Week Ending January 17, 2010 Week # 4

These are our wonderful missionaries in Reedsport. We love them. They made it to zone conference and he is healing nicely.

These are the ward missionaries in Reedsport. We love them and are so happy that they join us at zone conference.

Elder Jones has been up north too long. He is now here in Eugene and we are doing our best to convince him that it's okay to be a Duck fan. Not sure he'll ever give in.

We finished interviews this week with a trip to Coos Bay to see the missionaries on the coast. When we don’t have somewhere we need to head to right afterwards, we like to drive through Florence and pick up the Elders there. Then we can visit with them on the way to and from Coos Bay. I was also able to have a nice visit with the stake president out there before heading back. One of our great senior couples is serving in Reedsport. The senior elder in that companionship broke his leg about six weeks ago so they were unable to attend the district meeting. We stopped to see them on our way back through town. We hope we left them in better spirits and are glad that he was able to get his cast off this week.

This is the week that I work on transfers with my assistants for a couple of days. A couple of zone conferences ago we spoke on how each new team goes through the stages of forming, storming, norming, and finally performing. It seems like a few of our companionships have been stuck in the storming phase. This makes it difficult for one, but usually both of the companions. While there are no overwhelming concerns, I did take these issues into consideration when making transfer decisions. I hope that moving forward they will all be able to move quickly to performing.

When we first got here in June of 2008 we attended our home ward and the combined Eugene area single adult sacrament meeting. I remember that week well as an elder who had only been out about two weeks spoke in our home ward, and a sister who had come out at the same time spoke in the single adult ward. We were also invited to take a few minutes in the single adult meeting. I found out both missionaries were a bit nervous to have us there when they were speaking. My memory is they both did great, so there shouldn’t have been any concern. Well, this Sunday we were invited to speak in that same single adult group and when the sister serving there now heard that we were speaking she said, “Don’t mess up President Macdonald!” I fear from that comment that we might not be living up to expectations. :>)

Friday night we had another pleasant interchange of ideas and goals with the Portland mission president and his wife in Salem. The city of Salem divides our two missions and we get together every few months to enjoy each other’s company over dinner. It does so much for our spirits and I trust it helps them out a bit too. They have become such dear friends and we hope we can stay close in the years to come. That is the challenge of meeting so many great new people! We want to stay close to all of these missionaries and friends we are meeting along the way.

Week Ending January 10, 2010 Week # 3

Here we are at the entrance to the Blue River building. It was a cold, but beautiful day and we were excited to be there.

Here is the building from a distance. As you can see, it is very small, but there is lots of land on which to expand.

This week we were on the road the entire week in order to interview missionaries in Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford, Klamath Falls, and Bend. I am grateful for capable senior office missionaries that allow us to be on the road. Their work, along with some automation from the Church which allows me to log in from where ever and approve and monitor the various business aspects required of a mission president, allow me to keep up while traveling. Knowing the office is running smoothly while we are gone is a huge relief to me.

We interviewed over 75 missionaries this week and traveled almost 800 miles. Happily my shoulder was well enough that I was able to do most of the driving and allow Sister Macdonald time to rest and work on blankets for grandchildren while we drove. We were able to make good use of our time on the road as we were given the general conference talks on CDs for Christmas that we listen to when we drive. For a multi-tasker, such as me, this makes for great use of my time “behind the wheel.”

In addition to our most important job of working with the missionaries, we were able to enjoy lunch with the stake presidency in Grants Pass, dinner in the home of the Central Point stake president (whose daughter had just returned from a mission), take the Klamath Falls stake president and his wife out to dinner, and meet with the stake president in Bend before his other meetings on Thursday evening. It is great to have built-in “friends” throughout the mission that we work so closely with. We appreciate their dedication!

Sunday we had the opportunity to speak to a small branch in Blue River as did the two full-time missionaries assigned there. They also cover two wards in Springfield. The building consists of a small open area used for sacrament meeting and for all other gatherings, with a few other offices and classrooms right off the great room, no hallways. The members were so appreciative of our coming that they made it into a branch social afterwards with a pot luck lunch. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Sometimes at the end of the day, after we return calls and e-mails and follow up on things that require our attention (medical items for Sister Macdonald, and various other things for the both of us) we wonder how we can do it another day. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a complaint! For us it is a witness of all the Lord does to lift us when we are in His service. We gratefully acknowledge His help in all that we do.

Weeks Ending December 27 & January 3, 2010 - Weeks # 1 & 2

First Christmas! He's not sure he wants to be awake. "What am I supposed to do with this anyway? I can't even see!"

They look shy, but they sang like angels. I'm not one bit biased.

Instead of having cake for my (Sis. Macdonald's) birthday, we went for ice cream at Prince Puckler's. This made everyone very happy.

Of course, we had to make a trip to the coast. It was cold and windy, but the waves were tremendous, putting on a great show for all of us. The girls loved it and had their pockets full of various "treasures" they had collected by the time we left.

We have returned our efforts to being mission president and wife full-time. During these last two weeks we were blessed to have all of our children and their families come visit us. They were not all here at the same time, so we made multiple trips to and from the airport, each trip filled with new anticipation, or sadness of the pending goodbyes. Although our life was a bit hectic at times with two to three families here at the same time, it was WELL worth it to see them all and to grow closer together as a family.

During the first week of this transfer, while most of our family was here, I took time to interview the missionaries in the Eugene zone. We had our granddaughters sing a few Christmas songs to them while they were gathered together for combined district meetings and interviews. I think our family, and the missionaries, enjoyed the interaction. Simple songs of rejoicing and praise (both spiritual and fun seasonal ones) can do much to lift our spirits and help us remember the time and season and why we are here doing this great work.

On January 1st and 2nd, just after the last of our family left, we went to Corvallis and Salem for interviews. It was good to be immediately busy, with a lot of catch-up work. This way we didn’t miss our family so much. There are almost 60 missionaries in these two zones so we had two very full & enjoyable days of studying with the missionaries and doing interviews.

During the time before interviews when we have “companionship study” with all of our missionaries in the zone, we asked each missionary to come prepared to share something from the last general conference talks. As the regular reader of this blog will know, I normally assign a specific chapter or two from the scriptures for them to read and to focus our discussion on. This wider base of the whole conference to choose from allowed for some very spiritual “walks” down different gospel centered topics that has been most enjoyable for all of us. I will, no doubt, repeat this in six months or so.

As we enter a new year, we pause for just a moment and thank God, and all those involved in this great work, for the success we have had this last year. We also renew our pledge and commitment to do all we can to build the Kingdom in this area in 2010. Our children pointed out at Christmas time, that we are now halfway through our mission. It is hard to believe that this life, which has become such a part of us, will one day end. We pray we can do all we should while we are here to move this great work forward.

Weeks Ending December 13 & 20, 2009 - Weeks # 5 & 6

It seemed strange to not have President with us, but we had a good time together. For the first time since I've been here, every missionary in the group had been to the Portland Temple before so they weren't interested in taking too many pictures. It was a cold day.

An enthusiastic new group arriving on a cold day. They are certainly getting a taste of a cold December for Oregon. Too bad there isn't a little snow to go with it.

The sun is shining and we are soaking it up even if it is still cold. Our zone leaders are wonderful young men. We love working with them. Some of those smiles look a bit mischievious, don't you think? Me too.

Due to the influence of various narcotics, I am not sure I will ever completely remember all that happened in these weeks, but the recovery is marching along as promised, just not as quickly as I might have hoped. :>) In week five we made transfer decisions. For the time I worked on transfers, either alone or with my assistants, I took no pain medication so I could be more receptive to the Spirit and its promptings. The Lord was kind enough to make His will known very clearly and very quickly and to allow my pain to subside during that time. Afterwards I was able to get back on the prescribed pain killers and knew full well that the Lord is in charge and that He is a God of mercy and kindness. Lest I sound like I am hooked, please know that the amount of pain medication I take continues to come down dramatically each week.

During week six we welcomed in new missionaries and sent off those who had completed their missions. I was able to do everything I needed to with the new missionaries. I even had pictures taken with them without my sling, but I put my arm back in the sling immediately afterwards. (I did this same thing for the pictures taken during ZLC.) Again we have excited young men ready to go to work.

With the returning missionaries I skipped going to the temple with them, but Sister Macdonald went with them. I participated in all other activities and had a brief interview with each of them before they went home. They go home ready to reach their potential.

Since we have Christmas next week, we also held Zone Leaders Council (ZLC) this week. Sometimes I have felt like this meeting is too much of a “top down” method of dispensing information, so we asked each zone leader to come with items they could discuss that worked particularly well in their areas. I was very impressed with the input we received and how much thought and inspiration they receive in their callings for the work they do.

As I close this posting I am so grateful for the Christ Child and all that His birth and life has meant to me and to all of humanity. As I do each year, I am enjoying reading the gospels at this time of year and drawing closer to Him. I hope that each of our lives will always be focused on Him and the possibility we all have to return to live in His presence.

Merry Christmas!

Week Ending December 6, 2009 Week # 4

Tom is doing better. He can get a shirt on now.

Two views of a lighthouse near Crescent City, Calif. This is just outside our mission, but we have to travel this road to get from one part of our mission to another.

Right now I feel good enough to make a quick post about a significant event that happened last week. I didn’t report on it then as I wanted my son to be able to tell all those he wanted to before the blog was posted. The day after Thanksgiving our youngest child, Clint, became engaged to Tava Erdmann. We are thrilled! They have known each other for a long time and she wrote to him throughout his mission. Things have been going very good between the two of them since he got home. They are planning to marry in May and Tava is kind enough to be willing to come to Portland to go through the temple for her first time, so I can be a part of that. Then they will go back to Utah to be sealed in a temple there. We are so grateful that now each of our children has chosen a wonderful eternal companion.

My brother and I spoke the day I was going in for surgery and he gave me some great counsel. He said that when you feel pain or fatigue you should be happy because you know you are alive. He went on to say that the only people who never feel pain are dead. This week I am happy to report that I am very much alive! ;>) I am also grateful for pain medication and for loving people who care about me. I have received many thoughtful notes and remembrances and I am touched by all of them. I believe that all is going as it should, and next week I start with my physical therapy and check back in with my doctor.

There are always many things going on that require the mission president’s involvement. This week seemed to have more than the usual amount. I am grateful for worthy and capable counselors who have stepped in and gone the extra mile to insure that all was handled in accordance with the Lord’s plan. They are both great men who are a significant source of strength and wisdom to me and to the Oregon Eugene Mission!

Well, I will close this short note and just thank you all for your prayers for me, and for our missionaries and the great work they are doing. We are pleased to be trusted by the Lord to take on this huge task. I know that when we show significant faith in Him, He takes over and the work moves forward.