North America Southwest Area Mission President Seminar - Dallas, Texas

 

September 13-16 President Black and I were in Dallas to the North America Southwest Area Mission Presidents Seminar. For four full days we were able to be with 18 other Mission Presidents and their wives who are serving in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. It was nice to be

able to talk with others who are sharing the same types of experiences. We were taught by Elder

and Sister Tad Callister, Elder and Sister Stanley G. Ellis, Elder and Sister Larry Echo Hawk, and Brother Richard Heaton from the MTC. It was a wonderful "leadership training meeting"

and a great spiritual boost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

P-day at Red Rock

Every once in a while you just have to get away from the city and out of the heat! 

The sisters decided to go hiking up in Red Rock Canyon for p-day this week. The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful and it was fun being together.

 

 

 

 Sisters Dillistone, Rasmussen, Pardee, Christensen, Carr, Black, Shaw

 

 Sisters Christensen, Rasmussen, Dillistone, Pardee

 

 Sisters Pardee, Shaw, Black, Carr

 

 

Baptisms

 

These are a few of the pictures of baptisms that missionaries have sent to me along with the simple story of how the investigators came in contact with the church.

During the month of August there were 50 baptisms that took

place within the mission.  

 

 

She married a less active member. They were living with his parents. Missionaries had been visiting the home but hadn't stopped by for almost a year. Her husband and father-in-law prayed specifically for someone to come by to help them move a piano out of storage. The piano had to be moved out that day. As they were heading out the door, the elders showed up and asked if they could give any service. That sparked an interest as to why they would offer to help. The discussion led to hearing the lessons. She read the entire Book of Mormon, took the lessons twice. The pivotal moment was when she talked to the missionaries about how she felt she could never be worthy to make a promise with God. They talked to her about what faith is and that she is a daughter of God and that He loves her. At the end of that lesson she asked if and when she could be baptized.
 

This couple moved to Las Vegas from Argentina. His brother is a member in Utah. They went to Salt Lake to visit and were taken to Temple Square. They filled out referral cards for the missionaries to contact them. They did. They were taught the lessons and could hardly wait the be baptized.

She married an active member, return missionary. They had been married for 6 years. She has been attending church for with him since they were married. She told the missionaries that no one ever approached her about meeting with them and that she would be interested. After they taught her the first lesson she stopped coming to church and didn't want to see the missionaries. A few months later a new set of elders went by their home to meet them. After chatting and getting to know each other, the missionaries asked her if she would like to take the missionary lessons. She said yes. She wanted them to come as often as possible. After helping her resolve a few concerns she was baptized.

They had some neighbors who were good friends. She had a brain aneurysm. The member neighbors offered to give her a blessing. With an immediate recovery, they began investigating the church. Three years later and after asking many questioins, they were baptised.

He married her, she was a less-active member. They were married for several years, and he wanted God to be part in his life. After attending both his church and the ward she belonged to off and on, he realized that his church didn't challenge him to improve or to be more like Christ. He noticed the difference in the lifestyles and wanted to feel the spirit more and to be closer to God.

He married a less active member. After their first child together (they both have children from previous marriages) their daughter became very ill. He witnessed the miracle of priesthood blessings, given by his father-in-law and his grandfather-in-law. He became curious and asked them questions. In time, he started attending church. Then he took the lessons. With the help of the Stop Smoking Program, he quit smoking in 7 days. He was baptised. They are focused on their temple sealing next June at the Nevada Las Vegas Temple.

September Zone Leader Council

 

I can't believe how quickly the months slip by. It is Zone Leader Council again!  This meeting is held the first Wednesday of every month. This is a meeting where all the zone leaders and the assistants come together to discuss about what is taking place in the mission, to set new goals, to train and to  be trained. This is always a good opportunity for a great exchange of ideas and to counsel together.

 

 

 Across the front: Elders Ringer, Oakey, Jones, Edwards, Humphrey,Salinas, Findlay, Weekes, Alford, Vieira, Sister Black, President Black

Across the back:  Elders Zachary, Fairbanks, Stanley, Larson, Rogers, Lee, Lopez, Chambers, Weaver, Mouser

 

Specialized Training

This last Friday we held a Specialized Training Meeting. We brought all the missionaries that came to the mission on the last transfer and the trainers together. President Black spent some time with the entire group then we split, trainers met together and new missionaries met together. Each group shared their experiences and how things were going. We then came back together and and talked about what was shared. We all learned from each other.

Quarterly Temple Trip

The missionaries are able to go to the temple quarterly.

Because the Las Vegas Temple is outside the mission boundaries, the missionaries depend upon members to give them rides to the temple. Members are wonderful to the missionaries. All the companionships were able to arrange for members to take them to the temple. The first group had to be at the temple at 6:30 a.n. and the second group at 7:30 and the third group at 9:30. We certainly do appreciate all the help that the members in this area give to the missionaries.
It was a great day for everybody.

Zone Conferences August 2012

We look forward to quarterly zone conferences where multiple zones come together to be trained. We just held three different conferences with three zones attending each conference.
The mornings began at 8:00 with all the missionaries working with the vehicle coordinators and doing car inspections. At 9:00 Zone Confernece started. New missionaries introduced themselves, spiritual thoughts were shared, all the missionaries were asked to come prepared to give a three minute talk on some part of the restoration of the gospel. Five names were pulled from a box and those five presented their talks. All who didn't have a chance to share their talks were asked to share them with their companion during their companion study the next day.
The theme of our zone conference was The Message of the Restoration. There was training by mission leadership, we practiced what we were being taught by role playing. Those who will be leavng the mission before the next zone conference had the opportunity to bear their testimonies. Lunch was served by the local Relief Society. Lots of pictures were taken and the missionaries love having time to meet up again with comanions that they have served with and around in the past.

South Zone

Elders Seaman, Hunsaker, Austin, Torgerson, Tews, Aldridge, Woodard, Murry

Sisters Garcia, Fisher, Elders Ringer, Larson, Schwartz, Packard

Spring Mountain Zone

Elders Polanco, Schmidt, Werner, Wilcock, Hammond, Quintana, Jones, Buchkovich, Crapo

Elders Cunningham, Jones, Zachary, Paz. Diaz, San Miguel

Las Vegas Zone

Elders Baker, Perez, Benioni, Richards, Barton, Pyron, Mendez, Ririe, Bruce, Caudle

Sisters Pardee, Shaw, Elders Reyes, Oakey, Edwards, Scola

Senior Missionaries

Elders McMillan, President Anderson, President Black, Elder Dana
Sisters Young, McMillan, Andersen, Black, Anderton, Macdonald

Lone Mountain Zone

Elders West, Wilkerson, Pulsipher, Kaelberer, Smith, Parker, Pennington, Steenstra, Jacobsen, Sanders, Smith, Lane

Elder Jack, Sisters Badger, Argueta, Elders Parra, Alford, Lee

Tule Springs Zone

Elders Empey, Gidewall, Tanner, Chapman, Koncurat, McClellan, Rumbach, John, Kredt, Manning

Elders Humphrey, Peacock, Lopez, Stanley, Wong, Fairbanks



Mesquite Zone

Elders Park, Millar, Long, Driggs, Dowdle, Carlson, Findlay, Doss

Elders Ete, Perea, Hoskins, Salinas, Dooley, Craft



Senior Missionaries

Elder Dana, President Webb, Elder Jones

Elder Conder, Sister Conder, Sister Black, President Black

Redrock Zone

Elders Vieira, Butler, Guist, Solis, Godfrey, Baker, Brown, Weekes

Elders Hymas, Reeves, Tanner Wrathall, Blanco, Naranjo

Highland Hills Zone

Elders Cook, Servey, Chambers, Nelson, Giullian, Johnson

Sisters Dillistone, Rasmussen, Elders Weaver, Wissinger, Markle, Skinner

Lakes Zone

Elders Hurst, Gott, Hartley, Wynn, Patterson, Houghton

Elders Cedillo, Rogers, Mouser, Tinoco, SIsters Carr, Chirstensen

 

 

 

 

More pictures from Zone Conference

 



Coming and Going!

Welcome, Elder Hartley!

We are happy to have you as part of the

Nevada Las Vegas West Mission  family!

 

Elder Christensen and Elder Justice left the mission a couple of weeks early. Elder Christensen was scheduled to have surgery on his shoulder and  Elder Justie was to start school just a few days after getting home.  We wish them both the best!

 

 

Elder Justice
 

Elder Christensen

Zone Conferences -- May 2012

OOPS!
I pushed a wrong button and accidently pulled this picture up and I don't have time to
put it back where it goes......sorry!
For the updates just look past this entry!



It is Zone Conference time again. Zone Conferences are held quarterly. The conferences are a time to bring multiple zones together for instruction and training.  Car inspections take place, new missionaries introduce themselves and those who will be leaving before the next Zone Conference have the opportunity to share their testimonies. Lunch is provided by a local Relief Society.

  There are nine zones in the mission. Four in the north area -- Reno, Reno North, Fallon and Carson City. There are five in the south area -- Tule Springs, Lone Mountain, Red Rock, Las Vegas and South.



Individual Zone Pictures

South Area

Lone Mountain Zone

 Elders Ringer, Christensen, Naval, Sisters Badger, Shaw, Elders Parra, Humphrey

Elders Andrews, Torgerson, Pennington, Smith;, Larson, Steenstra, Austin, Sanders, Alford

 Redrock  Zone

Elders Chambers, Cooper, Theurer, Sisters Leilua, Carr, Elders Horning, Bassett

Elders Polanco, Justice, Lougee, Lento, Guist, Edwards, Mendez, Christensen, Quintana, Solis, Rumbach, Baker, Manning

Tule Springs Zone

Elders Cook, Marks, Wong, Weaver, Layton, Lopez, Wissinger

Elders Kredt, Packard, Farnsworth, Selvey, Hugie, Koncurat,

Sisters Knighton, Spencer,  Dixon, Walker

Elder Pulsipher, Boyce, Peacock, McClellaln, Daines, Mathis, Dowuona-Hammond, Markle, Caudle

 South Zone

Elders Seaman, Bradsher, Jithame, Weekes, Sister Garcia, Sister Sprouse

Elders Patterson, Sajche, Werner, Barton, Jones, Skinner, Vieira, Diaz

Elders Rice, Woodard, Findlay, Williams, Brown, Tinoco, Neufville, Cather, Bunnell, Asay 

Las Vegas Zone

Elders Rogers, Mouser, Sister Dillistone, Sister Argueta, Elders Reyes, Barnes, Fairbanks

Elders Hurst, Butler, Wankier, Feldman, Hoskins, West, Lee, Ririe, Buchkovich, Summers

Senior Missionaries

Sister Young, Sister Anderton, Sister Macdonald

President and Sister Black, Elder and Sister Zobell

Elder Conder, Elder Dana

Car Inspection

____________________________

_______________________

Names were pulled out of a bucket to determine who

would present the 3 minute talk that each missionary was asked

to prepare on a Christlike attribute.

The winners were.....

Elder Andrews

 Elder Peacock

 Elder Larson

 Elder Packard

Elder Cook

____________________________

 Elder Butler

 Elder Neufville

 Elder Asay

 Elder Sajche-Meza

Elder Barton

__________________

 We had some training on the importance of 30 minutes of exercise

each morning.  Thses Elders and Sisters are just getting ready to

demonstrate different ways to exercise

________________________________

Elder Dana doing vehicle safety training

Elder Mathis and Elder Spencer training on teaching records

______________________________

As part of our training  we continured to do role playing. The role playing took place in the   'living room' of the investigator. The lesson "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" was taught. There are six segments to the lesson. For every segment we called a different companionship to come up and teach . They had no advance notice and they had five minutes to teach the information. The investigators were Elder and Sister Zobell, with President Black as the member present.  It was an incredible experience to listen to the missionaries teach. Each companionship did a wonderful job.

 Elder Ringer and Elder Parra

Sister Walker and Sister Dixon

Elder Justice and Elder Mendez

Elder Mathis and Elder Marks

Elder McClellan and Elder Selvey

Elder Theurer and Elder Cooper

______________________

 Sister Argueta and Sister Dillistone 

 Elder Werner and Elder Weekes

 Elder Barnes and Elder Hurst

 Elder Barton and Elder Vieira

Elder Rogers and Elder Ririe

Lunch was served by the Highland Hills Stake Relief Society

Singing our Thank You song at the end of the lunch 

________________________

Lunch was served by the Sandstone Stake Relief Society

Singing "Thank You" after lunch

Following lunch we gathered together again to view and discuss one of the new

Bible videos from lds.org.  After the discussion we heard  testimonies from

the Elders and Sisters that will be leaving before the next Zone Conference. The conference ended with remarks and testimony from President and Sister Black.

Musical number by Sisters Dixon, Carr, Leilua, and Walker

Miscellaneous picutres after the conference