The October 2012 Mission Presidents Seminar

          Twice a year the seventeen Mission Presidents and their wives from the North America Southeast Area meet for a three-day seminar where we receive counsel and instruction from the Seventies and various brethren from the Missionary Department.  The most recent of these meetings occurred October 25-27 in Orlando, Florida.

       

President and Sister Holzapfel from the Alabama Birmingham Mission
with President and Sister Woodbury from the Kentucky Louisville Mission
in front of the doors of the Orlando Florida Temple

        After arriving midday on Thursday, we were taken straight from the airport to the Orlando Temple where we enjoyed a lovely session together.

The view of the Temple from across the street where we had dinner
and our first session of the Seminar

          After the Temple we had dinner and the first segment of the seminar at a Stake Center across the street from the Temple. Elder Ronald Rasband, the senior President of the First Quorum of the Seventy addressed us and gave a preview of what would come in the next two days.

The Mission Presidents and their wives from the North America Southeast Area
and members of the Seventy and their wives

          Friday morning, Elder Rasband talked about the subject in which we were all most interested, that of the change in missionary age requirements and the impact it we could expect in our individual missions. He told us that in the weeks following the announcement, the Mission Department had seen a six-fold (and now closer to ten-fold) increase in applications, with the more than half being young women.  Questions were asked about how we would handle the influx of new missionaries, housing, leadership, training, transportation, and... Sisters on bikes!  Basically, Elder Rasband told us to trust in the Lord and  not to worry too much. It would all work out. Still, it was a continuing topic that surfaced in almost all the sessions. 
          Elder Rasband reminded us of Doctrine and Covenants 88:73: "I will hasten my work in its time." and 2 Nephi 27:20, 21 "...I am able to do mine own work." He said this is a new era in the Church and in missionary work, and we can do it!   

 Brother Tracy Watson, director of Proselyting Division
of the Missionary Department, Elder Marcus Nash
of the First Council of the Seventy,  Elder Walter Gonzalez of the
Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Ronald Rasband
senior President of the Seventy

          There were ten members of the Seventy who attended and participated in the Seminar plus a number of directors and staff in the Missionary Department, Church Curriculum and Public Affairs.  Elder Rasband presided, but Elder Gonzalez, another of the Presidents of the Seventy, conducted most meetings. He directly oversees our area so we have the blessing of having him with us at all the Mission Presidents Seminars. Various brethren, including Elder Marcus Nash, Elder Erich Kopischke, and Brother Tracy Watson (Director of Proselyting in Missionary Department) did presentations and conducted break-out sessions. In the break-out meeting with the wives, Sister Rasband conducted along with Sister Gonzalez and Sister Nash. 

Some of the Seventies at the Seminar, plus Sister Munns next to her husband. 

Good friends:
President and Sister Woodbury of the Kentucky Louisville Mission, 
President and Sister Wall of the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission, 
President and Sister Holm of the South Carolina Columbia Mission, 
President and Sister Irion of the Tennessee Knoxville Mission

          During the course of events we received instruction on the role of missionaries, how to find people to teach, using the Book of Mormon more effectively, the Doctrine of Christ, repentance, rescuing less-active members and those from the "Address Unknown" file, teaching to the needs of the investigator, understanding and teaching about the Atonement, "inoculating" investigators against anti-Mormon influences, more effective planning and goal-setting, and much, much more. And yes, even Mission Presidents and Mission President Wives have to do role-plays, just like the regular missionaries do. President Woodbury and I were called up to do a role-play that Elder Gonzalez had set-up, in front of the whole group including all the General Authorities - talk about nerve-racking - but it went well and the Spirit was strong and flowing. It was one of those instances that Elder Richard G. Scott talks about, when it isn't role-play, its real-play. 

Elder Rasband, Sister Rasband, Sister Woodbury, President Woodbury
Sister Rasband is President Woodbury's first cousin

        

          We stayed on Disney property and after the last session in the early evening Friday we were able to walk or ride a boat over to EPCOT along a picturesque boardwalk with shops and other hotels. We had dinner in a banquet room upstairs at "The American Adventure" then were able to watch the show in the theater. The laser show "Illuminations" was cancelled because of the wind from Hurricane Sandy, so instead we got an hour or so to wander around the country exhibits there at EPCOT before heading back to the hotel.

The Hollywood Tower of Terror was just a "hop, skip,
and a jump" from our hotel,
but this was the closest we got to it. 

Sister Craven and I got a little Goofy
at breakfast... 

         By the time we departed and went out separate ways Saturday evening, all of us had pages of notes and ideas on how to make our missions better, how to help our missionaries be more effective and focused, and how to help the Work proceed and grow.         

Elder Walter Gonzalez and Sister Gonzalez, 
Sister Woodbury and President Woodbury