Leading Out the New Year

   Sister Woodbury was so happy, she felt like doing "the Mission Mom Dance of Joy!" She got a fine new missionary on January 2nd, and got to have the traditional Zone Leader serenade on the 3rd. What a great way to start the New Year!

Elder Casteneda, Elder Bradford, Elder Young, Elder DeYoung,

Elder Call, Elder Armstrong, Elder Morrison, Elder Anglin

Elder __, Elder Fegan, Elder Corry, Elder Everett, Elder Jacobsen,

Elder Clark, Elder Johnson, and Elder Winn

     Nobody sings "Ye Elders of Israel" like the GKLM Zone Leaders and the Assistants to the President. Maybe it was because it was cold and they just wanted to come inside, but they sounded particularly fine for this month's greeting of the President and his wife before Zone Leader Council.

     Once inside, they got right to work, meeting this time in the Training Room in the Mission Home. basement.  Each Zone Leader team did Accountabilites, basically a "State of the Zone" report, and President Woodbury went over goals for the new year and initiatives for increased effectiveness and success. They talked about the use of Mormon.org including missionary and member profiles, how they can use them to help investigators, and other ways to strengthen and inspire the missionaries. Leaving the council in the late afternoon, everyone took many good thoughts and ideas with them, along with a renewed enthusiasm to make a difference in their Zones and in the mission as a whole.

They never need encouragement to eat.

That's one thing the Zone Leaders and all the missionaries do very well.

They appeared to like the Hawaiian haystacks, most going back for seconds and some, thirds.

Elder Johnson on the right is demonstrating the right way to eat a haystack.

Elder Jacobsen and Elder Bradford

demonstrating the "smile even when your mouth is full" technique. 

I think they liked the cinnamon pull-apart rolls.

Either that or they are really scared of cameras.  

An especially handsome-looking bunch

Back: Elder Morrison, Elder Anglin, Elder Clark, Elder DeYoung, Elder Corry,  Elder Call, and Elder Bradford

Middle: Elder Morriss, Elder Young, Elder Armstrong, Elder Fegan, Elder Eliott, Elder C. Johnson

President Woodbury, Elder Casteneda, Elder Jacobsen, and Elder Winn

I told them to look like they were "mingling."

Elder DeYoung, Elder Young, Elder Call, and Elder C. Johnson

"Pondering"

Elder Morrison, Elder Anglin, Elder Winn, Elder Clark, Elder Jacobsen, Elder Bradford, Elder Fegan, and Elder Morriss

More "pondering."

The things that were discussed in the council must have been quite profound...

Elder DeYoung, Elder Young, Elder Cll, Elder Elliott, and Elder C. Johnson