Temple Make-over July 2012

Nearly a year ago there was an earthquake in Virginia which was felt here in Washington DC. The damage included the loss of the top four feet for  five of the six temple spires.  This month the crews came to repair it.

This picture is taken from inside the Visitors Center.  Notice that the top of the spires are black.

A few days later, this is the view from I-495 or the Beltway.

The closest spire has had the gold applied to the black form. 

Here's the view from the top. These pictures were taken by members who were working on the project and then they shared them with the missionaries who sent them in for you to see.

New Leader Training and ZL Council, July 2012

With so many missionaries departing this transfer, there were many changes in mission leadership. As another example of how the Lord directs the work, we wonder how the new leaders can do as well as the ones before.  Yet time after time, we see these missionaries rise to their call and lead with inspiration and great confidence. They are wonderful.

New leaders gather for training before the usual leadership meeting.

Front row left to right:  Elder Nielson, Elder Salanoa, Elder Fisher, Elder Rozsa, Elder White and Elder Gleed.
Back row:  Elder Gillespie, Elder Williams and Elder Wells.

President talks to the new district leaders.
Left to right: Elder McClane, Elder Nielson,  Elder Salanoa, Elder Fisher, Elder Rozsa, Elder Larson, Elder Hansen and Elder Bott.

Elder Croft begins training the zone leaders.
Left to right: Elder Gillespie, Elder Williams, Elder Wells, Elder Croft, Elder White and Elder Gleed.

Part of this training includes time for the zones to break out and set goals.

Suitland Zone: Elder Salanoa, Elder Pound, Elder Nielson, Elder Furgen, Elder Goodman and Elder Sanchez.

Silver Spring North Zone: Elder Watts, Elder Wells, Elder Wang and Elder Larson.

Washington North Zone left to right: Sister Moore, Elder Dillon, Elder Rodriguez, Elder Nisson, Elder Williams and Elder McClane.

Seneca Zone left to right: Elder Clapier, Elder Lowry and Elder Bott.

Seneca Zone continued:  Sister Miller, Sister Lewis,  Elder Bott and Elder Valdetano.

Seneca Zone concluded: Elder Pon and Elder Gleed.
The reason this group is spread out is because they have the room with the rocking chairs.  No one would stand up for fear of losing their seat.   

Once everyone returns, the assistants and President Matsumori train.

Left to right: Elder Wells, Elder Wong, Elder Pound, Elder Tomlinson, Elder Salanoa, Elder Rozsa, Elder Sanchez and Elder Furugen.

Front row:  Sister Welch, Sister Miller, Sister Lewis and Sister Moore.
2nd row:  Elder Larson, Elder Nielson.
3rd row: Elder White and Elder Valdetano.

Elder Fisher, Elder McClane and Elder Rodriguez

Front row right to left:   Elder Dillon, Elder Lowry, Elder Williams, Elder Salanoa and Elder Watts.

Front row left to right: Elder Hansen, Elder Standing, Elder Gillespie
2nd row: Elder Pound, Elder Wells, Elder Wong, Elder Nisson and Elder Mataele

Right to left: Elder Pon, Elder Furugen, Elder Tomlinson, Elder Sanchez, Elder Anderson, Elder Goodman and Elder Mataele.

The zone leaders gather for a council meeting.

Left to right:  Elder Sanchez, Elder Goodman, Elder Gillespie and Elder Standing.

Left to right: Elder White, Elder Bigelow, Elder Clapier and Elder Gleed.

Left to right: Elder Dillon, Elder Williams, Elder Wells and Elder Wang.

Around the table from the left: Elder Sanchez, Elder Goodman, Elder Brown, Elder White, Elder Clapier, Elder Gleed, Elder Bigelow and Elder Wang.

Around the table from the left: Elder Standing, Elder Croft, President Matsumori, Elder Wells, Elder Gillespie, Elder Dillon and Elder Williams.

Transfer week - Departures: July 18, 2012

This was a large group - 12 elders and 3 sisters - who left the mission today.  Oh, let me restate that. This was a large group who tried to leave the mission today.  We gathered in the visitors' center, as usual, had testimony meeting, lunch and even went to the airport.  However, because of bad weather, two flights were cancelled. Elder Kerby and Elder Fowles had the great joy of spending a night in the mission home before trying to get home the following day.  Elder Kerby ended up spending another night in Milwaukie, making it home 48 hours after he was scheduled.

All of the flights were delayed. We heard that Sister Marcy and Elder Lee, whose flight arrived after the second leg was scheduled to leave, actually made their flights. Tender mercies here.  Others were rerouted or just late.

I've told the missionaries who have called that it's because they were so great, we were trying everything we could to keep them here.  :-)  Happily, everyone is now home.

Left to right: Elder Furugen, Elder Storr, Elder Anderson, Elder Peterson, Elder Appiah and Elder Galuvao.

Left to right: Sister Joost, Sister Bechaver, Sister Miller, Sister Quintanilla, Sister Ertelt and Elder Olsen. 

Sister Allen, 2nd from the left, was surprised by her sisters who had come to pick her up.

Elder Kennedy had his father there, too. 

Here are the sisters who were in the Visitors' Center.  The two new sisters are in this picture along with the three who were scheduled to leave.

And here is the formal farewell group picture.  No, Elder Fowles isn't doing bunny ears, but was trying to explain to someone about how to use his camera.

Front row left to right: Sister Allen, Sister Matsumori, President Matsumori, Sister  Cadenhead and Sister Marcy.
Back row left to right: Elder Kennedy, Elder Greiner, Elder Kerby, Elder Schaap, Elder Pierucci, Elder Fowles, Elder Lee, Elder Hatch, Elder Benke, Elder Webb, Elder Christensen and Elder Hurd.

Because the group was a little larger than usual, I asked Sister Thornton from the Gaithersburg ward to help.  It is always delicious.

This became the sisters table.  Sister Allen, 2nd from the left has family members join Sister Cadenhead, last one on the left and Sister Marcy, last one on the right.  

Left to rigth: Elder Hurd, Elder Pierucci, Elder Greiner and Elder Kerby.

Elder Fowles is on the left.  On the right of the table, front to back:  Elder Benke, Elder Hatch, and his parents.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Christensen and Elder Webb.
Right side of table front to back: Elder Schaap, President Matsumori and Sister Black.  The Blacks are the new office couple who are taking over the Bleaks responsibilities. 

Sister Thornton is on the right with family members who help.

Left to right: Elder Hatch, Elder Fowles and Elder Lee. 

This airport photo is of only a part of the group. Elder Webb, Elder Fowles and Elder Kerby were in another terminal.  Elder Hatch, Elder Kennedy and Sister Allen were with their families.

Front row left to right: Elder Lee, Sister Cadenhead, Sister Marcy, Sister Matsumori, President Matsumori, Elder Hurd.
Back row left to right: Elder Schaap, Elder Benke, Elder Christensen, Elder Greiner and Elder Pierucci.

Transfer week - Arrivals and trainers, July 18, 2012

First thing on Wednesday morning, we take the new missionaries to meet their trainers. I must tell you that the bananas are from a member in White Plains who drives the missionaries to transfers.  He brings either apples or bananas to give to each missionary.

Front row left to right:  Sister Blasco, Sister Word, Elder Raasveld and Elder Gilbert.
Back row left to right: Elder Morris, Elder Watson and Elder Fisher.

Front row left to right: Elder Gilbert, Elder Boronow, Elder Chapman.
Back row left to right: Elder Morris, Elder Watson, Elder Fisher, Elder Watts and Elder Bodily.

Front row left to right: Elder Radford and Elder Brown.
Back row left to right: Elder  Seely, Elder Bodily, Sister Finlay and Sister Avelar.
At the very back, Sister and Elder Olsen.

This is an exciting time - to start to guess who might be your first companion. Some missionaries tell me that the trainers are every bit as nervous as the new missionaries. They realize the great responsibility that rests with them in helping the new missionary learn about  missionary work.

Left to right: Elder Croft, Sister Blasco, Sister Word, Elder Brown, Elder  Radford, Elder Ruston, Elder  Chapman, Elder Boronow, Elder Gilbert and Elder Raasveld.

Trainers - left to right: Elder Pierucci (standing in for Elder Rozsa), Elder Morris, Elder Watson, Elder Watts, Elder Fisher, Elder Seely, Elder Bodily, Sister Finlay, Sister Avelar and Elder Brown.

Sister Finlay and Sister Blasco meet for the first time.

The elders try to guess who their new companion might be.  Left to right: Elder Rozsa (now arrived), Elder Morris, Elder Watson, Elder Watts, Elder Fisher, Elder Seely and Elder Bodily.

The remaining new elders are all from the English program.  Left to right:  Elder Radford, Elder Rushton, Elder Chapman, Elder Boronow, Elder Gilbert and Elder Raasveld.

After a quick training meeting, the new missionaries arrive in the main area where they meet some of the other missionaries and also where they take pictures together.

Elder Watts will be training Elder Gilbert.

Posterity photo op - Elder Rushton is the "son"; Elder Watson is the "father" and Elder Lambert is the "grandfather".