WASHINGTON D.C. SOUTH MISSION: FAREWELL DINNER 12-17-09

Saturday, January 16, 2010

FAREWELL DINNER 12-17-09

When we leave the temple with the departing missionaries, we head to the mission home for a last banquet with them. These meal is very time consuming to prepare. I start cooking a couple of days before and then our sweet office couples come over and put everything in the ovens and stove and its already when we arrive. This time we got away from the temple late, hit horrible traffic on the way home and got there with just about 10 minutes to stuff down the meal and leave for the departing fireside. I am going to have to figure out some other way to do this. Too much work for them not to get to sit down and enjoy and visit. But the food was great and they liked it even if they had to inhale it. There were 21 departing missionaries, 7 visiting family members, 5 office staff, the 2 office elders, the 2 assistants, Pres and I, and my visiting 7 family members for a total of 46 for dinner. Bless those wonderful sisters from t he Burke ward (my ward) who show up and do the dishes while we head to the departing fireside. They're angels..

Dishing up the ribs and extras. Sisters Bertucci, Larsen, and Glauser with Sis. Cordner & Pres

1st table:Elders Miller, Perriton, DeNoronha, Stimpson, Walker, Schnepf, and Dimick

2nd table: Elders Gannaway, Shattuck, Elton, Esplin, Lieppe, and Allen

3rd table: Son-in-law: Taylor Sinquefield and Elders Ross and Lassen

lst table again with Gramma Joyce visiting the missionaries.

4th table in the office: Payton and Bailey Sinquefield with their mom, Nicole.

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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.