Welcome to the Woolleys

On Wednesday January 13, 2016 Elder and Sister Woolley arrived in the PPM form Driggs Idaho. They will be serving in the Fairview Ward and YSA Branch in the Gettysburg District.  We welcome them and are so grateful to have them join the Royal Army of missionaries serving in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh mission!

Firey Sunset in Williamsport PA

Pennsylvania Dutch in Rural Valley

STAY ON THE STEEP END OF THE LEARNING CURVE

"Stay on the steep end of the learning curve!"

As we are willing to continue to learn and grow even though it means many times we may be uncomfortable and willing to do things out of our comfort zones, our lives are blessed and we have joy and meaning in our lives that we could never experience.  We also come to know our need for our Savior and His willingness to help and bless us as we strive for perfection.  

Fortunately we have prayer, scriptures and other inspired resources to help us learn to receive the Savior's many gifts to help us!

Here is a quote from one of the missionaries:

"President, I wish everyone was better at using the adjusting to missionary life booklet. That book has blessed my life in the hardest of times. Got trusts us, he knows we are strong, but he has given us valuable resources and we need to use them! We have been reading and studying that booklet every morning doing companionship study and I have felt this huge weight just lifted off my shoulders. It helps so much with stress and the every day problems that come with serving a mission. It helps you realize that you're not crazy! Ha ha I need that sometimes! Especially now that the weather is changing, the holidays are here, I feel like a lot of missionaries are going to start struggling (maybe not, hopefully I'm wrong) but either way, I know that the adjusting to missionary life booklet will help them! I still need it, and I've only got blank weeks left, ha ha!"  -Missionary writing to President Johnson

D&C 68:6-8

6 Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.

Meeting with individual districts this month and conducting interviews. . .

Wheeling District

Elders Goeckeritz, O'Keefe, Sisters Thompson, Harlan, Hansen, Johnson, President and Sister Johnson

Washington District

Elders Duffy, Hinckley, Sister and Pres. Johnson, Elders Gray and Parke

University District

Elder Ivie, Sisters McDonald, Jarvis, Pres. and Sister Johnson, Elder Nelson, Sisters Danso and Thorson

Two Birthdays in One Week

Elder Ivie and Elder Nelson

McKeesport District

Left:  Elders Hebdon, Pennington, Klima, Mueller, Pres. Johnson, Elder Cahoon

          Sisters Welch, Wall and Johnson

Carlisle District

Sisters Canseco, Wyasket, Faamaile, and Douglas

Pres. Johnson, Elders Smedley, Baker, White and Coburn

Gettysburg District

Sisters Sears, Amendola, Johnson, Smith and Hokafonu 

Elders Wilson, Pres. Johnson and Elder Ross

Shrewsbury District

Back left:  Pres. Johnson, Elder Stevens, Elders Casper, Spencer, Elliot and Hansen

Front:  Sister Johnson, Elder Gates, Sisters Sibley and Roberts

Beaver District

Sisters Huffaker, Kwasney, Evenson and Smith

Elders Liston, Masina, Tengberg and Shephard 

Lancaster District

Front:  Sisters Wilson, Robinson, Johnson, Landa and Blackwell

Back:  Elder Eubanks, Ibarra, President Johnson, Elders Andrade and Pirzadeh 

Harrisburg District

Front:  Elder Bryant,nSister Johnson, Elder Ord

Back:  Elders Gee, Bramwell, Pres. Johnson, Elders Cook and Walker

Camp Hill District

Sisters Blake, Durrant, Johnson, Simpson and Young

Elders Ramos, Ashton, President Johnson, Elders Williamson and Johnson

Hershey District

Sisters Forrest, Johnson and Talbot

Elder Renteria, President Johnson, Elders Tunquist and Van Leeuwen 

Freeport District

Sisters Jex, Johnson and Wadsworth

Elders Smith, Perry, Wadsworth, Pres. Johnson, Elders Wilt, Woodbury and Rose

Chambersburg District

Elders Camp, Bowers, English, Hatch, Sisters Wells and Azucena 

Pittsburgh 6th District

Seated on couch:  Elder and Sister Clarkson, Sister and Elder Christensen,

Front Row:  Elder Gehrke, Bryant, Woll and Wilkins

Standing middle,  Elder Adams, 

Erie District

Back row:  Elder Elkins, Elder Taylor, President John Hanson, Elders Tidwell and Uchityl 

  Front :  Sisters Hamblin, Johnson and Penrod

Cranberry District

Kneeling :  Sisters Oliver and Huffaker 

Standing: Sister Maya, Elder Mink, Sister Beutler, Elder Schofield, Rackham and Hoyt

Jamestown District

Front:  Elders Ekins, Hyer, Holiday and Draper

Middle:  Elder Halls Sister Johnson, Elder Foster

Back:  Elders Richens, Millis, President Johnson, Elder Boyes and Elder Kap

Philipsburg District

Elders Harley and Posada

Sisters Hales, Ewing-Di Bari, President and Sister Johnson, Sisters Hartman and DeMille

Williamsport District

Elders LeBaron, Pres. Johnson and Elder Davidson

Sisters Durfee, Crockett, Johnson, Taunima and Crisp

Towanda District

Elders Loreto, Kotter, Baxter and Cuthbert 

Elder and Sister Samuelson and Sister and President Johnson

Lewisburg District

Elders Herzog, Saylor, Hansen, President Johnson and Elder Haroldsen

Sisters Hokafonu, Meyers, Schofield, Johnson and Bartlett

Franklin District

Sisters Busath and Birch

Elders Aitken, Hyer, Holladay and Bates

Johnstown District

President and Sister Johnson and Sister and Elder Hanson

Elders Beal, Woods, Robertson, Baumgarner, Holman and Wilson

North Side District

Front:  Elders Howard, Syndergaard and Bell

Back:  Elders Simmons, Lundberg and Devey

Pittsburgh 7th District

Front:  Elders Gull, Worsham, Lundgren and Garduno

Back:  President and Sister Johnson, Sister and Elder Butler

Greensburg District

Elders Montgomery and Redd

Sisters Roberts, Johnson, President Johnson, Sisters Allen and Campbell

Altoona District

Elders Scott, Cooley, President and Sister Johnson, Elders Haskins and Griffins 

Kneeling:  Elders Cluff and Averett 

Elizabethtown District

Elders Hawley, Davis, Gille, President Johnson, Elder Hughes, La-Fon and Mills

Sisters Bennett and Noorlander (from Hershey district), Sisters Johnson, Ewell and Davis

John 16:33

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Our Very Own Missionary!

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

At the airport in Pittsburgh saying farewell to our son Andrew as he heads back to Utah to pack up and report to the MTC on January 6.  He will be serving in the France Lyon Mission.

MLC January 2016

Good morning Pittsburgh!  On our way out to Altoona this was the hug we received from our Creator!

Zone Leaders and Sister Trainers come together for the day to counsel together on ways to improve missionary work in the PPM.

Elders Baker, Mills, Sisters Ewell and Davis

Back left:  Elders Masina, Liston, Averett, Scott, Loretto and Cuthbert

Middle left:  Sisters Davis, Ewell, Busath, Birch, Johnson and Roberts

Front left:  Elders Gray, Devey, Parke and Bryant

Back left:  Elders Gee, Ord, Sisters Durfee, Crockett, Sears and Smith (Elder Clarkson visiting)

Middle:  Elders Bell, Hyer, Holiday, Gille and Mills

Front left:  Elders Smedley, Baker, President Johnson and Elder Miller

"Leadership assignments must never be viewed as a way to obtain personal recognition or advancement, but rather as opportunities to serve others, to develop greater love, and to learn (see Ezekiel 33–34; 2 Nephi 26:29–30). Like all callings in the Church, each assignment has its own importance; an assistant to the president is no more important than any other missionary."

                                          -Missionary Handbook

“Jesus … said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;  “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:  “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”     (Matthew 20:25–28).

Farewell December 2015

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."               (Psalms 16:11)

Best wishes and many thanks for your faithful service!

Sister Bills checking in /out!

Elders Harper, Gamble and Kocherhans with Elders Redford, Klima and Ginos behind.

Elders Redford, Klima, Little, Kocherhans and Ginos

Sister Bills with President Johnson

Elder Harper and Elder Whitmire 

Elder Hebdon with President Johnson

Sister Duncan

December 2015 Welcome to the PPM

In December we welcomed fifteen new missionaries into the PPM!  Winter storms and heavy travel time through the holidays caused delays and a two day stay in Detroit for some of the group. We were relieved and excited to finally greet them at the airport!

"As a disciple of Christ we can ask for more energy, more revelation, more patience, more self-discipline, more help, more love, more healing, more happiness. We can ask for miracles, for freedom from pain, and for the desire to forgive. We can ask for more faith and for help and becoming better disciples.  We can ask for angels to walk with us, because if we live up to our privileges, they just can't be restrained from being our associates.  We can also ask for help to understand why the Lord sometimes responds to our requests and other time manifests his grace in our lives differently then we may have hoped.  The Lord's timing and his wisdom about what we need at any given point in our lives reigns supreme."  Sheri Dew

Sister Azucena (Phillipines) and Sister Danso (South Africa) join the PPM from Temple Square for three months.

President Johnson welcomes Sister Kwasney

Sister Morrison will train Sister Kwasney 

President Johnson welcomes Sisters Faamaile and Roberts

Middle Front:  Elder Goeckeritz, Sisters Johnson, Brown, Evenson, President and Sister Johnson

2nd Row Left:  Elders Kotter, Davidson and English

Back left:  Elders Worsham, Calaway and Coburn

Left:  Elders Miller, Goeckeritz, Calaway, Kotter, Clarkson, Gardner and Sister Gardner 

Left:  Sisters Morrison, Kwasney, Elder and Sister Christensen, Pres. Johnson , Sisters Clarkson, Smith

Left:  Sisters Brown, Johnson, Sibley, Evenson, Joseph, Hansen, Palmer and Douglas

Left:  Sisters Roberts, Faamaile, Elders Camp, Baxter, Davidson, English and Worsham

Left:  Elders Coburn, White, O'Keefe, LeBaron, Hummer, Bryant and Gull

Elder Calaway and Elder Kotter 

Elder O'Keefe training Elder Goeckeritz 

Sister Sibley will train Sister Roberts

Elder Kotter being trained by Elder Baxter

Sister Hansen will train Sister Johnson

Elder Davidson being trained by Elder LeBaron

Elder English being trained by Elder Camp

Sisters Smith training Sister Evenson

Sister Palmer training Sister Brown

Elder Calaway being trained by Elder Hummer

Sister Douglas will train Sister Faamaile 

Elder Coburn will be trained by Elder White

Elder Worsham will be trained by Elder Gull

Sister Jarvis and Sister Danso 

Sister Azucena with Sisters Campbell and Sister Wells (in a live nativity first night she was here!)