Mission President Seminar Houston

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT

Twice a year, Mission Presidents and their Wives, are invited to MISSION PRESIDENT SEMINARS for their area of the world.  Our area of the world includes Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Nevada and New Mexico.
This spring we all met in HOUSTON!
We were welcomed back to Texas (our third time during our mission) this time by the Pembertons, parents of one Tyler Pemberton currently serving in our mission!  How cool is that???
We enjoyed visiting about missions and missionaries and it was like we were oldtime friends!  We would be if we lived closer!!
We love to meet the families of our missionaries.

The next day we had set aside to re-visit places that were important to President Taylor...as Houston was his home for 6 months of his mission as he waited for his Visa to Venezuela there!

Our first stop was to do a session in the Houston Temple.  It was so beautiful!  We were glad we took that time.

 Next we drove down to a couple areas that President Taylor lived in during the time he served there.  We found the neighborhoods, even down to this exact curb where President Taylor had his picture taken as a young missionary from Colorado!

We were not sure on any of the exact houses he lived in after 35 years, figured they may even have been torn down, but it was fun being in the right streets and I got a feel for where he served.

We drove past refineries that he remembered, over bridges and by monuments he remembered, and it was just a fun afternoon.

 The Houston skyline was pretty as well.

 That night we were able to meet up with some great friends for dinner and had the funny experience of listening to President Durrant from Dallas Mission telling us about changing his own tire after his Assistants had left one day...about 2 minutes after he told us he was praying to have the chance to change it again to see if he could do it faster, the tire on our rental blew, and we got to meet this highway worker, who became our next referral to listen to missionaries.  He was kind enough to say they could come talk with his family.  "WOULD YOU BE WILLING..." is the easiest way to ask someone if they would allow missionaries into their home to share any message!!!  TRY IT!

The other man in the photo is ROBERT KIMBALL, a blast from President Taylor and my past.  He was in President Taylors district in the MTC then served again with him in Venezuela in the Mission Office after both had waited for Visas in Houston.

Robert was the best man for our wedding/reception 32 years ago!
He was also one of President Durrants key Stake Presidents in Dallas over the past 3 years.

 Our training in Houston was under the direction of Elder Bednar this time.  He and his wife were just delightful and we cannot wait to share parts of what he taught us with our mission at upcoming conferences or meetings.
They are both very vivacious and kind.

 We have tried to tell our missionaries that when we go to these trainings that we are just like them...we can't wait to meet our old friends and visit and catch up, much like they do at Zone Conferences.

 We even do presentations for each other in training like these three sisters presenting ADJUSTING TO MISSIONARY LIFE.  They have all been out less than a year and are doing just wonderful!

This is the CLASS OF 2014.  These couples were trained with us in the MTC summer of 2011 and have served almost three years in their respective areas.  We look forward to associations with them after we all return home to Utah.  Interestingly enough, all of us are from Utah.

The work of the Lord is HASTENING in its time and the time is NOW.  Buckle your seatbelts and get busy sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ!