Dear Cousins,

This is just a copy/paste of a letter I sent to mi familia extended.  I hope it makes sense for the most part.  I'm way too tired to worry about it if it doesn't :)


Querido familia,

First, I finally met KH--sister of the wonderful MaryAnn. (She is the matron of the LA Temple)

 Second, I read the riot act to the zone leaders about not acting like missionaries and felt distinctly Oscar W-ish.  Which is odd since I have never met the man but not so odd seeing as how this is his old mission.

Third, boy am I tired.  Not as tired as Ken, mind you but tired nonetheless.  We just finished speaking to the "youth" session of a stake conference.  Much more fun than just the few minutes you get in the general session. (they keep the youth there after general, feed them lunch and then have an hour meeting) We used the theme of Know Before You Go.  I compared them to investigators.  I explained that to join the church an investigator is required to do something unique in the world.  They tried to guess (baptism? Have faith? Etc) but the answer is to join the church you are required to have a  revelation.  You must know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Book of Mormon is the world of God and the Church is true.  They need to know that too, so how do you find that out.  Well, you need to pray, read the Book of Mormon and go to Church (sacrament meeting).  Which is why their parents are hopefully having family prayer, family scripture study and dragging them to church.  Ken spoke more about the Hastening of the work and the changes that are coming from the new age requirement. 

We currently have 190 missionaries and we will have 250.  Theoretically, a young man could graduate from highs school.  Go straight to the MTC and (if he is called to his native language) be in the field 12 days later.  Kind of makes you think.  The new youth curriculum is really set up to help this and the topics it covers are the same ones all investigators learn.  Hopefully mutual will change--especially for the YM.  More MTC and less NBA, if you get my drift.

The last three weeks have been crazy!  First there were interviews, then transfers and then Elder Don Clarke came for a mission tour.  On top of all that, Ken and the area seventy are meeting with all of the stake presidents, bishops, bishoprics, ward mission leaders and high councilors over mission work in all 10 stakes.  They will be done by tonight.  Our area seventy (Elder Jerry Garns) and Ken feel very strongly that they need to present together so everyone catches the vision that missionary work is a combined effort of members and missionaries.  They are presenting a template that the wards are welcome to use for their ward mission plans.  So if any of you ward mission leaders want a copy, let me know.  It is straight out of Handbook 2 but formatted so it is easy to see and measure.  Ken says too many ward mission plans are nicely framed statements on the importance of missionary work. 

It was also follow-up new missionary training week.  Historically, this mission has had a new missionary get off the plane and then spend the next 4 hours filling out paperwork, watching  driving safety videos, etc.  It made for a stressful and tedious arrival. So this time we picked them up at the airport, took them to a nearby stake center, assigned them a zone leader/assistant/awesome sister as an afternoon companion and sent them out to find someone to teach. It was awesome.  They did the scariest part of missionary work an hour after landing and had a good experience.  We did only the paperwork/office stuff that HAD to be done right away.  The next day they met their new companions and off they went.  A week later they came back for actual, new missionary training.  It was so much better than getting off the plane, terrified, and just doing non-missionary things while waiting for their interviews.  Now they can get interviewed and proselyte and by the time of the transfer meeting feel like actual missionaries.

 The kids are still adjusting.  And by that I mean that it isn't as horrible as it was but it isn't good yet.  Interestingly enough, they love to come to stake conferences with us.  So it is always nice to have them there--the only time we go to church as a family (of course we don't actually sit together, but hey, it's the same meeting!)

 We have put up the tree and tried without success to figure out how the decorations in the garage are supposed to be set up.  We brought our own ornaments and Christmas Lego village so that is nice and home like. 

That is all my fried brain can think of at the moment.

 Love,

Dianna