YEAR END STATISTICS

I Know we had posted our goals for last year 2009. 400 was the goal. Thought you would all like an update.

Our missionaries are incredible. They worked so extremely hard. They are kind, driven, and love the people. They are filled with charity and want to share the Gospel with everyone they see.

We had a 27% increase over the last year for both baptisms and reactivations. There were 262 people reactivated by the missionaries. This does not include those reactivated by members through ward efforts.

We had 397 baptisms. YEAH! This was wonderful since we had a week of weather that made it almost impossible to do missionary work. Instead our missionaries performed service by shoveling and helping stranded people. On the weekend we were snowed in, we had 21 baptisms cancelled. We know our missionaries did everything they could to reach their goals. Way to go Washington DC South Missionaries. You are the Best!

Return and Report Thur. January 21, 2010

We held Return and Report on January 21,2010. This is an opportunity for the recently arrived missionaries to come back to the mission home and report to us how they are doing after their first 3-4 weeks in the mission field. This group had really great reports. They had wonderful experiences to share and testimonies had already grown even stronger. We hold a meeting downstairs at the mission home. The office staff gives more detailed instructions on a variety of subjects: finances, rent, cars, health, mail, etc. Then Elders Ross and Bell gave very inspiring talks about setting mission goals and the importance of study time. Each new missionary then had the opportunity to share their feelings and experiences of the last month. Pres. and I conclude with some video clips from "facing Giants" and "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" with comparison to missionary work and working their very hardest and being diligent in the work. We then had Hawaiian haystacks for lunch. It was fun to visit and get to know them a little better. The newest group: Kneeling: Elders Kelley, Walls, Coleman, Tamir, Taufoou, and Bell

Back: Johnson, Ross, Stoker, Peterson, Espinoza, Ford, Allen, Barrett, Keefer,Scoble, Bolos, Malmberg, Franzwa, Gray, Shupe, Knowles, Stewart, Hansen, Sister and Pres. Albright
Elder Espinoza
Elders Taufoou and office Elder Johnson

Elders Coleman, Stewart, and Hansen


Elders Ross, Barrett, Gray, Stoker, Peterson, Allen, Ford, Franzwa and Kelley
Elders Bell, Espinoza, Bolos, Morill, Shupe, Keefer, Wall, Tamir, Scoble, and Knowles
Elders Ford, Keefer, and Franzwa
Pres Albright and Elder Knowles

Elders Ta'ufo'ou and Espinoza
Elder Scoble and Sister Malmberg
Downstairs getting ready to start the meeting

Visitor Center Performances 1-1-10

If you would like to see the DC South Mission performance at the Festival of Lights which was held at the Temple Visitor's Center go to YOUTUBE. Type in dcmissionmom , hit enter. You will have 7 videos pop up. ENJOY!!!!
Or click this link...
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dcmissionmom&search_type=&aq=f

SPANISH FORUM JAN 2010

Spanish Forum was held on Tues January 19, 2010 at the Ox Road chapel. The Spanish missionaries love to get together and feel the spirit of the Spanish work. It gives them a chance to discuss how the Spanish work should be done and share ideas with each others. It is a good thing the spirit is present because Pres. and I enjoy the day even though we can't understand anything that is being said. And the food is always the great. The spanish ward has phenomenal cooks and we get to try new authentic foods. The program included President Burton. I can tell that he is really super at Spanish because he has the missionaries apt attention and the love to hear him. Sister Johnson spoke about "Standing as a Constant Witness", and then they had 2 breakout groups. One was "Effective Use of Scriptures" by Elders Simmons and Kirkham and the other was "giving 2 minute Power Lessons" by Elders Johnson and Brogan. Elder Jeppesen gave a "language lesson". He is a very fluent and understands Spanish rules exceptionally well. Hermanas Alvarado and Larsen sand a musical number, Elder Williams talked about "An Attitude of Exact Obedience". Hermana Reid addressed "Loving the people by appreciating their culture". Testimonies were shared by Elders Newton, Wilkes, and Smith who are leaving with the next transfer. President Albright gave the closing remarks in English, and I enjoyed it immensely. These are all the Spanish speaking missionaries: Hermanas Larsen,Gwynn, Knutsen, Bay, Downey, Funch, Johnson, Reid, Ferry, Alvarado, and Burton. 2nd Row: Pres. & Sis. Albright,

Cuevas, Andrew, Tovar, Loppe, Barraza, Shupe, Jeppesen, Orme, Searcy, Cortez Larsen .

Back Row: Smith, Rex, Wilkes, William, Brogan, Johnson, Stewart, Allen, Peterson, Hansen.
Hermanas: Larsen, Gwynn, Knutsen, Bay, Downey, Funch, Johnson, Reid, Ferry, and Alvarado.

Standing: Sister Albright and Burton
The spanish members that fixed lunch
Singing in Spanish
Sisters Ferry and Alvarado
Sisters Larsen, Downey, and Reid
The Mexican spread
President Albright
Lining up for lunch:
Elders Kirkham, Shupe, Stewart, Barraza, and Brogan
Elders Cortez, Larsen, Johnson, Loppe
Elders Simmons, Peterson, Jeppsen, Cuevas, Simmons, Rex, and Smith
Sisters Gwynn, Knutsen, Bay, Larsen, Alvarado, Johnson, Funch and Downey

Sister Ferry, Reid,President Albright and Burton and Sis. Burton
Sisters Funch, Johnson, Bay and Knutsen
Pres. Albright speaking

President Burton charming the missionaries

Elder Cuevas
Sister Reid

Elder Wilkes

Sisters Alvarado and Larsen singing

STAKE BREAKFAST AT PRESIDENT WHEATLEYS' HOME

The Oakton zone had a Saturday morning breakfast at President Wheatley' s Home. Pres. Albright was able to attend and said it was a really great missionary meeting and they had a wonderful breakfast and lots of fun.

PRAY FOR OUR ELDER

One of our Elders lost his father this month. It was very sad and difficult. We love this young man and felt great concern as we headed to his apartment to tell him of his loss. We prayed all the way there and I felt a lump in my throat and in the pit of my stomach. How do you share such news with someone. There is just no easy way. After being told of his father's passing and getting through the initial shock and tears, he decided that going to work as hard as he could would be the best thing he could do. It has been 2 1/2 weeks and he is working hard and trying to be strong. Please remember our DC Elder and pray for peace and comfort to continue to be with him as he serves the Lord so diligently. Thanks for the prayers. I know they will help him.

ZONE CONFERENCE FREDERICKSBERG Jan 18,2010

The last Zone Conference of the transfer was in Fredericksberg on Mon, Jan 18. This conference was alot of fun. This group was very open and talkative and we had lots of fun participation. President Albright starts each conference out with stories about the mission and compliments everyone on how well the mission is doing. He told this story from Elder Lee.

He and his companion had all their appointments fall through one day and that was discouraging and so they spent hours tracting and hadn't had any luck. They were feeling pretty sad and sat down on the curb dejected. As they were sitting there a man who was obviously drunk came walking (stumbling ) up and sat down next to them. (picturing this is kind of funny). He asked them " so what's different about your church"? Who would of thought he would care? Well they visited with him, set up an appointment and he was baptized 2 weeks later. Elder Rusk and Walls had 17 investigators at Sacrament meeting on one Sunday. They are all people from Napal. They are having great success with this group of wonderful people.

The zone leaders are Elders Smith and Johnson. For their presentation on finding the one they jumped up and asked "what is one way we can get the One? and Elder Ross jumped up in a split second and roped Elder Johnson from clear across the room and he said, "Here's one way".

It was so funny. Everyone just laughed and laughed. Elder Ross is our mission cowboy. He is a professional rodeo roper and has set roping records. They talked about reaching the "Apostolic standard" each week and encouraged their zone with a commitment to "Be the Apostolic Zone"

The zone includes: Elder Johnson sitting, lst row:LaRochelle, Smith, Ockler, Thompson, Ross, Pomeroy, Logan, Sis. and Pres Albright, 2nd row: Knowles, Walls, Baldwin, Bales, Hutchinson,

Bell and Johnson. Back row: Scoble, Knechel, Rusk, Turley, Strong, McFarlane, Neilson, Wasden, and Kelley.
The ward that fixed our lunch was so incredible. They put on a Luau for us. They decorated everything like Hawaii and had all this wonderful food. We even were given Leis for everyone to wear. Even the bishop came and helped. they had a sign with the theme

MISSIONARIES HAVE GOSPEL FEVER!!!
We had district pictures in front of this Hawaiian backdrop. Elders Hutchinson, Logan, Lee, Pomery, Turley and Searcy. Hang Loose
attempting a little hula
Elders LaRochelle, Ockler, Kelley, Knechtel in front, Bales, Neilson, Johnson and Smith

Elders McFarlane and Wasden front and Walls, Rusk, Baldwin and Knowles

Elders Turley, Thompson, LaRochelle, and Smith
The Hawaiian cooks

Singing
Elders McFarlane, Ross, Walls, and Rusk
Elder Kelley
Elder Turley and Lee
Elders Logan and Lee
Elders Bell and Scoble learning the hula


The cooks join us for lunch
Elders LaRochell, Wasden and McFarlane
Elders Ockler, Hutchinson, and Knechtel
Elders Bales, Ross, Johnson, Baldwin, Scoble, and Knowles
Elders Cornder, Kelley, Neilson, Bell, Logan, Lee and Turley
Elders Ockler, Hutchinson, Knechel, LaRochelle, Wasden and Bales with Pres Albright
Elders Rusk, Thompson, Pomeroy, Smith, Walls and Johnson

The tables looked very festive and they had fresh fruit decorated and cut really cute in the center, the most delicious Pork, rice, homemade rolls, (we could smell them baking during the morning session of conference) and lots of great desserts
Missionaries Have Gospel Fever!!!