Week Ending September 12, 2010 Week # 2

While waiting for Elder Bednar to arrive, our missionaries waited in their positions for pictures and sang hymns together.

This is the first time we have had our entire mission together. When they sang our "Oregon Mission Song", it was amazing!

Elder Bednar was entering the building as they were singing "Called to Serve". What a thrilling and proud moment. We couldn't have planned it any better. (They didn't know he was there.)

We quickly moved into position for each of five group pictures. Our photographers were so patient.

This was not a normal week two for the Oregon Eugene Mission! We started the week on Monday by welcoming three missionaries into our mission on a temporary basis. Two of them are trying to get to Brazil (to two different missions) and one to Portugal, but they have been delayed for an indeterminate amount of time due to problems getting their visas. We had the normal welcome lunch with them and a very abbreviated introduction into the mission and then assigned them to three different companionships in the Eugene area. They were, of course, surprised to be coming to Eugene instead of to their assigned mission. However, when they heard that Elder Bednar was going to be speaking to the missionaries in this mission on Saturday, any potential disappointment seemed to fade away, and at least for now they are excited to be here. This is the first time we have been asked to host missionaries on a temporary basis in our mission. If they are all as good as these three, we would be happy to do it any time.

The next three days were normal enough for week two, and we enjoyed holding interviews in our three largest zones – Corvallis, Capital and Eugene on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday respectively. As I mentioned last week, we are studying articles written by Elder Bednar as we visit with our missionaries prior to holding interviews with them. We were impressed by how well the missionaries had studied these articles and understood the principles of faith captured in the articles. We believe that their faith has increased as they have focused on these subjects, and that their ability to teach and testify on the doctrine of faith has also improved.

On Friday I spent a bit of time on the phone with Sister Idiart who has been a god-send in handling so many of the details with the conference on Saturday with Elders Bednar, Ringwood, Malm and Area 70 Brinkerhoff. She has been coordinating rides with members for missionaries coming in from the far off places of the mission, as well as arranging with photographers to take pictures, and she and her family volunteered to make sack lunches for all who were coming – about 225! Yes you did read that she was released from her mission last week, but she was kind enough to take this assignment to completion rather than trying to hand it off to someone else.

Friday evening I spoke to Tim Dyches, the Portland mission president, and found out how things went there. They had the same type of conference on Friday night with the same leaders in attendance with their missionaries. He was, as always, a big help in letting me know some of the things that worked well logistically in Portland, and I make no apology for regularly copying many of the good things he does.

On Saturday all the preparation paid off and things went off without a hitch. The missionaries all arrived before the cut-off time of 8:00 a.m. Since none of them stayed over in Eugene the night before, many of them had very early departure times. The two photographers also arrived early and took some test photos so when Elder Bednar arrived all went smoothly. We were even able to start our meetings a few minutes early. Elder Bauer, one of my assistants, conducted the meeting and it was a good experience for him. Elders Ringwood and Malm took a few minutes to bare their testimonies and then Elder Bednar spoke and asked and answered questions (He sometimes had Elder Ringwood or Malm answer a question). I was so proud that our missionaries didn’t ask any foolish questions and in fact, asked inspired questions. The three hours seemed to go by very quickly. At the end of the meeting each of the visiting brethren bore a brief testimony and Elder Bednar offered an apostolic blessing.

During the meeting when one of the others were answering a question, I leaned over to Elder Bednar and asked him if he would have time to greet one of our missionaries, Elder Lopez, since he already told me he would not have time to shake hands with all of them. I explained that this young elder’s mother had passed away a few months ago, and that his father had met Elder Bednar recently at a stake conference in Texas. He said he would be happy to. When Elder Lopez came into the room where we were visiting, Elder Bednar told him “You can do this.” After visiting with him he gave him a big hug and Elder Lopez wept. As he was leaving Elder Ringwood also told Elder Lopez that he could do it. This was a great lift to him. We were so happy to see this ministering to the one that the Savior did so well.

The rest of Saturday we were privileged to enjoy lunch and dinner with the visitors as well as attend a young single adult fireside that evening. I also attended a meeting in the afternoon with all of the stake presidencies and bishops from the 15 stakes in our mission. These meetings followed a similar format as our missionary meeting with a large portion being Q&A. Elder Bednar did well with all of the questions even though some of the questions asked by the young single adults were clearly not as inspired as the questions our missionaries asked. Again I was impressed with the local leadership who are so willing to travel great distances to listen to an apostle. Saturday night we were pleased to have President and Sister Wright from the Central Point Stake stay at our home so they wouldn’t have to travel home late. We enjoyed visiting with them and are grateful for their friendship.

On Sunday the three visitors each went to a different stake and held a two hour meeting in the morning. Elder Bednar went to Roseburg with Elder Brinkerhoff, we went with Elder Ringwood to Monmouth, and Elder Malm went to Corvallis. We enjoyed our time with Elder Ringwood and that good stake. Afterwards we met back in Salem with Elder Bednar and Brinkerhoff so that they could take Elder Ringwood with them to the airport in Portland. They arrived at the designated chapel meeting place a few minutes before us, and since the timing was right Elder Bednar went into the sacrament meeting and bore a brief testimony. I am sure that will be a pleasant memory for those members.

In our personal journals, and many others I am sure, are recorded many thoughts and feelings related to all of these meetings we attended. Most important, I am assured that there are modern day apostles and that this church is led by inspiration. I pray that I will lead this mission through inspiration and that Sister Macdonald and I will both lead our lives the way the Lord would have us.

Week Ending September 5, 2010 Week # 1

This week we are all shorter and wider than usual. Don't know why. Some kind of unfavorable trick photography going on. Our zone leaders are handsome just the same.

I'm not sure how many more of these I can do. Dart guns, mustaches, hats, signs, etc. a lot of planning goes into this picture. It boggles my mind just how much planning they put into it.

As is typical for a week one, we held our zone leaders council this week. We are now reviewing the mission goals and past performance with the zone leaders on a monthly basis rather than on a transfer basis, so when our week one doesn’t line up near the beginning of a month, we will hold a telephonic zone leaders council at the beginning of the month, and hold our in person council on week one. This week we were again impressed with these young leaders and all they want to do to build the kingdom. Some of the zones leaders, whose zones had the most success in the past month, seemed the most interested in learning how they could do more to improve. This hunger to learn more and do better, is likely a key reason why they are doing so much better than some of the other zones right now. It was a good time to teach these young men. We pray they will all go back to their zones and lift those they have stewardship over.

This next week we will have the opportunity to have our missionaries meet with, and be instructed by, Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as well as two members of the 70 who will be traveling with him. Some of this week was spent making sure we have the physical details of the meeting arranged, (gratefully most of this is being handled very well by others) and also ensuring the spiritual preparations are being done. All of us have been invited to read two articles written by Elder Bednar, “Ask in Faith” and “Seek Learning by Faith.” These articles have been read individually, in our companionship studies, and have been discussed as we travel around the mission for interviews. We started this week with interviews in Coos Bay and we were impressed with how well these missionaries had read and understood the principles of faith taught in these two articles.

Sister Macdonald and I are often impressed by how others see our missionaries. People will stop us to tell us how impressed they were by one missionary or another. Of course we get some of the other feelings expressed as well, but any negative remarks we may hear are by far in the minority. Anyway, last week as our missionaries were leaving, one of the airport security personnel came over to us. He handed us two pocket knives and told us, “One of your elders forgot to pack these in his checked luggage and wondered if you would mail them home to him. His name is Elder Buck.” Now there was not anything particularly unique about that, except their travel documents do not refer to them as elder, but rather by their first and last name, and yet this security man had developed enough respect for our representatives over the years that he referred to him by his missionary title of “Elder.” Our thanks go out to all the missionaries who have passed through that area acting as they should, so that they and other missionaries would be treated with respect.

This week we said goodbye to the Idiarts who have served as an office couple for the last year. They have done a great job and will be sorely missed. We also spent our P-Day on Saturday with the Campbells and Watsons who now serve in the office. We went to the coast and showed them around. I think we all had a good time and they got to see how really beautiful the coast area is.

This week is fast Sunday and on that day I have the privilege of attending two of the local stake presidency meetings to discuss missionary work. It is great to see their excitement for this great work. Although I won’t always be invited into leadership meetings, I can always go to church, as I did today, praying and fasting for a spiritual lift and receive it. Because I had made a conscious effort to prepare myself to be willing and able to hear, I was blessed time and time again with the blessing of having the Spirit confirm the truth of what was being taught to me.

Week Ending August 29, 2010 Week # 6

Sorry mom and dad, but a large group means smaller faces to look at. Hope you can pick out your baby boy. We are so happy to have them here.

My fault that the lighting isn't good. I picked a poor spot for the picture. There are so many beautiful trees on the temple grounds to deal with and I'm so not good at this! But here we are and we're happy to be at the temple together.




Unloading the trailer at the airport yet another time--Oh for these three it is the last time!

Elders Cluff and Johnson in front of the Gates Branch building. It is a beautiful, though small chapel out in the country. We loved being with the branch and feeling their spirit.

The group of eighteen missionaries that came in this week seemed even better than previous groups. Now if a mother of a missionary who was in one of our previous entering groups is reading this I am sorry, but each group seems to be getting better. No one in this group gave me any indication they were having second thoughts (normally one or two will admit to being a little homesick and unsure of themselves). There was none of that in this group. Each one already seemed so well adjusted and happy to be here. We look forward to working with them and helping to train them to be even better.

An unusual thing happened for one of these good missionaries. After we welcomed them and just before he got on the transfer van to drive north, the assistants told him he was on his way to a baptism and that he would be baptizing one of the people getting baptized that night – in Spanish. A very nice gesture by his trainer to have one member of the family be baptized by the new elder. The investigator thought it would be a nice gift he could give to the new missionary also. So the new elder changed into his baptismal clothes at the church, climbed into the transfer van and arrived at the baptism just in time to participate, He did a great job.

Another unusual thing about this incoming group of missionaries is that because of road construction at our home (which has been LONG overdue) we were not able to get into our street that day, so we had our welcome lunch at the 18th Street Chapel.

I was very melancholy and felt some anxiety when we sent off this going home group of missionaries. I have already mentioned that we saw this group come into the mission field. Maybe this could be the cause of some of my anxiety, but I hope it won’t keep being this bad to say good bye to these friends of ours. Two of this group had worked with me as assistants so I got to know them better, but it is the whole group I am missing. By the way, one of those good assistants took a set of my car keys home with him. (One assistant almost did last year but handed them back through security.) I trust he will make good and get them mailed back to me soon. :>

In addition to going full steam ahead with transfer week, we enjoyed a high priest group party in the Hansen’s yard on Friday night. I also went to a baptism in Salem on Saturday evening. Sister Macdonald was tied up putting up jam – ALRIGHT – and so I took Elder Carlson to the baptism with me. It was good to visit with him in route.

On Sunday we spoke in the Gates Branch which is on the far eastern side of the Salem Stake. It was fun to be there with their 50 members or so, and we enjoyed a “linger longer” lunch with the branch afterwards. Then we had a very nice dinner at Pres & Sister Lathen’s home. One of his counselors and his wife were there too. It was relaxing and nice to be with them.

Week Ending August 22, 2010 Week # 5

Three Zone Conferences--three champions at Paper, Rock, Scissors! Such excitement!

Even Sister Watson got into the action.

I am amazed at how competitive these missionaries can be for a piece of paper and a roaring cheer from their peers. I think it has more to do with having sat through several hours of meetings.

Here is the group headed home a few days early to get into school. Don't they look great. Oh we will miss them.

This was our zone conference week and as usual we held them on Tuesday in Medford, on Wednesday in Corvallis, and on Thursday in Eugene. We felt like they were well received and that the missionaries learned a lot. I did not invite my counselors or any of the local stake presidents to speak as I wanted my assistants and myself to have the time to share the last two lessons from the new curriculum with all of the missionaries. Sister Macdonald taught powerfully about the need for inspiration in our lives. She asked each missionary to take a moment and write down when they last felt inspired, and taught about eliminating things that can stand in the way of our receiving inspiration. As usual she did great! We also had the chance to meet a new senior couple who went straight to Lakeview last week. It is great to have them here.

Although the groups were a bit larger than when we go to each district for teaching and role playing, it was obvious that the missionaries really grow when they have the chance to immediately put into practice what they are being taught. We have always had some role playing with our zone conferences, but it was good to have more of it and see them immediately apply what they are being taught.

At the end of each of the zone conferences I told a story about the turkeys who wanted to learn to fly. They hired eagles to teach them. In the morning the turkeys were taught the dynamics of flight and in the afternoon they practiced take offs and landings and by the evening they were soaring through the clouds with the eagles. After dinner at the end of the conference they toasted each other, said what a good time they had, and then they all walked home. This analogy was not lost on any of our missionaries, and they committed to immediately put into practice what they had learned this transfer.

This zone conference we also held our annual Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament. It was fun to watch the missionaries interact with one another and have a nice break for 10 minutes or so and then be ready for more training.

As I mentioned last week we have a large group going home this transfer and because of school start dates six of them went home on Friday. Because of this we had an extra departure dinner and had these missionaries stay at the mission home for a final testimony meeting and study time together. All of the missionaries we are sending home now are missionaries that we welcomed into the mission at the beginning of their missions. We have grown to love these great missionaries so much. It is getting even more difficult to say good bye.

On Saturday evening we enjoyed having the Smiths (one of my counselors) and the Hopkins (a stake president in Roseburg) in our home for dinner. On Sunday we went to the baptism of a young man here in Eugene. He received a fair bit of opposition from his family before being baptized, but still followed the Spirit’s prompting towards baptism. I pray that he will be solid in the new covenants he is making and that he will be able to influence his family for good in the future.

Week Ending August 15, 2010 Week # 4

Leadership Training, what a great bunch of missionaries! It was a thrill to watch them in action. I love breathing their air.

Sister Watson, me and Sister Idiart. They made sure the missionaries were fed for the two days of meetings. What a job! I stopped in at the kitchen to help now and then. I was amazed at their ability to accomplish so much. They are pure love.

On Monday the assistants and I (they were good enough to change their preparation day to accommodate my schedule) worked on transfers. We have a large group (25) going home and18 coming in, so there will be a lot of companionships affected by this transfer. Even though there were more than the usual number of changes to be made, things went smooth and we largely completed the process that day. I made a few changes later in the week and may make a few more after zone conferences next week, but I feel like we are basically there and that the Lord has been leading the process. We also enjoyed a dinner with the Petersens – he serves as the stake president in Monmouth – on Monday night. We enjoyed their company and a chance to visit a little informally.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we had all of the zone leaders, district leaders, and trainers (who were in their first transfers with their new missionaries) come in for further training on the new curriculum. On the first day we broke into three groups and had several of the missionaries take a turn teaching part of the first 4 lessons that we had previously taught when we toured the mission over the last few weeks. This was done to insure they understood and could teach these principles with ease. My two counselors also came and helped me in monitoring some of the teaching. On the next day the assistants and I taught the next two lessons in preparation for the missionaries to teach their districts in the coming weeks. I felt like the two days were quite productive and we enjoyed watching them teach and role playing with them. It was like having a two-day zone conference with some of these young leaders. It was obvious to us that they were excited to be there and now are well prepared to teach the rest of the missionaries and to help “infect” the mission with this information in a very positive way.

This two-day leadership training was supported excellently by the office couples who made superb meals, helped with transportation, and did so much to make sure things went smoothly. Their behind-the-scene work was excellent and we are so grateful for all they do. THANK YOU!

The week ended with me attending the Coordinating Council Meetings in Central Point on Saturday and in Eugene on Sunday. We traveled to Central Point on Friday and enjoyed a dinner with the Wrights and their friends the Pedersons that evening. After the meeting on Saturday Elder Brinkerhoff traveled back to Eugene with us and spent the night here at our home. We appreciate what he does to build the stake presidents in this area.

We had the privilege of seeing President Fugal while he was in town seeing some friends here. It was good to see him, and we are glad the Fugals did so much in this mission. They made it easy for us to come here and be welcomed. We pray that we can leave things as well prepared for the people who replace us.

Sunday evening the Campbells, our new office couple, came to the mission home with the Watsons and the Idiarts for some dessert and visiting. We had such a wonderful time with all of them. I wish we could keep them all, but that isn't the way it works. The Idiarts will be leaving for home once they train the Campbells. Saying goodbye to good friends and hello to new friends is such a big part of mission life. If you stay focused on the accumulation of good friends, you feel very blessed indeed. And so we are!