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!
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!
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