Specialized Training for March 2015 Arrivals

At the quaint Chevy Chase chapel in Bethesda, Maryland,

our newest arrivals and their training companions

gathered for specialized training

as the very first blossoms of 2015 finally began to open.

Back row L--R:  Sisters Griffin and Kohler next to the Cookes
Second to last row: Sister Chapman (grey & white stripes), Sisters N. Wilson and E. Wilson, Black, Tuuhia and Thurber
Second to front row: Sister Veenker, Griffin, Wu
Front row:  Sisters Buhler, Hermosillo, Liou, Wathen, Williams, McArthur and Edwards

Companion Scripture Chase

(A team may only use one hand from each companion in finding a scriptural answer to frequently asked investigators' questions)

Sisters E.Wilson, Kohler

Sisters Black, Wu

Sisters Veenker and Buhler

Sisters Tuuhia and Hermosillo

Sisters E.Wilson and Kohler

Sisters Williams and Wathen

Reciting the Joseph Smith story by finding (shooting) the phrases in correct sequence from a jumbled board

AP Elder Wilcox explains the rules of the game to competing companionships
Sisters Veenker and Buhler on the left facing off against Sisters Wu and Black on the right

And they're off and shooting, racing to see which team will complete the correct recitation first!

Sisters Black and Wu with Sister Hermosillo watching

Add AP Elder Von Trapp

Sisters Kohler and E. Wilson suffer no handicap from a broken, casted arm

But Sisters Griffin and Chapman were so quick to finish that we didn't even get a picture of them shooting!

The final competition entails finding the applicable rule in the white handbook that addresses a questionable situation acted out by the APs

The final winners with their matching scarf prize

Lunch !

L-R:  Sisters Tuuhia, Wu, McArthur, Griffin
Our beloved member/caterers, Helene and Sam Thornton
Sisters Hermosillo, Thurber and N. Wilson

L-R:  Sisters Black and Kohler with the Pres, then Sisters Wu, E. Wilson, Liou, Edwards and Tuuhia

L-R:  Sisters Williams, Chapman, Buhler, Elder Von Trapp, Sisters Veenker, Griffin and Wathen

"God Is Love" - March Night of Music and Inspiration

March 2015 Arrivals: ALL SISTERS, 9 of them!

Fresh off the plane at Reagan National Airport

Front row L-R:  Sisters N.Wilson, Buhler, E.Wilson, Liou, Wu, McArthur
Back row L-R:  Sister Williams, the Pres and myself, Sisters Tuuhia and Griffin

Priming the ladies on our plans for the evening,
including how to talk to people on the DC Metro

Sister N.Wilson on the left and McArthur listen with Sister Training Leader Sister Lewis standing behind
while Sister E.Wilson stands next to the Pres

AP Elder Wilcox behind Sisters Williams, Buhler, N.Wilson, Lewis and McArthur

Sisters Tuuhia, Wu, Williams and Buhler

L-R: Half of Sister Griffin, then STLs Bertholon and Turley, next to Sisters Liou, Tuuhia and Wu 

Sisters Griffin, Bertholon, Turley, Liou and Tuuhia

We're off!

Sisters McArthur and Buhler are ready to talk with fellow Metro riders
(but they may have to find someone who's at least awake and not plugged in to their earphones)

Sisters Veenker, Buhler, McArthur and N.Wilson

LOOK AT US… crammed into the Metro elevator at the Forest Glen station
with 9 newbies, 4 Sister Training Leaders (including Sister Lewis, the long-armed, lovely-eyed selfie-shooter at the bottom of the photo) and the Pres and myself
at the end of their first mass transit experience in the great Washington DC area!

Emerging from the underground metro, L-R:  Sisters Buhler, Griffin, Chapman, Veenker, McArthur, (Pres), Wu, Tuuhia, Liou, N.Wilson, E.Wilson, Williams, Lewis, Bertholon and Turley

Arrival at the Temple Visitors' Center

Back row L-R:  Sisters Tuuhia, McArthur, Williams, President,and Sister Cooke, Sister Griffin
Front row L-R: Sisters Liou, N.Wilson, Buhler, Wu, E.Wilson

Welcome, new Sisters!

P.S.  Next morning's breakfast at the Mission Home

with help from Sisters Griffin and Williams

Sisters McArthur, Griffin, Liou, E.Wilson and Williams

Sisters Wu, N.Wilson and Buhler

March 2015 Departures

Showing their service coins awarded to departing missionaries who have faithfully completed their service in the Washington D.C. North Mission, are (Back row L-R) Sisters Fafita, Busath, Griffiths and (back right two) Sisters Holland and Rowley.
The elders are (L-R):  Bodda, Porter,  Gold and Treasure

Relaxing at the Mission Home during Departures' Dinner

Elder Porter tells a favorite story of his mission while Sister Rowley thinks about it,
Sister Holland (L), Sister Busath (kneeling), Sister Fafita (back) and Sister Griffiths (right) listen

Next is Sister Rowley's turn

The President presents Elder Treasure's coin of service while Elder Porter watches on

Sister Griffiths receives her coin

Elder Gold

Elder Bodda receives his coin as APs Wilcox and VonTrapp watch on

Back:  Elder Porter, Sister Fafita, Pres and me, Sisters Busath and Holland with Rowley in front of them
Elders in front are Gold, Bodda and Treasure

That's a whole lot of our mission's personality getting on that airplane to leave!  

Adieu, dear friends.

So Long… Farewell

Departing Sister Missionaries' Last Training Meeting

Traditionally, when sisters are completing their mission service, the last weekly training meeting they attend affords them each the opportunity to bear their testimonies to their fellow sisters and then to bid their colleagues adieu with some kind of silly, creative song or skit.
Here's this week's performance by departing Sisters Rowley, Fifita, Griffiths, Busath, Holland, Chapman and Lewis, and senior missionaries Elder and Sister Crandall.
(Written by Sister Lewis)