On a roll with Zone Conferences

The week after transfers, Zone Conferences are held.  This gets the new missionaries acquainted with their zone and gives them valuable instruction from President and Sister Evans.  We also have short sessions on practical topics or techniques.  This cycle, the zone leaders, teaching Sisters, Elder Spencer, and I presented,  I covered budgeting.  Every other conference, we inspect the cars and take some in for routine servicing.  I prefer working in the cold to the rain that we had on Wednesday.

The Evans's came up with an after lunch diversion which was a big hit: an egg roll.   You are paired up and roll you egg toward your opponent's egg.  The egg that cracks loses and the winner advances. 

Here are Sister Jones and my eggs:  Annlilotte (for the grandaughters) and Eggcellent.

Sister Jones won the first round, but lost in the second.  I lost in the first round.

Elder Spencer applied his engineer's analysis to pick the winning egg, "Tiwi."

Sacred Music and the Sacred Grove

The Hill Cumorah Visitor Center hosts five concerts during the spring with performances by some of the very talented missionaries and local talent which are mostly students at the Eastman School of Music.  We attended most of the concerts.  The last  session consisted of Sister Holzer with a piano solo and a vocalist, Carley Campbell and a harpist, Elizabeth Wheelwright from ESM.

The days are lengthening and the bugs are not out yet, so Sister Jones and I spent time after the concert in the Sacred Grove.  It was a very special and appropriate Easter. 

Springtime in Batavia

The Batavia Branch had a spring and Easter theme for their monthly potluck.  We provided one of 3 hams to the tasty banquet. 

New Missionaries

The returning missionaries go the the airport in the morning and the arriving come late in the afternoon.  The President and his assistants meet them and take them to  downtown Rmochester to distribute Books of Mormon to folks on the street.  Then to the mission home for dinner and an orientation from the nurse, vehicle coordinator, me in my finance secretary role, the Assistants to the President and the President.   Their day starts in Provo about 4 am, so they are pretty well zombied by the time we try to impart wisdom to them.  The APs, Elders Larson and Peters are in the background.  Elder Jones is in the back row.  His name was easy to remember. The 

Sisters are (L-R front row) Henrie, Dickey, Canova,  & Boulter; (back row) Lytle,  and interviewing with the President, Sister Meyer 

Off they go!

Five missionaries were released to go home this April.  We had gotten to know most of them and were sad to see them leave.

Sister Spencer put together the enchilada dinner with many sides. 

 Elders Winkler and Jordan with some recent converts who dropped by. 

Sisters Ankeny and Van Kampen and Elder Bennett. 

Palmyra North visits the Waters of Brigham

Once a transfer, we take the missionaries who serve around the mission office to the Young Farm to visit the history sites in the neighborhood.  These Elders were present: Broadhead kneeling, Nelson, Judy, Foltz, Falter, Norr, Gardner, Marks, and Hallstrom.

Several took the "Walther Challenge" of drinking from Trout Creek. 

Lunch back at the mission office is part of the outing.

We were joined by this couple, the McKays from Cache Valley, UT, who were touring the church history sites.  They had run into the Spencers at the grocery store and struck up a conversation, so Elder Spencer invited them on the tour.  Brother MacKay was wearing a Wood Badge belt buckle, so we had a lot to talk about... he was even a fellow Fox!  He is a third great grandson of Brigham Young as well as being distantly related to David O McKay.  His professional background was in broadcast and theater.  He and his wife had spent some interesting time in South Africa where he worked as a consultant.  He also did a Donald Duck imitation what was very entertaining.  It was a memorable and enjoyable meal. 

A fun Mission Leadership Conference

The monthly Mission Leadership Conference for Zone Leaders and Visitor Center Trainers is an opportunity for them to receive instruction from President and Sister Evans and the Assistants to the President.  It is also an opportunity for a special meal prepared by the Sisters on the mission staff.  The menu for this one was baked ham, mashed potatoes, and Sister Jones's banana pudding/vanilla wafer dessert. 

Elder Cummings dishes up.

The 40 participants at lunch,

President Evans usually has some activity to get the blood circulating.  Lightening is a favorite.  Sister Miller beat all the Elders.