WASHINGTON D.C. SOUTH MISSION: OUR 16 NEW MISSIONARIES ARE HERE!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

OUR 16 NEW MISSIONARIES ARE HERE!

They are here...safe and sound. What a great group. It is always so fun to get the new missionaries and watch how quickly they become amazing DC south missionaries. They arrive around 4:00 p.m. and arrive at the mission home at between 5:30 and 6:00 and I have dinner ready and waiting. China and crystal in 2 dining rooms. We know they may not eat like this for a while, so we treat them this first night. They usually say how glad they are to not have MTC food. (They don't realize how good that MTC food was now that they will be cooking for themselves for 2 yrs.) After dinner we have some training in our family room downstairs. They are off to bed by around 10:00 and up at 6:00 for breakfast at 7:00. After breakfast, more training, and then off to transfer meeting where they meet their companions and head off to be REAL missionaries.

This is the whole group just before we left for the transfer meeting.

Elder Patrick Campbell

Elder Zane Yancey

Elder Blaine Whipple

Elder Nathaniel Cook

Elder Ryon Bazzle

Elder Corey Donaldson

Elder Austin Roothoff

Elder David Skousen

Elder Kyle Schmidt

Elder Kelsey Carter

Elder Zackary Kotyk

Elder Ryan Staples

Elder Nathanael Bothwell

Sister Tarah Spencer

Sister Hawkins. This great sister has been called to Australia. She is waiting for her visa. We are the lucky mission that gets her until the visa arrives.

Sister Kelsey Burns

These headshots will be used on the transfer board for the remainder of their missions.

E. Kotyk

E. Bothwell

E. Carter

E. Yancey

E. Staples

S. Hawkins

E. Bazzle

E. Whipple

S. Burns

S. Spencer

E. Campbell

E. Cook

E. Schmidt

E. Donaldson

E. Skousen

E. Roothoff

Dining room 1: Elders Roothoff, Carter, Donaldson, Wasden (office elder), Cook, Schmidt,

Campbell, Sister and Elder Cordner, Bothwell, and Whipple.

Sister and Elder Bryson, Elder Skousen, ( This is the same table from the other end)

Dining room 2: Elder Kotyk,Sis Spencer and Elders Staples, Hougaard (office), Bazzle, Sisters Hawkins and Ward

Dining room 2 other end of table: Elder Staples, Hougaard, Bazzle, Sis. Hawkins, Ward, Elders Sill, Kotyk and Sis Burns

Elder Staples, Hougaard, Bazzle, Sis. Hawkins

Elder Kotyk

Breakfast: Elders Whipple, Donaldson, Campbell, Schmidt and Cook, Sister Hawkins, Elder

Kotyk, Sis. Spencer, Elder Yancey, Skousen, and Roothofff

Elders Bazzle, Pres. Albright, Elder Bothwell, Sill and Staples

Elders Hougaard and Wasden are our wonderful, hardworking office elders.They do so much unseen and thankless work that the missionaries who never serve in the office will ever know.

Sister Cordner and Elder Bryson working in the kitchen.

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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.