WASHINGTON D.C. SOUTH MISSION: BUSY, BUSY-AIRPORT RUNS & EXTRA MISSIONARIES

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

BUSY, BUSY-AIRPORT RUNS & EXTRA MISSIONARIES

We have been blessed to have lots of EXTRA missionaries. They make the mission really exciting and brings great blessings to our work.

These EXTRAS include: Visa Waiters (when missionaries have finished the MTC and their visas have not yet arrived, we invite them to serve in DC South while they are waiting for their visas to come through). This month we have had two new sisters arrive. They are Sisters Henderson and Frandsen-both waiting to go to Spain. They can be here anywhere from 1 day to 4 months. We get just one days notice when they do get their visas. So we picked up these two sweet sisters on May 26.

Missionaries whose visas expire. For example, we have gotten 4 missionaries from Mongolia after that country cancelled visas after l years. We have taken Sisters Howald, Lee, and Lofgran to the airport. This week Sister Lee left on the 28th of May. We also received a new Elder from Mongolia: Elder Peterson arrived on the 25th of May. We also had a wonderful sister with us for almost 4 months: Sister Hawkins. She has been waiting for her visa for Australia for 3 mths. She flew out on May 26th.

We also love mini-missionaries. Our stake Presidents often send young men and woman preparing for missions to serve. We currently have Elder McMillan serving with us from the Ashburn Stake.

We had one Elder become sick and have to go home for a 6 week rest. He'll be back next week. So two more airport runs.

We also love to have missionaries from the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission.

These wonderful sisters leave temple square for a 3 month period to serve in a proselyting mission somewhere in North America so they can experience both kinds of missions. Our most

recent SLC Temple Square sister was Sister Barsuto. She was remarkable. 12 baptisms in the 12 weeks she was here. We took her to the airport on May 12, 2010.

Our cars are learning to find there way to the airports by themselves.

Sister Lee with Pres. and I at dinner the night before she left us on May 27th.

Sisters Murray and Hawkins. This is taking Sister Hawkins to the airport to leave for Australia

on May 26th. Pres Albright was picking up the Visa waiters at Reagan Airport while I was taking Sis. Hawkins to the Dulles Airport at the same time. (no pictures of Sis. Henderson and Frandsen because I wasn't there)

Elder Peterson arrived from Mongolia on the 25th of May to finish his mission with us.

This is Sister Barsuto who served with us for 3 months and then headed back to SLC Temple Square. She left on May 12.

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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.