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

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)

"We Testify of These Things"

"Dear Heavenly Father"

"Walk in the Light"

"Not my will, but thy will . . ."

 

Lift Up Your Heart and Rejoice!

Night of Music and Inspiration happens every month in the Washington, D.C. North Mission.

One of our Visitors' Center sisters is asked to organize the event and all missionaries are

asked to bring as many people as possible. Thanks to Sister Mendenhall we

were able to enjoy one of the best Visitors' Center events yet!

February 2014 Arrivals

Sisters Turley, Hansen, Phillips, Black and Elders Simons, Tracy and Fisher
with the President and me at our beautiful temple

From Reagan National Airport,
we took the Metro to the Temple and Visitors' Center

Sisters Hansen and Black, Elders Simons and Fisher
President and me,
Elder Tracy and Sisters Phillips and Turley

Then on to the Mission Home for Dinner, Training & Testimonies

The new crew of seven, plus Elder and Sister Colson
just arrived the same day to serve in the Mission Office

Sister Training Leaders, Sister Leben and Smith on the left
Visitors Center Director, Elder and Sister Eyring
Elder Neibaur in the white shirt with Sister Neibaur in red
Elder and Sister Pearson with the Mission Office, standing
Sister Mercedes Lorenzana on the right

Sisters Phillips and Pearson

Breakfast the next morning in the Mission Home

Elder Fisher took care of the waffles

Elder Simons prepared fruit

Elder Tracy handled the bacon

Elder Fisher, SIsters Phillips, Turley and our daughter Elizabeth

Sisters Black and Hansen with Elders Simons and Tracy

On to the Visitors' Center to meet Trainers and receive iPads

Elder Wood, one of the trainers, and Elder Simons

Sisters Graff, Phillips, Johnson, Black

Elder Johnson will train Elder Simons

Elder Gold will train Elder Fisher

Elder Tracy will be trained by Elder Wood

Sister Johnson will train Sister Black

Sister Graff will train Sister Hansen

Sorry I didn't get a photo of Sisters Turley and Hansen who will be trained by Sister Bascom

Preaching through MUSIC

This Mission has an ASTOUNDING amount of musical talent.

Many of our missionaries share their gifts generously to convey Gospel messages.

Here are a few examples:

Elders Arnett, Rushton, Fuller and Branning

Sisters Clement, Sottili and Robertson

Elder Seely

Sisters Jorgensen and Bullock

Elders Richards, Hansen, Peterson and Hart
REVISED & RE-POSTED

Sisters Mendenhall and Clement

Elder Welch

Missionary Medley

Visitors' Center Art Exhibit

Elder Jelitto welcomes a group of new arrivals coming to the Visitors' Center for the first time

Our Temple Visitors' Center is a priceless asset to our mission. Besides its permanent exhibits and displays, it currently serves as a museum-quality gallery for the original painting collection of local artist Rose Datoc Dall.  Our missionaries are blessed to be able to enjoy this fabulous exhibition:

Elders Squires and Mecham
Sisters Graff and Mendenhall

Elder Mecham, Sisters Graff & Mendenhall

Sister Alldredge explains what she loves about the paintings

Interview Week

Thanks for your patience while we swim through our first month in the mission field and try to get our heads above water.  I hope to be more regular in updating this blog, but will only do so after our missionaries/your children as well as my own children have received the care they need from me.  I'm sure you agree.

Interviews... and the wait

 Our second week in the mission field, the President and I had the opportunity to interview every one of  our missionaries.  It was a wonderful experience to get to know each one individually and to realize the magnificence of this young force.  Most of all, we realized with total amazement that we honestly and deeply love each one of them already - and we've barely met them.  We could hardly stand to limit our time with each one to just a few minutes.  Can you imagine how our feelings will grow over time?!

Elder Gold was one of 134 WDCN missionaries we interviewed.

While they waited to be interviewed, the missionaries studied...

Elder Nelson and Elder Raasveld

They reviewed their planners...

Elder Gilbert and Elder Johnson

Elder Gardner and Elder Schow

Elder Arnett, Elder Wendt and Elder Rushton

Sister Kaarma and Sister Lavrentyeva

While the Assistants "checked up"...

AP Fisher with Elder Livengood

Elder Squires with AP Branning

Sister Tuft

And some "checked out" their cars.

Sister Brown

Night of Music and Inspiration 

The week ended with our spanish-speaking missionaries presenting a Sunday night program at the Visitors Center theater.

Elder Parker performed a personal composition

Sister Clement, Sister Carcamo and Sister Schoemaker

Sister Nakatsuka on the piano (for this and several other numbers)
Sister Balls on the viola, Sister Brown and Sister Engman singing

Elder Wood, Elder Cervantes, Elder Hatch, Elder Guerrero, Elder Malugin and Elder Flores
Elder Vaterlaus was on the piano