Mini Missions are the Best!

I love this story...

Look at these beautiful missionaries with President Turk

They are all brothers and sister.

They have been serving mini missions for us 

for the last three weeks.

 They have all submitted their missionary applications 

and are now waiting for their calls.

When we arrived in the mission, the only member of the church

in this family was the father and he was not active.

Then one by one this family has joined the church

and now all three children will be serving missions at the same time.

The young man in the middle in the shorts is their dear friend 

who also put his papers in with them.

All four will be opening their calls around the same time.

HOW EXCITING!

I can't wait to hear where they are going.

They have been excellent mini missionaries for us.

This family has the Missionary Spirit!

Muchas Gracias

Huamachuco and Otuzco - the big O's of the East

Adorable as ever...  I didn't even pay attention to this pose...

Aren't they clever?  Super photogenic!

I told you we would have Huamachuco and Otuzco in today...

Guess which hymn they are singing?

Just read their lips...  I can't remember or I would tell you.

But it was really good.

 They all came in and just took over the office

 They all feel right at home... and that's what we want.

 Their eyes are on the prize.... they are ready to work hard....

... Right after they finish their puzzle race...

 We love you... Elder Dickerson, Elder Bravo, Elder Soto, Elder Cortez

Elder Fuentealba, Elder Arriola, Elder Spencer and Elder Peralta.

 See you soon... nos vemos pronto!

Weekend in Huamachuco...

President Turk and his traveling partners... 

President Mendez his first counselor,

and his secretary, Alexis.. headed to Huamachuco this weekend

for a Branch Conference.  Huamachuco is our smallest

unit in the mission.  The branch has about 50 attending.

 After they had been traveling a few hours, they hit a road block 

and were going to have to sit there for two or three hours.. 

 so they pulled off the road and turned around 

and visited Otuzco for a little while.

These small mountain cities are so fun to visit.

You never know what you are going to see.

They stopped in to see a few of the members.

They also saw the missionaries in Otuzco but President

forgot to take pictures of them.

But never fear, they are in with us on Tuesday for interviews.

I will take a ton a photos of them.

Then it was on the road again to this beautiful plaza in Huamachuco.

The sculptured bushes are absolutely amazing.

 Warriors, pigs, rabbits, squirrels, birds, you name they have it.

And look, they even have missionaries...

The Elders in Haumachuco are Elder Soto, Elder Bravo, 

Elder Dickerson and Elder Arriola.

Saturday night, after the fireside they were able to have a little pizza.

They had a fantastic conference on Sunday.

Here are some of the young women...

 The Branch President is President Salinas.  He is a great man.

 Elder Dickerson is the First Counselor in the Branch and Elder Arrioloa

is the Second Counselor.

 They have things running smoothly in the Branch and are continuing

to build it up so that it can become a ward someday.

President Turk took a picture of this herd of wild Alpacas.
They are funny little animals.

See you on Tuesday Huamachuco and Otuzco!

My Big Sister...

This is my oldest sister Beth.

It is her birthday today.

Happy Birthday Bethy..   I love you!

My sister Beth has been much more to me than a sister...

She is a perfect role model as a mother, a wife, a member of the Church

and she has done so much for her community.

She has just received the award as 

"WOMAN OF THE YEAR"

in Mesa Arizona.

Here is part of the article in the paper about her.

Beth Coons finally got what she deserved.

Considering what she has done and is still doing,                                                                                 you’d be hard pressed to disagree.

Beth Farnsworth Coons is Mesa’s 2012 Woman of the Year.

When you consider her contributions to Mesa specifically and society generally, it’s a no-brainer why previous holders of that title last Friday voted to add her to a constellation of community stars that has grown annually since the award was first created in 1935.

Coons is a mother of eight children who are all college-educated adults. As if that accomplishment wasn’t enough, her legacy of community involvement is staggering.

She served two terms on the Mesa Public Schools governing board, chaired two annual citywide drives by Mesa United Way — which she also has served in countless other capacities as a board member — chaired the state First Things First board and is vice chair of the Mesa Planning and Zoning Committee.

She helps feed hungry families at La Mesita Family Homeless Shelter and works with AZ Brainfood, a group of volunteers who make sure needy youngsters go home from school on the weekends with a backpack full of food.

The daughter of former Mesa Man and Woman of the Year winners Ross and Anita Farnsworth, Coons “has learned from her family and upbringing that service to her community makes a positive and lasting difference,” one of her nominators said. “Her work is inspirational. She makes things happen,” another said.

Asked about her reaction, she said, “I am honored and I am humbled.” Humbled, she said, “because there have been so many wonderful people who have been given this title.”

As someone who has worked with her on the Mesa United Way board, it doesn’t surprise me that her selflessness and humility might make her overlook the fact that she’s long overdue to be formally put in that group as well.

Isn't she amazing?   It's difficult trying to keep up with her...

so I stopped trying.

I am so proud of her.

Happy Birthday and thanks for taking care

of everyone and everything!

Sweeeeet !

My mighty Huaraz Zone that is the farthest away from me

sent this beautiful birthday wish...

Muchas Gracias...

I Love You Huaraz!

Thank you to my sweet Zone Leaders...  Elder Brian and Elder Quispe

and all of the rest of the Zone...

Elders:  Acuña, Albujar, DeleFuente, Garcia, Hill, Lorenzo

Perez, Prestwich, Ipi and Román

Hermanas: Doxey and Lujan and two mini missionaries

from my ward here in California...  Hermanas Rojas and Martos.

This was special to me!

Best Birthday.... EVER!

I share a birthday with four of my missionaries right now in the mission.

Elder Patiño, Elder Iler, Elder Zapata and Hermana Cornelio

We are Quints from other Mothers....

I love sharing this day with them forever... Happiest Birthday!

Elder Iler

Elder Patiño

Elder Zapata

  Hermana Cornelio

Congratulations to Elder Iler who had four baptisms 

today on his birthday...

He said it was the greatest day ever!

I agree with him.  There is nothing that brings more joy

than inviting others to Come unto Christ.

I love alliteration... so here's my birthday in a nutshell..

Magnificent Mighty Missionaries.... (that I love)

Sweet Sensitive Sisters 

 Culinary Creations

Huge Hamburgers

Beautiful Bouquets

 Criminally good Carrot Cake 

Friends and photos and phones and Fantastic Conversations...

Really... today was just as good as it gets!

Thanks for all the messages and calls and love...

gifts and cards and packages...

I can never repay you all.

Just Perfection!

Little Presidents in Training...

President Turk interviewed all of these Elders this morning.

This is just part of the East Zone.

The other half is farther away and will come in on another day.

President has been talking about the phrase  "Pray Always" in his interviews

Many of the missionaries are learning for the first

time in their lives what is means to pray always.

They are also learning to pray for others besides their own families.

Prayer becomes a huge part of these missionaries lives.

If you count all the prayers that a missionary offers in a day

it is an amazing amount.

With their personal prayers, companionship prayers, prayers at lessons,

teaching others to pray, prayers at any church meetings or mission gatherings,

District meetings, Zone meetings, 

prayers for investigators, and a prayer in their heart always

before they teach or speak or train.

Many, many, many, many, many...

The missionaries are saying things like this to President Turk...

"When I started to pray, my life went from bitter to sweet."

"When I pray I feel I am being accountable to God."

"Miracles have happened through my prayers"

"I know what it means now to Cry unto the Lord"

So much growth comes on a mission.

 Elders Mendoza and Gamboa are the Zone Leaders for the East Zone.

They did some awesome training today... Thank you Elders.

Look who I caught in President Turk's office.

Elder Shimp feels comfortable in President's chair.

I know that many of these missionaries will be Presidents someday.

They are amazing and they just seem to be getting 

better and better.  They are all Presidents in training.

I hope they each feel comfortable in his chair....

We expect fantastic things from our missionaries.

The Church is in great hands with these extraordinary

young men and women.

Jam Packed Day with the Zone Leaders

We had 4 hours of great training with these men this morning....

... including a special musical number and going over the spiritual numbers.

We had a beautiful lunch with Lucy's roast beef and yummy potatoes...

and Cinnamon rolls for dessert with a ton of frosting 

applied by these gentlemen.

Thanks for the help... you can never have enough frosting.

Lucy's cinnamon rolls are scrumptious and she makes them 

with love for all of these Elders that she considers her own.

I had my favorite matching game going on after lunch...

If they pick up two discs with the same animal

they win a prize... today it was Pinkberry yogurt.

 The game is easier than it seems. There are eight of each animal.

Oops Elder Castillo got a horse and a cow... sorry.

I surprised them all and took everyone for a Pinkberry.

The missionaries love to lay down on the carpet because you 

don't see carpet anywhere in the homes here.

Below are our five newest Zone Leaders....

Elder Quispe, Elder Mieles, Elder Wallace, Elder Cook

and Elder Levos.  Just when you think they can't get

any better than what we have.... TA- DA... some more great ones!

After lunch it was off to do a few hours of service...

We went to a couple of the chapels and scrubbed down

hundreds of chairs... There was a lot of scrubbing, 

some strong chemical smells and it got pretty sudsy. 

  

So sudsy and slippery in fact,  that we had a couple of our Elders go down...

Thank goodness no one was injured...

Who knew that scrubbing chairs could be this dangerous.

Elder Levos is tough... he's wet, but he's tough.

Elder Olivares looks like he is wearing a Jewish Kippah.

The Elders did a lot of great work and it was

so fun because they got to wear a mask.

Thanks to our mopping committee...

Elder Wallace and Elder Mecham

Of course on the way out of the church

we had to have a quick shoot out, kick off, 

whatever they are called, I can't remember again.

And then off to our newest addition to trujillo.... Pinkberry Yogurt.

It was hilarious to see some of the combinations of the toppings.

There would be kiwi with gummy bears with cheese cake bites
and waffle cones

all with some other golden fruit berries from the jungle

 on top of Lucuma flavored yogurt - Wow....

 We packed the store with all our Zone Leaders.

The workers had to take photos of all of them in the store.

And of course President Turk
and the Elders were getting referrals from the workers.

It was a nice treat and we hope more that it is a nice

introduction to the Gospel of Jesus Christ for someone.

Life Changing Yogurt run...

Zone Leaders you are the Best Ever!

We love each one of you!