Saturday, June 22, 2013

First and Lasts

FIRST - 19 new sisters!  28 and our largest group of missionaries to come at one time



with their multitudes of boxed bedding lining the walls of the Mission Office


"There are moments in your life I would like to capture and hold onto forever. ". Sister Spencer 
LASTS
-trip through Vermont
 

or Maine



-last walks in our beautiful neighborhood


- zone meetings (This time the training focused on chapter 8 of Preach My Gospel as missionary leaders taught Vision - Goals - Plans- Actions- Accountability)  
with "real' plays
 and sisters' meetings with Sister Training Leaders and Sister Wilkey
 
last bites of whoopie pie provided throughtfully by Elders Walker, Kunz
-incoming missionaries

-"cafe rio" buffet supper for new missionaries so tired they can hardly stand up

-last photo shoot with new missionaries

-last planning of companionships.
 

-transfer meeting
-temple trip with outgoing missionaries
 
 
last gathering with outgoing missionaries who gave us counsel this time:
  • Remember the The 5 ifs if everything:
  1. Fire your desire every day
  2. Receive revelation every day
  3. Plan to follow Christ daily
  4. Act the plan
  5. Expect miracles. 
  • Keep a heart set upon Christ 
  • No matter the trial never shrink 
  • Practice what you preached  
  • Don't undervalue the little things looking for big spiritual moments.
  • Never stop being a witness of Christ. Always carry the name of Christ .
-training meeting with new missionaries and their trainers


-last Sacrament meeting talk given in the mission in Georgetown, a deja vue for President as several members of the ward were in a ward where he served here as a young missionary over40 years ago
- last Thursday and Sunday night reports received.  Here are two clippings from Thursday night reports.
 Commitment: There are no coincidences only divine crossroads. Sing Hymns in contacting. Result: They were in an area where a lesson fell through. So they decided to box out. They tracted into a woman who was very interested in music. So the sisters sang her a hymn which led to a discussion about the Mormon Tabernacle choir, which led to a gospel discussion. They gave her a Book of Mormon and she invited them back
Commitment: Teach their investigators to “fish” from the Book of Mormon. Action:With their investigator named Graham they started out by reading a Book of Mormon story about Abinadi, they left off at the cliff hanger in the story and committed him to finish reading it on his own and to read the next chapter.
-letters to the President
Last- the letter of release from the First Presidency.
 What a privilege, although a demanding, fatiguing one, of serving as Mission President and wife.  We know of a certainty that this our Heavenly Father knows and loves us personally, that the Jesus Christ directs this work, that we are led constantly by the Holy Ghost.  We can add our witness to that of Ammon who declared his joy in full time service as a missionary: " Ye, ]we] know that [we] are nothing; as to  [our] strength [we] are weak' therefore, [we] will boast of [our] God, for in his strength [we] can do all things; yea, behold many miracles we have [witness] in this land..."  Alma 26:12
I made the comment, "we are about to close this chapter" and a wise gentleman quickly added, "but not the book."
And we add our last testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ,
in the words of the prophet Joseph who said: 'this is the testimony, last of all,
which we give of him: That he lives!" Doctrine and Covenants 76:22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 








 





 
 



 

 





 
 
 

 

 

 


 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear President and Sister Wilkey,
The Dench Family, Tim, Kathy, Alex and his brothers and sisters, wish you the best in your new endeavors. We are so grateful that Alex had his time in the Mission field and was able to learn and grow under your leadership. He has continued to be active and his testimony continues to grow.
We love you! Thanks for everything!