Week Ending January 24, 2009 Week #1

One of the many beautiful bridges we cross. This one is in North Bend. It reminds me of a cathedral.

Elder Potter is back! We are so happy his knee surgery went well and we have him back to get busy working again.

I neglected to mention last week that along with the normal new missionaries coming in we had Elder Chandler come back to the mission. He had gone home the day before we arrived to have knee surgery. He has recovered and now, 6 & ½ months later, is back. This week Elder Potter, who had gone home 3 months ago for a similar surgery, come back as well. I am impressed with missionaries who have that strong desire to return. Elder Chandler had been home long enough that he did a semester of school. I am even more impressed that he would leave his home, family and friends again. I am grateful for all of the missionaries and their strong commitment levels.

This was the first “normal” week one in a long time. We held zone leaders council on Tuesday. It is great to be able to teach these capable young leaders and see their desire to learn and improve and then to go help their zones do the same. We held the council in our home, and while we are a little tight on space, it is nice to have them here to enjoy Sister Macdonald’s cooking and to feel the spirit she brings into the home.

The balance of the week was catch up time, and while I had expectations of accomplishing so much in “behind the scenes paper work and filing,” those details kept taking a back seat to here and now missionary work and needs. However, I do feel like I am a bit ahead of the curve as it relates to preparing for some talks for future stake conferences.

Although this week didn’t have a lot of meat to report on, we were still blessed with frequent interactions with missionaries and the work they do. We met several investigators and are actively engaged. Friday we went to a ward dinner and visited with several investigators and new converts, and this Sunday we will have another investigator in our home for dinner and a lesson. It is great to not only administer this work, but to be actively engaged in it as well. We know that it is true and are thankful to play a part in moving it forward.

Week Ending January 17, 2009 Week # 6:

Our new arrivals. Finally someone shorter than me! Sister Clark says she is always the shortest. It was a cold, but sunny day to welcome new missionaries.

Our trip to the Portland Temple with our outgoing missionaries. It was a small group, but we had a wonderful time. The atrium was beautiful and much warmer for pictures this time of year.

This was the week of transfers. For the missionaries this is both a time of sadness for leaving areas and people they have come to love and a time of hope with new starts in their lives. For Sister Macdonald and me it is also a time of recharging our batteries as we welcome in new missionaries who are full of excitement and want to learn so much so that they can magnify their callings. It is also a time of peaceful reflection with the outgoing missionaries in the temple and in our home as we contemplate with them all the good they have done and the life changing events that they will now face. We are happy for them, have faith in their abilities and pray that each one of them will navigate the waters of life ahead of them successfully.

There are so many examples of inspiration that happen during each transfer process, but let me just share one that happened this time. I had been feeling for some time that Grants Pass (about 2 hours south of Eugene) could use another set of missionaries – specifically a set committed to do Spanish work there. This of course has to be “managed” with the number of missionaries coming and going and the ones who speak Spanish. A transfer ago we put three missionaries in one companionship (one of whom spoke Spanish) so that this transfer we could send another missionary there. Then they could open the new area and the missionary breaking off from the 3-some would already know the area. As the assistants and I were determining who should go to Grants Pass, we had decided on one missionary, but I kept feeling a second one should go too. While we still had an extra missionary available it didn’t make logical sense to have that extra person so far away. Well of course we followed the spirit and sent the extra person. The very night of transfers I received a late night call (that kept me up and worried until about 2:30 am) that one of the missionaries was in the emergency room having trouble breathing. Long story short is that he had mono and of course would have a fairly lengthy recovery period. Since he was going home next transfer anyway we decided to send him home a few weeks early to recover. The work did not stop for long as we already had the extra missionary in place and those staying already knew the area.

Of course I feel bad that the Elder had to go home a few weeks early, but was so happy that the Lord had prepared a way for the work to move forward even when one of His servants was no longer available. I am seeing so many of these miracles happen time and time again. I know that I do not make the transfers – the Lord does - and I hope I can always hear what He is telling me.

This week as Sister Macdonald and I were doing our long range planning we found that we have been in a bit of a rest period (although it certainly hasn’t felt like that). In saying this I am making reference to stake conference speaking engagements. We only had one in the first six months because all of the stakes in our mission were involved in a regional satellite conference held on the same day. Because of this we only spoke at one Saturday, adult session. These next few months we will be speaking at a stake conference almost every weekend – sometimes two in one weekend. It will be great to be able to encourage the members to do missionary work, but it will certainly increase our travels as getting to some of these stakes will require an over night stay.

Week Ending January 10, 2009 Week #5

My birthday was just before Christmas and the missionaries celebrated it then. I just haven't had room to put pictures in until now. I had complaints that their card wasn't on the blog. There's a long story behind it which I'm not going to tell. The dragon fly is saying, "I'm back, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Below the picture it says: Just some old friends wishing you a happy birthday! Then the card is signed by my loving (teasing) missionaries.

They put trick candles on my cake. I had to resort to wet fingers pinching the ends of the candles several times over to put them out. Notice they were kind and reversed the 5 and the 2.

We both really enjoyed this round of Zone Conferences (Tuesday in Medford, Wednesday in Corvallis, and Thursday here in Eugene.) Of course we have enjoyed the others too, but some how this one felt like we had turned the corner and we were now doing “our” zone conferences. I think we had been here long enough that we would have felt it last time too, but with a general authority here we really didn’t get to do very much teaching. This time we taught and the missionaries really seemed to respond well to it. I love it when Sister Macdonald teaches. She holds the missionaries spelled bound as she quietly teaches gospel principles. This time she spoke on consecration, and borrowing a line from Elder Maxwell asked the missionaries “Is it this?” that keeps me from giving my all. She was great!

I love the chance to do role playing with the missionaries and work with them to build them up and help them be better. One thing I remember from the MTC is the need to ask the group what the participants did well in their role play, and then to ask the two who participated what they might have done different. It is a nonthreatening way to help them improve, after their peers have already told them what they did well. It works great.

This zone conference I spent some time answering questions submitted by the missionaries. One recurring question was the process for making transfers. It was good to explain it to them and let them know how much the Lord guides those decisions. I believe that all committed missionaries are always a bit sad to leave an area, but at the same time are excited to start in their new area as well.

We don’t often transfer out both missionaries at the same time (called "white-washing" here in the field) but sometimes it is necessary. This time we are white-washing in one area because we have more sisters and need to open a sisters area. Hence, both Elders are being transferred. One of the Elders thinks he must have failed in some way to be white-washed. I called him and talked it through with him and I hope he understands OK. In truth, as a young missionary myself, I never thought that hard about it and I am a little amazed why he would be disheartened by it.


In the New Year many people set resolutions that will help to make them kinder, more productive and happier people. In the mission field we get that chance every six weeks with a new transfer focus, new goals, and perhaps a new companion or area. I think this regular reminder to set goals of improvement is a unique opportunity missionaries have to be reminded to better themselves. I know I certainly need it, and find joy in the regular reflection.

Week Ending January 3, 2009 Week #4

Bennet isn't here yet, but we had to get him something. Rachel was only too happy to be opening presents for the February arrival.

Averi had a difficult time leaving Grandpa's glasses along--and we had a difficult time getting a picture with them on her face. She is really quick and she knew exactly what she was doing. "Ha ha Grandma! Are you going to try again?"

Movie night in Grandma and Grandpa's bedroom. That's where the big screen T.V. is. We had a lot of fun once we got settled in.





We thoroughly enjoyed the visit of two of our children and their families around Christmas, but when we dropped them off at the airport on Wednesday morning, we were immediately back to work (after a few tears). Not that the work completely stopped when they were here. It was so fun to spend time with all of them – especially the grandchildren!

In addition to some office follow-up and Mom catching up with the mission history and medical needs, the assistants and I received the revelation necessary to make transfers. They don’t happen for another week and a half, but it is good to basically know where people will be going. Sometimes I will tweak some of the transfers after zone conferences, which are this coming week, but it is largely completed.

I was reflecting on the time we have now spent here in the mission field. We have now completed six months of service and it has fast become a way of life. We have traveled by car over 16,000 miles in those 6 months, interviewed all of the missionaries 5 times, (there are about 170 of them). This week we will complete our 5th set of multi-zone conferences. We have spoken at about 75 district meetings and dozens of firesides or sacrament meetings, and met with each of the stake presidents numerous times. I have interviewed several missionaries who had feelings of separation anxiety, homesickness, or mild discouragement, and thankfully none have decided to go home. Other than worthy releases at the end of their mission, we have only needed to send home one Elder who needed knee surgery and could not properly recuperate here in the mission field, and he is hoping to return in a couple of weeks.

We have been strengthened by the hand of providence in all that we have done. Of course, I miss my family and the friends and life we left at home, but I know we are where we should be, doing what we should be doing. Last night when I drove up to Salem to visit with an Elder who is quite homesick and thinks his solution might be to return home, I told him that we too missed family and loved ones, but we were here because we knew we were on the Lord’s errand. I think he was surprised to find out that he was not alone with missing family etc. I do hope and pray he will become what he should be.

May those who read this know that we are so appreciative of your support and prayers. We are better people for knowing each of you, or your children who serve in this mission. We know that this work will go forward as the Lord has declared.