Mission Tour - An Amazing Week! Individuals not Numbers.

Here are the missionaries of the California Santa Rosa Mission singing a 3rd verse to the song “Called to Serve.” Mission Tour with Elder and Sister Jackson. Mission Leaders - President and Sister Quinn 9/14/23

*President & Sister Quinn with Sister and Elder Jackson*

Elder William Jackson and his wife Ann came to tour our mission. On Monday, September 11th, they joined us at the mission home for dinner. I made a family favorite, Thai Chicken. We enjoyed visiting with the Jacksons and going over all that was planned for the coming week! The theme for the tour was, “Going Deep - Becoming a Lifelong Disciple of the Savior, Jesus Christ.” Here (below) is the invitation we sent out to all of our missionaries.

I was really excited for this week yet also a little nervous with all that the tour entailed. I asked my family to pray for me.

This week I felt the many prayers sent my way. I was grateful to feel inspired on what to teach the missionaries. I could tell that Heavenly Father and my guardian angels were watching over me. I am also grateful for those who helped me make the week a success!

All of the missionaries were super excited for this week! They love being together and looked forward to having a General Authority teach them.

Tuesday, September 12th, we left early to go to the church building in Vacaville for a day of leadership training, missionary training, lunch, and interviews.

*Sisters Schoenberger, Chapman, Smith with Elders Fano, Averett, and Kreimeyer*

*Elders Phillippi, Scoresby, Poulsen, and Wiley*

Wednesday, September 13th, we gathered in the Badger building for more training, lunch and interviews. We met as a Medical Health Council in the later afternoon. That evening we went out to dinner with the senior missionaries and then had them over to the mission home for dessert. I made Chocolate Cream Delight. I had to laugh, there was not a pastry cutter or a hand mixer in the mission home kitchen, so I had to make the dessert with a knife, potato masher, and a hand held whip. That evening Elder Jackson spoke to all the senior missionaries.

*Sister Quinn, Sisters Hunter and Smart, and President Quinn*

*Waiting for interviews Elders White, Tibbets, and Moala*

*Dinner at Los Molcajetes with the senior missionaries.*

*We brought everyone back to the mission home and served Chocolate Cream Delight.*

*Elder Jackson speaking to the senior missionaries in our home.*

Thursday, September 14th, was the big day where we gathered all the missionaries from around the mission. (Some missionaries drove for 7 hours to join us and came down the night before). There was more training and teaching. We then had a nice lunch. I had a “mission map” bookmark made up for each missionary as a little gift. We took a mission photo and videoed our missionaries singing all three verses of “Called to Serve.” After lunch the missionaries played “Minute to Win It” games. We then let the missionaries just visit and socialize - which they love doing! Here are some photos from the day. I apologize in advance for the photo overload.

Thursday evening we gathered in the mission home for the CCM (Coordinating Council Meeting) dinner. I made another family favorite, Sweet N Sour Spare Ribs. It was a big hit. Please scroll down and read about Elder Jackson and his teachings at the end of this post.

*Table center pieces. - Art by Sister Brockbank*

Mission map bookmark - a gift for each missionary. From the giant redwoods through the vineyards, down the coast to the Golden Gate Bridge we have a diverse and wonderful mission comprising 8 zones.. 3 Nephi 5:13 is our mission theme.

*The gym in the Peterson Lane Ward Building.*

*Elders waiting patiently for the Sisters to be served first!*

*Sister and President Quinn with the service mission leaders Elder and Sister Lowe*

*Sisters Bagwell, Tibbals, Hall, Quinn, Paternoster, Chynoweth, and Tippets*

*More games… (President Quinn joined in!)*

*More games… (Sister Quinn joined in too!)*

*I loved seeing all of the Elder’s jackets laid carefully aside while they played games.* If the jackets could only talk. Each has a story to tell.

*President and Sister Quinn with Sister and Elder Jackson at the Peterson Lane Building.*

*California Santa Rosa Mission Photo - September 2023 - President and Sister Quinn mission leaders with Elder and Sister Jackson visiting.*

*One of three tables I set for the CCM Dinner (Coordinating Council Meeting) with the Stake Presidents and their wives, along with Elder Wilson our Area Authority 70.*

Friday, September 15, we said good-bye to the Jacksons. We gave them a picture of the Savior that our missionary, Sister Brockbank, drew. We also gave them one of our “courage coins” that we give all departing missionaries. Wow! what a week! Everything went so well. It was an amazing time for all!!

Elder Jackson did so much training, teaching, interviewing, visiting, and giving advice, I don’t know where to begin writing about it. I have a lot of notes! He was kind, funny, and wise in the things he taught us. He was so enthusiastic about missionary work and loving our fellowmen that his words were a big boost to all of us. I think over all, “love” was the central theme. When he talked to us about our key indicator reports, he made sure to let us know that each statistic/number on the chart has a name, that each name is a person, and each person is loved by our Savior. He talked about how each individual is watched over by many and we can do our part to love and care for each other as our missionaries fulfill their missionary purpose which is:

“Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring the end.” - PMG

During Elder Jackson’s training he quoted many scriptures about love. Here are a couple of my favorite:

Moroni 7:47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love…

Moroni 10:32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ…

As missionaries we invite all to Come unto Christ, to feel of His love, to allow His love to give your life meaning, to offer you an eternal perspective, and to help you become the person God created you to be.

To learn more about the Savior’s love, go to this site: Come Unto Christ

Mission Tour - An Amazing Week! Individuals not Numbers.

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