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!