WASHINGTON D.C. SOUTH MISSION: LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE OCT 2009

Friday, October 9, 2009

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE OCT 2009

Leadership Council Meeting is held once each 6 weeks and includes all the Zone leaders (16) and all the District Leaders (21 of them) and the Mission Assistants and the Spanish assistants. The Office Elders and President Albright and I. So we numbered 46 at this conference.

This is the meeting where really intense training takes place. They teach each other about how to perform as missionaries and do presentations and skills practices. It is really fun to watch this meeting and observe all these elders becoming leaders. President started the meeting with a powerful talk. Lots of the elders told me how much they enjoyed it. There were councils given on: Leading the building of Zion--Elder Metcalf, Goal-setting and accountability to build Zion--Elder Bell, Bluprints of Obedience and Key Indicators-Elders Ross and Holmstead, Skills Practice and New Policies of Zion - Elder Gifford, Seeing the Vision of Future DC South Zion - Elder Withers, and Scheduling before Attending Sac. Mtg.- Elder Lewis, and Elder Gannaway . Elders Lutz, Redford, and Lieppman bore their testimonies since this is their last council before they leave in November. And Pres. Albright wrapped it up again at the end. Lots of talks and council sessions, but all very inspiring and well prepared and performed.

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Stephanie Smith Fireside

Last Sunday evening we were privileged to attend a fireside in the mission. It was held at a beautiful old chapel in McLean. One of the pictures shows the inside of the chapel and the wood beams on the very steep-pitched ceiling of the room. The gym is under the chapel in the basement. I have never seen a floorplan like this one. Very unique. This fireside hosted Sister Stephanie Smith. Her story was in the Ensign sometime in the last year. She has a remarkable conversion story. She has held very high government positions and at one time was 5th in command at the CIA. She said something at the first of her talk that I wrote down: she said, "I've been on some remarkable adventures. But no adventure in my lifetime has been as extraordinary and life-changing as my path to conversion and baptism in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. She then told about her introduction to the church. She was at a time in her life with tremendous worldly success achieved after clawing her way to the top without any regard for others, and she felt her life was shattering into a million pieces. At this time she turned to a colleague she admired who was a member of the church. He told her two things. That her Heavenly Father knew her by name and loved her and that Heavenly Father had a plan for her success. The next day he sent her a map to the temple visitor center. She told how when the missionary sisters came to her door, she didn't think she could relate to these young women. The first thing they did was ask if they could sing to her. They sang,"I am a Child of God." That was the beginning of her conversion, a long a beautiful story. You can read it on the web at Meridian Magazine. Her testimony was a real inspiration to me. There were over 350 people there and she does a great missionary work speaking to investigators. What a blessing to have heard her and felt her spirit.

Chelsea Our recent Convert

We have met the sweetest young sister. Chelsea is amazing. She joined the church during the last year and has an incredible testimony also. She never misses any missionary function and we were able to take her with us to the Stephanie Smith Fireside. She also came to the mission home a few weeks ago and we had family night. She gave the lesson and is was unbelievable. She is hoping to go on a mission next year. What a great young woman. This is a picture of her with Elders Ganaway and Gifford.