Week Ending November 28, 2010 Week # 1

Here are the Watsons and the Campbells. Without them Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't have happened and the office couldn't function.

Here are the Johnsons. Without them nothing around here happens. She's my angel and he is hers. We love them both.

They made me get in this picture and I was brave (or stupid) to put it in the blog. These sisters are beautiful inside and out. We had such a good time decorating the tree.

Happy Thanksgiving. We enjoyed having the two office couples, the Watsons and the Campbells, along with Erda and Jerry Johnson over for Thanksgiving dinner. We also invited a fairly recent convert, but he got sick and wasn’t able to come. We were also the back-up plan for any missionaries in the area, but they all ended up being taken care of by are good members. Anyway, we had a great time with the eight of us here for dinner.

Since we held zone leaders’ council a couple of weeks ago in connection with our leadership training, we were able to start interviews this week. Sister Macdonald continued her tradition of making homemade fudge and short bread for interviews in the transfer that includes Christmas. The missionaries love her culinary skills and the touch of home memories it brings to them. This week we held interviews in Eugene and Coos Bay. After visiting with the missionaries in Coos Bay I enjoyed visiting with that good stake president. I am impressed with him, like his peers throughout the mission, who are dedicated to their assignments, and their Savior.

The material we reviewed prior to interviews as our gospel study time together was the conference issue of the Ensign. I am impressed with how much our missionaries learn from general conference and how they apply it to their teaching and their lives. If they continue to do this after they go home, they will be strong, contributing church members throughout their lives.

On Saturday morning we had a set of elders come over and help us set up the Christmas tree and later in the afternoon we had a set of sisters come by and help decorate the tree. They were each here about an hour. We certainly could have managed with out them, but it was fun to interact with them and let them have a taste of the holidays too. Later in the day I went to the baptism of a wonderful family in Santa Clara, while Sister Macdonald continued her cooking for next week’s holiday treats.

This week we don’t have a lot to report on, so I will just say how grateful we are for all of our missionaries, those in the field and those who have gone home. So many of them make the effort to stay in touch with us after they go home. This week we have heard from several of them just saying hi, wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving, or sending their wedding announcements, etc. We are thankful that they continue to do good things and that they include us in their joy. We wish them all the very best.

We are also grateful for our family. They are so wonderful in the way they continue to support us spiritually and emotionally from home. We couldn’t do this without them. We love them.

Week Ending November 21, 2010 Week # 6

A beautiful Fall day in Oregon to welcome yet another group of fantastic new missionaries. What a GREAT day!

The very next day and it is pouring rain--a typical Fall day in Oregon. Good thing the atrium at the Portland Temple is beautiful and dry. We had a very relaxed, beautiful session.

This was the week of transfers. We had six new missionaries come in on Tuesday and seven go home on Thursday. It was a very light transfer compared with some weeks in the summer when we had over 20 coming and going. Sister Macdonald and I commented again how one group will differ so much from another group. It isn’t because we think one is better than another, just their interest and personalities vary so much. We love them all and are thrilled they were assigned to this great mission.

A unique thing happened with transfers this week. After transfers were completed and called out, I had two missionaries call me with concerns over transfers, which is very unusual. Even more unusual is that I altered transfers to accommodate their concerns. My normal impression when a missionary suggests that I should change transfers is to tell them they are where they need to be and that they should see what the Lord would have them learn where they are. In both of these cases, I felt impressed to make a change. To put this in perspective I don’t think I have had five missionaries mention a concern to me in the 20 other transfers I have been involved with before this one and I didn’t make a change in any of those other situations. So to have two concerns raised in one transfer and to actually make a change is very unusual. If you are like me and wonder why things would happen so differently this time, let me tell you what I learned – I don’t know, except that I do know the Lord is in charge. I believe my assistants and I listened to the Spirit as carefully this time as we have other times, but to have the Spirit confirm that the change in assignment was still His will, regardless of where the idea came from, was a great learning experience for me.

This week I also take my hat off to one of our great district leaders. This district leader is also training a new missionary who was a little homesick. He worked with his new companion and helped him through his concerns. When I talked to their zone leader on another issue I found out about the concern after the fact. I was impressed that our leaders are doing what they can to solve the problems in their districts or zones and only coming to me when they may need extra help. This principle of learning to fulfill the stewardships that they have will help them throughout their lives.

We enjoyed a nice dinner with the office staff on Friday evening and it was good to see them all a bit healthier, and learning their assignments so well. I also talked with the other senior missionaries and enjoyed hearing the good work they are involved with. Sister Macdonald and I ended the week by going to a baptism in Salem, and associating with our missionaries who were there.

Week Ending November 14, 2010 Week # 5

President and I have run out of poses--but not these fearless leaders! They make me tired sometimes.

This part if easy. Just smile!



The camera setting must have been off for the next two--slightly blurry and squatty. Sorry about that. At least we can see everyone. It was a wonderful leadership training meeting. These missionaries are amazing!



Ditto!

Since our zone conferences were held in week 3 when Elder Kikuchi was here, instead of week 5, it freed up some of the week and allowed us to schedule both a zone leader council near the beginning of the month, and a second mission-wide leadership training conference. As part of the direction given to the mission presidents during the summer of this year, we were asked to train our leaders (zone leaders, district leaders and trainers) in some new lesson formats that are called the Fundamentals of Preach My Gospel.

Our zone leaders’ council was held early in the day on Tuesday. We started the leadership training conference in the afternoon. Since transfers are happening next week, and we had all of the zone leaders coming together, we also made the zone leaders’ transfers and some of the district leaders’ transfers effective during this conference. I was excited to see them leave with their new companions ready to immediately implement what they had just learned. I have said this many times, but I will say it again, these zone leaders continue to make significant contributions to these meetings and are truly making a big impact on their zones and the mission!

It was good to again have all of the missionaries that were invited to the leadership training together on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday to train them and watch them teach each other. Since all of the missionaries have heard me teach most of these eight new lessons, I had them spend most of the time teaching each other. I believe that this hands-on approach improves their teaching and comprehension much quicker than hearing me teach them. On Wednesday afternoon, I taught a session on using the Book of Mormon more effectively in their teaching.

Sister Macdonald and I were invited to go to Depoe Bay on the coast with President and Sister Rau, the Bend stake president, and spend two days in a condo with them. Since our preparation days have been nonexistent that last few weeks we were glad for this opportunity to socialize with these friends. We tried some stunt kite flying (which President Rau is good at) and relaxed. We drove out on Wednesday at the end of the leadership training and came home on Friday afternoon. Our phones rang a little, and we stopped in on our missionaries in Newport. It was good to see them. We were very grateful for the opportunity to recharge our batteries.

On the weekend we attended a couple baptisms, and I had two meetings with two of the local stake presidencies and the district and zone leaders assigned to their stakes. I also released Elder Bauer as an assistant and called Elder Groskreutz to take his place. One of the unique things about missionary leadership is how often the changes take place. These constant changes keep me ever mindful of the need to teach, train, and lift these good young men and women.

Week Ending November 7, 2010 Week # 4

Here is baby Bree, angel #9. We are so excited she has arrived. Isn't she beautiful?!

We enjoyed dinner out with President Cryer and his wife, Cathy. They are wonderful and we really enjoy spending time with them.

The big news for the Macdonald family this week was the birth of another grandchild. Our second child, and oldest son, and his wife added a new girl to their home on Monday, November 1, 2010. All went well. That brings their total to three girls, and our grandchildren count to nine in total with eight granddaughters and one grandson. Four of these beautiful grandchildren have been born while we have been on our mission. We love them all, and have been grateful for the technology of Skype that allows us to see and hear them even when we aren’t able to be with them.

This week I worked on transfers with my assistants and we prepared for our Zone Leaders Council and Leadership Training to be held next week. The work of transfers this time was a little bit lighter as we only have six missionaries coming in, and seven going home. Also, with Thanksgiving and Christmas falling into this next transfer period, I felt prompted to make fewer changes so that the missionaries and ward members would know each other better during the holiday season. I hope this will increase the number of referrals the members will be willing to give to these good missionaries of ours.

During this week we also looked at some potential new office spaces. Our current lease is up for renewal and while the location is great, the office is located in a basement and difficult for our senior missionaries to get in and out of. It is also difficult to handle the constant coming and going of supplies. So while we may end up staying where we are, we are also looking at some other options. Initially the Church thought they would build some office space onto the church building on 18th Street, but in the end it was not cost feasible, so we have been looking at existing spaces. This has been interesting for me to be on this side of the negotiations for leasing of space (for those who don’t know, we own commercial real estate back home and there I would often be involved in lease discussions with potential new tenants). I hope we can find something that is both economical and functional for the office staff.

On the weekend of November 6th and 7th there was an Oregon wide regional broadcast from Salt Lake City for the Sunday portion of stake conference. Sister Macdonald and I had the opportunity to speak in the Saturday evening adult session in the Eugene Stake. It was nice to not need to travel and to be given a chance to share our testimonies once again. We know that our chances to be able to testify of our Savior in a public setting will be much more limited after we are released from our mission next summer, and we truly look forward to these opportunities to speak.

At the end of another week I have become more and more aware that it is truly His work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. We are grateful to be able to assist our Savior in His work.

Week Ending October 31, 2010 Week # 3

The sisters welcomed us dressed in old ties and suit coats they found hanging in the closet of their apartment. They are so much fun!

Elder and Sister Kakuchi were delightful!




President and Sister Wright have always got our backs--whatever we need in the Medford area. They are wonderful, dedicated and a lot of fun.

Camrie, you look beautiful! What an exciting day for you. Wish we could be there, but how blessed we are to live in the time we do. Skype is such a blessing. We are so proud of you!

We started this week on Tuesday and Wednesday by finishing another round of mission president training as we taught in the Corvallis and Capital Zones. We loved seeing all of these good missionaries. We also had the opportunity to have a lovely dinner and visit on Tuesday night with President & Sister Sherry (he serves as a counselor in the Corvallis Stake.) Later that evening I went out to the Monmouth Stake with the Capital zone leaders and we visited with the stake president there, President Petersen. Both of these stake leaders were very willing to discuss how they could help the church grow in their stakes. It was also good to visit with the zone leaders in route.

On Wednesday afternoon, after we finished the training in the Capital Zone, we traveled back to Eugene and made final preparations for the mission tour with Elder & Sister Kikuchi. Sister Macdonald made a lovely dinner for the Kikuchis and the Dyches from the Portland mission as they were bringing the Kikuchis to Eugene after they finished touring their mission. They were originally scheduled to arrive at 6:00, then 7:00, and finally arrived at 8:00. By then they did not want a large meal and only had a bowl soup. They all said the soup was good. We have untouched leftovers for a future meal. ;> Elder Kikuchi and I visited that evening about things our mission needed and reviewed how the mission has done over the last couple of years.

On Thursday we held a zone conference in Eugene for all the missionaries north of Roseburg. We would normally hold this in two sessions of zone conference, but it worked out great this way. Elder Kikuchi is fairly direct and he taught the missionaries powerfully that although this mission has already been blessed with more baptisms in a single year than the mission has ever seen since it was organized, the windows of heaven would only fully open after ALL the missionaries were being completely obedient to the morning schedule. While most of the missionaries are already obedient in this area, the principle he taught is the power of us all being united and doing all that we should. After we finished our conference in Eugene, we drove to Medford to be ready for our conference there on Friday.

On Friday Elder Kikuchi taught basically the same things he taught in the North. He did so with a lot of energy. I am sure he has taught this same principle in many other missions this year, but he still maintained a very high level of energy and enthusiasm and the missionaries received it well in both locations. That evening we enjoyed a meal at President Wright’s home in Jacksonville and we were joined by the stake presidents and their wives from the Medford and Grants Pass Stakes. I think these stake presidents enjoyed the opportunity to have an informal meeting with a member of the seventy.

Saturday morning, while Elder Kikuchi visited with and released the Medford temple president, we had a wonderful family experience. Our oldest grandchild was baptized in Utah. Since we were serving here, our son-in-law received special permission from their stake president to allow us to watch the baptism via Skype. We didn’t hear the talks or see the confirmation, but we were able to see Camrie become a member of the church. We felt so blessed to be able to have this opportunity. Later that day we attended a convert baptism in the Medford area and then drove back to Eugene.

On Sunday (which was Halloween) we encouraged our missionaries to be in by 7:00 pm and do their studying that they missed on Sunday morning as they are at leadership meetings at the church. Since we were home and available that evening, we invited the missionaries serving in the Eugene and Santa Clara districts to come by for some impromptu studying from the scriptures. We ended up having 13 missionaries come over and we enjoyed our time with them.

All in all, we had a great week and since we were very tired at the end of it all, we think we might have come close to doing all that we were supposed to.