SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

We took advantage of being together for training to celebrate all September birthdays!

Even those that missed pictures from being in the restroom!

HAPPY SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS!!!

MORMON.ORG

CLICK ON THIS LINE TO SEE ALL PICTURES OF THIS TRAINING
We are missionaries of the Arizona Phoenix Mission of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We are from all over the world.
We love and live the Book of Mormon.
We are a Preach My Gospel Mission.
We obediently love and serve.
WE ARE MORMONS!
So, How many of you have been to Mormon.org?
How many of you have created your own profile?

These are the "I'm a Mormon"-themed centerpieces that Sister Taylor created to both underscore the topic of the training and to help introduce the 14 new missionaries that had arrived the week before.

We were delighted to find out that Phoenix was targeted as one of nine areas of the country for the Mormon.org media initiative. It will begin October 3 and run through March 2012. The campaign will include TV commercials, billboards and bus stop signage.
In preparation for this campaign, we were privileged to have Brother Tracy Watson, director of proselyting for the Missionary Department, come to train all of our missionaries in both how to be prepared for the attention this will bring to them, and to help them train members in how to answer the questions of their friends. We held three sessions of training over Sept. 13-14 to accommodate our missionaries in the mission's 11 zones..

Sister Taylor began the sessions with a presentation based on Elder L. Tom Perry's talk from BYU Women's Conference in 2009 entitled "The Image of The Church." It introduced the misconceptions that are out there about the Church and emphasized what we can do as members to help dispel myths that are out there. Go to: THIS LINK to view his talk.

This of course, was the perfect time to remind all missionaries that they are THE FACE OF THE CHURCH! Our deportment and demeanor may be the only thing that some people will associate with the Church of Jesus Christ. This face should be neat, clean and happy! I came dressed all in black from head to toe...one of the misconceptions of non-LDS. I then flipped to the new dress and grooming standards for sister missionaries from LDS.org and proceeded to try to quickly make myself look more approachable to non-members.

The sisters were especially excited to see the new dress standards...
a Special Training will be in order just for them very soon!

Brother Watson did a WONDERFUL job of training all our missionaries on why we are doing this campaign and what people want to know about the Church.

He helped us understand that when someone asks us "Why is your church doing this?" We can carry on a conversation to let them know:
1. We know there are myths out there about The Church that we need to dispel.
2. We follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
3. We want give everyone an opportunity to learn more about our church.

We had plenty of chances to practice what was being preached...using real investigator situations

and everyone practicing role-playing what they could say to their friend
who asks about the media campaign.

We were so serious about getting this training done that we kept on going even without power — only limited emergency lights and NO AIR CONDITIONING — in the chapel for the second half of training on the last day...being in the dark is not something that stops the missionaries of the Arizona Phoenix Mission!! (Don't take that un-literally!)
We encourage all of you to learn about Mormon.org
Get some pass-along cards and use this great tool to tell friends and family who we are, what we believe in and how to find out more!

Braden Shoots it up with Elder Rasband!

Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Church's Presidency of the Seventy, invited Braden to join our group for the Friday night dinner/entertainment of the Southwest Area mission presidents seminar. He was delivered to the hotel by Elders Falconer and Martin as the day's sessions were concluding, and he accompanied us to the Rocking R Ranch in Mesa for a cowboy dinner and show.

Elder Rasband invited Braden to shoot authentic Colt .45 pistols.

Here they watch as the wax-filled bullets are loaded into the pistol.

Elder Rasband is first to shoot and takes steady aim . . .

Braden takes his five-shot turn . . .

Cocking the pistol for another shot . . .

The pistol-packin' pair of Braden and Elder Rasband proudly display their hole-riddled targets.

The gunslingers try to cool off their red-hot pistols.

MISSION PRESIDENT SEMINAR 9/11

CLICK HERE FOR ALL PHOTOS FROM THE SEMINAR

This past week President Taylor and I participated in the Southwest Area Mission Presidents Seminar. It was actually hosted here in Phoenix!

We started the seminar by all going to the Mesa Temple to do a session together. What a choice experience that was. Here we are with the Durrants (Texas Dallas Mission) and the Pingrees (Texas Houston). We met at training this summer at the MTC and it was a delight to meet up again!

President Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy asked us to invite Braden to join us at the Friday evening dinner activity at the "Rockin' R Ranch" over in Mesa. This was a LDS-owned dinner theatre that was a lot of fun.

The family band even got some of our mission presidents up on stage trying to twirl ropes. Good times!
After four days of wonderful meetings and associations; great instruction from our SW Area leaders (Presidents Rasband and Callister from the Presidency of the Seventy; Elders Ellis and Wilson of the Quorums of the Seventy; and Stephen Allen, managing director of the Missionary Department), we wrapped things up and said our good-byes to new and old friends. Please click on the link at the top to see many of our friends.
This is the Neiders (Nevada Las Vegas), the Callisters, the Taylors and the Wilsons. (Elder Callister is in the Presidency of the Seventy and Elder Wilson a member of the Seventy.)

THANK YOU FRIENDS FOR A WONDERFUL, SPIRITUAL FEAST THIS WEEKEND! We are rejuvenated and ready to work!

TRANSFERS SEPTEMBER 2011

Click on this line for all pictures of TRANSFER DAY!

WE LOVE TRANSFER DAY!

It is a hodge-podge of luggage and a variety of missionaries from all over the mission.

Today it was mail distribution as well...issues with the Federal Postal Service not wanting to forward mail anymore for businesses. But cheerful zone leaders like Elder Sieverts to deliver the mail come rain or shine!

It was more FARMERS MARKET...I think our missionaries are really tired of onions by now! But carrots were new. (Elders Adona and Egan)

For me it was a chance to hug the sisters that were there! (Anderson/Brown/Jeanfreau and Graves) We love any excuse to visit! Our new Sister Anderson just fits right in with our other Spanish Sisters that were there!

I think Elder Jones looks excited to be driving?

And Elder Griffin is super excited to be loading up a truck!

And the Assistants to the President are just GLAD IT IS OVER!

MEET YOUR TRAINER!

Click on this line for pictures of the trainers and trainees!

One of the highlights of transfer day is to see the magic of pairing trainers and trainees. After cleaning up at the Mission Home, I came over to see and FEEL the spirit of partnership. As I looked at this group, I just kept thinking..."This is the perfect person for this one or that one."

We are involved in something far greater than us. We are reminded of this on a daily basis!
I told the missionaries how fun it was to listen to the departing missionaries speak with fondness of their trainers, and how they had just met one of their new best friends.

We look forward to great things from this group!

WELCOME SEPTEMBER MISSIONARIES!

Click on this line for all pictures of arriving missionaries!

It was with great enthusiasm that we welcomed our new missionaries to the

ARIZONA PHOENIX MISSION!

They arrived happy and excited to learn all about the area that will be their home for the next 18-24 months.

We gathered up with 14 new missionaries for a group shot. 13 Elders and 1 Sister.

We headed down for baggage and out to the mission van and trailer to head to the Mission Office and then to the Mission Home in Peoria.

We got a great shot of this amazing group...super sharp missionaries!

In the Mission Home, we all help out...and today's activities included bagging carrots and onions for the APM Farmers Market at Transfers...(Elder Josephson)

...taking REALLY LONG NAPS (This group could really sleep!)

...and making the breakfast casseroles that we would have for breakfast the next morning. We sort of made up our own recipes and they were GOOD! Look at Elder Hebert cracking two eggs at one time!

This morning before transfer meeting a few of the brave (Elder Campbell, Heiner, Sister Anderson & Elder Wheelwright) went out with us for our morning walk/run. The sort of brave went with President Taylor for a nice walk...and the REALLY BRAVE Sister Anderson went for a 5K run with Sister Taylor. The reason I call her brave is that she had to run so slow with me...and she is a cross country racer/runner! We had the best time talking as we ran! WE LOVE THESE MISSIONARIES ALREADY! Thank you parents and friends for helping shape their lives!

Departing Missionaries September 2011

Click on this line for all pictures of departing missionaries!

At first glance, you can tell this is a colorful group of departing missionaries...just look at the rainbow of ties! Each personality so wonderful and such an asset to our mission while we had them here!

Elders Birch, P. Johnston, Holden, Miles, Northrup, Hutchinson, and Kavatoe

When you get Elders Birch and Kavatoe together in a group, you have...well, let's say some extra energy! Yes, Elder Birch cleaned the air filter in the AC in the garage, and got Elder Kavatoe to help him prune some of our palm trees!! I could not look!

We will miss the musical talents of Elder Miles on the piano and Elder Kavatoe leading the music...we could always count on this at any meetings where they were present! So much talent and a real love for the Lord and worship through music!

This was one big slumber party for this group! Nervous, excited and grateful for the opportunity they had to serve a full-time mission!

Elder Holden read a book to the group in honor of the Becks. Sister Taylor cannot get through it without crying. Well done thou good and faithful servants! Go to and continue in the work of enduring to the end with JOY! We love you so much!

OUR ASSISTANTS

I have known since the start of our mission that our "Assistants to the President" or "APs" as they are affectionately known, are AMAZING. But this week I had a "revelation"...

I think it is widely supposed that being an AP is a cushy job. It is not any more cushy than that of being a mission president. In other words, it is a whole lot of work! These men keep the Taylors up to speed, supported and organized in so many ways. They sacrifice time that they would love to be out teaching more to help President Taylor and myself. They are the example of how to live a divine companionship.

Elder Tyler Perkins and Elder Robert Falconer, our faithful friends.

We enjoyed our trip to the Mesa temple before transfers. Isn't it beautiful!

Here is a "revelation" I received after we came out from the temple. Elder Perkins and President Taylor were both on the phone cheerfully taking care of all the problems and questions that had come up from our missionaries while we were inside...and guess who had more calls to return? Yes, it was Elder Perkins. The Assistants run interference for President and it is much appreciated. They are an example of a "Nelson/Holland Companionship" where being Jr. or Sr. companion is not the focus...the focus is on more perfectly serving the Lord and each other.

We are grateful for their obedience, service and friendship!