stake Presidents and their wives in our mission. We felt like we were among good friends, although we did not know any of these good people just 18 months ago. What a difference a little time makes.

Week Ending October 4, 2009 Week #1

This is the surprise that showed up on our doorstep. I spent the weekend holding and cuddling her. Isn't she (Taylee) beautiful?! How lucky I am to have a daughter that loves me so much.

Break time at Zone Leader Council. Aren't they handsome!

Formal picture time at Zone Leader Council. None of us enjoy this, but we put up with it for the history and the mothers.

Week one is our time to meet with our Zone Leaders and truly counsel together. I see this time together as quite choice and important. It gives us a good forum to train them for sure, but it also gives us precious time together to listen to the concerns from the missionaries in their zones and to try and understand how we can better help them all fulfill their purpose. This day together at the beginning of the transfer cycle is wonderful for us, and we hope beneficial for the missionaries attending. Since the week is not quite as booked up as other weeks, it gives us some needed time to prepare for upcoming talks, to study, and to reflect on where we are and where we are going – individually, as a couple, and as a mission.

We had three additional blessings in our lives in week number one. One which was available to all was the opportunity to listen to General Conference and hear from the leaders of the church. This time of reflective consideration is such a personal, spiritual boost that we are so grateful for. We hope we continue to learn how to take full advantage of this blessing in our lives.

The second blessing in our lives this week was a short visit (this was a complete surprise to Sister Macdonald) from our daughter and her new baby. She was able to fly into town on Friday and left on Sunday. This was an idea that she and her husband hatched and secretly told me about a few weeks ago. I was to arrange to “run a few errands” and pick her up. When I went to leave to pick her up, Sister Macdonald suggested that she should come along with me. How do you tell the person you love, and is your eternal companion that you would rather go alone and not offend her or tip off that you are planning a surprise? Well, I said I had several calls to make and would just do that as I drove alone. I found out later in the day that I wasn’t too successful at not offending her as she had been a little upset with me, but all was forgiven when she discovered the reason for my secrecy. Since we are not able to go home and see the baby, we were thrilled that our daughter was willing to come here and let us joy in the experience. We realize that this was a sacrifice for her, her husband, and their three little girls who had to miss Mommy for the weekend. We are so grateful that they were willing to share her with us for a few days.

The third blessing in our lives this week was really just another validation of some of the blessings we already knew we had. We are so blessed to have caring wonderful children who love their families and have solid testimonies of the gospel and are willing to do whatever is asked of them. When that type of preparation meets a need, the local leaders of the church know they can call upon them to do whatever is needed. This week our son-in-law was called to be the bishop of his ward. I am confident that any of our other children's families could step up and do the same if it was needed. This drove home to us the need to work with our missionaries to help prepare them for lives’ experiences that will come to them. Two things that can help anyone prepare for this type of service is their mission experiences and marrying the right person, in the right place (the temple) and by the right authority. We hope we can help these wonderful missionaries have great experiences here in the OEM, and that they will choose wonderful eternal companions when they return home.

Week Ending September 26, 2009 Week #6

A fairly large group of new missionaries. We are happy to have them. It will allow us to open some new areas--growing is good. A group anxious to get to work.

It was a beautiful day to be at the temple. We had a great time being out on the beautiful grounds. There weren't many flowers though. Most of the beds were in preparation mode for the winter flowers.

We had fun showing President's family around the area. We also went out to the coast. It was mostly just good to be together.

It's been another transfer week. Of course the usual things happen, we rejoiced in seeing the new missionaries, loved going to the temple with the departing missionaries, and hated to say goodbye to eight elders who have become our friends and made such a huge difference in the lives of many people here in Oregon, including us. It is great to see the changes that occur in their own lives as well. This week I will point out some of the unusual things of the week as well as a sampling of some of the questions/comments I received. However, similar things happen each transfer week.

One of the changes of this transfer, as well as the past couple of transfers, is that we are getting more missionaries into the mission than we are sending home. This is in harmony with the church’s plan to send more missionaries to more productive areas. This mission has been blessed to become such an area. We welcomed in 14 new missionaries this week, and sent home eight, plus one mini-missionary. As a result we opened another two new areas and have a couple of companionships serving with three elders in the same area.

We also sent sister missionaries down to Medford for the first time in several years. We sent a trusted sister who has been out almost a year, along with a brand new sister. While they will be somewhat isolated from other sisters, they will have the benefit of serving near the temple. It is, in fact, in their ward boundaries and I know that will be a blessing to them.

Missionaries learn to quickly love whatever new area they are assigned to, and gratefully take on their new assignment with enthusiasm. By saying this I am also keenly aware how much they dislike leaving the area they are currently serving in. Some examples of this are evident in the following statements I heard this week:

From a sister who had served nine months in her current area (which is longer than any other sister serving in any area of the mission currently), “Are you really sure I am needed in the new area? I could stay longer you know.” I assured her this new assignment had been prayerfully made and she would do great in her new area.

From an Elder when I called to tell him of his new area, “What would you say to me staying here one more transfer?” Of course this is after all of the other transfers have been prayerfully planned and announced. I told him “That train has already left the station.” And then I assured him he would do great in his new area.

There are many other similar examples and I am not unsympathetic to their honorable desire to stay with their companions whom they have learned to love and appreciate, and serve where they know and love the people. But in order to move the work forward various changes are regularly needed. We really love these missionaries, and love the fact that they love the work and people so much!

In the mission president’s handbook we are taught that the number one responsibility we have is for the well-being of our families. I am grateful that with all the Brethren have to do, and with all they realize we have to do, they emphasize that responsibility. We are blessed to be assigned to a mission close to our families and almost on the same time zone which makes occasional visits from them, and phone calls easy to accomplish. We are further blessed that they want to see us, and will make time to do so. This week my three sisters and my step-mother made the trip to see us. They arrived the evening after we had sent off our retuning missionaries and we had a few free days to visit with them. It goes without saying that there were several needed phone calls and a few other short interruptions, but all-in-all we had time for a great visit. Kaye and I are thankful to them and their families for the efforts necessary to get them here. We missed them when we sent them off on Sunday.

My two younger sisters will be upset with me including this detail, but I am still a teasing big brother so here we go. One of our delightful sister missionaries, whom I have learned to love even more this week, saw us at church and asked the youngest of the family if I was the baby of the family.  That just goes to show you how much these wonderful missionaries learn to love their mission president and his wife, and even become a bit blind to the facts at hand.

Week Ending September 19, 2009 Week # 5

This is Elder and Sister Evans with us at Zone Conference in Eugene

All of the Sisters were together for Zone Conference, so we took a picture with Sister Evans. We had a break-out session with just the Sisters that was really good for all of us.

Zone Conference in Central Point

Zone Conference in Eugene. Good luck recognizing anyone in this one!

Elder David Evans of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy was assigned to tour our mission this week. We left our home on Wednesday morning in order to pick up him and his wife, Mary, at the Medford Airport around noon that day. After lunch we had a two hour meeting with my assistants, the District leaders (DL), and the Zone leaders (ZL) in that area. They all seemed to enjoy meeting with Elder Evans in a smaller group and having an opportunity to ask questions.

Since we were done a bit early, we caught the 5:30 session at the Medford Temple together. It was a nice, settling event for the week and it is always a blessing to have the spirit of the temple in our lives. In weeks 4, 5, and 6 we will have a few opportunities to go to the temple because of the Mission President Seminar last week, and going with the departing missionaries next week, but we were happy to get another trip in when Elder Evans suggested it. We also enjoyed a dinner together in Jacksonville.

On Thursday morning we had our first of two multi-zone conferences. In order to maximize instruction time Elder Evans had us disburse with some of the practices that we have traditionally done in Zone Conferences. We skipped some of the quotes we normally do, as well as hearing from incoming and outgoing missionaries. After we had an opening song and prayer we got right into having him teach us. This change has caused me to rethink what is required and what isn’t required at zone conferences.

As we drove back to Eugene on Thursday, late afternoon/evening, the Evans were both quite impressed with the beauty of the drive. I think we have become Oregonians in our hearts, and are now used to the beauty of the green everywhere. While we never tire of the beauty, we just aren’t quite as surprised by it anymore. It will be different when we go back to the desert of Utah. Then we will be shocked back into the reality.

During the Friday session of zone-conference we didn’t have time for a lengthy meeting with the DL and ZL but did have a brief meeting with the Zone Leaders afterwards. At the two conferences much of the same information was taught, but emphasis was put more on one area than another. The key take-a-ways were to teach with the spirit, ask for referrals from everyone and then follow through with them, and to make sure we give our heart, might, mind and strength with an emphasis on using our mind. We should be smarter in all that we do.

At the end of conference we dropped the Evans off at the airport to pick up a rental car for the next couple of days as he was to preside at the Springfield stake conference over the weekend. We joined them for the two sessions on Saturday, and then spoke at the Sunday session of stake conference in the Lebanon stake. It is interesting to me, that in two plus days together we got to know each other fairly well and feel like we have new friends. They were gracious in offering to do anything they could to help with our children while we are serving on this mission. Anyway, when we said goodbye on Saturday night, we knew we and the mission were better off because they came.

Week Ending September 12, 2009 Week # 4

Here is President doing role-play and being instructed by Elder Scott. Talk about pressure! He did a great joy.

A group picture of all of those in attendance at the seminar.

The large plane in the back is the Spruced Goose built by Howard Hughes during World War II. It was never used and is made completely from wood. It is enormous!

Anyone recognize her? She now lives in Portland, same ward as the mission president, with her husband and little girl. They stopped in to say hello. The mission training videos have made her famous and she is very gracious about is.

To say we had a spiritually high week would be a significant understatement. There were several different events that helped us feel the spirit in our lives this week. In order of occurrence they were as follows: working on transfers, the mission president seminar and all that goes with that, the death of our dear niece (Sister Macdonald’s brother’s daughter) attending the Salem stake conference, and hearing about our son’s missionary homecoming report.

Arguably the transfer experience was not significantly different this time than working on previous transfers, but the sprit is so evident each time we work on transfers that I feel compelled to include it in my growth experiences of the week. As I worked with my assistants on transfers this time, I reflected on the scripture in Moses that describes the difference between the Lord’s plan and Satan’s plan. Satan's goal was to receive personal glory as evidenced by his statements, "Here am I, send ME. I will do it. Give ME thine honor."; versus the Son who said, "THY will be done, the glory be THINE forever." I hope I, along with our missionaries, will always be among those the Lord can depend on to send anywhere to do anything He asks, depending on us to go out and get it done then freely give HIM the glory. As I worked on transfers I felt assured that many of our missionaries are that type of person who will do whatever is asked of them.

From Wednesday to Saturday we were in Portland for a mission president seminar, conducted by Elder Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Arnold of the 1st quorum of the Seventy. On Friday and Saturday Elder Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve joined us and presided at the meetings held those days. We were joined by the other eight Mission presidents and their wives that make up the Northwest Area (Alaska, Washington, Oregon and one Canadian mission.) We were taught well and left feeling even more committed to the great work we have been called to do. On Thursday we all went to the temple together and felt such peace there. There is a sweet feeling of camaraderie and knowing you are involved in an eternal work. Many of these mission presidents and their wives are now life-long friends of ours. We took pages of notes and we will refer to them many times over the coming months. My missionaries would have been happy to see me in the “role playing” mode, but this time I was the "teaching missionary” and Elder Scott acted as the “Mission President” in reviewing how we did. It was humbling, but a lot of fun and I grew a lot from it.

While we were at the mission president’s seminar we received noticed that our niece had passed away. She was twenty nine at the time , the same age as our oldest daughter. They were born a few weeks apart and had grown up together and were friends throughout life. She was married to a good man and had three beautiful daughters. She had cancer for a number of years and has been so valiant in learning what the Lord had in store for her and her family. We regrettably were not able to be there for the funeral but were well represented by three of our children and their families. We are so grateful for the gospel in our lives and theirs and a sure knowledge that the Lord lives and that there is life after death.

Sunday we were able to attend and speak at the general session of stake conference in Salem Oregon. Elder Scott Grow of the seventy presided and he along with the stake president and President and Sister Shultz of the Portland Temple also spoke. I was able to meet a former member of my home stake who had moved to Salem as well as a woman who used to work for me in Orem. It is fun to be able to see old friends when we travel throughout the mission. The meeting was one of spiritual uplift and growth.

While we were speaking in Salem our son was speaking in Orem and reporting his mission. Throughout the day we heard from several friends, family, and ward members who had been in attendance about how much he had grown and how well he did in speaking. We are glad that our family continues to grow as we serve here.

Weeks Ending August 29 & September 5, 2009 Weeks #2 & 3

A great message and a favorite photo op just outside Monroe, Oregon

Here is our sweet little Taylee.

Sister Parker and her father returned to the mission to visit. They stopped to visit us at the mission home and have lunch. It was great to see her!

Here's Elder Howard. It was great to see him too! We miss our missionaries when they go home.

Here is one picture of the collision. Thank goodness for airbags and seatbelts, and of course, angels that watch over missionaries.

When we came on our mission we knew we would miss some key family events, but we also felt assured our family would be blessed by this opportunity to serve. On Sunday August 30, 2009, while we were in Klamath Falls to speak at a stake conference, we were blessed with another healthy granddaughter. She was born into the family of our oldest daughter and her husband. This was their fourth child and our seventh grandchild. Of course we wanted to be there, but are blessed to live in a time of almost instant information. That morning at 3:54 a.m. a text came telling us they were being admitted to the hospital; at 4:44 a.m. another text announced that the baby had arrived. Gratefully we slept through both of those text messages. At 6:15 a.m. we received a phone call giving us all of the details of the new one’s arrival; and at 7:19 a.m. we had a photo of the beautiful new baby on our cell phone. It made us feel a little closer to all of it.

We had two very full weeks of interviews. We changed the order of some of our interviews in order to better accommodate a stake conference speaking assignment on the weekend of August 29th and 30th and to make time available to attend a mission president seminar being held in Portland, September 9-12. We started with interviews of the Sisters and Elders in the Eugene zone on Tuesday and Wednesday (August 25th and 26th) and then on Thursday, the 27th, we interviewed the Elders in Roseburg and Grants Pass. That evening we had a delightful dinner with the stake president in Medford, President Woodley, who lives in Ashland, and the missionaries who serve in that area. An investigator and neighbor of the Woodley’s also joined us. The missionaries told me they were a little nervous to be teaching in front of us and the stake president, but they did a great job. I am so grateful to have a good relationship with the stake presidents in our mission and it is great to see them personally involved in missionary work.

Sister Tawney Parker came back for a visit and brought her father along. It was great to see her and meet her father as well. Thye took time to have lunch at the mission home. She is missed.

Friday, the 28th we interviewed the missionaries in the Medford and Central Point area. One of our great missionaries who went home in May, Elder Jacob Howard from Mesa, came back to go through the Medford temple with a person he had baptized while he served in Klamath Falls. He flew in late on Friday night and we were able to meet him for breakfast Saturday morning before we left Medford to travel over to Klamath Falls. In Klamath Falls we would interview the missionaries in that area on Saturday morning before stake conference. We really enjoyed our time with the missionaries. Then our attention turned to the stake conference.

The stake conference in Klamath Falls had Elder Walker, an Area 70 from Washington, there as the presiding authority. I had met him a couple of times before at mission president’s seminars. It was nice to be with him and President Paul Stewart, the stake president. We enjoyed all of the sessions we went to and one or both of us spoke at all of them. The grandmother of an elder from our home stake, Elder Sellars, that I had set apart as a missionary two and a half years ago, lives in that stake and introduced herself to us. When we met with her, it made us feel more at home since we indirectly knew someone there.

After stake conference we traveled to Bend and interviewed the missionaries there on Monday. They switched their P-Day around to accommodate the Monday interview schedule. We were very grateful that our two missionaries from that area who were in an accident that totaled their car, were safe and that neither they, nor the other driver were injured. When we saw the picture of the wrecked car we were grateful they were on the Lord’s errand and received his blessings.

• We finished interviews in Corvallis, Salem, and Coos Bay on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th respectively. While I don’t think we will purposely try to plan to put that many interviews back-to-back again (we interviewed over 170 missionaries in a week and a half) it was nice to get out and see them all and to see how they are doing. We sure do love these missionaries.

We were able to finish the month of August with more lessons taught and more people committed to baptism than we have ever had. We are so grateful for the blessings of protection, both physical and spiritual, that the Lord continues to bless our good missionaries with. We clearly see the hand of the Lord in all of our efforts and are humbled to be a part of all of this.