Masks and Service

The church leaders had asked that all our missionaries wear masks when in public.  Many Relief Society sisters and missionaries made masks for us.  Within a week all our missionaries had homemade cloth masks to wear.  We are so grateful for all those who are always so willing to help us and others.  When ye are in the Service of your fellow being you are only in the Service of your God.

Missionaries and Social Distancing!

 We loved being able to see missionaries and social distance (6 feet) as we brought mail to them

Texas Buebonnets

Wild Bluebonnets in Texas are a beautiful sight and one that has alluded me since I have been in Texas  I have tried several times to see them and finally this year I was told they are the most abundant and beautiful they have been in years.  We decided to get all the mail and packages for the missionaries in the Sealy area and college station area and see if we could find some fields with wild bluebonnets as we drove on our way.  We were not disappointed!  They truly are a beautiful sight.

It is hard to tell in the picture how beautiful

and abundant they are!

We brought our assistants Elders Tebbs and Sevy

with us to help out!

Zone Conference Like no Other (except all the missions in the US and Possibly Canada!)

Typically we have 4 (in person) zone conferences each 6 weeks. With the stay at home order we decided to have 7 zoom video zone conferences, everything since March 25 has been on zoom video!  We are grateful to  be able to communicate with the missionaries this way and at least see their happy faces!  Our assistants Elder Tebbs and Elder Sevy took turns conducting the conferences.  All began with prayer, a musical number, the mission statement and training by President Peterson which included a video with Elder Neilson and Elder Uchtdorf on teaching the restored gospel and being situationally aware of those we teach.  This was followed by a half hour  discussion with Gary Miller a convert of about 3 months who had previously been an independent fundamentalist Baptist preacher.  He talked of meeting missionaries when he was 15 and years later in an ER and 20 years later listening to a podcast on the book of Mormon.  About a year after that he had read the Book of Mormon and studied and he along with his wife were baptized.  He recently baptized 2 of his daughters.
We then had a break followed by training from the assistants and President Kizerian who trained on making videos for facebook.
Our departing missionaries shared their testimonies:  Elder Tebbs, Elder Watt, Elder Winters, Elder Owens,  Elder Johnson, Elder Merritt, Sister Ethington

President Peterson concluded with teaching us from the book of Judges and the army of Gideon which the Lord had decreased in size to win a battle, and all knew it was the Lord who had won.

Gary Miller

President Kizerian

Elder Tebbs and Elder Sevy

Tuesday Mission Devotionals

March 25 began the stay at home order for Harris County which is where the majority of our missionaries live, and for a few other counties.  We are able to go out to the grocery store, doctor and other essential errands, basically it means our missionaries are to stay in their apartments and could go out on p-day to get groceries and wash clothes.  We decided each Tuesday to have a devotional and invite guest speakers.  Beginning March 31 we have heard from Vai Sikahema, Tad Callister, Scott and Lisa O'Neil, Chris Hoke and Ahmed Corbett.  We learned so much from each, from Vais football career and mission, Elder Callister about the plan of Salvation, the O'Neils about his conversion to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, Chris Hokes football career and trusting in the grace of God and Brother Corbetts teachings from the scriptures.  We look forward to each devotional and have many wonderful guest speakers lined up for the next few weeks!