WASHINGTON D.C. SOUTH MISSION: June 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

FUN CONTINUES -DEPARTING MISSIONARIES LAST HURRAH!

Last night in the mission field. The departing missionaries have spent the whole day busy and emotional, saying goodbye to everyone, attending the temple, the big dinner, the fireside. Now it is time to relax and have some fun. Off to the bowling alley we go. And it's already 10:00 p.m. this is always lots of fun and we see some real fun and funny personalities. And a little bit of competitiveness comes out too.

The whole group: Sisters Bay, Lofgran , elders Metcalf, Baldwin, and Sill.

2nd row: Sister Johnson, Elders Ford, Pres. A., Elders Bales, Hunt

Bank row: Eldlers Williams, Sill, Stockham and Nielson

Rainbow balls ready to bowl.

Elders Neilson, Metcalf, and Bell

Getting shoes on

Sister Johnson

Elder Nielson and Pres

Elder Metcalf

Elder Sill and Pres

Sis Johnson rolls a good one

Sister Bay celebrats

Elder Bell--all right

Elder Nielson

Elder Baldwin

Elder Sill

Elder Bales

Elder Stockham

Sisters Lofgran and Bay with Elder Sill

Elder Williams

Elder Ford

Elder Sill

Elders Bales, Baldwin, Williams with Elder Stockham

Elders Nielson and Metcalf

Sister Bay

Elder Hunt

Sister Bay--thumbs up

Elder Nielson

Sister Johnson

Sister Lofgran

Elder Bell, give me five, ten
Elder Metcalf

DEPARTING FIRESIDE--HUGS & TEARS & GOODBYES

The departing fireside is after the temple and dinner. We head to the chapel again and the missionaries give their last testimonies to their friends and investigators, and converts, and members they have come to love and who love them. It is fun to watch them as they gather and give hugs and express such love for their service and what they have meant to them. This always surprises me, because we always have a big turnout. These wonderful NorthernVirginians love their missionaries.

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.