We love new missionaries!

Here they are! Brand new and very well prepared for their mission. This is the biggest group of new missionaries we have seen. Its thrilling that so many are prepared and ready to serve. It's amazing that they are willing to give up 18 to 2 years to focus completely on bring others to Christ by helping them recieve the restored gospel. It is an amazing sacrifice and I am proud of them for making that choice.

Back Left:  Elder Judson, Elder Richmond, Elder Leavitt, Elder Ogilvie
Middle Left:  Elder Saynes, Elder Behymer, Elder Cawley, Elder Cutler, Elder Kim, Elder Swim, Elder Cockrell
Front Left:  Elder Christensen, Elder Chadwick, Elder Payne, Elder Mihu, Elder Rockwood, Elder Weaver,
Sitting Left:  Sister Heslington, Sister Abisai, Sister Whiting
 

In time for school

It's almost Transfer Week! Next week we say hello to 20 new missionaries and goodbye to 10. These 4 missionaries are part of that departing group. They needed to go home a week early in order to get into the next semester of school. It's an emotional experience to see them go. I know it is exciting for you.  I have felt that joy when my own children have come home but just know there are Floridian parents who are missing them, who love them and wish we could 'hug' them again.

 We love you, elders.

 

 

Elder Hinton

Elder Tenney, Elder Camp, Elder Larsen

Home with Honor

May I go to a personal note?  I love being a mother! I love being the "Florida" mother to your wonderful sons and daughters, friends and family members who are serving here in the Florida Jacksonville Mission. They indeed bring President and I so much joy!

 

 Personally, President and I are parents to 8 children, 6 in-law children and 21, almost 22, grandchildren! They, too, bring us so much joy. Our baby, Matthew Barry, returned to us after serving a mission to the Brazil Brasilia Mission. He is the last of 6 of our children and 2 in-law sons who have served missions! He returned July 24. May I share our reunion as he came off the plane in Jacksonville?

This picture happened after all the hugs and tears.  This is President and I with Jessica and Matt.  Jess is our youngest daughter.  She is the next oldest to Matt.  She also served a mission to Nauvoo and has been home 2 years. 

Missionaries look alike no matter where they serve.  Along with the signature look of a missionary (tie, white shirt, name tag,backpack etc) notice the huge smile, the light in the eyes, the confident stride and the desire to find people to teach.  Your missionary looks like this! 

This picture speaks volumes.  Elder Barry's mission has no cars or bikes.  They walk up to 12 miles a day.  This pair of shoes was the last of 4 pair that he walked through!  Also look at his luggage.  He went with 2, came home with one.  It is literally held together with duct tape.  There is not a pull out handle anymore.  It broke so he pulls the suitcase with a rope.  Also, he was determined to get everything in one case.  It WAS very heavy!

IT'S THE BARRY BUNCH!

There are 37 of us!  We have not been together for 2 years.  We live all over the United States.  Everyone wanted to be here to welcome the youngest brother home from his mission - and to see what their parents are doing in Florida.  There were 5 of these babies born in the past 2 years.  It was the first time we had seen them.  It really was an incredible week! 
FAMILIES ARE FOREVER! 

The last of three

It's amazing to come to the end of zone conference week. President Barry and I and the assistants worry that we won't have the energy to keep the spirit with us so we can teach with the same power and intensity as in the previous conferences. I don't know why we worry. It isn't up to us - the spirit always accompanies when invited. The missionaries invite the spirit by coming prepared spiritually to be fed.

 It reminds me of Doctrine and Covenants 50. The Lord tells us to preach His gospel by the spirit. Later in the section in verse 22 "Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together." Don't we see that in all our meetings and classes that are taught in this church? Both teacher and student are edified together when the spirit is the teacher.  We recently had a Seventy tell us a quote from Elder Russell M. Nelson - "It doesn't matter whose lips are moving when the spirit is speaking." We see this happen all the time as missionaries. The spirit is the teacher, the Lord is guiding this work. All things must be done according to the spirit or it will fail. We are grateful the spirit was in our zone conferences.

 

The last Zone Conference was held in the Savannah Stake Center. It was for the two Georgia Zones. They are the northern part of the mission.

KINGSLAND ZONE

SAVANNAH ZONE

 

Boring picture, I know, but I wanted to show their rapt attention.  They are like sponges, soaking in information by the spirit.

Right:  Elder Rhodes, Elder Smedley, Elder McCarthy

Elder Baczuk, Elder Barnes, Elder Reid and Elder Crosby singing, "Joseph Smith's First Prayer"



Pres. Barry doing a role play with Elder Fischer

ROLE PLAYS

We love to role play.  We have found they are spiritual creations of events that will happen in the future.  As we role play with a specific investigator in mind we receive revelation and direction of how to teach that person.  The purpose of this role play is to learn to effectively ask someone to be baptized.  We ask the missionaries to show excitement and emotion when someone says 'yes' to the invitation.  Hmm



Elder Crites (on the left) is a little excited.  :)  Elder Ball (center) is doing the baptisms dance.  I guess Elder Suttner (right) said 'yes'. 

Elder DiCristofano is coaching Sister Barton and Sister Hick with their role play

The following pictures are role plays with new contacts in their homes.  They are practicing giving blessings and helping people recognize the spirit as they pray.

Elder Waetchler and Elder Barnes

Elder Clements and Elder Nielson

Elder Goodrich and Elder Fischer

Elder Feliz and Elder Wilde

Elder Latu and Elder Fuller





Elder Fischer, James Gifford and Elder Crosby - These elders baptized this young man over a year ago

 

LUNCH TIME



Elder Baczuk and Elder Suttner

Sister Scott and Sister Gilbert

Names are given from the left clockwise around the table



Elder Oteo, Elder Nelson, Elder Lemmon, Elder Goodrich, Elder Woodard, member, Elder Latu, Elder Knudsen, Elder Larrocha

Elder Allred, Elder DiCristofano, Elder Jensen, Sister Barton, Sister Hicks, Sister Scott, Sister Gilbert

Elder Barnes, Elder Smedley, Elder McCarthy, Elder Baczuk, Elder Suttner, Elder Mecham

Elder McFarlane, Elder Clements, Elder Waetchler, Elder Nelson, Elder Drake, Elder Cancel, Elder Fischer

Member, Elder Wilde, Elder Housel, Elder Kiracofe, Elder Feliz, Elder Lyman, Elder Tindall

James Gifford-member, Elder Foulger, Elder Crosby, Elder Nielson, Elder Reid, Elder Tibbitts, Elder Chadwick

Elder Boamorte, Elder Jamison, Elder Fuller, Elder Northrup, Elder Ball, Elder Crites

Happy Birthday to Elder Boamorte, Elder Fuller, Elder Waetchler, Elder Larrocha, Elder Tindall, Sister Barry, Elder DiCristofano, Elder Allred



JAX Zone Conference

Zone Conference the next day was held at the JAX West Stake Center. It was for all the Jacksonville Zones - East, West and South. With three zones there were a lot of missionaries about 60. It was an amazing conference filled with the spirit. I am always amazed with the power and spirit the missionaries bring to meetings. We always end with a testimony meeting. The spirit floods every heart.

Jacksonville South Zone

Jacksonville East Zone

Jacksonville South Zone

More birthday missionaries 

Back:  Elder Schuyler, Elder Baker, Elder Evans, Sister Barry, Sister Sheffer
Kneeling:  Elder Allred, Elder Warren, Elder Marquez, Elder DiCristofano, Elder Draper

ROLE PLAYS

We spread out all over the building

 

Sister Crowton and Sister Santos

Elder Andrade and Elder Hamilton

Elder Huntington and Elder Craynor

This lunch like all the other was marvelous.  It was a Mexican theme which is always a favorite with missionaries.  Thanks JAX West Stake RS Presidency

Those looking at the camera (even the crazy faces)  Elder Madden, Elder Dandridge, Elder Webb, Elder Allred

Left Front:  Elder Allred, Elder DiCristofano, Elder Bushman, Elder Webb, Elder Madden, Elder Lisonbee, Elder Marquez, Elder Dandridge;  Right Front:  Elder Schuyler, Elder Hinton, Elder Hamilton, Elder Andrade, Elder Craynor, Elder Huntington, Elder Draper, Sister Heckel, Sister McCracken, Sister Sheffer, Sister Knickerbocker,  Standing, Elder Hall and Elder Wilcox



Left Front:   Elder Coleman, Elder Coon, Elder Tenney, Elder Warren, Elder Lee, Sister Jensen.  Right Front:  Elder Hales, Elder Huckvale, Elder Pyne, Elder Evans, Elder Vilorio, Sister Waldman, Elder Larsen

Left Front:  Elder and Sister Elliott, Sister Sheffer, Sister Knickerbocker, Sister Heckel (thumbs up);  Right Front:  Pres. Barry, Elder and Sister Baker, Elder and Sister Farlane;  Elder Dandridge, Elder Marquez



Left Front to Back:  Elder Garnica, Elder Bennett, Elder Wilcox, Elder Hall;  Right front to back:  Elder Phelps, Elder Quintano, 2 members, Elder Woodard, Elder Albertson, Elder Erickson



Left Front:  Elder Orth, Elder Camp, Elder Beckstead, Elder Larsen; Right Front: Elder Ramstedt, Elder Clark, Elder Tuft



ZONE CONFERENCE

Zone Conferences are powerful meetings.  We gather for a day of spiritual renewal.  Our theme was "The Doctrine of Christ and His Atonement".  Everything from the music, zone leader's trainings, emergency prepardness, role plays, lunch, bugs and especially President Barry's training was effective and powerful.  You can't teach and testify about Christ and His Atonement without the spirit witnessing of Him.  We were so blessed to have the spirit there at each zone conference. 

 

We began Zone Conferences in the west part of the mission.  The Gainesville Zone and Lake City Zone gathered together at the Lake City Stake Center

LAKE CITY ZONE

GAINESVILLE ZONE

 

Lake City zone sang a musical number, "How Firm a Foundation".

These are the Birthday Missionaries. Standing:  Sister Barry, Sister Delaplane, Elder Grant, Elder Bishop, Elder Jones, Elder Crawford, Kneeling: Elder Rowley, Elder DiCristofano and Elder Allred.

 We spend a couple hours of every zone conference role playing. In the following pictures you will see the missionaries practicing.  They are practicing how to give blessings of peace to people and learning how to identify the spirit as they teach and bless. 

Elder Hunter and Elder Rowley

Elder Riggs and Elder Guy

Elder Allred and Elder Salvesen

Elder Brimhall and Sister Richards

 

The next two pictures are a different role play.  They are practicing how to extend an invitation for baptism.  We call it the Invite/Test.  It's a positive way to invite someone to act for themselves while you affirm them and build them up so they feel the spirit.  We have seen miracles in the mission with Invite/Test. 

Front and to the left:  Elder Thomas, Elder Salvesen, Elder Bennion, Elder Wise

 

Elder Bishop and Elder Webster

 

Zone Conference wouldn't be complete without lunch!  We are so grateful to local ward Relief Society sisters who provide and serve food.  Thank you

Left clockwise:  Elder Morris, Elder Bigelow, Elder Nevillw, Elder Guy, Sister Richards, Sister Patton, Elder Cervo, Elder Hunter

Two member drivers, Elder Green, Elder Robinson, Elder Bishop, Elder Webster, Elder Moser, Elder Allen

Elder Buhler, Elder Svedin, Sister Delaplane, Sister Mathis, Sister Rieck, Sister Dunkley

Elder Howell, Elder Frizzell, Elder Rowley, Elder Lundquist, Elder Crawford, Elder Allred, Elder DiCristofano, Elder Grant

Sister Barry, President Barry, President Colvin, Sister Sparks, Elder Sparks, Elder Robison

At the end of the meal the missionaries gather to sing our mission song to the Relief Society sisters as a thank you for all they do.  We get pretty animated.

Gainesville Zone wanted a funny picture.  It's hilarious to see that they will do.  They are still kids at heart.