Christmas and other music 2012/2013

This video is a compilation of music from our Christmas conference, Festival of Lights concert by the sisters and a farewell song for the Olsens.  I hope you will enjoy these excerpts of:

     Caroling with bells done by volunteers of elders.
     Caroling led by Elder Sanchez and Elder Bigelow.
     The Haka performed by our Polynesian elders and others who have learned it.
     One of the final "welcome" by Elder Don Olsen.
     A musical number sung by Sister Fehlman, Sister Lin, Sister Lawrence, Sister Joost, Sister Holt, Sister Wankier, Sister Brown, Sister L. Miller, Sister Bechaver and Sister Finlay. Accompanied by Sister Welch on piano, Sister Wong on cello, Sister Gros on violin and Sister K. Miller on viola and directed by Elder Hardy.
     A solo by Sister Welch.
     "How Great Thou Art" - a final song for Elder and Sister Olsen by all of the sisters in the Visitors Center.

International flavors : January 23, 20013

Due to the international make up of the missionaries in the Washington DC zones, they chose to do a zone activity highlighting cuisine from the various countries.  Of course we had to go and see what was on the menu.  Here are just a few of the offerings.

Here are close-ups of some of the food.

Raw tuna prepared Tahitian style

There's no way I can tell you everything on this plate - just know it was all delicious.

And from Europe we had:

Sister Morotti from Italy prepared pasta.

Sister Blasco from Spain made a potato torta.

Elder Szabo laughing describes his food from Hungary. Elder Vanaa far right is the one who brought the raw fish.

And from the islands we had:

Elder Salanoa from Samoa and Elder Fisher from Salt Lake City put the activity together. Elder Salanoa made corn beef and cabbage...from  Samoa....

Elder Ah Puck from Hawaii brought Spam musubi.

From Latin America:

Elder Standing, Elder Bigelow and Elder Sanchez make Mexican shrimp ceviche.

Elder White has learned to make papusas. 

From Asia:

Elder McLane and Elder He, who serve in the  Chinese branch, bring spare ribs and steamed pork buns that a member has made for them to bring.  It was delicious...nice to have connections.

Sister Lin from China made egg rolls.

Elder Nielsen helped his companion Elder Furugen from Japan make gyoza...more commonly known as potstickers.

Here are photos of some of the missionaries who were there - and also their native countries if outside the US.

Left side of table front to back:  Sister  Clement and  Sister Bowman.
Rights side of table front to back:  Sister Kaarma (Estonia), Sister Wankier, Sister Morrotti (Italy), Sister Blasco (Spain), Sister Schoemaker (Canada), Sister Lin (China), Sister Gros (France).

Camera wars with Elder Anderson.

Sister and Elder Porter and President Matsumori.

Elder Nielsen, Elder Lim and Elder Ah Puck (Hawaii...yes, I know it's part of the US, but he did bring some culturally different food).

Elder Branning, Elder White, Elder Christensen and Elder Vanaa (Tahiti)

Elder Schow, Elder Branning, Elder Lowry and Elder Clapier.

Elder Anderson, Elder Florez (Mexico), Elder Olsen, and Elder Giles.

Elder Picon (Peru) and Elder Martinez (Argentina).

Elder Palmer, Elder Morris, Elder Vaterlaus, Elder McDonald, Elder Szabo (Hungary), Elder Synelnikov (Ukraine), Elder Furugen (Japan) and Elder Mullins.

And we also celebrated Sister Clement's birthday.  Her food - cupcakes!  The perfect American birthday treat.

Zone Conference - Silver Spring North and Suitland Zones: January 24, 2013

What a difference a day makes.  Our final day of zone conference was held in the snow. This made car checks very interesting.

The missionaries still did some of the car check despite the cold and the snow.

And here are the missionaries who came through my workshop.

Front row left to right: Elder Pawlenchuk, Elder Fletcher, Elder Carrera and Elder Alca.
Back row: Elder Schow, Elder Olson and Elder Hatch.

Front row left to right: Elder Livengood and Elder Appiah.
Back row: Elder Watson, Elder Radford, Elder Seely and Elder Moss.

Front row left to right: Elder Lowry, Elder Clapier and Elder Kuddes.
Back row: Elder Bates, Elder Broadhead, Elder Jelitto and Elder Mecham.

Front row left to right: Elder Galuvao and Elder Seymore.
2nd row: Elder Wery, Elder Queen, Elder Pon and Elder Raasveld.
Back row: Elder Oaks and Sister Oaks.

Front row left to right: Elder Peterson, Elder Epperson, Elder Gilbert, Elder Hunt and Elder Kuddes.
2nd row: Elder Winkler, Elder Squires, Elder Lanham and Elder Dickerson.
3rd row: Elder Wells, Elder Loveless, Sister Waldron and Elder Waldron.
Back row: Sister Brown (standing), Sister Larsen, Sister Lavrentyeva, Elder Jackson and Sister Jackson.

Front row left to right: Elder Schoemig, Elder Gleed and Elder Julander.
2nd row: Elder Kuddes, Elder Tanner, Elder Meserole, Elder Winkler.
Next row: Sister Brown, Sister Larsen and Elder Wells.

And during the zone breakouts the missionaries practiced together.

Left to right: Elder Livengood, Elder Julander, Elder Carrera and Elder Fletcher.

Today's lunch included pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, baked beans and fruit cobbler with ice cream.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Galuvao, Elder Seely, Elder Lanham and Elder Olson and others.
Right side of table front to back: Eldder Seymore, Elder Winkler, Elder Carrera and more.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Appiah, Elder Livengood, Elder Peterson, Elder Gilbert and Elder Szabo.
Right side of table front to back: Elder Jelitto, Elder Schoemig and Elder Julander and others.

Left side of table front to back: Sister Oaks, Elder Oaks, Sister Knight and more.
Right side of table: Elder Black and Sister Black and others.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Clapier, Elder Alca and Elder Carrera.
Right side of table: Elder Tanner, Elder Hatch and others.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Watson, Elder Radford, Elder Julander and Elder Schoemig.
Right side of table front to back: Elder Szabo, Elder Gilbert, Elder Peterson and Elder Livengood.

First we sing a thank you to the sisters from the White Plains 1st ward who provided lunch.

I wait in the wings with the birthday presents.

Those celebrating birthday are left to right: Elder Watson, Elder Hunt, Elder Lanham, Elder Appiah, Elder Livengood, Elder Pawlenchuk, Sister Bechaver and Elder Jackson.

Sister Bechaver doesn't have to fight her way to the gifts.

It's another story for the elders. 

Elder Lanham and Elder Alca show off their choices.

The puppet show was demonstrated again in this zone - as well as the other two.

You can make out the figures of the elders who are the pupeteers.  In front are the characters: Cigarette, tar, addiction, Mike and smoke.

Zone Conference - Washington South Zone and Silver Spring North Zone: January 22, 2013

Day 2 of zone conferences:  We know it's January.

Elder Black, vehicle coordinator, oversees the car checks.

Elder Bodily points to the table decorations.

Here are the missionaries coming through my breakout session.

Front row left to right: Elder Giles, Elder Miyasaki, Elder Gremillion and Elder Martinez.
Back row: Sister Bullock and Sister Lawrence.

Front row left to right: Sister Morotti, Sister Gros, Sister Harper, Elder Sterr and Elder Munoz.
Back row: Elder Gillespie and Elder Bott.

Front row left to right: Elder Synelnikov, Elder Picon, Elder Branning, Elder Lim and Elder Olsen.
Back row: Elder Vanaa (nursing a cold - thus in isolation).

Front row left to right: Elder Furugen, Elder Nielsen, Elder Centeno and Elder Snow.
Back row: Elder Bodily, Elder Florez and Elder Andersen.

Front row left to right: Sister Smith, Sister Holt and Sister Wege.
Back row: Sister Engman, Sister Brown, Elder Porter, Sister Porter and Elder Chapman.

The two zones meet for training.

Zone leaders Elder Nielsen and Elder Furugen also teach their zone.

Today's lunch was a taco salad bar.

Left side of table front to back: Sister Oaks, Sister Black, Elder Black and Sister Wege.
Right side of table front to back: Elder Oaks, Sister Harper, Sister Porter and Elder Porter.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Picon, Elder Anderson, Elder Branning.
Right side of table front to back: Sister Lorenzana, Elder Flores and Elder Vanaa.

Left side of table front to back: Sister Holt, Sister Smith, Sister Gros and Sister Lawrence.
Right side of table front to back: Sister Engman, Sister Brown, Sister Morotti and Sister Bullock.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Miyasaki, Elder Lim, Elder Sanchez and Elder Standing.
Right side of table front to back: Elder Centeno, Elder Synelnikov and Elder Bigelow.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Hunt, Elder Giles and Elder Olsen.
Right side of table front to back: Elder Epperson, Elder Nielsen, President Matsumori and Elder Martinez.

Left side of table front to back: Elder Sterr, Elder Bodily, Elder Furugen and Elder Snow.
Fright side of table front to back: Elder Munoz, Elder Gremillion and Elder Chapman.

Sister Bullock tries to decide on her gift.

Birthday recipients left to right:  Elder Munoz, Elder Chapman, Elder Furugen and  Elder Gillespie

Elder Chapman shows off his birthday tie.

Another part of zone conference was a puppet show by Elder and Sister Oaks - serving in Anacostia.  This puppet show was developed in conjunction with the church as a way to help young people learn the dangers of smoking and drinking. When it is presented, it is not tied to the church - but is a service.  It was presented to all of the  missionaries in hopes of having the missionaries provide contacts of teachers who might be interested in this presentation in their classroom.

Elder Oaks holds one of the characters "tar" who is bad for you.  

Elder Epperson and Elder Hunt are the puppeteers.  They serve in Anacostia with Elder and Sister Oaks.

The children (there because their mothers served us lunch) were running around and fidgeting moments before are now  perfectly still.