In conjunction with Maryland's and Virginia's "Day of Service," a local area authority generously hosted both our mission and Washington D.C South at the Nationals game on Friday 9/18/13.
Between our two missions, we had several hundred energetic yet noticeably well-behaved missionaries in the stands. We made quite an impression!
Elders Sum, Shelton, Chapman, Rushton, Arnett
and Sister Nakatsuka
Elders Carrera, Branning, Andrade and friends in back
Elders Lussier-Houle, Bledsoe, Fletcher and friends
Sisters Carcamo, Lavrentyeva and Owens in back
Sister Robertson and Jorgensen in the middle
Cassandra Miller bottom right
Elders Wood, Guerrero and Welch
Sister Schoemaker working her charm! The ushers who were working our sections told us several times
that they had never been more impressed with such a big crowd of young people between 18 and 21.
Elder Peterson
Sister and Elder Porter
Elder Brown
Sister Nakatsuka with Sister Cooke in back,
Elders Sum and Arnett next to the President
with Sister Croese and our daughter, Carrie on his left
Our daughter Elizabeth (R)
with her friend from our ward, Cassandra Miller
Elders Andrade, Queen, Bledsoe, Nollet
Sisters Tembo and Weber
/
Sisters Lavrentyeva, Cooke and Connelly
Elders Stevenson, Snow and Appiah
Elders Lussier-Houle, Queen, Fletcher, Bledsoe, Whitlock, Nollet and half of Jackman.
Carrie Cooke, Cassandra Miller, Elizabeth Cooke, Sisters Clement, Schoemaker and Cooke
Elders Arnett and Sum
Most of us took the Metro to and from the stadium.
In the wake of this morning's shooting at the Navy Yard in downtown D.C., we want to assure families that all of our missionaries are safe and accounted for. Those working in the affected area have been directed to stay in their apartments until law enforcement officials clear the area.
For the next three transfers (a period of about four and a half months), our mission will be reading the Book of Mormon together at the same pace so as to be unified as a mission as we focus on strengthening our testimonies. We will be marking in three different colors the following themes:
the Atonement, the doctrine of Christ and the missionary purpose.
Click here to follow along or to join us in our reading schedule.
(I've recently adjusted this link to hopefully now open to the public. Is it working?)
They were also each given a Book of Mormon and challenged to hand it out during the trip to the Mission Home.
Some of them already succeeded.
Train Change!
Sister Saviano, the President, Elder Cannon, Elder Hurford-Reynolds is hidden behind Elder Rushforth,
Sister Austin, Sister Taggert, Elder Shelton and Elder Greding
Orientation, Dinner and Testimony Meeting at the Mission Home
Sister Pearson - Office Assistant
Sister Helene Doue Thornton - Caterer
Sister Lorenzana - Assistant to Sister Cooke
Sister Pearson and Elder Fisher (A.P.)
conduct orientation training
(L to R) Elder Greding, Sister Saviano, Elders Cannon and Rushforth
and Sister Helene
(L to R clockwise) Pres and Sister Lorenzana (1st Counselor to the Pres)
Our daughters, Elizabeth and Carolyn at the end, then Sisters Saviano, Taggert and Austin
(L to R) Elders Shelton, Cannon, Hurford-Reynolds, Rushforth,
J.S. Armstrong (in black jacket - the President's Exec. Sec'y) and Elder Little
Traditional Trip to the Temple
Elders (L to R) Cannon, Shelton, Little, the President, Elders Greding, Rushforth, Hurfold-Reynolds
Sisters (on my left) Taggert, Saviano, Austin
The President and I are SO impressed with this new group of missionaries.
They are blessed to have been sent here, and we are blessed to add them to our family!
A parting note ...
This is a performance back in July by all our Sisters and ten of our Elders, singing a special Missionary Medley that was arranged by John Sanders for the Cooke family's farewell and was dedicated to the great missionaries of the Washington D.C. North Mission. This number was performed at the Visitors' Center on the occasion of my husband's and my introductory fireside, entitled "Why I Believe." With only one combined rehearsal, it was my first inkling into the level of musical talent we have in this missionary force! (Bravo to Sister Nakatsuka who can be heard - albeit not seen - on the piano accompaniment!)
This month we bid farewell to three fabulous missionaries:
Sister Morotti from Italy, Elder Wery from Belgium and Elder Salanoa from Samoa.
(L to R) Elder Eyring, Sister Morotti, Elder Salanoa, Sister Eyring, President Cooke, Elder Wery,
Carolyn, Heather and Elizabeth Cooke
Because our mission has another exceptional Sister from Italy (who happens to be an excellent cook), we celebrated the conclusion of these three international missionaries' sojourns in Washington DC with a traditional Italian dinner - orchestrated by Sister Sottili (left) and assisted by Sisters Smith and Mendenhall (below).
Sister Morotti approves!
Sister Morotti
Elder Wery
Sister Sottili serving Elder Salanoa
(From the President at the top of the table clockwise:) Sister and Elder Eyring, Sister Morotti
Sister Mendenhall, Sister Sottili, Elder Salanoa (already ready for seconds), Elder Wery and Sister Smith
(From bottom left clockwise:) Our daughters Carolyn and Elizabeth,
Assistants Fisher, Branning, Miyasaki and Jelitto, and our son Joe
Part of the farewell tradition in this mission is to personalize a page for the President's family's scrapbook and to mark your favorite missionary scripture in the Cookes' designated standard works.
There's nothing like the spirit at a testimony meeting for valiant departing missionaries.
"God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again"
Presentation of the President's famous coins
The next morning's trip to the departing gates of Reagan International Airport
Sister Morotti and Elder Wery headed off for New York together where they would part ways for Italy and Belgium respectively.
When we reached Elder Salanoa's gate, he told the President he wanted to offer a traditional Samoan greeting as his final parting expression. Then, without further to-do, he broke into a full-on "Haka."
You wonder how your mission can ever be the same when characters like these leave...
... and you realize that it never will be.
Thank heavens there's a new batch of fascinating missionaries on the way about every six weeks!