Lake City and Gainesville Zones

This is the third and last day of zone conferences. I'm sorry that I have posted them backwards. If you want the chronological story start down on the Kingsland and West Zone Conference.  We did the conference today a little different then the 2 previous days and started with 'real plays'.  Read the other posts to find out what that means. 

This conference is at the Gainesville Stake Center. 

Gainesville is the south west part of the mission and Lake City is the north west part of Florida.  They are country areas of the mission.



Elder Bagley and Elder Allen teaching Elder Tate and Elder Nelson




Elders Fergus and Lisman (facing the camera) being taught by Elders Murdock and Frampton



Sisters Kitchen and Martins (facing the camera) teaching Sisters Prettyman and Surtees



Love the face Sister Surtees.  So does Sister Prettyman




Elders Lyman and Reiche




Elders Graham, Taft and Leavitt (another crazy face?)




Elder Bishop training Elder Smith...stairwell again?




Elder and Sister Stills with Sister Yorgesen.  Wonderful senior couples.




Sisters Capua, Martins, Kitchen, Surtees, Prettyman and Liku.  Watch for Sister Capua and Liku in the following pictures. 




Elders Bishop, Smith, Wilkey, Murdock, Frampton, Rowley and Goodman




Sisters Capua and Liku,  Elder and Sister Yorgesen, Sister and Elder Stills




Elders Bagley, Reiche, Lyman, Allen, Sisters Capua, Liku, Elders Durfee, Boren and Collard.  The sisters followed me around to get in all the pictures.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

Back Row:  Sisters Prettyman and Martins,  Elders Collard, Bishop, Bagley, Lyman and Boren.
Kneeling:  Elders Snow, Hammond, Lewis, Taft, and Summers



JAX East and JAX South Zone Conference

The following day was a zone conference for the East and South Zones of Jacksonville. We met in the stake center of the East Stake. It was a repeat of the day before with the same spirit and joy of knowing our Savior personally. Our conference purpose was to know and love the Savior, Jesus Christ.  To invite every missionary to act upon the Atonement and by so doing, come to experience a 'might change of heart'.   It was a highly spiritual meeting. The missionaries had spiritually prepared themselves before coming and we were all fed. These are some amazingly good young missionaries.

These are the upcoming birthdays in these 2 zones.



Back Row:  Elder Graham, Sisters LaJuenesse and Shirley, Elders Kellett, Mackey, Webster, Rasmussen, Reid and Turner,
Kneeling:  Elders Brimhall, Larsen, Johnson, Holcombe, Osborn and Pelo 




Elders Johnson, Barrionuevo, McArthur and Larrocha our Spanish elders.




Elders Zabriskie, Deal, Tenney, Mackey and Murray




Elders Turner, Cloward, Schuyler, Allred, Reid and Todd



Elders Brown, Failner and Frizzell, Sister and Elder Kellett, Elders Larsen and Waechtler

Elders Holcombe, Oteo, Taylor, Preator and Webster

Standing:  Elders Weaver, Hinton, Graham, Udy and Crawford
Sitting:  Elders McClellan and Brimhall



Elders Morris, Robbs, Stott, Squires and Rasmussen




Elders Jacobs, McFarland, Osborn and Pelo, Pres and Sister Barry

 ROLE PLAYS - We like to call them real plays because we identify a problem in teaching or inviting and then role play to become better. Those being taught in the role play will be a real investigator they are working with and try to act as they would act. In almost every instance there is revelation on how to teach differently for that investigator. We have seen miracles because of 'real' plays.

Sister Johnson teaching Elder Morris and Greco.  Sister Feltwell is the coach. 

Elder Webster and Preator teaching Elder Larsen.  Elder Jacobs and McClellan are the coaches. 

Elder Graham, Elder Holcombe with Elder Udy who is teaching

Elder Robbs and Elder Rasmussen teaching Elder Squires and Elder Stott

Elder Mackey, Elder Tenney is teaching with Elder Murray as coach.  They are teaching Sister LaJuenesse

We do role plays anywhere, even in the stair wells.  Elder Osborn is evaluating and training these elders after their role play.  It's hard to see them but they are Elders Turner, Allred, Schuyler and Elder Cloward in the wheel chair.  No, Elder Cloward is not hurt.  The chair was more comfortable to sit on then the stairs.   



Kingsland and JAX West Zone Conference

This is the first day of zone conferences. The Kingsland Zone came down from Georgia to join with the JAX West Zone. Our conference purpose was to know and love the Savior, Jesus Christ.  To invite every missionary to act upon the Atonement and by so doing, come to experience a 'might change of heart'.   It was a highly spiritual meeting. The missionaries had spiritually prepared themselves before coming and we were all fed. These are some amazingly good young missionaries. You will also notice that we have a great couple in the JAX West Zone. Elder and Sister Banks have been with us since Christmas. They are doing an amazing job fellow shipping the less active in their ward.

Elder Osborn, an assistant to the president, conducting the meeting.

ROLE PLAYING

We do a lot of role playing in our meetings.  We identify a problem in teaching or inviting members to commit to doing something and then role play to become better.  Those being taught in the role play will be a real investigator they are working with and try to act as they would act. We call them 'real plays'.   In almost every instance there is revelation on how to teach differently for that investigator.  We have seen miracles because of role playing.



Elder Blair and Elder Johnson teaching.




Elder Rivera, Elder Mourra and Elder Gillis role playing.  They have a hard time keeping in character when the camera comes out. 



Bottom left clockwise:  Brother Palmer (a member who has a mission call to the Philippines), Elder Johnson, Elder Wilcox and Elder Chadwick. 



Elder Webb and Elder Neville




Elder Jackson and Elder Knudsen being taught.  Cute smile, Elder Knudsen





Elder Bezzant and Elder Parker receiving an evaluation of their teaching by the coach of the role play.

 LUNCH TIME!

Clockwise around the table.  Only the ones you can see:  Elders Bass and Wadsworth,  Drake, Neville, DiCristofano, Blackmer, Sisters Fitu and Hansen



Elders Carney, Dyerly, Jamison, Barnes, Maxfield, Dandridge

Back left clockwise:  Elders Bezzant, Parker, Wily, Smith, Pelo, Johnson and Craig



Left clockwise (only those looking at the camera):  Elders Engele, Huntsman, Johnson, Webb, Blackmer, DiCristofano, Rhodes and Chadwick



Left Front Clockwise (those looking)  Elders Clements, Dyerly, Barnes, Dandridge, Sister Shepherd at the end. Elders Marquez, Maxfield, Carney, Jamison and Olsen



Left Front clockwise:  Elders Drake, Blair, Neville, Bass, Bezzant, Parker, Jackson, Wily.
Right side back:  Elders Smith, Pelo, Johnson, Craig, Jensen, Wadsworth, Day, Gillis and President Barry



Happy Birthday!  Back:  Elders Johnson, Jackson, Gillis, Webb, Engele, Rhodes and Banks.
Kneeling:  Elders Rivera, Day, and Knudsen



SISTERS IN THE 2 ZONES
Back:  Sisters Banks, Shepherd, Patterson, Hansen, Fitu and Barry
Front:  Sisters Hafslund, Pedersen, Waddoups, Cutler and Kellett

We are blessed

When time goes by and there is no entries on this blog you can guess that things are a little busy in the mission. But the good thing is you can then expect lots of pictures of all the events. This week has been one of the busy times.

We received a call from the Mission Department giving us the good news that we would be getting 4 new missionaries who are assigned to go to Brazil but have not received their visas. They will spend their time and energies to bear testimony and build the kingdom here in Paradise for a while.

We picked them up Tuesday night after a zone conference, had a dinner and training and sent them off to sleep on the assistant's floor.  The next morning they had more training and a day of  zone conferences - they looked a little dazed.  Welcome to missionary life. 



Elder Squires, Elder Boren, Elder Stott, Elder Mendez



Life Changing Examples





Sister Ann Commander was baptized!  Many, many missionaries have taught this sweet lady.  She has been searching and investigating for 30 years!  Her family was baptized years ago but she waited until she knew for sure.   Sister Commander is in the middle.  Her daughter, Donna is the back right with Donna's beautiful children Hannah, John and Sophia. 

We love you Sister Commander.

Brother Steve Zaring was found by Elder Osborn.  He didn't believe in God and didn't want to listen.  Elder Osborn came back months later and Steve's heart had been softened.  He continued in his search, studying and questioning unto the spirit bore witness.  Thank you, Steve, for your example of humility and diligence. 

Zone Leader Council

Here it is again. Our zone leaders. This is the day for the council meeting with them. It was a powerful day today. The spirit was so strong. The teaching was about motivation and how to motivate missionaries. The key is knowing Christ personally and using His atonement. President Barry gave a powerful discussion about the atonement and keeping covenants. The assistants brought the spirit even more with their discussions on "Faith to Find" and "Establishing the Church". Wow. As Elder McFarland said, "This was the most spiritual and defining day of my mission." It's days like this that motivate us to go out and tell the world!!

Back Row:  Elder Murray, Elder Wadsworth, Elder Bishop, Elder Wilkey, Elder Baker, Elder Zabriskie, Elder McFarland, Elder Aiono, President Barry
Kneeling:  Elder Jackson, Elder Osborn, Elder Pelo, Elder Perez, Elder Jacobs, Elder Blackmer

Okay, so maybe they are just normal boys but they are amazing missionaries!

The worth of a soul!

I wish I could post a picture of every missionary being greeted by Elder Oaks. I know this is a lot of pictures of the same thing but I want everyone to see the consistant love and attention given by Elder Oaks to EVERY ONE!  We all felt his Christlike love and our worth in his eyes.   I was further down the line shaking hands and every missionary had a look of joy and wonder and love on their face. It was a profound experience.   I will name the missionaries in each picture.

Elder Ingram is on the right.  He was Elder Oaks companion for this assignment.  He is an area authority seventy over the North America South East area.  The missionary is Elder Cox.

Elder Hammond and Elder Snow

Sister Capua, Sister Liku, Sister Surtees



Elder Wily, Elder Marquez, Elder Rivera, Elder Aiono, Elder Knudsen



This is a guess but I think these are Elder Jamison, Elder M. Johnson, Elder DiCristofano.  It is definately Sister Pederson.

Elder Robbs, Elder Brown and Elder McFarland



Elder Frampton, Elder Blair (This is for you Sister Blair. Elder Oaks told us the story), Elder J. Johnson, Elder Parker



Elder Taylor, Sister Hurst, Sister Johnson, Elder Frizzell, Elder Failner, Elder Brimhall

Elder Leavitt, Elder Schuyler

Elder Webster, Elder Turner, Elder Cloward

Elder Lewis, Sister Kitchen, Sister Martins