The Pacific Leadership Seminar (part 2)

We spent four wonderful days with 17 other mission presidents and their wives, being trained by our Area Presidency. We stayed at a lovely hotel in Queenstown NZ, shared ideas, learned much and enjoyed being with our friends who we feel like we have known forever. It was like a mini Mission Leadership Seminar we had in Salt Lake at the MTC.
On the Wednesday we caught two buses and two boats to see the beautiful Doubtful Sound. We have never seen anything so beautiful and majestic in all of our lives. The second boat ride was pretty rough and one poor sister was vomiting. It was a week we will always remember and be grateful for. A few photos:

The "class of 2018" all the new pacific mission presidents and wives
(L to R: Pres & Sis Hoching (Samoa), Runia (Sydney), us, Hafoka (PNG), Marquis (Adelaide) and Duquette (Vanuatu)

Elder and Sister Nattress and Ardern of the Area Presidency. We went to a world famous burger place "Fergburger"

Having dinner at Fergburger YUM!! with Pres and Sis Howes from Adelaide( MTC president and wife in Auckand).

Beautiful Queenstown

The beautiful Doubtful Sound

This tunnel goes into the mountain side is 10km!

Beautiful waterfalls along the way

Elder Ardern and Ora

The great bus we travelled to Doubtful sound on - huge windows and the roof of the bus was partly glass.

The sweet note on our bed the last day of our stay in Queenstown 

Our First Pacific Mission Leadership Seminar part one

We had an exciting wonderful week recently when Paul and I attended our first Pacific Mission Leadership Seminar, which was held in Queenstown NZ.  The best part was we had a layover at Sydney Airport, so we were able to see Joanne and Anthony and Alyce and Eric and families on our stop in Sydney. We then were able to see Rachael and Brad on our stop over in Wellington. It was so wonderful!!

Alyce and Eric picked us up from Sydney airport on the Saturday and drove us to a nearby park where we met up with Joanne and Anthony and the boys. We had a delicious picnic lunch which Alyce had prepared and Joanne and Anthony bought some yummy Krispy Kreme donuts. We were so grateful for them driving all the way to the airport to spend three hours with us. The grandchildren all looked older and taller already! It was a fabulous time.

We boarded our next flight to Wellington where dear Rachael and Brad picked us up from the airport and took us to their home. We didnt arrive until 1 am, as our flight was delayed due to a storm. The next day we went to church together in Wellington ward, then had a delicious lunch that Rachael had made us all. We played games and went for a walk together and the next day was time to go to the airport again. It  was precious time and we loved every second being together.

Four months in the field

The past four months here in the mission field have just sped by in some ways yet it feels like we have been here a year already in some ways. The 6 week cycle keeps things flowing along like a regulated river - no trickling stream here, sometimes its like a raging torrent - but we love being here and are ever grateful for the privilege to serve the Lord and his missionaries in beautiful Perth.

Week one is always farewells to departing missionaries and arrival of the new missionaries. That week is filled with trips to the airport, dinners, lots of training (train the trainers, train the trainers with their new companions), and interviews. The hardest part of the week is saying goodbye to our departing missionaries. One sister (Sis Barrett) recently said, "My mission hasn't been one bit of a sacrifice. I have lost nothing and gained everything.That is the caliber of many of the missionaries we are blessed to serve with.  After the tearful farewells on the Tuesday evening, the next day we get to pick up the new arriving missionaries. Many are exhausted from their long haul USA flight. Paul keeps them busy, with going finding with the Assistants not long after they arrive, interviews, we have a dinner and devotional in our home and then they fall into bed about 9pm. One missionary just fell asleep on the lounge during the devotional. Poor Elder Maksymov - we could barely wake him to get to bed. He is from the Ukraine. We have so many varied countries represented by our missionaries :  Thailand, USA, Ukraine, Japan, Philippines, Kiribati, Austria, England, Wales, Australia, NZ, Tonga, Samoa to name a few.

Week 2 is Zone Conferences. We have 5 Zones, Rockingham, Southern River, North Coast and Dianella and Country Zone. The Country Zone we talk via Zoom so its a little different but seems to work ok.

Week 3 is country Zone conference and often MLC.
Week 4 is interviews, lots of interviews (50 plus) and also follow up training for the new missionaries and their trainers.
Week 5 is more interviews (60 plus)
Week 6 is planning for transfers and then everything begins again the following week with departing and arriving missionaries.

Below are a few pics of our wonderful missionaries.

Rockingham Zone

Southern River Zone

Elder and Sister Daley and Sister Marchant

(Back L to R)Elder Garner, Elder Beck, Elder Allen, Elder Afualo
(Front L to R) Sister Silvera, Sister Harrisonj, Sister McVey, Sister Mahler

Exercise time  6.30am in our garage with the Assistants at the back

Breakfast time after the workout. All the missionaries photos are on the fridge

Elder Marchant, our mission financial secretary and photographer extraordinaire. 

New missionaries and their trainors

Airport time

Sister Chelsie Burridge second from right, with Sisters Murdock, Mohlman and Demille. 

Left to right, Elders Tillivarua (aka Baticago), Tebarra, Mortenson, Little, Kleven and Hampel.
Some of our missionaries from the Islands have two names...its very confusing!

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Sister Barrett

Sisters Somprasart, Mohlman and Barrett