Arriving Missionaries December 2010

We welcomed our new missionaries in the rain and sent them off to tract for an hour. Elder Gishie returns from Arizona after knee surgery, Sister Pinto from Bolivia, Sister Nibley from Utah, Elder Shannon from Washington state, Elder Clements from Texas, Elder Choi from Korea, Elder Muse from Kentucky, Elder Alvarez from norther California.

After lunch they met their new trainers; Elder Gilbert (Muse), Elder Molinaro (Clements), Elder N. Evans (Shannon), Elder Son (Choi), Elder Hoehn (Alvarez), Sister L. Garcia (Pinto), Sister Phillipy Nibley)

Departing Missionaries December 2010

We lost ten percent of our missionaries in one day. Last day traditions include a temple session, dinner, and testimony meeting.

Good-bye to (seated) Ja Min Byon, Marissa Masihdas, Christie Salazar, Jennifer Thomas, Kimberly Stevens, Chelsea Williamson (standing) Ryan Bingham, Mitchell Brower, Anson Fillerup, Joshua Loveless, Cameron Clark, Dallin Nead, Marcus Dahle, Ivan Sanchez, Scott Jackson, Jordan Gustin, Kyle Richins, Cory Lovelace, Andrew Simon, Christopher Yanez, Yeon Sung

Christmas Eve 2010

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve event. The whole mission gathered togetherfor a Christmas concert. We had a 60 voice choir led by Sister Lyman that was just amazing. We had an additional dozen numbers performed by small groups. It was Christmas at its best.

Afterwards, the missionaries met in the cultural hall to mix and mingleand enjoy homemade cinnamon rolls with hot chocolate.Christmas wouldn't be the same without Santa Claus (aka Elder Hancock).
We ended with gifts; boxes from from family and friends (this is one week's worth)and a mini loaf of poppy seed bread from the mission.

Christmas at the Los Angeles Temple

Monday in the Mission Office

This is one day's worth of Christmas boxes. The mailman brought his usual mail truck plus a van just to deliver our mail. Elder Hancock and some other missionaries had to help carry it all in through the rain.

The reason missionaries were available to help with the mail is that many of them were nearby in the Familly History Center. The FHC is next door to us in the Visitor Center basement and since they aren't very busy on Monday mornings, they are gracious enough to allow the missionaries to use the center to email their families.

New Office

The old office is now abandoned. It is the end of an era as the original office complex was built at the same time as the temple in the 1950's. It is going to be completely torn down and two homes will be built on the site; one for the Mission President and one for the Temple President. We do not expect to ever live in the new home ourselves.

The old Mission Office was one corner of a rectangle built around a courtyard. The building also included the Mission Home, the Assistants' apartment, extra rooms for missionary transfers, a commercial kitchen, a dining room with a table that seats 16, and the Fireside Room, which was a group meeting room with several couches and chairs.

The new office is across a parking lot in the basement of the Visitor's Center. It took a while to get all those boxes unpacked.

Everybody is now up and operating. This is President Baker's office.

Arriving Missionaries November 2010

Elder Skousen from Utah, Elder Hough from Washington state, Elder Acosta from New Mexico, Elder Hackney from Florida, Elder Carter from Utah, Elder Lee from Utah, Elder Wilson from Utah, Elder Powell from Utah, Elder Hernandez from North Carolina, Elder Matheson from Utah, Elder Carver from Utah, Sister Schumacher from Maryland, Sister Green from Utah, Sister Cannon from Utah, Sister Flake from Utah, Sister Fonokalafi from New Zealand

Trainers: Elder Goold (Hough), Elder McRae (Carver), Elder Hill (Acosta), Elder Orozco (Matheson), Elder Welch (Skousen), Elder Bigler (Carter), Elder Jones (Lee), Elder Lovelace (Hernandez), Elder Giles (Hackney), Elder Yanez (Wilson), Elder Riska (Carter), Sister Garcia (Cannon), Sister Stout (Fonokalafi), Sister Williamson (Flake), Sister Garza (Green), Sister McCullough (Schumacher)

Turkey Bowl 2010: Day Two

Team South Bay

Team Central

Team Penninsula

Turkey Bowl 2010: Day One

Team Lakewood

Team Marina

Team Metro

Team Westwood

Clean Apartment Awards November 2010

Elder McRae, Elder Carroll, Elder Brooks, Sister Villanueva, Sister Stevens, Elder Jones, Elder Wilcox, Elder Hoggan. The Sisters won for cleanest apartment, Elder Brooks won for eating the most homemade rolls (but he didn't set a record) and Elder Wilcox doesn't want his mother to know that he knows how to clean.

Zone Conference November 2010

We had three days of great Zone Conferences. We began with a couple of magic tricks (along with reminders on taking care of missionary cars) by our car czar Elder Hancock. Sister Baker also offered to teach them the magic trick of turning gray shirts white (bleach). After an opening song and prayer, President Baker congratulated the missionaries on already reaching this years' goal of 600 baptisms and introduced our challenge to read the Book of Mormon by January 1.

We had training on the "Sacred 30" (evening planning) by the assistants, then we had two break-out sessions on personal and companionship planning taught by the Zone Leaders that were present that day. After a delicious lunch prepared by a local Relief Society, Sister Baker spoke about living the spirit of the law rather than just the letter of the law. We need to be fully committed as described in Ezekiel 47:1-8.

President Baker then spoke about our missionary purpose and how everything we do should advance that purpose. He referred to D&C 58:27 and explained that missionaries shouldn't have to be commanded in everything. He discussed how they can use the missionary resources (missionary library, sriptures, missionary handbook, the Holy Ghost) to help them make good decisions.

Westwood Zone

South Bay Zone

Penninsula Zone

Metro Zone

Marina Zone

Lakewood Zone

Central Zone

Visitor Center Dedication

Our Visitor Center staff with Elder Russell Nelson. Back row: Sisters E Garcia, Browning, Cass, Brinkerhoff, Macdonald, Hanselman, Elder Macdonald, Sisters, Madison, Stout, Elder Larsen, Sisters Gregerson, Larsen, Masihdas, and Thompson. Middle row: Sisters Phillipy, Dickson, Parra, Christenson, Salazar, L. Garcia, Byon, Ashby, Tittle, Contreras, Miyagi, Elder Miyagi. Seated: Sisters Mortensen, Thurston, Thomas, Winn, Elder Nelson, Sisters Garza, McCullough, Dansie, and Decker. (If you double click on the picture it will enlarge)
Elder Mark Lusvardi from Salt Lake is in charge of all Visitor Centers worldwide, President and Sister Baker, Elder Russell Nelson of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles dedicated the building, Elder and Sister Macdonald are the Visitor Center directors. See Church News Article here

Arriving Missionaries October 2010

Sister Mortensen from Idaho, Sister Brinkerhoff from Arizona, Elder Itaaehau from Tonga via Hawaii, Elder Hoyt from Utah, Elder Takogawa from Japan via Virginia, Elder Howard from Texas, Elder Casteneda from Peru via Texas, Elder Robertson from Idaho.
Trainers: Elder Halls (Hoyt), Elder Gustin (Robertson), Sister Browning (Brinkerhoff), Elder Barfuss (Ita'aehau), Elder Cruz (Howard), Sister Madison (Mortensen), Elder Johnson (Casteneda), Elder Tanner (Takogawa)

Departing Missionaries October 2010

Elder Jason Kim, Elder Patrick Christensen, Elder Lance McDonald, Elder Spencer Jenne, Sister Stephanie Harrison, Elder Michael Spellman, Elder Franco, Elder Rex Jones, Elder Zachery Davis. Elder Franco has been transferred to the California San Jose mission because they have need of an experienced ASL missionary. He isn't going home so he doesn't get a first name back yet...

Clean Apartment Awards October 2010

Clean apartment award winners get a dinner with President and Sister Baker at their condo. This transfers winners: Elder McConnell, Elder Lathrop, Elder F. Jung, Elder Garrett, Elder Karnes, Elder Dahle, Sister Thomas, Elder Oryang, Sister Ashby. Elder Garrett and Elder Dahle want their moms to notice they are holding the First Place certificates!

Mission Presidency

President Brent Turley (Carol) and President Hugo Giuliani (Adriana) have been helping us out for the last three months but now they have been officially called.

Arriving Missionaries September 2010

Elder Ohata from Japan, Elder Little from Massachusettes, Sister Thurston from Idaho, Elder Moss from Utah, Sister Decker from Utah, Elder McCulloch from North Carolina, Sister Ashby from Utah, Elder Roundy from Texas, Elder Doh from Burma

Departing Missionaries September 2010

Elder Lamont Bushman and Elder John Brantly are leaving us -- We will miss you!

Clean Apartment Awards August 2010

Elder Salazar, Elder Hill, Elder Evans, Sister Salazar, Elder Spellman, Sister Stout, Elder Patten, Elder Yanez (Actually, Elders Evans and Spellman snuck in here because Elders Salazar and Hill needed a ride. I don't know if their apartment is clean or not.)

Zone Conference

Westwood Zone

Lakewood Zone

Metro Zone

Marina Zone (Sisters Madison and Browning on top row were added in from another picture because they were working in the Visitor Center that day)

Penninsula Zone

Central Zone: (sorry we forgot to remind the Elders to put their coats back on after lunch)

South Bay Zone