Tuesday morning, June 11, we got everything ready and we had a Spanish meeting with all of our Spanish speaking missionaries. Teaching in a different culture requires some different methods and ideas and so occasionally we get the Spanish missionaries together to share ideas, and to learn from President and each other.
These are our great Spanish speaking Elders and Hermanas
We held the meeting in Elk Grove, it is centrally located and it is also in the heart of Strawberry country. I wanted to stop and get some fresh Sacramento strawberries for the Whitings, which we did. I couldn't wait to get home and so I ate one in the car. Only one. We had to stop at another church for President to do a temple recommend interview and I went in to the bathroom and as I was washing my hands, I noticed that my clean white blouse had a big red spot of strawberry juice on it. I told President, he can't take me anywhere. I couldn't even eat one strawberry without a disaster. Luckily we had planned to go home to drop off the strawberries before heading to the airport to pick up Elder and Sister Whiting.
We picked them up and brought them back to our home, and then we went out to dinner. They were so gracious and didn't want me to have to cook for them, and so they requested going to dinner. I really appreciated that thoughtful gesture so I didn't have to worry about anything but breakfasts. We just really had a delightful time with them. It was such a privilege to spend time with them, to have them in our home, and to become better friends with them.
Wednesday morning we headed to Carmichael, to the Deseret building for our first zone conference. Since they were only here for 3 days, we combined zones and had two extra large zone conferences instead of three. You would think that having a General Authority would be more stressful than most, but it was actually just the opposite. The meeting was under his direction and so we had very little stress. Well, I had very little stress, Scott had a little 'situational anxiety', as anyone would in his position.
Elder Whiting asked Scott and I to each take about 15-20 minutes each after lunch, and to share our thoughts and feelings from the day. He asked us not to prepare anything, not to bring a talk written down, but just to come with some thoughts and ideas and then to follow the spirit. That actually did cause a little situational anxiety, but it lessened our preparation time! I was pretty nervous about doing that, and I actually wrote down a few thoughts from some scriptures I had read the week before they got here. But I really wanted to do what he had asked. I had a neat experience with that. As I prayed in preparation, I really told Heavenly Father that this was out of my comfort zone. I am a preparer. But, I really wanted to do what he had asked and I asked Heavenly Father to help me. I have never gone in so unprepared, but I was amazed at what happened. The first day I felt like I should share some insights from the scriptures that had stuck out to me, that I had been thinking about. It was interesting that the questions that day, and most of the answers he gave were right in line with what I had been thinking about. It really fit in well, for which I was grateful.
Both days, for about 15 minutes before lunch Elder Whiting gave us time to just ponder. To take notes on what the spirit was telling us, and to be still and listen. The second day, as we were pondering, I just started having a flow of thoughts, I almost couldn't write them down fast enough. I knew that I was supposed to share something different the second day than I did the first day. I don't know who needed it changed the second day. Maybe it was just me, and Heavenly Father needed to teach me that he will give me what I need, or what someone else needs, as I try to listen and be in tune. I'm pretty sure I won't approach every zone conference that way, but it was a really wonderful experience, as I followed the counsel of our presiding authority.
Elder Whiting took the whole first half, from 9-12. He let the missionaries ask him questions, and then he trained on some other really great things. Then in the afternoon, after lunch, Scott, Sister Whiting and I took the first hour, and he finished up with the last hour or so. Here are some of the things that spoke to me, from my notes over the two days.
From Sister Whiting:
Be a team player. She told a story from her mission to Japan and how many of the missionaries, including her, were involved in teaching a young 15 year old boy. That boy is now Elder Wada from the Seventy. But it took all of them working together. We need to understand we all have a part in this work. Be humble and grateful to be part of this work.
She gave three pieces of advice to have a mission with no regrets.
1. Whatever place you are in, make it a sacred place. We can make anywhere a sacred place by testifying of Joseph Smith and more especially, about Jesus Christ
2. Mission relationships are powerful. Learn from everyone you are with.
3. Expect challenges and determine how you are going to react to those challenges.
She talked about how to serve with our heart and mind more effectively. Heart and mind are with the spirit. We are already using our might and strength by working hard. We need to tap into the spirit to serve with our heart and mind. The way to do that is to inject faith into everything that we do. Inject faith into our studies, our finding, our teaching.
From Elder Whiting:
There is a call to action with revelation. We are expected to do something with it.
Policy is different than doctrine. Policy changes all the time, doctrine never changes.
He asked the question: What does the Holy Ghost feel like to you? All of the answers the missionary gave were different. No two people feel the Holy Ghost exactly the same. One funny thing; one sister said to her the Holy Ghost feels like jumping into a pool of glitter. He got a big kick out of that one, and for the rest of the day called her 'Sister pool of glitter'. I think that nickname is going to stick with her. But, his point was that often we walk in and when we feel the spirit we tell people how they should be feeling. And how we feel may not be how they feel the spirit and so we need to be better at asking them how they feel, not telling them how they are supposed to feel.
He said we need to constantly choose, every day, to receive the Holy Ghost. It is a choice, and part of that choice is how obedient we choose to be. They wrote a letter to the prophet and accepted and agreed to live the higher law. Part of being a fully formed human is doing what you say you are going to do, to become a person of integrity, to keep your word. Instead of thinking 'I have to be obedient' think, 'I am choosing to have the Holy Ghost with me."
He taught a lot about repentance. Satan wants people to think repentance is scary. But repentance is just change. We all need to change everyday. He got two missionaries and placed one at one end of the room and one at the other. On one end was a missionary representing a missionary who wasn't obedient, who didn't want to work or be a missionary. On the other end of the spectrum was a missionary who was exactly obedient, hard working, everything good that a missionary could be. He asked them to ask themselves where they would be standing on that spectrum. Then he asked them where their mother thinks they would be on that spectrum. Then, if they could change where would they like to be on the spectrum. He talked a lot about how the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ can move us from one end of the spectrum to the other. Through repentance we can change, and God allows us to change quickly.
In the afternoon he taught all about the power of the Book of Mormon and the power of our personal reviews of the Book of Mormon. He had asked us to have every missionary write a one page paper on what the Book of Mormon means to them and to bring it with them. He had Scott call two brave souls up to read their personal reviews, and then he talked them through going deeper, being more personal, more real and more authentic. It was really powerful.
It was a really wonderful few days. We have been in Stockton, Manteca and Lodi this week doing interviews and it has been fun for me to ask each missionary what they got out of the meeting. They all loved it, and it seemed like they each got exactly what they needed.
Day 1: El Dorado, Folsom, Carmichael, North Sac, East Sac and Cordova Zones
North Sacramento Zone
Cordova Zone
El Dorado Zone
Carmichael Zone
Folsom Zone
East Sacramento Zone
It looks like Scott, Sister Whiting and I all tried to coordinate our outfits, we really didn't! The missionaries got there early so we could take pictures first thing, and then Elder and Sister Whiting wanted to shake each of their hands as they filed into the chapel. These are some pictures Patrick took while they were waiting for us to arrive.
We had to say goodbye to our sweet Temple Square Sisters during the middle of zone conference. They really wanted to be here for the mission conference, but their flights had been purchased and so they only got to stay for the morning session and then Elder and Sister Gunnell took them to the airport. Sister Price and Sister Montierth have added so much to our mission. We loved having them here, and we love them. It was really sad sending them back to Temple Square, but we told them they will always be Sacramento missionaries, and they will always be ours.
Day 2: Elk Grove, Sacramento, Lodi, Stockton, Manteca Zones
Sacramento Zone
Elk Grove Zone
Stockton Zone
Manteca Zone
Lodi Zone
Sister Whiting, Sister Gunnell and I were color coordinated yet again the second day
Friday morning we headed to the Wissemann building to have MLC. Elder Whiting took a few minutes and then turned it over to the MLC to determine how we are going to get our mission to the next level. It was a little rough for a while, but I think in the end they came up with some really good, solid suggestions. We were supposed to leave at 11 to get Elder and Sister Whiting to the airport, but the meeting was still rolling and so they graciously offered to take an uber and let us stay and finish out with our MLC.
One of the things the MLC decided to do was to begin reading the Book of Mormon as a mission again, but to read at night as a companionship. They felt this would increase companionship unity, and end each night with an outpouring of the spirit. President and I also told them this will be a great habit to get into, and a good pattern to follow in their own families when they do family scripture study. We are starting tonight. Here is our schedule, we would invite anyone who would like, to join us each night in reading the Book of Mormon. It's kind of small, but I hope it can be enlarged.
We finished that meeting and went to the office for our Mission health counsel meeting and then we headed to the airport to pick up my parents, who came to visit for the weekend.
About a month ago my mom and dad called me and said they hadn't sent anything to Scott for his birthday, and since he didn't really need anything they thought they could just come out and take us to dinner for his birthday. We were thrilled to have them. Friday night we had a great meal at our favorite place close to us, Sienna. On Saturday we took them with us to two baptisms. One was the baptism of three from the Chinese group, and the other was the baptism of an amazing woman in the Cordova stake.
From there we took them to the Capitol park. The roses were still in bloom, and my dad loves trees. Ever since we got here I have been saying I needed to take my dad to the Capitol park because they have just about every kind of tree, and they all have signs on the trees so you can tell what they are. We wandered around the park for a good little while, and Scott said "your dad is like a kid in a candy store." It was really fun being there with him.
After the park my dad really did want to go to a candy store. There is a great candy store in Old Sac and last time they were here he got some candy he liked there, so we went back. And then we went to dinner at a place we haven't tried before. Pagary's, and we loved it. We especially loved their amazing patio. And then we headed to the Golden 1 Center. For Father's day we took them to the Andrea Bocelli concert and it was incredible, inspiring, amazing and all of the other great adjectives you could think of.
We had to speak in the El Dorado Stake Conference on Sunday, then we had a great visit from our former Sister Sherman and her parents. It was great to see her and it felt just like she should be back here as a missionary.
We were able to talk to all of our kids on Father's day, we had a nice dinner and it was so fun to cook for my dad again. If I ever need to feel good about myself, I just cook for my dad. Mostly it was really, really great to just be able to sit and talk with them, to get council and a good dose of their positivity.
We had such a great time having them here. All too soon I had to take them to the airport on Monday morning. I sure hope they don't wait for another year to come back. It's just always a boost when I get to see my mom and dad! I'm so grateful for them.
We've spent the rest of this week interviewing the Stockton, Manteca and Lodi zones. We started early Tuesday morning and headed to Stockton. After we finished our interviews we checked into a hotel and then went out teaching. President went with Elder Raza and Elder Peterson, and I went with Sister Stephens and Sister Guymon. We love Stockton. It gets a bad rap, but we really love it there. That being said, as I was driving to meet the Sisters at the home where we were teaching I had a feeling of empowerment that I was driving the streets of Stockton by myself. And as we were teaching in an extremely humble home, in a neighborhood that most people would imagine Stockton to be like, I had the thought "if my friends and family could see me now they would never believe it!" When Sister Whiting was here she quoted a friend of hers who had served as a Mission President's wife who said "I feel I've been snatched from an ordinary life." I feel that often, and I felt that very strongly Tuesday night teaching in Stockton, California. But it was one of the sweetest experiences I have had in a very long time. The spirit was strong and the man we taught needed the gospel so much in his very sad, very difficult life. I felt such love for him and pray he will find his answers because the gospel will bless his life immensely. We met back up at the hotel, which is a great place to stay and thought we would go for a walk. We hadn't gone too far when we realized it probably wasn't the best place to walk, or the wisest choice we could make, so we went back to the hotel and President made his phone calls. This is the closest to a vacation as we get, and we will take it!
We spent Wednesday in Manteca and Thursday with the Lodi Zone. We have 8 Elders who serve in the remote areas of Lodi. We generally interview them after zone conference because it is just too far for them to drive to Lodi for interviews. This time we couldn't do that because of the mission tour, so we went to them today. We met them in Ione and stayed for their District Council. It was fun to be up there with them, and what a gorgeous drive, we loved it. And we were early enough and up in the mountains enough that I got to walk again while we talked. I haven't been able to do that much this transfer because it has been so hot, but it was a beautiful morning in Ione, Ca today.
The Lodi 1st District
We then drove to Lodi to finish up the interviews. I couldn't stop raving about how beautiful everything was. We drove through miles and miles of gorgeous vineyards and orchards. There were fruit stands all along the way and we stopped and got some delicious cherries. I'm starting to realize this will all come to an end someday, and I am starting to keep track of what I will miss, and the fruit/fruit stands is at the top of the list. We finished up our interview with the rest of the Lodi Zone. Our last interviews were Elder Wells and Elder Nilson, who asked us if we had eaten dinner yet, and if not did we want to go with them. We hadn't and we did. Elder Wells found us a really yummy Hawaiian Bar B Que place to eat.
Speaking of eating with missionaries... I have had several sisters ask me to lunch on P days lately and I love it. I went with Sister Clifford and Sister Law to one of my favorite East Sac bakeries, Estelle and it was delicious. When Elder Whiting was here he was talking about how weird it is that people take pictures of their food. We had totally taken a bunch of pictures of our food at the bakery. I caught their eyes and we had a good silent chuckle.
This past Monday I went with the Folsom Sisters. Sister Engle, Sister Slade, Sister Decker and Sister Hamilton. We went to Mel's diner and also had a great time. I'm so lucky to get to hang with such darling girls!
And Hermana Bowen and Hermana Speas asked me to lunch this coming Monday. I was thrilled to go, but they are an hour and a half away. So while we were in Manteca doing interviews yesterday we just decided to take a late lunch/early dinner (Hermana Speas called it linner) and let President finish up at the church. They took me to the BEST latin food place. They had Pupusas and Arepas and Empanadas that were so unbelievably delicious. Maybe in the top 10 places I've eaten here, and I've eaten at some really good places.
As good as all of the food was at each of these places, I loved being with these wonderful people even more. I feel honored that they would want to spend their p days and their lunch times with me. I really can't express how grateful we are for the relationships we have with all of our dear missionaries. They are and will forever be great blessings in our lives.
