Our past week was one that was very much needed and welcomed. We were able to join 33 other mission presidents and their wives at a Mission President Seminar. It included all of the missions in the North America West and North America Northwest Areas. It was like a version of a Zone Conference for us. Our missionaries look forward to zone conferences to get uplifted and inspired and to get their buckets filled so they are ready to go out and do the work more effectively because they have been filled. That is exactly what this was for us.
We were blessed to meet and learn from wise and experienced mission presidents and wives. We loved our time gleaning ideas from them. There are so many capable and amazing leaders in these areas. One first year (as we are called) said she felt like a kindergartener in a room full of seniors and the only thing she had been able to do so far was to find the bathroom. I wish I'd said that. We felt much the same, but took the opportunity to ask questions and get wonderful answers. Some things that work for one mission would not work in another, but what a delight to pick up nuggets that would work for us and know that as we pray for inspiration on how to implement different things, Heavenly Father will show us exactly how to do that.
We were also incredibly blessed to be taught and trained by the most amazing leaders. We had President Patrick Kearon of the presidency of the Seventy, Elder Carl Cook, Elder Scott Whiting, and Elder John Pingree of the Seventy and their lovely wives, train us for three days. I felt like I was sitting at the feet of master teachers and trying to soak up as much as I possibly could. I am amazed at the spirit they bring and the love we felt from each of them. How we love and sustain them and are so grateful for their leadership, love and teaching.
I was looking through my notes, trying to find some inspirational things to share and record here. It was all geared to missionary work and training our missionaries and helping us in our heavy responsibilities. We went with many questions and got every one of our questions answered. It is amazing how the Lord can work through inspired leaders to guide us and answer every question and concern, not only in this mission life, but it is a pattern for each of us in every aspect of our lives. Take our questions to the Lord and He will provide us with the answers.
As we talked to other mission presidents and their wives, we would look at each other afterwards and say, 'wow, how did we get so blessed to be in the California Sacramento Mission?' We wouldn't have wanted to trade anyone places. We actually felt a little guilty about what a good draw we got. (we know it wasn't a draw, that is just an inappropriately used expression) We were talking with Elder Cook and mentioned to him how we were feeling. He very wisely said "you are blessed to be in a great mission, but I suspect everyone else is feeling the same way, because you are all where the Lord needs and wants you to be, so of course, it feels right for you." I have thought about that, and the longer I think about it, the more wisdom I gain from that comment. As a pattern for non mission life it applies as well. If we are on the path that we know the Lord wants us to be on, we should never feel envious of any one else's path, nor should we think the only correct path is the one we are on. As we prayerfully figure out how to follow God's plan for each of us, we should be grateful we are where the Lord needs and wants us to be. It is much food for thought.
We got to Seattle and had a few hours before we had to be at the opening dinner and so we took a walk up to Pike's Place Market. We had to laugh at how mission life has changed us. I love that market, but as a missionary, there was really nothing for us to buy. We had no need for any of the arts and crafts they were selling. I don't need any of the jewelry they had there. I would have loved to have bought some flowers but had no way to keep them or get them home. We walked into a charming bookstore, a place I would normally love to get lost in, and we stayed for about 5 minutes. As Scott said "it just reminds you how many books there are that we have no time to read" I know someday I will be able to sit down and read a book for enjoyment, but right now that seems a very foreign concept. We bought us a shrimp and a crab cocktail and saved us quite a bit of money!
The fall weather and the leaves were spectacular. We are starting to have a very beautiful fall in Sacramento, but we are a little behind Seattle. It was stunningly beautiful. Those who are presiding in Southern California were like kids in a candy store, it's been a long time since some of them have seen fall leaves. One more reason I am grateful to be where I am. On Thursday afternoon we all hopped in vans and were able to go to the Seattle Temple. The grounds were incredibly beautiful and the spirit in the temple was even more beautiful. It was humbling to be in a session with that many people who are truly striving to keep their covenants and understand a little bit about the principles of sacrifice and consecration. Although Sister Whiting taught us to replace the word 'sacrifice' with the word 'offering'. When we do that it become less grudging, sacrifice sounds hard, but an offering is freely given and it becomes light. Another lesson to apply to non mission life as well.
Pictures don't do justice to the gorgeous temple grounds
You become friends very quickly when four of you are stuffed into the back seat of a van. We didn't need our seat belts to stay put. We weren't going anywhere!
It was a really fun thing to make so many connections. The world is small in the church.
This is Elder and Sister Kearon. They have been in Frankfurt for the past 5 years and their home teacher happened to be our good friend Randall Bradford. To this day, we credit him for our marriage, if he hadn't gotten us paired up in our English class, who knows where we would be today. When we made that connection, Sister Kearon was nearly brought to tears because she loves the Bradford's so much.
The couple in the middle are the Bekkers, they are serving in Hawaii and our neighbor, Isaac Dushku is in their mission. They couldn't quit talking about what a wonderful missionary he is. The couple on the end are the Clarks, serving in Irvine, CA. Scott knew president Clark from business, and they know my parents and took an instant liking to me, I think because I come from such good people.
The Haynies are serving in L.A and are the parents of our daughter Andrea's mission companion and dear friend. President Haynie was the mission companion of our good friend Cliff Lillywhite.
This is President and Sister Tateoka, serving in Salem Oregon. This was a funny story. She asked us if we knew a Scott Hymas because she had a roommate who married a Scott Hymas. Scott told her his name was Scott, and she quickly said, well, you aren't the one because you (looking at me) weren't my roommate. At that moment, someone came up and said he had gone to law school with a Rick Hymas, did we know him. Scott told him Rick was his brother, and Sister Tateoka overheard and said, no, my roommate was married to Rick Hymas, not Scott. Turns out she was my sister in law Marilyn's roommate at BYU. Small world.
These are the Dixons. This connection made us feel old. President Dixon asked Scott if he went to Timpview High. He told him he did, and President Dixon said he had an older brother who used to play sports with Scott. He said, 'you wouldn't have known me, I was just the little brother who used to hang around and watch you play." Turns out, about 8 years younger, who looked up to his brother and the other Timpview athletes. Kind of flattering he remembered him, not so much that he was 8 years old at the time. We are old.
The Frandsons are serving in Oakland/San Francisco and their office couple are our friends and neighbors, Joel and Marilyn Hale.
Friday, the sun was shining in Seattle, which doesn't happen that often. After a very powerful day of presentations, we had one more left to go from President Kearon. He stood up and said he couldn't improve on anything that had been said, and he certainly couldn't improve on the sunshine, and told us he was cancelling the next session and encouraged us to get out and enjoy the sunshine before dinner. It was a gift in that we had been sitting inside for so long, but I also wondered what he elected not to teach us in that time and kind of regretted not getting to hear everything. But we had a wonderful afternoon walking along Alaska Ave and even took a ride on the big Ferris Wheel. It was a gorgeous day!
We were blessed to be able to talk for a few minutes with Elder and Sister Rasband after the meeting. It was significant because it was almost a year to the day that we first met with him and he got this whole thing started. We reminisced about that meeting and all of the things that had taken place in our lives in the course of a year, and he was the one that got the ball rolling. He took my face in his hands, looked in to my eyes and asked me if I was doing ok. I told him I was, and he said , 'are you really?' and I said 'yes, I am very happy'. He said, 'I can see in your face that you are, and that makes me happy'. Just a little nerve wracking to have an apostle staring into your eyes, looking into your soul. I seemed to pass, so I was grateful for that. He will always hold a very special place in our hearts and we felt blessed to meet him again, one year later.
So that was our week, pretty eventful, and wonderful and now we are so very grateful to be back with our missionaries doing this work in Sacramento again. We missed them while we were gone. Crazy how they work their way into your hearts like they do!
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