Evansville Zone Conference - January 17, 2012

     The quarterly Zone Conferences are occasions that we as the Mission President and his wife, look forward to, as opportunities to see all of our missionaries and give them training and encouragement in their missionary responsibilities. The missionaries look forward to them, too, as a chance to receive instruction and counsel, and be built up and energized for the Work. Its also a great way to see the other missionaries and hear what is going on in other parts of the mission. 

           Zone Conference this time, as usual, took most of the day, starting with an Opening Song and Prayer, standing Recitals (saying the Missionary Purpose and Doctrine and Covenants Chapter 4 from memory) and a scriptural thought and message.  They were conducted by the Assistants to the President with President Woodbury presiding. In each, there was a message and talk by a Stake President or one of the Counselors in the MIssion Presidency and a talk on a Christ-like attribute, this time, diligence, by Sister Woodbury. Instruction on driving safety and car maintenance was given by Elder Lewis, who is in charge of Mission vehicles, and President Woodbury showed showed a number of short vignettes on DVD about safe driving, After a musical number, President Woodbury took over and did "Tune-Ups', meaning talking about various ideas, goals, problems, and target areas for the mission. Sister Woodbury gave awards of cleaning products and her homemade chocolate chip cookies to those who won the Cleanliness Survey regarding the present condition of their apartments, and also the winners of the Diligence Survey, regarding, what else(?), their diligence as missionaries.

          Lunch was served to us by wonderful local RElief Society ladies in the cultural hall, and concluded with the traditional singing of the GKLM version of "Called to Serve" as a thank-you for their kindness. 

Elder Fegan, Elder J. Day, Elder Haws, Elder Colling, Elder Winn, Elder Hendesron, Elder Stromness, Elder C. Johnson, and Elder Rigby

The wonderful Relief Society Sisters

Elder J. Smith, Elder Harshsman, Elder B. Day, Elder Anderson,

Elder Hubbell, Elder Fegan, Edler Lipsh, Elder J. Day, Elder Colling,

Elder Henderson, Elder C. Johnson

Sister Ash, Sister Waite, Elder Harshman in back, Sister Mead, Sister Hunt, 

Elder Lipsh, Elder Anderson, Elder Daynes

Elder Barlow, Elder Harshman, Elder Humes, Elder J. Smith,

Elder Howell, Elder B. Day, Elder Lewis, Elder Anderson, Elder Daynes

Sister Mead, Sister Hunt, Elder Barlow, Elder B. Day, Elder Anderson,

 Elder Daynes, Sister Gibson, Elder Lewis, Sister Taylor,

Elder Garrity, Elder Fegan

Elder Haw, Elder Harper, Elder Garrity,

President Woodbury, Elder Stromness, Elder Winn

Elder Garrity, Elder Daynes, Sister Taylor, Elder Hubbell?,

Sister Gibson, Elder Lipsh, Elder Humes, Elder Ipson, Elder and Sister Lewis

Then it was back to the Conference. 

      With Elder Stromness at the piano, Sister Woodbury did a session of singing, introducing the medley of songs she put together and had arranged for the mission. It consisted of "The Valiant Song," "I Hope They Call Me on a  Mission," "We'll Bring the World His Truth" (Armies of Helaman), parts of "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," and ending in "Called to Serve." In the last verse of the latter, half of the missionaries simultaneously sing "The Valiant Song" which has the same chord progression. It worked fabulously, concluding with a big reprise of "God our strength will be, press forward ever called...to...serve our...King!"  Too bad we didn't have an audience to hear us - we sounded awesome!      

     Following the music, President Woodbury once again took over to do the afternoon training on the Doctrine of Christ. Everyone then broke up into smaller groups in various rooms in the building, to do practicing and role-plays, overseen by President Woodbury and the two Assistants, Elder Johnson and Elder Winn.

Elder Waddell, ?, Elder Harper, Elder Garrity, Elder Haws

Elder Stromness, Elder HEnderson, Elder Fegan, Elder Morrison

Elder C. Johnson in front

Elder Haws, Elder Garrity, Elder Harper, ?, Elder Waddell

Elder Morrison Elder Fegan, Elder Henderson, Elder Stomness

Elder Winn moderating, Elder Hubbell, Elder Rigby, Elder J. Day

with Elder Harshman, Elder B. Day, and Elder Barlow in background

Elder Rigby, Hubbell, and Elder J. Day

with Elder Barlow, Elder Humes, Elder Colling, Elder J. Smith, and Elder Howell in background

Elder Harshman, Edler B. Day, Elder Barlow, Elder Humes,

Elder Colling, Elder J. Smith, and Elder Howell

Elder anderson, Elder Daynes, Elder Lipsh, Elder Ipson

Sister Waite, Sister Ash, Sister Hunt, Sister Mead, Sister Gibson, Sister Taylor

with President Woodbury moderating

Siste Waite and Sister Ash in role-play with Elder Anderson

Elder Daynes Elder Lipsh, and Elder Ipson in back

with Sister taylor, Sister Gibson, Sister Mead and Sister Hunt

with their backs to us

Sister Hunt commenting

        The Zone Leaders had time with their Zones to do instruction and Accountabilites, then everyone returned to the main group for Farewell Testimonies by the missionaries who were going to be ending their mission before the next Zone Conference. 

        After concluding remarks by President Woodbury, a closing song, and prayer, the conference was officially over. Still, everyone met back in the gym for Zone and small group photos, socializing, and Sister Woodbury's chocolate chip cookies. 

Elder Winn, Elder Harper, Elder Haws, Elder Garrity

Elder Ipson and Elder Dye

Elder Fegan, Elder J. Day, Elder Morrison, Elder Humes

Sister Hunt, Sister Mead, Sister Taylor, Sister Ash

THE EVANSVILLE ZONE

Back: Elder Daynes, Elder Howell, Elder J. Smith, Elder Barlow, Elder J. Day, Elder Morrison, Elder Harper,

Elder Waddell, Elder Henderson, Sister Mead, Sister Hunt, Sister Ash, Sister Taylor, Sister Gibson, Sister Waite

Front: Elder Anderson, Elder Dye, Elder Humes, Elder Lipsh, Elder Ipson, Elder Fegan, Edler Garrity, Elder Haws,

Elder Colling, Elder Rigby, Elder Hubbell, Elder B. Day, Elder Harshman, Elder Winn, Elder C. Johnson

Sister Taylor, Sister Woodbury, Sister Hunt, Sister Mead,

Sister Ash, Sister Waite, Sister Gibson

Elder Johnson signing Elder Rigby's tie

Elder Anderson, Elder Fegan, Elder Morrison, Elder Garrity,

Elder Waddell, and Elder Daynes

Elder Ipson and Elder Haws

Zone Leaders Elder Morrison above

and Elder Fegan below

Elder Dye and Elder Howell

Elder Anderson, Elder Barlow, Elder J. Smith

with Elder Colling in background

President Woodbury met with several missionaries needing counseling, 

blessings, Ecclesiastical Endorsements for school, or Temple Recommend renewals as the rest of the wonderful missionaries of the GKLM Evansville Zone, trickled off to their appointments, visits and tracting for the evening.