January 2015

     Mission Leadership Council this month focused on faith to find investigators (a follow up from Elder Hamula's visit) and working with members. (Front: Sisters Pearson, Flamm, & Ballard, Pres. & Sis. Eaton, Sisters Ah-Hong, Clement, Goaslind, and Heaton; Middle: Elders Gamble, Quackenbush, Wilcox, Eliason, Russell, Gardner, Moses, Meyer, and Ludlow; Back: Elders Tuimaualuga, Freeman, Johnson, Downing, Berkheimer, Erekson, Batchelor, Kim, and Cook)

     We said goodbye to these beloved missionaries--Front: Sisters Goaslind, Carlin, Dubon, Sis. & Pres. Eaton, Sisters Parry, Ah-Hong, Pearson, and Heaton; Back: Elders Johnson, Tuimaualuga, Grant, and Rogers

     And welcomed these! (Front: Sisters Ketchum, Lucky, Gray, Caulley, and Heiner; Middle: Sisters Oh, Mortensen, Sis. & Pres. Eaton, Sisters Leach, and Wright; Back: Elders Lappaleinen, Fenton, Smith, Takooa, Benton, and Anderson)

     We had a special training for district leaders and a special training for sister training leaders as well.  (Front: Sisters Flamm, Hill, Clement, with Sis. & Pres. Eaton; Back: Sisters Ballard, Walker, and Webb)

     Elder Daniel Johnson of the Seventy called a meeting this month with all stake presidents and bishops in the mission as well as our mission leadership council.  He outlined a protocol where missionaries would meet with members, have a prayer, teach a gospel principle, and then extend the invitation to the member to ponder who the Lord has prepared in their sphere of contact to meet with the missionaries.  Members are then challenged to invite the person who came to mind.  As I sat in with one break out group where missionaries were trying to implement this counsel with the stake president and bishops from their zone, the Spirit was very strong.  President Eaton, with the help of the assistants, also outlined a series of steps to help those who aren't ready for that challenge to take steps in that direction.  The missionaries would serve as consultants for ideas to move along that path, with the end goal to meet Elder Ballard's invitation of having members invite people to meet with missionaries once each quarter (see October 2014 General Conference).

     Another highlight of the month was our annual trip to the Seattle temple!  Half of the mission went in January, and the other half will go the first week in February.  Hopefully I'll be able to post more pictures of these excursions next month. Here's one showing Sisters Peterson, Orr, Frischknecht, Cauley, Halford, Heiner, and Sonasi.