Interviews, MLC, General Conference

This has been a great week! We have been continuing to do interviews--this week doing them with the Calgary North Zone, Lethbridge Zone and Cardston Zone. While Steve conducts the interviews I have been giving the missionaries out with me a paper that asks them "How Well Do you Know the Ward Members?". On it are listed the callings of all the members of the ward council and then their counselors. I have the missionaries fill out from memory all that they know--and then we challenge them to go get into the homes of the ones they don't know and meet them and get to know their families and offer their services as missionaries...for example, if the brother serves in Young Men's than the elders can offer to teach in the YM's or to help a young man that might be struggling, or come to an activity--anything like that. The same goes for each organization. We are trying to help our missionaries (and members) see that they can use the missionaries to build the faith and strengthen the ward or branch in which they serve. As they do this, they will also be able to talk with the members about sharing the gospel. Member/missionary work is so vital! We have learned that our best referrals come from our members; and the members play a crucial role in their conversion.
After interviews on Tuesday, Steve had a special training in the Fish Creek Stake with President Craig, (one of the few where I didn't go). So, he didn't get home until about 9:15 and then we left for Lethbridge--arriving there about 11:15 p.m. So, we got to bed a little before midnight.
On Wednesday we held our MLC with our zone leaders and sister trainer leaders. This was a great meeting. We followed up on many of the things we had done in zone conferences, and the goals that the individual zones had set to show the Lord their desire to find, teach and baptize more.
We also discussed what member/missionary work is, and how we can improve in that area. We also alway address struggles and challenges and how to resolve them. This meeting is quite an incredible meeting with these leaders. They all come willing to learn, share, and inspire--and the spirit is always very strong throughout. We ended with 4 missionaries (who Steve asked ) to share their testimonies...and they were so powerful and sweet.
That evening after MLC, Steve went out teaching with Elders Schank and Johnson, and I went out teaching with Sisters Palmer and Tolbert. We had two wonderful visits--one with a less active sister, and one with a nonmember sister. It is so great to hear these sisters teach and testify that the atonement is real, and that the Savior can take away our pains and help us in our struggles. We were also able to share with the nonmember that there is a living prophet on earth today, President Thomas S. Monson, and he holds the priesthood keys and authority to act in God's name to direct His church. She was wondering what the difference was between our prophet and the pope, and when we explained that Christ's priesthood was restored again on the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith and that the priesthood is still upon the earth and we have a living prophet, she said, "Now it is crystal clear. Now it makes sense." She also said she would watch General Conference! I have been praying she would, and be able to feel the spirit through the apostles and prophet as they spoke.
On Thursday we stayed in Lethbridge to interview the Lethbridge Zone, and then on Friday we drove to Raymond and did interviews there, then on to Cardston for interviews there, and then to Fort Macleod for interviews there! We got home about 7:30 p.m. Friday night.
Saturday of course we enjoyed watching conference. We went to a different stake center each session so we could be with more of our missionaries. All of our missionaries look so forward to General Conference--they all comment how now it is so much more meaningful than when they were home!
It is such a boost and so inspiring for them. And for us! We are so grateful to hear from our prophet and the apostles and other general authorities. We were especially grateful that President Monson could speak 2 different times.
On Sunday, in-between sessions, we had a hotdog lunch for the Bow River zone which is closest to the mission home. It was also Elder Peppinger's birthday (He is our senior missionary over finance in the office), and on Tuesday was Elder Thorley's birthday (He is our senior missionary over cars). So I made them a cake and we all sang Happy Birthday and made them blow out candles!
This next week we will continue with interviews-driving to Medicine Hat tomorrow for their interviews on Tuesday, then back to Calgary for more here, and then back to Lethbridge for interviews and the Lethbridge East Stake Conference next weekend. It's great work!