Just a few of the falls we saw on P-day with the Giles. It was a beautiful day, not too hot and not too cold. We even saw the sun for a while.With the week having less solid commitments and structure to it, Sister Macdonald and I were grateful to have some time to work on much needed talk preparation for a regional young single adult conference we were to speak at on Saturday evening and to also have some time to plan our talks and presentations for zone conferences next week. The YSA conference we spoke at had just over 200 people in attendance and it was fun to interact with all of those young people. Their enthusiasm for life in general and their love of the gospel is amazing.
This is also the week that Sister Macdonald and I divide and conquer a little bit. I worked on planning for zone conferences and transfers with the assistants for a couple of days, and she caught up on some needed shopping to be ready to make homemade treats for those having birthdays this transfer period (she makes something for every missionary with a birthday coming up prior to the next zone conference and hands them out at our zone conferences.) She also started the shopping needed to prepare a nice dinner for our departing missionaries (we have 17 going home) and a lunch for the incoming missionaries (we have 18 coming in.) While these events are still a week and a half off, the preparation starts early. I am glad she is so organized and such a good cook. The missionaries (and I) are treated very good by her!
Last Saturday, our usual preparation day, Sister Macdonald and I enjoyed a hike at Silver Falls State Park with Elder and Sister Giles. They are serving in the office here from our home stake and return home in July. Silver Falls was a place they wanted to see before they returned, and we were happy to go with them. We were able to hike a few miles and see 8 different water falls within the park. It is a beautiful place, and the weather was perfect. On Monday our missionaries in the Capital zone, located in the greater Salem area, were planning to hike the same park, and invited me to go with them. I was happy to be able to go with them and have a chance to interact with these good missionaries in a less formal way, getting to know them better. I was also glad because the group of about 15 that I hiked with went in a reverse route from most of the missionaries and I was able to pick up a couple of missionaries who had become separated from their assigned group. The good news is we didn’t lose any.
I was again glad for the calm assurance that comes to me during the transfer process. I could feel that there were parents and other loved ones at home praying for me to be inspired as I petitioned the Lord as to where their missionary should serve. These young people, like all of us, come from very diverse back grounds and abilities and the Lord somehow is able to use each of their best selves to further this work. It is great to watch these missionaries grow and develop. I am eternally glad for good people who have helped me grow throughout my life, and hope I am helping some of these missionaries do the same. This “growth” is a life long process that I am still working on diligently and still have a long way to go.
This is also the week that Sister Macdonald and I divide and conquer a little bit. I worked on planning for zone conferences and transfers with the assistants for a couple of days, and she caught up on some needed shopping to be ready to make homemade treats for those having birthdays this transfer period (she makes something for every missionary with a birthday coming up prior to the next zone conference and hands them out at our zone conferences.) She also started the shopping needed to prepare a nice dinner for our departing missionaries (we have 17 going home) and a lunch for the incoming missionaries (we have 18 coming in.) While these events are still a week and a half off, the preparation starts early. I am glad she is so organized and such a good cook. The missionaries (and I) are treated very good by her!
Last Saturday, our usual preparation day, Sister Macdonald and I enjoyed a hike at Silver Falls State Park with Elder and Sister Giles. They are serving in the office here from our home stake and return home in July. Silver Falls was a place they wanted to see before they returned, and we were happy to go with them. We were able to hike a few miles and see 8 different water falls within the park. It is a beautiful place, and the weather was perfect. On Monday our missionaries in the Capital zone, located in the greater Salem area, were planning to hike the same park, and invited me to go with them. I was happy to be able to go with them and have a chance to interact with these good missionaries in a less formal way, getting to know them better. I was also glad because the group of about 15 that I hiked with went in a reverse route from most of the missionaries and I was able to pick up a couple of missionaries who had become separated from their assigned group. The good news is we didn’t lose any.
I was again glad for the calm assurance that comes to me during the transfer process. I could feel that there were parents and other loved ones at home praying for me to be inspired as I petitioned the Lord as to where their missionary should serve. These young people, like all of us, come from very diverse back grounds and abilities and the Lord somehow is able to use each of their best selves to further this work. It is great to watch these missionaries grow and develop. I am eternally glad for good people who have helped me grow throughout my life, and hope I am helping some of these missionaries do the same. This “growth” is a life long process that I am still working on diligently and still have a long way to go.
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