No Weeping, or Wailing, or NASHing of Teeth

        The tie-in to the title is at the end, but in the meantime, here is what happened August 11th through the 16th: During this time we were blessed by the Mission Tour of Elder Marcus B. Nash, accompanied by his  wife, Sister Shelly Nash. 

President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury,
Sister Nash, Elder Nash

        Knowing they would be arriving in the late afternoon Sunday the 11th, Elder Nash graciously volunteered to be the speaker at the Spanish Mission Home Fireside. After a quick dinner at the Mission Home itself, the Nashes and President and Sister Woodbury scurried over to the Louisville Stake Center where the fireside had been moved, anticipating a large crowd to hear a member of the Seventy speak, in Spanish, no less. Elder and Sister Nash had served for six years in Peru with Elder Nash as the Area President and previously as a missionary in El Salvador, so they have a special affinity and love for Hispanic people. This was shown in the tender messages they gave and their staying and greeting so many audience members afterward.

Elder and Sister Nash with native Peruvians, Elder Torrico and Elder Inga

Elder and Sister Nash with a lovely member family

Elder St. Martin, a member, Elder Meisel, Elder Torrico,
and Elder Pyper enjoying the refreshments afterward

        Late that night, back at the Mission Home, Elder Nash met with President Woodbury, his counselor, President Blackwell, and the Assistants to the  President, Elder Quick and Elder Anderson, to map out the Mission Tour ahead.

        The next morning it was off to Lexington, Kentucky for the first conferences of Elder Nash's Mission Tour. 

        In Lexington, as well as in the two days following in Evansville, Indiana (where he also did a youth fireside in the evening) and Louisville, the day began with recitals, contacting and conversion success stories, the singing of the Mission Medley, addresses by Sister Woodbury and then President Woodbury, a musical number, and a talk by Sister Nash. The rest of the morning and the entire time after lunch was in Elder Nash's hands. He instructed, trained, fielded questions, and thoroughly enlightened and inspired everyone in attendance. In the morning he talked about the advice he gave his son before his mission. He said, "Don't hold back anything from the Lord." As he embraced his son at the airport when he arrived home, the first thing his son whispered to him was, "Dad, I didn't hold anything back." Elder Nash said we must give him our all. All our doubts, all our worries. Give him everything, our time, our every breath. He is a personal, saving, caring Redeemer. If we are reserving, keeping something from him, it effects the Work and our ability to serve and live by the Spirit. 

        Elder Nash talked about what it means to represent Jesus Christ,  to do what He would do if He were here. He taught about the essential ordinance of baptism and how to help investigators recognize and feel the Spirit, to teach that the Atonement is the single most important event inhuman history and baptism is the means to access it. He said that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about changing the human soul, and about opening the heavens to us,helping us achieve our divine potential, and enabling us to access the Atonement. 

Lexington Area Mission Tour Conference
Fourth row: Sister Bunkall, Sister Penman, Sister Mason, Sister Carnahan, Sister Arancibia, Sister Pope, Sister Horlacher, Elder Black, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Dopp, Elder Anderson, Elder Larsen, Elder Hawes, Elder Knudsen, Elder Baker, Sister Moskot, Sister Kuenzle, Sister McInnis, Sister Swenson, Sister Hodges, Sister West, Sister Navarro
Elder Downs, Elder Cox, Elder Ham, Elder Fletcher, Elder Robison, Elder Engstrom, Elder Jacobson, Elder Roskelley, Elder Hicken, Elder Potter, Elder Skousen, Elder Pradera, Elder Leany, Elder Collin, Elder Heslop, Elder Kidd,
Elder Seegmiller, Elder Wharton, Elder Newbold
Third row: Sister Reeder, Sister Heywood, Sister Oliverson, Sister S. Williams, Sister Goodrich, Sister Ray,
Elder Godfrey, Elder Caldwell, Elder Barker, Elder Faudree, Elder Carly, Elder Benham. Elder Woehl, Elder Arnold, Elder Jensen, Elder Kibler, Elder Gonzalez, Sister Dickerson, Sister Singleton, Sister Rounds,
Sister Thorne, Sister Saunders
Second row: Elder Newby, Sister Newby, Elder Selvage, Sister Selvage, Elder Crosby, Sister Crosby, Sister Nash, Elder Nash, President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury, Sister A. Williams, Sister Minson, Sister Jaco, Sister Newton, Sister Anderson, Sister Jensen
First row: Elder Dursteler, Elder Jacobsen, Elder Green, Elder Burdge, Elder Davis, Elder Inga, Elder Quick, Elder Berube, Elder Crichton Elder Lowe, Elder Gaither, Elder Allen

        As mentioned before, in the afternoon, Elder Nash took and responded to questions from the missionaries. He talked a lot about developing relationships with Bishops and Branch Presidents, Ward Mission Leaders, and members, and how to get invited to and participate in Ward Councils. He said that the U.S. missions are being flooded with additional missionaries because of the gold mine of less active members that are available - not only to reactivate them but to teach unbaptized family members and referrals that they may give - "Let's go get 'em!" he exclaimed.  

        These and other subjects were discussed in a warm, interactive format that got many missionaries involved and contributing. Most everyone left with pages of notes and ideas to help them be better and more effective servants of the Lord.

Sister Selvage, Elder Selvage, Elder Nash

Sister Rounds, Sister Dickerson, Sister Goodrich, Sister Ray

Elder Black, Elder Crichton, Elder Lowe

Elder Black, Elder Seegmiller, Elder Crichton, Elder Lowe,
Elder Inga, Elder Roskelley, Elder Allen

Elder Allen, Sister Jaco, Sister Minson, Sister Newton,
Sister A. Williams, Sister Kuenzle, Elder Heslop

Elder Gaither, Elder Carly

Elder Godfrey, Elder Kibler

Elder Woehl, Elder Larsen, Elder Dursteler

Elder Jensen, Elder Baker, Elder Skousen

Elder Stoddard, Elder Lynch, Elder Stevenson, Elder Champion,
Elder Dahle, Elder Davis, Elder Johnson, Elder C. Anderson

Sister Child, Sister Loveless, Hermana McDonald,
Hermana Marsden, Sister Nash

Elder Loser, Elder Shelley, Elder Chambers, Elder Z. Evans, Elder Nash,
Elder Lawrenson, Elder Dahle, Elder Stevenson, Elder Seal

Hermana Meek and Hermana Lawrence

Sister Pack and Sister Donaldson

Sister Child and Sister Loveless

Elder Chambers in his new lighter
suit which conforms to the new
Elder Dress Code.

Sister Tripp, Sister Webster, Sister Peterson

Elder Earl, Elder Stohel, Elder Carter, Elder Dansie, Elder Pritchett,
Elder Evans, Elder Meisel, Elder Carson, Elder Blauer, Elder Hildebrandt,
Sister Mickelsen, Sister Vikari

Elder Fackrell, Sister Murphy, Sister Whiting, Sister Logan,
Sister Durfee, Elder Allen

Sister Whiting, Sister Logan, Sister Murphy, Elder Brook,
Sister Durfee, Elder Allen, Elder Fackrell, Elder Carson

Elder Gallagher, Elder J. Johnon, Elder Blauer,
Elder Meisel, Elder Vidaure, Elder Jonas

President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury, Sister Nash,
Elder Nash, Elder Quick, Elder Anderson

In addition to each of the three missionary conferences and the Spanish Fireside, Elder and Sister Nash spoke at a special Youth Fireside Tuesday night in Evansville. Sister Nash left for home on Thursday, while Elder Nash stayed in Louisville with us at the Mission Home for two more days. During the latter he met with the Temple Presidency and staff to do a two-day Temple Review. 

Louisville Area Mission Tour Conference
Fifth row: Sister short, Sister Atkin, Elder Barlow, Elder S. Evans, Elder Torgersen, Elder Hill, Elder Holt, Elder Taylor, Elder Thomas, Elder Stohel, Elder Quick, Elder T. Johnson, Elder Burns, Elder Rich, Elder Rueda, Elder Anderson, Elder Beale, Elder Frisby, Elder Behling, Elder Kaegi, Elder Butterfield, Elder Dansie, Elder Rollins, Elder Allen,
Elder Fackrell, Elder Meisel, Elder Brook, Elder Pyper, Elder Pritchett, Elder Carter, Elder Adams, Elder Fry,
Elder Berube, Hermana Messerly, Hermana Binks, Sister Black
Fourth row: Hermana Lawter, Hermana Luke, Sister Baldwin, Sister Bayles, Sister Durfee, Sister Logan, Sister Murphy, Sister Whiting, Sister Peterson, Sister Saunders, Sister Webster, Sister Tripp, Sister Brian, Sister Bushman,
Sister Kankamp. Sister Munk, Sister Ellsworth, Sister Ward, Sister Priebe, Sister Mickelsen, Sister Vikari,
Sister Pisciotta, Sister Bailey, Sister Kerr, Sister Smith, Sister Hall
Third row: Elder Manzano, Elder Souza, Elder Schroeder, Elder Sizelove, Elder Greenup, Elder Sutherland,
Elder Jensen, Elder Pipe, Elder Ott, Elder Denton, Elder Howard, Elder St. Martin, Elder hansen, Elder Van Beekum, Elder Evans, Elder Jonas, Elder Tracy, Elder Carson, Elder Tuttle, Elder Miller, Elder Spaulding, Elder Johnson,
Elder Gallagher, Elder J. Johnson, Elder Hildebrandt, Elder Whitehead, Elder Despain, Elder Magleby,
Elder Beard, Elder Sidwell
Second row: Elder and Sister Halverson, Elder and Sister Reynolds, Elder and Sister Bolliger, Hermana Adams, Hemana Davis, Sister Egbert, Sister Lewis, Sister Stacey, Sister and Elder Nash, President and Sister Woodbury, Hermana Kearsley, Hermana Arreola, Sister Myler, Sister Brooks, Hermana Hansen, Hermana Christensen, Sister Evans,
Hermana Rice, Elder and Sister Buck, Elder and Sister Trimming
First row: Elder Jones, Elder Moon, Elder Torrico, Elder Singleton, Elder Eatough, Elder Gerard, Elder Earl,
Elder T. Johnson, Elder Allen, Elder Crook, Elder Edwards, Elder Blauer, Elder Vidaure, Elder Day-Nuah

Evansville Area Mission Tour Conference
Third row: Elder J. Anderson, Elder Pollock, Elder Evans, Elder L. Davis,  Elder Harshman, Elder Sainsbury,
Elder Hathaway, Elder Stevenson, Elder J. Larson, Elder Loser, ELder Dahle, Elder Crook, Elder C. Johnson,
Elder Champion, Elder R. Evans, Elder Butcher
Second row: Elder Quick, Elder Forsgren, Elder Shelley, Sister Pack, Sister Davidson, Hermana Lawrence,
Hermana Meek, Sister Child, Sister Loveless, Hermana Marsden, Sister McDonald, Sister Esquerra, Sister Roberts, Elder LeFevre, Elder Seal, Elder Lynch, Elder C. Anderson
First row: Elder Chambers, Elder Lawrenson, Elder Godfrey, Sister Godfrey, Sister Nash, Elder Nash,
President Woodbury, Sister Woodbury, Sister Leavitt, Elder Leavitt, Sister Long, Elder Long,
Elder Stoddard, Elder M. Anderson

        So, following the theme set forth in the title of this post, was there weeping, and wailing, and NASHing of teeth while Elder and Sister Nash were here? By no means. But there was an outpouring of love, inspiration, guidance and revelation, and we all were uplifted and buoyed up by the experience.