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.
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.
1 comments:
What a packed filled week. I am glad ZLC went well. That is great Rick was in town. You haven't seen him in a bit. I bet it was great to catch up. I like the idea of inviting your friends to church all together. Peer pressure is a good thing in some instances.
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