Zone Conference 6/22/17

The first zone conference was on Thursday, June 22 in Goleta.  The four north zones, SLO, SM, SB, and V, attended.  The morning's focus was the Book of Mormon.  President and Sister Felix took about a half an hour in talking about the Book of Mormon.  We had a breakout session with zone leaders leading a discussion and/or EDPEP with their zones.  We all came back together in the chapel and the zone leaders summarized what transpired in their zone.
SLO - Revelation through the Book of Mormon and being able to receive answers to questions.  The missionaries wrote down on a piece a paper their favorite scripture and placed it in a bowl. One paper was drawn and read. The idea is you can receive answers in the Book of Mormon of any question.  Have confidence in it.
Santa Maria - Characteristics of Book of Mormon missionaries.  The missionaries were assigned prior to zone conference to study the missionary assigned in the Book of Mormon, find an attribute and come prepared to share.
Santa Barbara - Use the Book of Mormon to substantiate the Restoration.  The summary was to make the Book of Mormon a priority in teaching.  The EDPEP was to help the investigator want to read  the last two paragraphs of the introduction.
Ventura - Resolving objections to reading the Book of Mormon.  Each companionship took a concern and shared a scripture to answer the concern.  The Spirit testifies of truth.
Experiences from the Sister Training Leaders, Hermana Training Leaders, Spanish Elder Training Leaders, and Assistants were shared regarding how the Book of Mormon helped an investigator they had taught.

Lunch was provided by the Santa Barbara Stake.  We had lasagne, salad, watermelon , roll, and ice cream sandwiches.

Elders McLawhorn, Wayment, Robins, Strom, Thurgood, Endicott, Alder, President Felix

Elders Allen, Matthews, Chesley, Blaylock, Atkinson, Nielson

Elder & Sister Iverson2, Sister & Elder Iverson, Sisters McGuire, Perry, Mendoza, Greding

Elders K. Davis, Hunter, Holm, H. Davis, Hardy, Scott, Swenson, Palmer

Sister & Elder Andrus, Elders Morby, Gemar, McCurdy, Harvey, Kelly, Shaw

Elders Brodie, Haslam, Hiltscher, Mata, Castro, Portillo

Elders Gray, Bunnage, Cannon, Shumway, Avalos, Liddiard

Hermanas Cortez, Coronel, Gonzalez, Pazmiño, Lethbridge, Anstee, Puertas, Elders Turley, Seui

Hermanas Basset, Huesca, Hernandez, Gomez, Torrico, Price, Dolder, Garcia, Sisters McInnis, Cardon

Sisters Cook, Page, Elders Pierce, Kopaunik, Richards, Snider

Elders Valladares, McLane, Peisley, Reeve, Iongi, Anderson, Rodriguez

Elders Pickett, Judd, Deason, Harper, Reichman, Harris, Feil, Johnson, Reeves, Ameny

Happy Birthday in the month of June:
Sisters Andrus, Page, Cook
Elders Reeve, Alder, Endicott, Hiltscher, McCurdy, Harvey

Clean car awards go to:

 

Elders Matthews and Allen

Elders Wayment and McLawhorn

Hermanas Huesca and Bassett

Elders Vallardares and McLane

Fast and Furious award for Sister Felix and Shot Gun award for President Felix since he is usually the passenger while Sister Felix is driving.

We sang Called to Serve.

San Luis Obispo Zone

Front:  Elders Allen, Hiltscher, Kelly, Atkinson, Nielson, Shaw

Sisters McInnis, Cardon, Hermana Garcia, President & Sister Felix, Hermana Torrico, Sisters Mendoza, Greding

Santa Maria Zone

Elders Holm, Rodriguez, Wayment, Anderson, Cannon

Sister Iverson, Hermanas Coronel, Cortez, Sister & President Felix, Hermanas Anstee, Puertas, Sisters Scott, Hardy

Elders Iverson, Shumway, Davis, McLawhorn, Peisley, Reeves, Sisters Perry, McGuire

Santa Barbara Zone

Elders Johnson, Reeves, Avalos, Liddiard, Castro, Mata, Snider, Pierce

Hermanas Hernandez, Bassett, Huesca, Sister & President Felix, Sisters Cook, Page, Hermana Gomez

Elders McCurdy, Morby, Pickett, Ameny, Judd, Deason, Kopaunik, Richards, Feil, Harris

VenturaZone

 Elders Davis, Strom, Vallardares, McLane, Endicott, Hunter

Hermanas Gonzalez, Lethbridge, Pazmiño, President & Sister Felix, Hermanas Dolder, Price
Elders Sui, Turley, Alder, Thurgood, Harper, Reichman, Grey, Bunnage, Brodie, Portillo

Andrus, Felix, Iverson, Iverson2

President & Sister Ridgeway

We returned to the chapel for the afternoon.
 Elder Andrus announced the plan to have an award for the cleanest apartment in the zone (Clean Unto the Lord Award).  It will begin next transfer.
Sister Iverson spent many hours contacting and compiling pictures and comments from current missionaries and some who have gone home and assembled them in a book.  This was presented to us.

We began the afternoon session after the announcements singing the hymn "I Believe in Christ."
We have all been reading the Book of Mormon and marking the Christ-like attributes.  Every missionary was able to share what attribute stood out to them.
President Felix did a presentation on Christ.  We saw a portion of Elder Bruce R. McConkie's last remarks at General Conference on knowing Jesus Christ.  Stephen McConkie, his son, wrote a poem, "I Believe in Christ, and He Believes in Me." We heard a portion of that.  We had discussion on the Living Christ along with a couple of music videos about Christ being a miracle and He lives.  We were able to watch the fifteen apostles and prophets testify of Christ.
The new missionaries were able to bear a short testimony and the departing missionaries did as well.  It was then Sister Felix's turn to bear testimony and President Felix concluded the conference.  We sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives."
The second conference is the next post.

Mission Presidency

President & Sister Ridgeway, President & Sister Felix, 

Sister & President Moffat

June 8 - We have been so blessed to be able to serve with these men and their wives. 'Such amazing couples! 

We had our last dinner together at Pierpont and enjoyed it very much.

Follow Up

May 30 - We enjoyed meeting with the trainers and their companions.  It's been just over a week since being with them.  We appreciated hearing from Elder Andrus regarding apartments and Elder Iverson talked about the cars. Sister Felix did a presentation on etiquette and then the sisters and elders met separately to talk about dress standards.

President Felix trained on Our Purpose.

Elders Feil and Harris

Since their picture did not get taken last week, it happened today.

MLC

Today we had our last breakfast for MLC.  We were excited to have the missionaries here.  We met the missionaries almost three years ago when they came for breakfast.

I was facing the stove when the missionaries were invited to come into the kitchen for a prayer.  I turned around to see this.  It was so awesome I had to take a picture.

Notice the Fairlife chocolate milk.  We had to treat them!

Hash brown quiche with ham

Scones with fresh strawberry jam or honey

MLC was held from 10:00 to 12:30 and then lunch.  The counsel consisted of addressing the decreasing number of baptisms.  It was discussed that missionaries feel it is easier to find on their own because it takes longer working with members; yet working on their own, many 'potentials' don't pan out.  So it's quality in finding.  Whenever with members, the missionaries should always ask "Who do you know that would benefit from our message?"  The members need to understand our purpose.

The senior couples prepared lunch.

We sang "Called to Serve" as a thank you to the Senior Couples for all they do in helping out.

Front:  Elders Palmer, McLane, Valladares, Suarez, 

Barrios-Vega, Swenson

Hermanas Anstee, Puertas, Sisters Scott, Sister & President Felix, Hermanas Flores, Alder, Sisters Hopkins, Dye

Elders Harvey, Gemar, Wayment, McLawhorn, Morby, McCurdy, Davis, Hunter, Bronson, Judkins, Allison, Jo, Whatcott, Slaugh, Christenson, Hales

Departing 5/24/17

This was prior to our sharing experiences and testimonies.

Most wanted to weigh their luggage to make sure they were under 50 pounds.

Elders Herrera-Loya, Taufatofua, Lallatin

Sister Mortimer, Hermana Arkell, Sisters Fisher, Barnum

President Felix thought he would photo bomb.

Sister Fisher wanted a selfie.

It was a bit foggy when they left for the Burbank airport.