I have to start first with one of the best missionary moments of the past few weeks. We had some sisters ask us to come to a lesson with them to a man they have been teaching for a while. He knows a lot about the church and has a real desire to change and become a member, but there are a few complications. We met Sister Olsen and Sister Kim at his office one morning. We walked in and met this very kind man, and he pulled 5 chairs into his tiny little office area and we sat and talked. He told us his story. Before he started he told us 'it's pretty colorful' and he wasn't exaggerating. He showed us pictures of his beautiful children and his wife and told us that he wants to get better. He wants to be a better husband and father, and he knows the church is the only thing that is going to help him with some of his challenges. He talked, and then we talked, and then the sisters took over, and wow, was it powerful. In this tiny, cluttered office, with the phone ringing, and a lady walking in and out, the spirit came in abundance and we all felt it. That little office became a holy place for that hour. It was holy when Sister Kim testified that as her family was investigating the church, her dad would put a picture of their family everywhere that there might be a word of wisdom temptation. Because he knew having an eternal family was more important than any substance he was tempted to partake. It was holy when Sister Olsen testified of how the Savior helped her at the first, hard moments of her mission. It was holy when each of them bore a powerful testimony of the truths they left their homes to teach. And I was so very grateful for that holy hour, when I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere but inside that cramped little office, sharing what is so important to each of us, to a man who just wants to be better. Those are the moments that get us through the more challenging times we face out here.
Our transfer week began on January 28 when we had 18 new missionaries arrive here in Sacramento. It is always exciting and challenging to get so many at once, but we love it when the preparations are complete, and we just get to welcome and love our newest arrivals. It's so fun waiting for them to get off the plane coming from Salt Lake, because many of the people on that plane know exactly who they are and why we are waiting anxiously at the bottom of the escalator. They all come down and tell us we have a good group of missionaries coming. I love the anticipation as we anxiously wait for those faces to come around the corner and start down the escalator.
This is what always happens when the assistants are waiting with my phone!
We generally take them back to the office for food, interviews and then send them off to work for the evening. But this group was so big we decided to try something a little different and it worked really well. We took them back and fed them, and then split them into three groups of 6, and we had rotations. One group was in the office filling out paper work, getting their picture taken, and meeting with President and our mission nurse. Another group was in a room with 4 Sisters who did a training on using the family tree app and how to use family history as a missionary tool. The third group was in the gym with the assistants who did role plays and taught them some missionary skills. I think it worked really well and kept everyone busy and hopefully happy for the evening.
Tuesday morning comes and we are off to the races again. Training new missionaries and training their trainers inside, while transfers are going on outside. I love when we all come together to introduce the new missionaries to their new trainers. I don't know which group is more nervous, or more excited waiting for the match up.
Trainers and departing missionaries
New missionaries
After lunch, it is off to the temple for pictures with the new missionaries and a temple session with the departing ones.
January 2020 New Arrivals
Gathering
Elders McLeod and Allred training Elder Klimes Elder Obray training Elder Lawrence
Elder Blood training Elder Fry Elder Simmons with Elder Jensen
Elder Grover training Elder Johnson Elder Olsen training Elder Grant
Sister Bayless training Sister Roberts Sister Kengike training Sister Kasinger
Sister Graham training Sister Buettgenback Sister Prettyman training Sister Ritchie
Sister Weckesser training Sister Bonnett Hs. Hall and Quesenberry training H. Danneman
Sister Ferrin training Sister Brandley Sister Rawlings training Sister Davis
Hermana Johnson training Hermana Perez Sister Stuart training Sister Sorenson
Elder Ferrin training Elder Ammons Elder Palmer training Elder Betancourt
January 2020 Departing Missionaries
Pre Temple instruction from President
Home for dinner where Elder Brown felt much more comfortable helping in the kitchen, than sitting with the departing missionaries, and our new assistant, Elder Balser had to wear the initiatory apron for his first time serving.
These are sacred times in this upper room of ours as dedicated and consecrated missionaries share the feelings of their hearts. I wish every parent could be in this room with us. It is an honor for us to share this last night of their missions with them.
Bright and early and we are off
If last night is one of our favorite moments, the next morning is our least favorite. Saying goodbye never gets easier.
Sister Vang Elder Salvador
Elder Rodriguez Elder Coleman
Sister McCurdy Sister Engle
Elder Brown Elder Raza
Thursday found us back to work, we had our final transfer meeting with all of the missionaries going home at the end of this transfer, and following that, we had our meeting with all of the new zone and district leaders, and sister training leaders.
We have such great members in our mission. I think every Stake does some sort of a transfer kick of meal with the missionaries from their zones at the beginning of every transfer. The purpose is for the Stake Leaders to stay in close contact with the missionaries, to meet the new ones who have just transferred in, and to get an update of missionary work in their Stakes and figure out how they can help with the work. We always get invited to the Folsom Zone kick off dinner. That's the zone we live in and our good friends, Jared and Julie Danielson always host it. We can't always make it, but this transfer we did, and it's always a great event. And I loved it, when during the conversation, one of the elders kind of raised his hand and said 'if it's ok, we really do need to get going'. What a great example of urgency!
We had a wonderful Sunday morning. Last week Scott got a call from Elder Kearon, from the Presidency of the Seventy. He had come on a mission tour to our mission nearly 2 years ago and we became fast friends. It's not us, it's him. He makes fast friends with everyone, but we are blessed to at least think we are among them. Anyway, he called last week and was going to be in town on Saturday for something and asked if we could pick him up and take him to a sacrament meeting with us. It had to be a 9:00 meeting and it had to be somewhat close to the airport so he could catch his afternoon flight home. We were thrilled to be able to do that. We picked him up at his hotel near the airport and we all attended the Deseret Ward in the Carmichael Stake together. Scott did notify the Stake President and the Bishop. It was so fun watching him with the members, he makes everyone feel like they are the most important person in the world to him while he is talking with them. And the wonderful thing is, at that particular moment, they are.
He was darling with our sister missionaries that serve in that ward, Hermana Christensen and Hermana Willden. And after the meeting, Elder Barr and Elder Balser showed up for their sacrament meeting that followed and were very surprised to see us there with Elder Kearon. I had fixed some lunch and we ate with him in our office before we had to get him back to his hotel in time to get to the airport. It was a delightful morning for us. He lightens our hearts and uplifts our spirits and you can't help but feel joyful in his presence. It was a very timely visit for us. He could not have known how much we needed that visit.
We had our Mission Leadership Counsel on Tuesday. We absolutely love MLC. It is wonderful to meet with our mission leaders and counsel together. The assistants taught about the tools God gives to help us, like the Liahona, the Urim and Thummim, which led them into a discussion on the area book, how to use it more effectively as a tool to help us accomplish God's purposes. I did a training on how as we unite in a purpose, miracles can happen. So many problems are solved if we are united, not just for unity sake, but for a purpose and we have all been united in our mission with the purpose of gathering scattered Israel. I used a story from our boys high school tennis team the first year they won the State tennis tournament. They had come up with the motto "one team, one dream'. They were united in a purpose, to win the state championship, and that made all the difference. We talked about how we can unite as a mission and be one team, with one dream; the dream of gathering Israel. They have taken that and run with it. Every zone has a messenger chat group and it has been so fun, after they had their MLC follow up meetings with their zone, so see all of the miracle videos with the hashtag #oneteamonedream. These leaders are incredible and are so faithful and enthusiastic and ready to see miracles.
Scott had the best counsel with them as we went over our mission culture statement. We created our mission culture statement about 2 or more years ago, and we figured it was time to revisit it and see if it needed to be updated. He does great at leading a discussion and really getting input from the leaders. And they have some great insight that we don't have because we aren't with the missionaries on a daily basis. It was a great meeting. One of our many favorites!
The room is ready and waiting to be filled with faithful missionaries
Lunchtime, and our awesome senior missionaries who provide it for us. We love them so much.
After our trainings, we leave time for them to get together as zones to figure out how they are going to take back the information and train their zones on what they learned at MLC. I love to see them gathered together counseling together on how to best implement what their individual zones need the most. These are great leaders!!!
These are just a few pictures of some of the baptisms be were able to attend over the past few weeks. I don't always get pictures when we attend, but here is a sampling.
We were able to have a visit from our former Elder Nilson and his parents. It was great to have him back in the mission for a fun visit. Have I ever said how much we love getting visits from our former missionaries???
We also had the best experience one night. We had been talking to our former Elder Nelson, Connor, and he told us that he and two other former missionaries, Nicole Wilding, and Kyle Ravsten and his wife Meggie, do Come Follow Me together every night over FaceTime. They read one chapter of the Book of Mormon together and then discuss it. We were thrilled when he invited us to join them for that night's session. It makes us so happy to see them all still connected and especially that they are still connected through the gospel and the scriptures. It was a special night for us.
We have been doing interviews the rest of this week. I decided it was time to have each missionary write a note to their parents and send it off in a text to them. Being Valentine's month, it's a good time to send a little love to them. It's always a fun thing to do while I am chatting with them. These are the missionaries we got to meet with this week.
We sure love them. Elder Jex has hurt his foot, but won't stop working, so I loved seeing him come scooting in on a knee scooter Sister Bartlett had gotten for him so he could keep working. I also love coming into a church and seeing all of the bikes lined up. These are hard working missionaries, and we are so grateful for them.
And finally, we've been able to get out walking around the little pond in our town center in the evenings again, and it is good for the soul to get out in this beautiful place we get to call home. #lovewhereyoulive!
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