What a week!

What a week we have had!  As I looked back at my last post to see where I left off, I can't believe all that happens in just a week or so.  We did a lot of interviews with several zones.  I have been fighting a nasty cold all week and I felt bad to sit in interviews sneezing and coughing, but I had plenty of hand sanitizer and kleenex to help me through them.  I had to snap this darling picture of Sister Wilding and Sister Kackstaetter, who without planning, showed up to interviews looking like a tropical vacation.  

The majority of last week we were blessed to spend with Elder Patrick Kearon from the Presidency of the Seventy, who came to our mission for a mission tour this past week.  What a blessing that was for us.  We were able to meet him on Tuesday evening for dinner.  We loved spending the evening getting to know him and kind of planning the week with him.  He is such a delightful man.  He is real and authentic and himself, and as he describes himself, a little goofy.  Our missionaries LOVED that about him.  He was funny and had them laughing one minute, and then the spirit was so strong they were crying the next.  His British accent didn't hurt either.  We had zone conferences on Wednesday and Thursday with him.  He met with the Zone Leaders and Sister Training leaders for about 10 minutes before each conference started. Then he shook everyone's hand and had them tell him their name and where they were from.  It was so special for each of them to feel like they had a personal moment and connection with him.  

Scott and I did our training together for about 45 minutes.  We talked about the bridge from trust to happiness, using scriptures from 2 Nephi 4-5.  At the end of 2 Nephi 4 Nephi tells of the death of his father and then he writes the things of his soul, ending with the verses at the end where he talks about trusting in God.  By verse 27 in chapter 5, Nephi and his followers have fled to the wilderness and did several things until in v. 27 he tells us that they lived after the manner of happiness.  We explored the patterns of the things they did that took them from trust in the Lord to happiness.  It was fun teaching together.  

The rest of the time was Elder Kearon's and he was incredible.  He had a unique way of training.  He told Scott and I that he wanted us to sit on the stand with him and just pop up to the pulpit when we had some thoughts to share about whatever it was he was talking about.  He told us he really wanted us to do it, and that it works best when that happens.  At times he would look at us and ask us if we had any thoughts.  So, we tried to do what he said.  It felt a little odd just walking up and interrupting a General Authority, mid sentence, but he loved it and after the first day he told us it was great and he wanted us to come up even more.  It made it so we were certainly engaged the entire time and it was interesting how the Spirit would bring a story or experience to my mind that I hadn't thought of in years that seemed to fit.  

One thing the missionaries absolutely loved was on Wednesday right after lunch.  He was just getting started and his phone rang.  He looked at it and said "This might be an emergency, I better answer this." So, right at the pulpit he answers his phone and said "I assume this is an emergency?"  He listened for a minute and then said "I need to take this" and walked off the stand and out the door.  Scott jumped up and just started talking about what he had been talking about.  He was gone for about 5 or so minutes.  He came back in and said "That was Elder Uchtdorf, he told me to give you his love and his advice to you was to make sure you stay in touch with your converts."  The missionaries about died that he just took a phone call from Elder Uchtdorf, like it happened every day.  Which it might.  

These are some of the things that he emphasized during the two days of conferences:
The greatest understanding is to know who you really are
This is a church of new beginnings
Baptism needs to be brought much higher in our expectations and our priorities.  How do      we increase baptism goals without increasing anxiety
If we lower our expectations we lower our productivity
Nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach
People want to see the results of the spirit in your life, what it has done for you and what it can do for them
Mormons thrive on opposition, we have since the very first of the restoration
We cannot have it easy, we aren't meant to. We are given opposition to make us who we need to be
Don't worry, work hard, be happy, don't overcomplicate that
Baptism is a blessing that brings power
Simplify and promise blessings
Choose to become the message, choose not to be a victim
Be your authentic self, don't try to be someone else
Do we see our potential and are we living up to it
Unapologetically invite
Turn outward, it's not about you.  Our problems come from turning inward
Look like the plan of happiness
Attack the day.  An enthusiastic morning schedule is highly practical and will give us a lift
Become the cutting edge.  Get out of the box, but stay within the fence
Kindness is a great quality in a leader
Be less technical, be more loving
Change your direction, not your speed
When you go home, don't go back
Second chances are for missionaries as well as our converts
We are meant to be happy

There was so much more than this as we were blessed to be taught and inspired by him for the two days of Zone Conference and then he also did an MLC, with the mission leaders.  It was an amazing 4 days of time spent with him.  We loved every minute of it, he is the real deal.  We are so grateful he was sent to our mission.  We will love him forever.

Zone Conference Day 1.  Unfortunately, while we were taking pictures Elder Kearon had to step out and make some phone calls so we didn't get any pictures with him the first day. 

Elk Grove Zone

East Sacramento Zone

Sacramento Zone

Rancho Cordova Zone

Singing to our lunch providers

With Sister Gilbert and Sister Richins

Zone Conference Day 2. This time we cornered Elder Kearon and so we have photographic evidence that he was actually here.

 Folsom Zone

 El Dorado Zone

 Carmichael Zone

North Sacramento Zone

It's always fun to see how many selfies are on my phone after the assistants have got ahold of it.

Elder and Sister Gunnell with Elder Kearon and us

With our Assistants, Elders Yorgasen, Murphy, Nelson, Forte and Ravston.  On July 1 we are getting half of the Modesto Mission which is being dissolved.  We are getting 3 more zones and 50 more missionaries.  Because of that, we have called two more assistants to help with exchanges and training of new missionaries.  Elder Ravston and Elder Nelson have been a great addition and have helped us so much already. 

Friday morning we had MLC with Elder Kearon

We said goodbye to Sister Baker on Friday.  We love her and will sure miss her

Saturday was a day that really put why we are here in perspective.  I started early picking up Sister Clark and Sister Simpson to go to a sealing at the temple.  It was an interesting situation.  Sister Clark and her sister are the only members of the church in their family.  Her sister was getting married and due to some other temple closures, and her fiance being from the Bay area, ended up getting sealed in the Sacramento Temple.  Months ago Sister Clark told me about it but was scared to ask President if she could go.  I told her she was never going to get a yes if she didn't ask.  She did, and because of the unique family circumstances, Scott felt it would be good for her to be there.  I was able to take them and witness Sister Clark and her sister seeing each other for the first time in 6 months, and to witness Sister Clark being the escort for her sister.  It was a wonderful experience to see her sister, and the young woman who introduced her sister to the gospel, who then introduced our dear Sister Clark to the gospel, all in the temple together.  We often say "two times in white".  Meaning, look at the people you are teaching not only in baptismal white, but in temple white.  It kind of brought that all full circle and was a wonderful experience for all of us.  It was also so special to see so many of their Young Women leaders and ward members in the temple with them.  Most of whom made the trip from Texas to be with these special sisters.  It made me realize again the importance of a ward family and fellowshippers who are more than doing a duty, but truly love these new members like members of their own families.  This is the gospel in action, the way it is supposed to work.  

After I got the sisters safely back to their area, I met Scott and we went about our day attending as many of the 11 baptisms that we had on Saturday as we could.  One that I just missed was an amazing baptism of a family of 4 from Iran.  They were so prepared, it was amazing to see the hand of the Lord leading them through the years to the church.  The mom told of an amazing experience where she had a dream years ago that let her know God was with her and was leading her where she needed to be. When she found the gospel she knew this is where he had been leading her all of these years.  

We went to a baptism of a young man in one of the YSA wards.  He told of how he had always been looking for something and didn't ever feel very confident in life and knew something was missing.  When the Sister missionaries knocked on their door his brothers and grandma said "don't answer it, it's the Mormons." And he said "I just thought, someone needs to answer for them, why not me?"  He said he knew their message was true from the start and knew he had finally found the place where he belonged.  

The next one was the baptism of a bright young engineer, whose wife was a less active member.  He told of being raised by an agnostic father and a very atheistic mother. He told of being a young boy and feeling there was a God and telling of times when he even tried praying on his own.  Again, when the missionaries found him, it rang true and he knew what he had been looking for all of his life.  

It is such a blessing to be able to hear the testimonies of those whose lives have changed because they chose to listen, learn, feel and act.  His missionaries were Elder Thompson and Elder Fischetti, who, after the baptism, were heading to an event at the Fijian ward, which they also cover.  They quickly changed and I couldn't let them leave without snapping a picture.

Just as we were going into Daniel's baptism, Scott got a text from Elder Ricedorff telling him that they were happy to take him up on his offer of dinner that night.  He started laughing and said that was pretty creative, he hadn't offered to take them to dinner, but of course, how do you pass that one up.  Especially since he and Elder Anderson were the missionaries who taught and baptized the Iranian family earlier that day.  Of course we were happy to celebrate with them.  I understand that is a well known trick of missionaries looking for a dinner, and it worked on us.  We told them to choose the place, and the fact that I actually went to Wing Stop with them shows them how much I love them.  I had never been to a Wing place before, don't know that I'll rush back but it was great to be with them.  I love how, whenever we take missionaries out to eat, no matter where we are, they always give us a dinner message, right there in the restaurant.  I LOVE that!

We left dinner and headed to our last baptism of the day, up in El Dorado, another young man who was introduced to the gospel by his girlfriend and he was so sincere in his testimony of now being able to start life with her as a member of the church.  He was humble and sincere and bore such a sweet testimony.  We were blessed on Saturday to be able to see so many people entering into covenants, both temple and baptismal.  I thought on more than one occasion "this is why we are here".  It quickly puts things into perspective and made me grateful all over again to be here doing this work. 

Today we actually had the first p day I can remember in a very long time and so Scott and I found a trail by Natoma Lake and went on a little hike.  It was such a gorgeous day and we were both so grateful to be out in nature enjoying this beautiful place we get to call home for a while.

We also had a meeting with Elder Nelson and Elder Ravston and got to feed them afterward and so that was a great way to end a really nice day.  We love feeding the missionaries. 

And finally, this is my favorite picture of the week.  We always talk about how most of our baptisms come from member referrals.  Darling Hermanas Wallentine and Alexander snapped this picture, I'm assuming in front of a business sign they found.  It made me laugh and I loved it so much!!!

The church is true, joyfully and unapologetically share it with your friends, and then refer them to your local missionaries.  Because you know, 75% of our business is from referrals!!! 

Coloma, MLC and more Goodbyes

Four times a year the tradition has been to go to Coloma on a p day with the missionaries who are closest to going home.  Coloma is where the California Gold Rush began when they found gold in Sutter's Mill.  The first of our four times for this year was on Monday, April 2. We had 21 Elders and Sisters this time around.  We had them meet at our house early that morning for breakfast and then we headed for the hills, so to speak.

We got to Coloma and were met by Brother and Sister Gomm.  They are in the El Dorado Stake and are Church History missionaries.  They are moving and this may be the last time they guide our tour and we are so sad about that. They have been wonderful to us. 

After a brief introduction at the James Marshall Monument, we walked down to see the Old James Marshall Cabin, The Jail, the Blacksmith Shop and the Mormon Cabin.  Members from the Mormon Battalion made their way from San Diego to Sacramento and were working on Sutter's Mill at the time Gold was found.  

After our visit to the Mormon Cabin we went to try our luck at panning gold.  It's a lot harder than it looks.  Also, special treat for me, my mom and dad and my brother Matthew, sister-in-law Beth, and niece Abbie met us up at Coloma. They came to visit for a few days of Abbie's Spring Break before they made their way down the coast to Carmel.  It was so fun to see them and to share our missionaries with them. 

Elder Damon found the best gold of all!

No one struck it rich, but we had a lot of fun.  After Gold Panning we headed back to the Mormon Cabin where Brother Gomm showed us some tools they used, and also had some gospel applications for all of them. He even had my mom and dad demonstrate the two man saw.  They didn't know they were going to be put to work.

Last stop before lunch was the actual Saw Mill they were working on when they found gold.

Aren't my mom and dad SO CUTE!!!

We had a great time at Coloma, it's always a highlight for the missionaries.  Kind of a right of passage when they are old enough in the mission to make the Coloma cut.  

We had a quick turn around.  We got home and from Coloma and headed to Sacramento where we attended an interfaith Passover Seder Dinner.  It was a fun experience and it was especially fun to watch our missionaries from the Sacramento Zone, who were the volunteer servers for the night.  They were most impressive!

 That's grape juice on our table!

Seder Selfie

It was pretty fun to see our missionaries walking around all night with Books of Mormon tucked into the back of their pants!

On Tuesday morning we had Mission Leadership Council at our home.  We were blessed to have my parents there to speak to them.  Scott talked about General Conference and about following a prophet and then turned some time over to my parents to have them talk about some of their experiences with different prophets and with missionaries when my dad was a General Authority.  We could have called the meeting right then and there.  They were mesmerized listening to them tell their stories.  The assistants gave great trainings, I was able to train on our mission culture and building unity as we are one with Christ, united in doing the will of the Father.  Scott talked even more about establishing a Christ Centered Mission Culture and things we can do to ensure our mission is based on the foundation of our Savior Jesus Christ and his teachings. 

After MLC Scott had a lot of missionary letters to read, but I went down town with my visiting family and showed them around our city a bit. 

We have been doing a lot of interviewing the past week and a half, and I don't take many pictures (or usually any) at interviews.  But we do love getting out and visiting with each individual missionary every transfer.  I had to miss going to a couple of the zones and I was really sad to miss out on that one on one time. 

Today we had to say goodbye to two wonderful Elders.  Elder Anderson has been having some health issues and needs to go home to get them figured out.  He flew home to Guam and had to be at the airport at 4 a.m.  That was an early airport run that President did by himself.  We are hopeful that everything will turn out well for Elder Anderson. We love him and are praying for him. 

He got home and we headed right back with Elder Thomas.  He was supposed to go home with the last transfer but had wanted to extend for a bit.  He is a Hmong speaker and we only have two other Hmong speakers in the mission at this time, and they have both been here 2 transfers or less. So we were able to get the church to let us keep him for 2 extra weeks to help these two young elders (who are fabulous, so no worries about the Hmong work in their capable hands).  We really hated to say goodbye to Elder Thomas. There is no one quite like him and the energy level of our mission has decreased substantially as we sent him back to Texas. We were so sad to see him go. 

We also had a treat today, a good friend from home, Lance Tempest flew into town on the same plane that Elder Thomas flew out of town on and so we were able to meet him at the airport and squeeze in a late breakfast with him at our favorite breakfast place in town.  Chances are, if you come to visit us, you will end up at Bacon and Butter at some point.

We were also blessed to be able to meet up with Gary and Carol Bergeson, our son in law's parents, who just finished a mission in Fort Worth Texas.  They have been traveling the country visiting all of their scattered kids and one happens to live not far from us.  They drove over to attend the temple and we were lucky enough to have dinner with them.  It was so fun to see them and compare our mission experiences.  We all agreed this is a very hard, tiring work, but there isn't a better work we could be doing and we all love the opportunity we have had to serve our missions.  It was great to see them and catch up, and of course we talked about our perfect shared grandchildren. We sure love them.

Finally, this is what brings us so much joy.  We were driving down Madison Ave and looked to the side and saw this.

Elder Torres and Elder Ravston teaching some men in the parking lot of the Home Depot.  It made us so happy we had to pull over and take a sneaky picture of them.  We love our missionaries and we love to see them preaching the good word, even in parking lots!