January: Where did you go?

I remember back in the day, when January used to seem like it was three months long, not just 31 days.  I seriously can't believe that it is almost the end of January. Where has the month gone?  People say time continues to go faster the longer you are on your mission and I truly believe that is the case for us, as well as for our young missionaries.  It has been an eventful few weeks since I last wrote, so here goes.  

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of a really neat experience we had on Wednesday, January 9.  We had been told a few weeks before that we were going to have a meeting at the church by the Temple with the 5 other mission presidents and their wives who are in Northern California, Elder Quenton Cook, Elder Patrick Kearon, and Elder Scott Whiting.  There was no indication of what the meeting was about or why they were bringing all of these mission presidents together for a meeting with an apostle, and two members of the 70.  We have a tendency to over analyze in our family and so we had all sorts of scenarios planned out in our minds as to what the meeting could be about.  We got there that Wednesday morning and talked with the other mission presidents and their wives, and everyone was as curious as we were.  When the General authorities came into the room, Elder Kearon (whom we have come to know fairly well and is quite a joker) said "It's good to see you all, we are just sorry we are coming with such bad news."  

As it turns out, Elder Cook told us that since they made some changes in the temple endowment, and since our members and missionaries would know about them, and since the Oakland Temple is closed and 4 out of the 6 of them have missions in the Oakland temple district, they just wanted to get us together and go to the temple.  We had about a 30 minute meeting with them, mostly going over what we had been taught at our seminar in November, and then we went to the temple.  It was wonderful, but there was a lot of worry for nothing concerning the meeting.  We have vowed to quit over analyzing and worrying, we'll see how that New Year's resolution plays out.  

The rest of that week we also worked the transfer board, got a new secretary, went to some baptisms, and we did some final interviews.  I don't always go to final interviews with Scott because they are usually pretty long, but if missionaries tell me they would like to talk to me as well, I always make myself available.  This time, most of them asked me to come, and it was a treat to talk with them one on one about their plans and prior to them going home.  Sister Coombs is the only one we got a picture with, but we loved visiting with all of them.

Our assistants, Elder Ricedorff and Elder Larsen getting ready to work the transfer board

Our new secretary, Sister Doig.  She came to us from Canada and was a long time coming.  Sister Skank, our former secretary left in September, Sister Doig wanted to come in September, but because of Visa issues, she couldn't get here until January. We are all so happy to have her here. 

This was at the baptism of a young man named Dom. Turns out, his dad works for R.C. Willey and Scott knows him and worked with him.  It was a fun connection. 

Our new missionaries came in on Monday, January 14.  We should learn to never think things are going to be easy, because once we do, there is always a twist.  We only had 12 coming in this transfer, which is much smaller than any transfer we have had since about June.  And we only had 6 leaving, so we thought we had this thing.  I had food prepared for the new arrivals and the office staff, and had prepared most of the food for the departing dinner the next night, but we thought with only 12 missionaries we would easily be home by around 8 that evening and I could finish the final preparations for the next night's dinner.  

We had 9 missionaries coming from the Provo MTC at 4:00 p.m. and 3 more coming from the Mexico City MTC at 5:00 p.m.  I was just going to stay at the airport while Scott and the assistants got the first 9 back to the office so they could start eating and get started on their interviews with Scott, our mission nurse and to go over finances.  As we got to the office to drop off all the food before going to the airport, Elder Gunnell told us that the flight from Mexico had been delayed until 7:30. So we just took one car and decided I would just come back to the office and then head back to the airport later to pick them up.  

This is our first group from the Provo MTC.  Do I sound like a broken record when I say how much I love picking up new missionaries?

We knew it wasn't going to take all night to get these 9 interviewed and processed and so we switched gears and called some companionships to meet us at the church to take them out working with them for the evening instead of having the Carmichael sisters come and do role plays. We figured with enough time to get them out working that would be fun for them.  Just as we were getting ready to head back to the airport, Elder Gunnell again informed us that the flight had again been delayed, and was now scheduled for 9:30.  Instead of sitting around the office, I ran home and finished my potatoes for the next night, got the table set and headed back to the office, where we were told, the plane had again been delayed.  We headed back to the airport to wait, and the three from Mexico City finally arrived about 10:30.  I felt so bad for these missionaries who had been traveling ALL day long. They were still happy and smiling and very excited to finally be in Sacramento. 

We again, made an on the spot decision and decided to take the Hermanas back to our house with us to spend the night instead of taking them to Sister Beck's where the other sisters were staying.  I felt so bad for them. They were starving, but so happy and darling.  We got them back to our house about 11:30, got them some food and sent them to bed.  Luckily we have some really good beds and they said they slept better than they had since they went into the MTC.  We headed back to the office around 8 the next morning to begin our transfer day.  

Transfer day is a crazy day, and I know I have talked about all that is going on in the church all at the same time on transfer day, between training the new missionaries, training their trainers, and having transfers take place all at the same time.  I think we figured this was our 14th transfer and until this one we have never had a transfer day in the rain.  But this day made up for all of the others.  It was raining cats and dogs.  Because of the rain, it took a little longer than normal for transfers. The rain didn't stop the missionaries from having a good time seeing their old friends. 

Because it took a little longer, we had to introduce the new missionaries to their companions quickly and eat lunch quickly so we could get to the temple for pictures with the new missionaries and to get to our temple session with the departing missionaries on time.  

Trainers waiting to meet their new missionaries

Since this was the first time we had done transfers in the rain, we weren't sure how pictures at the temple were going to be, but we found a place to take pictures that I really loved.  

Elder Allred training Elder Houghton                  Elder Johnson being trained by Elder Jensen

Elder Coleman and Elder Fischetti training Elder Larsen, Sister Graham trained by Sister Sherman

Sister Kim trained by Sister McCurdy                     Sister Guymon trained by Sister White

Elder Radford trained by Elder Moeller                       Elder Wells trained by Eder Southam

Hermana Osmond trained by Hermana Bowen,   Hermana Johnson trained by Hermana Cappillo Montes

Elder Palmer trained by Elder Brown                       Elder Sasser trained by Elder Guadarama

No photo shoot is complete without a few selfies from our assistants.

We got them on their way and went in to the temple with our departing missionaries, then home for dinner and testimony meeting.

As much as I love picking up new missionaries, I kind of dread taking the departing ones to the airport.  I really hate saying goodbye. 

We took Heraman Vogt early to the airport.  We are really hoping she will be able to come back quickly, as soon as she can get some health issues under control.

The rest of them met us at the airport at 8:00 a.m.  The night before they leave, we give them a Book of Mormon to place on their way home, their last one to place as a full time missionary.  We took pictures and we were thrilled as these missionaries just dispersed and started contacting people in the airport.  They were teaching and contacting until the very last minute they spent in Sacramento.  Several Books of Mormon were placed before they even got on the plane, and they got a few referrals.  This made my heart so happy, I had to snap these pictures on the sly. How we love them. 

                 Elder Degraffenried                                                               Elder Thompson

                       Hermana Hewitt                                                        Sister  Rowley

                          Sister Rose                                                                 Sister Coombs

Sister Rowley and Sister Coombs were in our first group we welcomed into the mission 2 weeks after we arrived in Sacramento.  We have done this whole thing together from the beginning.  It was super hard to see them leave, it was like saying goodbye to our first children.

Scott always carries a certain kind of pen in his inside suit coat pocket.  He gave one of these pens to Elder Ricedorff and Elder Larsen and they have started carrying it in their inside suit coat pockets.  Imitation is the highest form of flattery so I had to snap a picture, I thought it was so cute. 

At the end of transfer week we had our new leader meeting, with our newly called Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, and District Leaders.

Also, since transfers, we have interviewed 6 of our zones.  This is represented by this picture

This space heater may be the best $30 I have ever spent.  The churches in Sacramento are all freezing.  The halls aren't heated and it is hard to get warm, even in the summer in a church here.  For the past 18 months I have dreaded interviews only because I am always so cold.  After sitting in a cold church for between 3-5 hours, depending on the size of the zone, it takes a while for me to defrost.  I have brought a blanket before, but I'm usually just cold.  In December when we were having interviews in the Carmichael building, where the mission office is, Sister Gunnell had set up the rooms for us.  Leave it to Sister Gunnell to take care of us, she had a space heater in the room where I was talking to missionaries and it was a game changer.  I don't know why I had never thought of that before, but I quickly went and bought myself a little space heater, and my life has definitely changed for the better.  Interviews have been so much more enjoyable when I don't have to sit on my hands because they are freezing. 

We had to switch up a lot of the wards the missionaries in the Folsom Zone cover because each companionship covers two wards and with the new year, it happened that most of the wards the missionaries covered had new times that met at the same time.  So this was the first Sunday with the new sisters in our Silva Valley Ward.  Sister Weckesser and Sister Shaw.  

We also had MLC this week.  I had a neat experience preparing for MLC.  We had met with our assistants right before transfers to set our plan for this transfer, which included what to train on at MLC and also Zone Conference.  I hadn't had any real feeling of what I should train on and so we just came up with something.  As I thought and read about the topic of  charity that I was given, it just wasn't coming.  I kept being drawn to the story of The Temptations of Christ, but it didn't fit in with the topic I was trying to prepare. I was hitting a brick wall.  I talked to Scott and told him that it just wasn't coming.  We started talking and he had read something about how after Christ was tempted, he showed his character when, in an act of charity, he sent angels to minister to John the Baptist.  I said, Ok, interesting that you would bring that example up, because I really think I am supposed to teach with the temptations of Christ as the basis of my training.  So, we changed the plans so I could train on Developing Christlike Attributes. I used the story of The Temptations of Christ as I taught the pattern of studying the scriptures; looking for the Character of Christ in every story of his life.  As read, we looked for and identified all of the Christlike attributes Christ exhibited during that experience. And also, looked for how he developed those attributes and talked about the pattern for emulating  and assimilating his attributes into our lives as we studied his reactions and his responses in that story.  As soon as I came to the conclusion that that is what I was supposed to do, the training just fell into place.  I have to say, that is one of my favorite things that happens here.  As I was saying my prayers the night of MLC I offered thanks for allowing me to be an instrument in teaching what He wants taught, and for allowing the spirit to work through me, as I listen and strive to not teach what I want to teach, but what the Lord wants taught. 

My friends, Julie Pearson, Joy Wright, and Carrie Crockett who have been so kind to provide our MLC lunches for the past several months. They are the best!

Lots and lots of cleaning supplies were distributed after MLC.

These are all of the missionaries who were at MLC that either are, or have served in Manteca.  I am speaking at a Women's Conference in the Manteca Stake on Saturday and the title they gave me to speak on is Being Missionary SuperHeroes, so this is their Super Hero posed picture.  

Although none of our missionaries are Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. For those that they bring into the gospel, those they minister to and those they bring back into the fold, they are super heroes of the highest caliber.  They are super heroes to me!