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.