Merry Christmas: December 25, 2012

Here's a quick look at what Christmas Day was like for the missionaries in the Washington DC North mission.  There are a lot of photos. Some  are of better quality than others because they were shot without a flash so as not to disturb people.  Also, because I was emceeing the program, I don't have wonderful shots of the stage.  Nor did I take many pictures during lunch.  I will try to piece together a few moments of video of some of the numbers. Again - I was too consumed with "production" to worry about the "filming".  Hopefully this will still give you a sense of how much fun we had.

The missionaries arrived by 8 AM to put up tables and begin setting them.

Elder Rushton adds table decorations.

Elder Synelnikov distributes peanut M and M's for table decorations.

Many senior missionaries also help set tables.

Here is a photo of the set up crew.
Left to right:Sister Nebeker, Sister Matsumori, Elder McDonald, Elder Synelnikov, Elder Olsen, Elder Vanaa, Sister Watson, Elder Watson, Elder Porter, Sister Porter, Elder Dickey, Elder Knight, Sister Knight, Elder Standing, Sister Wege, Sister Dickey, Sister Dougall, Sister Harper, Sister Jackson, Elder Jackson.
Down in front: Elder Rushton.

Brother Ray Pratt once again spent his Christmas morning cooking for the missionaries.

By 9:15 all of the missionaries gathered at the visitors center. 

Left to right: Elder and Sister  Anderson, Elder and Sister Dougall, Elder and Sister Brown.

Everyone tries to find a good seat.

More missionaries gather.

Brother Brian Johnson and his two children come to take our group photo.

Left to right: Elder Watson, Elder Roomataaroa, Elder Martinez, Elder Wery and Elder Bledsoe.

We begin to gather for our mission photo. 

We start looking a little more ready.

The other side is also getting prepared.

Brother Johnson, standing in the foreground, and his two children come every Christmas morning. They photograph the missionaries and then electronically piece the various segments together into one large photo.

Missionaries await the call to join the photograph.

What I see from the podium.

Sister return to their seats.

One of the presents the missionaries gave President and Sister Matsumori is shown here. The words are from the mission song.  The other gifts included scripture covers.

And back at the stake center: 

Brother Pratt is cooking/smoking the turkeys for our group. 

The senior missionaries help carve.

Sister and Elder Anderson also help carve. 

The missionaries await their turn to eat.

The program was continuous from the time we arrived until dessert was served.  So even when people were waiting to eat, there was something to watch. 

Santa makes his grand appearance. 

Elder Dillon prepares to perform some magic tricks. 

Sister Matsumori signs her name on the back of a card.

Elder Salanoa lets everyone see the card he's chosen while Elder Dillon closes his eyes.

Elder Garcia watches as Elder Dillon changes the five dollar bill into a one dollar bill. 

Missionaries from the DC North Zone.

Missionaries from the Silver  Spring North Zone.

Missionaries from the Washington DC South Zone.

The assistants:  Elder Sanchez and  Elder Bigelow.

The sisters.

The rest of the sisters. 

The Haka - some have clearly done this their entire lives. 

After lunch groups gathered together for their own photographs.

Missionaries involved in the French program:
Front row left to right: Elder Pawlenchuk, Elder Martinez, Elder Gillespie, Elder Vanaa and Elder Roomataaroa.
Back row left to right: Sister and Elder Sieg, Sister and Elder Jex, Elder Fletcher, Elder Wery, Sister Gros, Sister and Elder Nebeker and Elder Bledsoe. 

Left to right: Elder Dillon, Elder Hart, Sister Aldridge, Sister Quintanilla, Sister Balls, Sister Miller, Elder Brown, Elder Cervantes and Elder Garcia.

Visitors Center training: December 17, 2012

With the completion of the renovation for the center, brothers Marks Lusvardi and Steve Allen from the missionary department spent the morning helping the sisters learn how they could most effectively use the exhibits to teach.

They began with the temple exhibit which allows visitors to sit and look out at the temple.

The exhibits are now behind the visitors rather that between them and the temple.

You can see the location of the I am a Mormon exhibit. 

The next training moves to the wall which shows prophets.  It allows the sisters to teach how temples have been throughout the ages and how prophets have spoken through the ages clear through Joseph Smith and then on to our modern day prophet, Thomas S. Monson.

The middle of the prophets wall.

The final few panels of the prophets wall.

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Inside the home is a copy of the Family, a Proclamation to the  World.  Modern day prophets have received revelation about the importance of the family.

Inside the home is a place where the short video about the Plan of Salvation can be shown.

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Brother Lusvardi catches me with the camera.  The sisters are seated in every space around the exhibit.

This is what the home screen looks like. The missionary or person on their own can work their way through all 32 minutes of video and teaching.

Back to "I am a Mormon" - which is where many people are drawn. Yes, they like the bright display, but they are also interested in the people who are members.

The sisters then move into "Eight Stories" which follows the lives of missionaries.  They say that when young members leave the room, they are excited about serving missions. When non-members leave the room, they are not fearful of talking to missionaries but realize they are just people, too.

Some of the sisters also provided a musical number during the training. This is the same piece they will sing for Christmas eve. They show a video from Luke 2 at the same time.  It was beautiful. Watch for footage of the sisters singing sometime after Christmas.