We loved seeing Mom, Dad, Jessie, Ashlie and little Alex! We wish we could meet the families of all our missionaries, it was wonderful!
We really loved their "Utemobile" too! And, I think they brought just the right amount of luck because Utah won!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
A FUN VISIT
We got a phone call from Elder Curtis Browns family on their way to a Utah game down in Tucson and could not resist the chance to have them stop by the mission home for lunch! We are sure they would rather have seen Elder Brown, but graciously settled for us! We love that the parents of our missionaries are just as obedient to Church Mission rules as our missionaries!
Friday, November 4, 2011
PRIVYET To Our Ukrainian Missionaries!
The APM is excited to host 5 missionaries waiting for VISAS to Ukraine! When we found out that our temporary missionaries were headed to the Ukraine, we were SO EXCITED! More on that later. First of all, let's see who we have:
Elder Holbrook, Hopkins, Coakwell, Kennedy and Sister DeMille.
We hosted them all day at the mission home including the traditional naptime and lunch time and training time. Then we invited their new trainers to come share dinner and a special training meeting in the evening.
Elder Ware will train Elder Hopkins.
Elder Kennedy will be trained by Elder Dye.
Elder Holbrook will be trained by Elder Bush.
Elder Coakwell has Elder Malmberg for his trainer.
And Sister DeMille will be trained by Sister Belnap.
The Taylors have a great background with Ukraine. Our son Austin served his mission over there from 2002-2004. We have traveled there twice in the last 6 years, including attending the Kiev temple dedication, and Sister Taylor even loves to cook some Ukrainian food including the "peroshki" (potato filled dumplings) on the right in this picture of our dinner.
We finished off the night with brownie sundaes...with sprinkles!
WELCOME/PRIVYET new missionaries! We are so glad to have you even for part of your mission! We know there is purpose in everything we do.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING Nov. '11
Quarterly we hold Leadership training for all District and Zone Leaders. It is a wonderful chance to train and share and practice what we preach...literally! Here are the great zones of the Arizona Phoenix Mission.
Buckeye/Goodyear
Glendale
Peoria/Peoria North
Surprise/Surprise North
Phoenix
Prescott
Glendale N/ Deer Valley
Cottonwood
W. Maricopa
Phoenix South
Phoenix North
Sister Taylor even got in on the act with a demonstration on not
dropping the ball in assignments.
We are always grateful for the incredible leadership that your great
missionaries exemplify daily!
ZONE LEADER HIKE UP SUNRISE MOUNTAIN- NOV. 2011
It could not have been more beautiful the morning of our Zone Leader Hike. An appropriate sunrise for our hike up Sunrise Mountain!
We started with breakfast at the base/park area...
...then hiked up towards the sun.
As we went, we stopped at different points to discuss leadership principles.
and our relationship with the Savior.
At the top, we talked about the Celestial Zone and our APs surprised us with this rock word they had come up and done the day before. Good job, Elders Falconer and Henrie!
Here we all are up on top, where you can see all over the Phoenix Valley! It was a great hike, and the perfect start to our day of council! We have amazing Zone Leaders!!
Braden's "Meet This Missionary"
Braden has started a daily Facebook post called "Meet This Missionary," where he includes a photo of him and one of the Arizona Phoenix Mission missionaries and some comments about the impact that missionary has had on him here.
In the past three days, he's posted about Elder Perkins, Elder Rivas and Elder Barrett. We'll try and re-post some from time to time, including the first three below.
We'd suggest you watch for them yourself by friending "Braden Jimmer Taylor" on Facebook — click here to link to his Facebook wall, where you can make a friend request.
Meet This Missionary!
Decided because I am surrounded by 200 wonderful Elders and Sisters that I would share with others and start posting a picture of a missionary with a little bit about them.
Meet This Missionary: Elder Perkins
One word to describe him: Powerful!
Most Memorable Moment with him: Hiking West Wing Mountain, talking with him before he was transferred out of the Assistant position.
Why he is a role model for me: He does everything he is asked to do with the best attitude and gets it done, he has the presence of the spirit at all times and is just a genuine person and makes everyone know they are loved.
What Elder Perkins means to me: From the first day I came down to Phoenix he has been there. By being one of the assistants to the president I got to interact with him a lot before he became a trainer and I enjoyed every minute with him. Elder Perkins is one of the most fun missionaries in the mission but knows when and where it is appropriate to be messing around. The only way I can express how much Elder Perkins has affected my life is with this one sentence
I would trust him with my life and do/give anything for him.
Meet This Missionary #2
Meet Elder Rivas
Elder Rivas is from: El Salvador
Something you may not know about Elder Rivas is: He can sing like Michael Jackson and won El Salvador's Got Talent with his amazing voice (sample of amazingness in link)
When I see Elder Rivas: I squat down to his height and give him a big hug
Most impressed by him because: He is called as an English Elder, but Spanish is his native language. So with English being his 2nd language I admire how well he speaks and communicates with others
What Elder Rivas means to me: Elder Rivas, from the moment I first met him I felt his spirit just illuminating the room. His smile is contagious to the point where even on the crappiest days I could see him and his smile just makes me smile and love life. He is a role model for me and an older brother to me. I just hope that I can be as good of a missionary as him when I serve my mission.
Meet This Missionary #3
Meet Elder Barrett
Elder Barrett is: One of the many elders in this mission from Canada
Last time I saw Elder Barrett: We joked around about how lucky I was to be around him 3 days in a row. It was said jokingly, but I really was and am lucky to be around a missionary like him.
One small thing I notice(d) about Elder Barrett: At the mission home on the front door there is a small metal plaque/sign that says "Return With Honor" and President (aka Dad) wanted to start a tradition where missionaries would tap that sign as they left the house. Elder Barrett, from the time my Dad has challenged that has done it every single time he has left the house. It was even last night where he was already halfway out to his truck and he turned around and ran back tot he door and tapped the sign, not forgetting he is going to do everything to "Return With Honor."
Favorite time/moment with Elder Barrett: We went hiking for a Zone P-Day activity and at a certain point we stopped and had a small testimony meeting where all 20+ of us bore our testimonies. I remember his testimony the most, not because he started everyone off, but because of the power and spirit in it. How I could tell that he absolutely knew what he believed in is true and what he is doing here in Arizona is the right thing to be doing.
What Elder Barrett means to me: Elder Barrett is the man. He always has a smile on his face, and he is one of the first to come greet me and ask me how I'm doing. I have enjoyed being around him and knowing what he has given up to be here along with every other missionary just speaks volumes to me. He is one of the most humblest missionaries in the mission, when he could have many reasons not to be. I really am luck to have the privilege to be here in Phoenix, Arizona, with The Elder Barrett.
Monday, October 31, 2011
PHOENIX ZONE MEETING- Oct. 2011
We are always excited to make it to a zone meeting. We have incredible zone leaders like Elder Catlett and Cheadle in this zone! Elder Catlett taught a great lesson about how to get to the "Promised Land" of joy and across the sea of discouragement and fear etc. by using the tools of an attitude of faith, patience, obedience and enjoying and being joyful in enduring to the end.
Next the zone leaders patterned how to use Mormon.org in contacting people and how to relate the profiles to interests of people they meet. They did a lot of role-playing to practice what they had just learned.
They practiced what they preach and were joyful in practicing.
They all have great personalities and incredible faith and works to back it up.
Great job Phoenix Zone!
ZONE ACTIVITY- Peoria/Peoria N. Oct. '11
We had hoped to host a zone activity here at the mission home when it cooled down enough, and our area zone finally made it over for some basketball...
Some ping-pong...
Some Great Pumpkin tee shirts... (Elder Peterson is a fan)
And of course some FOOD!
Elders B. Johnson and Barker try out the giant spoon and fork from the kitchen :)
We LOVE having missionaries in our home!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
MEET OUR NEW ASSISTANT!
We welcome our new Assistant to the President, Brayden Henrie!
Elder Henrie is qualified for the work and ready to go.
He joins our dear Elder Robert Falconer in this position.
Elder Henrie has recently been serving as Zone Leader in the Buckeye/Goodyear zone and was prepared to accept the call to serve in his new position starting with this transfer.
We gratefully thank Elder Tyler Perkins for his loyal and loving and CHEERFUL service to us since our arrival here in the APM! It brings tears to my eyes as I think of how well he has served. His new trainee, Elder Marble is blessed!
Thank you both Elder Perkins and Elders Henrie and Falconer for your love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We rely on these leaders so very much in assisting the work of the Lord
here in the great APM.
TRANSFERS OCTOBER 2011
Transfer Day is AMAZING! Exhausting but amazing.
We have two meetings going on simultaneously...leadership meeting for zone and district leaders. Four new zone leaders at this transfer!
And we have "MEET YOUR TRAINER" meeting for the new trainees and trainers. It is always incredible seeing the hand of the Lord in who is supposed to train each new missionary.
They get to know each other and are counseled by the APs, President and myself.
Below are Elders Juchau and Bradfield getting to know each other.
They come into the chapel as the mission sings "Called to Serve" and come onto the stand.
After all new missionaries are introduced and share their testimony, all transfers are announced. Here again, it is through inspiration that each new companionship is designed. Transfers are also a time to see friends and renew friendships, so it is a fun time!
Sisters Okeson, Wells, Alvarez and Overy.
And it is fun when you realize you are not the only "Elder Gerber" in the mission!!
We now have two!! Meet Kyle and Dax.
Sisters Eteaki, Swallow and Pilimai.
Elder Armstrong and new comp. Elder Doolhoff in the car ready to go.
Elders Harline, Bartlett, Alvis, Waynick, Halligan, Killian and Freeman.
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER!
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