December 2015 Zone Conference in Greentree

"And now, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given. And thus you shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall find yourselves to act in all holiness before me..."                D&C 43:8-9

Missionaries in the Pittsburgh Zones

Front Left:  Sisters Smith, Elder and Sister Gardner, Sisters Casler and Clarkson, President and Sister Johnson, Sister and Elder Christensen, Sister and Elder Butler

2nd row:  Sisters Schofield, Roberts, Johnson, Hansen, Elders Kocherhans, Simmons, Gull, Adams, Sister Thompson, Elder Gray and Sister Welch

3rd row:  Elder Lundgren, Sister Allen, Elder Hinckley, Averett, Gehrke, Redd, Sister Forrest, Sister Harlan, Elder Wilkins, Sister Wall, Elders Spencer, Garduno and Bell

Back:  Elders Wood, Howard, May, Bryant, O'Keefe, Syndergaard, Wadsworth, Masina, Camp, Gamble, Cahoon, Hebdon, Mueller, Montgomery, and Miller

Left:  Elders Masina, Gardner, Kocherhans, Haskins, Wadsworth and Syndergaard 

Elders Gull, Simmons and Howard

Left:  Elders Mueller, Gray, Hebdon, Gamble, May, Wilkins and Miller

Left:  Sister Welch, Elder and Sister Butler, Sister and Elder Christensen, Elder Cahoon and Sister Wall

Left:  Sisters Clarkson, Casler, Roberts, Hansen, Johnson, Elder Hinckley and Sister Gardner

Singing our thanks for lunch!  (Called To Serve and We Wish You A Merry Christmas)

#ASaviorIsBorn

Elders Klima, Wilt and Smith with "give-away" ornaments on their tree!

MLC December 2015

Elder Anthony D. Perkins of the First Quorum of Seventy visited our mission on December 4.  He attended the Mission Leadership Council in Greentree.  Here are some of the highlights he shared:

"Glad tidings = good news of the gospel!"

"Make planning a revelatory experience!!"

The Missionary Handbook is inspired and is for our protection.

"Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say."          -Philemon 21

To Improve Core Teachng skills:

     Role playing in companionship studies

     Spend time in studying for investigators

     Spend time in Preach My Gospel

What is the most important skill you can have as a missionary?

   Recognizing the promptings of the Holy Ghost

   Acting on those promptings

   The more you act, the more promptings you will  receive!

How can we motivate others to work hard?

    Inspire rather than motivate!  Motivate means to move or push.  Inspire is desire from within.  

As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase. You will feel, as Lehi did, the “great … importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth” (2 Nephi 2:8).

The Christmas Initiative #ASaviorIsBorn is a fantastic way to share the message of Jesus Christ.  

We discussed why, and how we can get the message out.  Have you "discovered why"?

He was born so I . . .

Members of the MLC with Elder Perkins

Left Front:  Elder Baker, Sisters Johnson, Roberts, Elder Perkins, Pres. Johnson, Elders Liston, Bell

      Sister Duffy

2nd row:  Elders Miller, Schofield, Sisters Sibley, Ewell (below), Sears, Smith, Elders Wadsworth, Camp, Scott, Loretto and Sister Crockett

Back:  Elders Cuthbert, Hyer, Bryant, Holladay, Sister Landa, Elder Gille, Sister Busath, Elders Saylor, Ord, Mills, Millis, Redford and Gray

(Sister Johnson taking the picture)

Line Upon Line

 Issac Wright and his family came to Pittsburgh for a visit the week of Thanksgiving.  It was so good to meet them and see that Issac (the former Elder Wright) strong in the faith and remembering his great purpose as a missionary.

He shared with us his recently published version of missionary life during the time he served.  Issac is an artist and he created a comic book with pictures and captions describing and chronicling some of the experiences, people he met and other missionaries he served with.  He titled it "Line Upon Line".

Joyfully Entering In At the Gate . . .

 

Elder Devey and Elder Smedley taught Sharon who was baptized by Brother Laudermilch

Elder Lundberg and Elder Baxter with Josh and Justice Keiper

Elder Gull And Elder Kocherhans taught and baptized Damoni

Elder Aitken, Joddy, Charles, Billy and Elder Isom

Charles and his two sons Billy and Joddy were baptized Oct 31, 2015.  They have been in the US since Sept. Judith his wife was baptized when she was here earlier last year.  She lived with an LDS family (the Levitts) and converted last year when she was here doing a fellowship at Penn State.  She returned to Africa and introduced her family to the gospel.  They were ready to be baptized when political unrest broke out and Charles had to get out of the country quickly.  He took the two boys and came to State College and Judith went to Europe to see if she could help another son get a visa to the US.  They also have 2 boys and a daughter out of the country.

     Charles approached the missionaries and told them he was ready to be baptized!  Every missionary's dream!  Visiting their humble home reminded me of the blessings I take for granted such as freedom and safety.

Elder Kap and Brother Guerrero (former PPM missionary) with Shakira Rodriguez and Elder Elliot below

Elders Howard and Simmons taught Nicholas Yonko baptized 12 Dec 2015

Sisters Azucena, Wells, Autumn, Abbey, Rick and wife Laura, sons Dillon and Dalton and Sister Campbell

Sister Canseco and Sister Hartman taught Nancy Cassell.  Elder Gee baptized her.  Elder White 

 Dec 26, 2015

Elder Van Leeuwen and Elder Hawley taught and baptized Anthony Khani December 2015

Sisters Manumaleuna and Palmer taught Vari (in front) who was baptized in Dec. 2015

His great grandma Sister Shelby Lose is right behind him with his mom Dawneigh and grandmother to the left.

Elders Casper and Stevens baptized Kerry Feitler on 16 Jan 2016

Tommy, Sisters Roberts and Johnson, Marylou, Grant, Eric and Angela Eichenmiller Jan. 2016