Week Ending May 30, 2010 Week # 5

President showing the depth of the plowed snow at Crater Lake

Crater Lake (Elders Jones and Christensen are on the far right).

Elders Turner, Mackey, Bitter and Tanner having finished a great zone conference lunch.

Elder Hereth did a "rap" about missionaries in the OEM. It was pretty good. We were all amazed at how well he did because he is so soft spoken. Those quiet elders are always full of surprises.

Sisters Wilson, Stoehr, Thain, Longhurst, Jolley, King, Cutler and Kaufusi love zone conference and a chance to be together for a few hours.




Elders Henry and Engen wondering why I keep taking pictures, but they were willing.

This is the week we complete another round of multi zone conferences. Holding zone conferences is such a way of life for today’s missionaries. It was so sporadic when I was a young missionary. I think it is great to have regular teaching and growing times available for these good missionaries and Sister Macdonald and I love to see them. Many times I feel overwhelmed at their trust and love for us. I received some comfort this week when I remembered the counsel we received in the MTC that “you are good enough.” At first I remembered thinking it was far from a compliment, but those are exactly the words I needed to play back in my mind when I saw these young people looking to us for counsel and advice. It is comforting to remember that most of the great work in the church is done by people with a simple testimony who are willing to work. Well, I think that defines the two of us just right. We have a testimony of the truth and we are willing to work. We pray that the Lord will help us overcome our weaknesses and assist us in doing all that He would have us do.

We left a few hours earlier than usual for zone conferences so we could take the assistants to Crater Lake. There is lots of snow there this time of year making it a whole new kind of beautiful. This is an amazing creation.

For those who are regular readers of this blog you may remember that last zone conference we challenged all of our missionaries to re-read the Book of Mormon by the end of May. As we visited with each of the missionaries during interviews and while we talked with them at this round of zone conferences, it was apparent that this counsel was well received. So many of the missionaries spoke positively about the impact this had on their lives. When I spoke this time I encouraged the missionaries not to feel bad if they didn’t complete their reading at the same speed as others. Some people would much rather read and study each detail and others of us are slower readers. The important thing is that we each study the gospel and try to grow closer to our Savior each day.

In the last two weekends we have personally been able to witness a dozen of the many baptisms that are occurring in this area of the church. One of these baptisms was in the small town of Cave Junction. For several months the stake president and I have talked about opening this town to full-time missionaries. In the past, missionaries from Grants Pass would get out there occasionally, but without regular time there the work was not progressing as fast as we felt it could. Three months ago, at the prompting of the spirit, I sent two great missionaries out there (one was a zone leader I released to take on this assignment). In that time frame 15 people were found, taught and baptized in that one small ward alone. It is great to see the work of the Lord move forward.

In our mission song there is a verse that says, “we don’t even mind the rain.” This spring, (which has been much wetter than last year) that saying has been put to the test. At one of our zone conferences Sister Macdonald publically admitted in her talk that this particular verse in the song is a lie and she DOES mind the rain. I joked back with her and told her she wasn’t supposed to say that until we were back home. All in all things are great, but we are anxiously awaiting the return of the beautiful dry days that greeted us the last two summers.