WASHINGTON D.C. SOUTH MISSION: February 2012

KING STREET CHAPEL- OLD AND BEAUTIFUL

We visited the King Street Chapel for church. This is one of the oldest buildings in the mission.

It is just beautiful. It has these gigantic wooden doors at the front of the building where you enter into the lobby. Across the lobby there is another set of beautiful white double doors leading to the back of the chapel. And the chapel has the old white pews that are just gorgeous.

I love to visit this chapel just because it is so lovely and the ward is really great too.

MISSION HOME FIRESIDE - DEC 18-11

Another wonderful Mission Home Fireside. Sent out a Text message at about 5;30 to see if anyone was coming. Had RSVP for 53 immediately. And I know at least half don't call. Sure enough we had the biggest one ever. About 90 people. We were overflowing into the dinning rooms and kitchen. But it was so great. The spirit was wonderful.

We had two new converts speak. Bro and Sister Wright, a young couple who have just joined. They had a wonderful spirit and spoke of how the church is strenthening their family and how they are closer as a family now. They have 3 little boys and this has been great for them. They had asked their parents to go to church. It was really special to hear their fresh new testimonies. They are from Richfield, Utah.

We also had a wonderful young lady, Audrey, share her story with us. This is really fun for us because she is from Las Vegas and a lot of our friends know her. She has been taking lessons for over a year and really wanted to get baptized. She has a special and beautiful spirit. She was really a great speaker and got everyone laughing telling them about meeting Elder Tauofou. She said her missionaries were just the right ones for her and that Heavenly Father knew "who she would connect with". She said "being a Mormon means you love your Savior". What a beautiful statement. We all love her and are so happy she has finally found the courage to do what the spirit has been telling her for a long time.

Bro and Sis Wright

President and I with Audrey

The balcony seats.

A full house. Missionaries standing at the back

Sister Dana played the most beautiful arrangement of "Jesus once Was a Little Child". Sis Vogelsberg was her music stand.

Sister Lee was asked to share her testimony. Did fabulous as always

Bro David Mullins was asked to share his testimony as he and his family plan a trip to the temple in about 6 weeks. Lots of missionaries are returning to go to the temple with them.

This sweet sister is from South Africa. Her's the First Book of Mormon we have had requested in Africaans. This is really exciting for President Albright. He served his mission in South Africa and was able visit with her in her native language. (She was baptized a bout 10 days later)

SISTER OLSEN & DANGAASUREN DEPART

We have had 2 more of our wonderful sisters depart. Sister Olsen has returned home to have some shoulder surgery. She has had a lot of medical problems all stemming from a tumble down some icy stairs when she first arrived in the mission. We hope they can get her better soon and she will return to the mission.

And Sister Dangaasuren returned to Temple Square Salt Lake City. She was assigned to us for just 2 transfers. They have the SLC sisters work in a proselyting mission for 12 weeks so they get the experience of both a visitor center mission and a tracting, knocking, proselyting mission also. She is a darling young lady from Mongolia and has been a wonderful and bold sister.

We will miss her.

Sister Dangaasuren with Pres and Sis Albright

Sister Olsen with Albrights

Sister Olsen hanging her tie on the banister.

OUR WONDERFUL ELDER DOUGLAS PLUMMER PASSES AWAY

We are so sad to share this news. We have had a wonderful couple serving in the mission: Elder Douglas and Kristine Plummer. They are from Bountiful, Utah. This sweet couple has been a joy to get to know. They have been working in the office also and have been so great.

Yesterday, February 15 Elder Plummer passed away from a sudden stroke. We will miss them both and send our love and prayers to them and their family.

Elder Plummer in the office.

ELDER BAZZLE - TEMPLE AND DEPARTING DINNER

Elder Ryon Bazzle is departing on Friday Feb 10, 2012 very early in the morning. We will be driving to interviews and so the assistants will take him to the airport. He has been an amazing missionary. He has the most wonderful SMILE. I love seeing him because his smile and personality lights up the room.

On Thurs, President Albright and Elder Bazzle went to the temple together. It is always fun to visit the temple with the departing missionaries. They love to go to the DC Temple one last time before they head home. It is a special memory.

At the office, Elder Bazzle brought me his tie for the banister.

President and Elder at the temple

We went to dinner with Elder Bazzle and his roommates Elders Earnshaw and Ursenbach the evening before he left.

LEADERSHIP MEETING- FEB 9, 2012

We held a Leadership Meeting on February 9, 2012. This was a great meeting.

President Albright always gets them the missionaries excited and inspired.

The APs gave a presentation on Effective questions and our 480 goals

ZLs Slade and Whipple taught on the PMG Invite

ZLs Parker talked about filling out baptismal records (this is really important because until the record is filled out correctly and submitted to Salt Lake City the baptism is not complete or counted).

ZLs West and Church held a council on correcting diobedience

After the meetings ended, I went with them to CiCis pizza and President Albright went to the temple with Elder Bazzle who is departing in the morning.

The assistants and office elders attend plus all Zone Leaders and District Leaders.

And this time the sister Exchange coordinators were also invited.

Those invited were:

Elders Kotyk and Peterson - Assistants

Elders Harb and Bay - Office Elders

Elders Carter and Mower - ZoneLeaders Annandale

Elders Norris, Nelson, Paswaters - District Leaders Annandale

Elders Church and Dallin West - Zone Leaders- Ashburn

Elders Perry, Liew- District Leaders - Ashburn

Elders Slade and Whipple - Zone Leaders Centreville

Elders Zabriskie, Freeman, Terry- District Leaders - Centreville

Elders Skousen and Walker - Zone Leaders - Fredericksburg

Elders Sherwani, Dakota Anderson, Cook, Hussey- District Leaders

Elders Horton and Campbell- Zone Leaders - McLean Zone

Elders Dickson, Hanson, Gubler- District Leaders

Elders Chance Johnson and Ryan White- Zone Leaders - Mt Vernon

Elders Earl, Harper Taylor, Wright- District Leaders

Elders Westover and Jensen- Zone Leaders Oakton

Elders Lafeen, Carnline and Bezzant- District leaders

Elders Yancey and Parker- Zone Leaders Woodbridge

Elders Edgington, Garrett White, Tejada- District Leaders

Sisters Rozsa and Vogelsberg - exchange leaders and their companions Sisters Yoon and Dana

Group picture

I gave a lesson about the Leadership Lifesavers-Love, Laughter, Listening and Loyalty(trust). We talked about the importance of each of these in being leaders. And we had an activity about listening. They were split into 2 groups. They all wore blindfolds and then had to put themselves into order according to their birthdays. This required alot of listening and working together. Then they had to get in order according to other things like,

height, last names, etc. This is a really fun activity. It was pretty fun to watch.

Elders Church, Wright, and Gubler teach

Elder White teaches.

INTERVIEWS BEGIN- 8 DAYS OF FUN

This is some of the elders at the interviews in the Fredericksburg Zone.

This is a favorite activity. Interviewing each of the missionaries. It takes 8 full days.

We drive to each stake center and the missionaries come at their assigned time and while Pres interviews one missionary I get to visit with their companion. I love getting to visit with each of them and get to know them better. We have wonderful, fun, spiritual missionaries.

Our schedule was:

February 7 Tues Woodbridge Zone

February 8 Wed Oakton Zone

February 10 Fri Mt. Vernon Zone

February 14 Tues McLean Zone

February 15 Wed Fredericksburg Zone

February 17 Fri Centreville Zone

February 21 Tues Ashburn Zone

February 23 Thurs Annandale Zone

The days inbetween these days were busy too.

February 9 Thurs Leadership Mtg

February 16 Thurs Return and Report

February 22 Wed Temple trip with Departing group and lunch

We try not to hold interviews on Mondays because the missionaries have P-day and that is a pretty important day for them. A little rest and relaxation.

But on Mondays we Staff meetings at the office. They are great fun and we love everyone who works at the office. We couldn't run a mission without them. They are really indispensible

I only took a couple of random pictures at interviews.

Sisters Vaitai and Mecham

Elders Westover and Jensen

Elder Schmidt

Elder Arthur Wilson, A really good artist. Me made this chart to show the Plan of Salvation.

Elder Bezzant made this really cute chart to show how repentance works. Well done

Elders Mann and

GMU GAME - FEB 8, 2012

The mission attended the George Mason University Game on February 8, 2012. About 100 of the missionaries chose to attend. It was great fun. I took pictures of the ones I could find. Sorry I didn't get everyone.

George Mason is a really large university located right near the mission office. We have missionaries assigned to the campus as one of our areas. This school is considered one of the most diverse in the country.