Sunday, October 27, 2013

BAPTISMS - What We Are All About!


Elder Fletcher and Elder Nollet
(For their protection, we don't post names of members on the web)

Elder Lott and Elder Salanoa

Elder Anderson and Elder Long


Sister Johnson and Sister Leben
Elder Anderson, Elder Andrade and Elder Long

Elder Lanham and Elder Lowry
Elder Salanoa

Elder Andrade, Elder Long and Elder Anderson

Elder Hart, Elder Reedy, and Elder Stevenson

Elder Watts and Elder Centeno

Sister Shaw and Sister Aldridge

Elder Wright, Elder Hansen, Elder Gremillion

Sister Nakatsuka and Elder Graff

Elder Cannon, Elder Anderson and Elder Gardner

Sister Schoemaker

Elder Long, Elder Sterr and Elder Brown

Elder Ah Puck and Elder Salanoa


Elder Brown and Elder Long

Elder Salanoa and Elder Owens

Top: Elders Hall, Stanley, Wilcox, Radford, McDonald, Parlogean, Vaterlaus
Bottom: Elders Lussier-Houle, Szabo, Salanoa, Wery, Owens



Sister Morotti, Elder Bodily, Sister Smith, Sister Bullock and Elder Watts

Elder Stoor and Elder Owens

Elder Loussier-Houle and Elder Fletcher

Elder Whitlock and Elder Wery


Elder Salanoa, Elder Porter, Elder Szabo, Elder McDonald, Elder Wilcox 


Monday, October 21, 2013

Sisters' Run: CAPITOL to LINCOLN (couched in Copland)

On a beautiful Fall P-day, many of our sisters gathered to celebrate our fitness and our callings to this incredible location by running or walking the length of the "D.C. Mall" starting on the west side of the United States Capitol and ending at the Lincoln Memorial, about 2.2 miles away.
Before beginning, we huddled in the morning shadow of the inauguration platform and listened to 
Aaron Copland's inspiring "Fanfare for the Common Man"
- a perfect way to get in the spirit of the grandeur and dignity of our setting.

Back row standing L-R:  Sisters Chappell, Word, Bullock, Graff, Shaw, Weber, Kaarma
Middle row L-R:  Sisters Taggart, Aldridge, Jorgensen, Lavrentyeva, Smith, Connelly, Clement, Sottili, Robertson, Kohler, Tembo, Engman
Front row: Sisters Johnson, Leben, Bowman, Owens and myself







As we sang "Happy Birthday to Sister Chappell, a Capitol Police officer came over and made her an honorary member of his force, patch and all!






The sisters split into groups according to their chosen pace.



 We paused on Jefferson Drive in front of the Hirshhorn Museum 


Sister Leben in front with Sister Smith in pursuit, Sisters Owens and Graff and others are nearby

                                     Sling-shotting around the Smithsonian carousel

Sisters Robertson, Weber and Tembo

Sister Aldridge

 Posed at the Haupt Garden behind the Smithsonian Castle

(Any wonders where Walt Disney got his inspiration?)
Standing in back left side:  Sisters Tembo, Leben, Owens and Taggert
Back row right side:  Sisters Kohler, Aldridge, Robertson and Cooke
Front row L-R:  Sisters Smith, Weber, Graff, Johnson, Connelly


On we ran... 

      




...past the Washington Monument...
                                                    




 ... the World War II Memorial...

Sister Leben

... our reunion at the Lincoln Memorial...  



... alongside the reflecting pool...





 leading to...  
Back row L-R:  Sisters Kohler, Truman, Aldridge Connelly, Leben and Cooke
Next row down L-R:  Sisters Balls, Clement, Shaw, Sottili, Croese, Smith and Johnson
Second to bottom row L-R:  Sisters Tembo, Weber, Bowman, Taggert and Owens
Front row L-R:  Sisters Chappell, Word, Graff, Robertson and Saviano

        ... where we reverenced our great leader by listening to:


  
Aaron Copland's spiritually inspiring "Lincoln Portrait."


After our reunion at the Lincoln, sisters went their separate ways, many by way of the Vietnam War Memorial with its wonderful statue honoring the female nurses of that war, and the adjacent garden/island commemorating the Signers of the Declaration.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Specialized Training for September Arrivals

Our most recent arrivals and their trainers met for specialized training
at the historic Chevy Chase ward building.


Back Row:  Elders Little and Christensen, President Cooke,  Elders Queen, Anderson, Whitlock, Eshiet,
 Hurford-Reynolds, Watts, Greding and Branning
Middle Row:  Sisters Cooke, Kaarma, Taggert, Tuft, Austin, Saviano and Balls
Front Row (those whose thighs were burning!): Elders Jelitto, Miyasaki, Shelton, Chapman, Cannon, Tanner, Rushforth


Scripture Chase in Companionships




Elders Jelitto and Miyasaki
give sample questions that might come up from investigators and see which companionship can find an appropriate scriptural answer first...

... while locking arms and using one hand from each companion.

L to R: Elders Rushforth and Tanner, Sisters Saviano and Balls, Elders Eshiet and Queen, Elders Hurford-Reynolds and Whitlock

Elders Rushforth and Tanner

Sisters Balls and Saviano
Elders Eshiet and Queen


Elders Hurford-Reynolds and Whitlock

Elders Cannon and Anderson
Elder Shelton in back, Elders Christensen and Little


Elders Shelton and Chapman

Elders Watts and Greding

In this mission, we ALL conduct!

Sister Cooke feels strongly that, in our high-profile mission, EVERY missionary needs to be prepared to lead a hymn on a moment's notice. 







 President Cooke Instructs on 

Dealing with Stress 




Elders Whitlock, Shelton and Christen


Sisters Austin, Taggert and Saviano


Group Discussions and Role Playing





Sisters Taggert, Austin and Tuft



Elders Eshiet and Queen

Elder Hurford-Reynolds and Sister Balls


Elders Whitlock and Hurford-Reynolds


Elders Tanner and Rushforth

Elder Chapman

Elders Anderson and Cannon
Elders Eshiet and Queen

Know Your White Handbook


Senior AP Elder Fisher gives scenarios that arise in the everyday life of a missionary while companionship teams race to find answers for appropriate responses in "the white Bible"
(aka the Missionary Handbook).





The First Vision Memorization Test

While the President looks on, companionship teams race to recite the First Vision by finding one phrase at a time in sequential order from all those pinned randomly on the board and then, alternating between companions, shooting a dart at the next phrase in the proper order.



Elders Greding and Watts get briefed by Elder Jelitto before they dual against the sisters





And the winners were.....

??????? NOT!


YEP !!

Sisters Saviano and Balls were the champions!


Lunch, at last!




Parting Note:

Sister Clement is an amazing songwriter.  Here she performs a ballad she wrote (with her ukelele) to welcome new additions to the Sisterhood of Washington DC North Mission.
(Sister Aldridge is her side-kick.)