Pancakes, Training, and Interviews: The Life of a Mission President and His Wife!

For the past several weeks, Sister Hammon and I have been traveling around the mission, participating in meetings and interviews and going out with missionaries. Every six weeks, I interview all missionaries. The interviews are short—probably 15 minutes or so, some a bit longer. We currently have 138 missionaries in the mission, seven zones in seven stakes. We thoroughly enjoy our time with them.

Sister Hammon and I decided that during interviews, we would select various companionships, and they would teach Sister Hammon a particular concept from PreachMy Gospel. Seventeen (17) companionships or 34 missionaries taught her gospel principles and doctrine. She learned much from them. We were able to gain some insight as what training needs to be done at multi-zone conferences and other trainings.

One of the training events we have every six weeks is District Leader Training. This new transfer, we have eight new district leaders, and the rest are moderately new. We spent time on the following topics: strategic planning for the new Mission Training Plan, baptismal whites, emergency preparedness, technology, the basics of being and effective and spiritual district leader, how to counsel and hold counsels, and baptismal interviews.

District Leader Training

 We believe the training went well. Our mission is full of leaders, and our current district leaders are very capable. One of the quotes that the Assistants used was this from Hugh Nibley: “Leaders are movers and shakers….True leaders are inspiring because they are inspired…Leadership is an escape from mediocrity.”

We had a good meeting and a very good lunch that Sister Shirley provided. We also sang to her. These are her words she posted about the experience:

Sister Shirley

“Yesterday as I was cleaning up from serving lunch at the District Leadership meeting Sister Hammon came in and asked if I would come out to the cultural hall. Of course, I said yes. I was unprepared for what happened next. I was so caught off guard that I cannot tell you what scripture they recited in unison but then they all sang We Are as The Army ofHelaman. I couldn't help but think of all the mothers who have been responsible for teaching these righteous young men. My heart felt such joy that these missionaries have chosen to serve the Lord over everything else they could be doing right now. Afterward, they each shook my hand and thanked me for lunch. I know this will be a sacred mission memory I will cherish forever.”

 

Missionaries singing to Sister Shirley

This past week, we participated in a rousing training with the new missionaries who have been out for four weeks and their companions. It was quite a day! We started off with a delightful breakfast, prepared by Sister Shirley with help from Elder and Sister Miskin, one of our senior couples serving in the Mission Office with Elder and Sister Shirley. She prepared pancakes, eggs with bacon, with all of trimmings, including Nutella, peanut butter, syrup, and whipped cream. She added bowls of berries to put on top of the pancakes. I looked at mine when I finished adding all of the accoutrements and felt it looked more like a dessert than just pancakes with syrup.

 

Elder and Sister Miskin (Photo by Sister Shirley)

Having fun with pancakes and whipped cream (Photo by Sister Shirley)

Hermana Hernandez with her creation! (Photo by Sister Shirley)

 Four of the companionships presented. Sisters Hindman and McDaniel discussed “How have companion inventory/companion study helped us establish a positive relationship? Elders Stewart and Bailey talked about “How have you used Preach My Gospel in teaching lessons and/or in your personal and companion studies? Sisters Frehner and Caldes did “What specific teaching technique have you learned that has helped you teach more effectively?” and Elders Lea and Ballard presented on “How have you been “bold but no overbearing” in seeking with faith or even inviting people to do things?” They all did an incredible job. We enjoyed the presentations and the manner in which they presented them.

All the new missionaries and their companions and two
(Sisters Longshore and Reynolds) who are finishing their training.

Being with the missionaries, whether in interviews or trainings or just in the Mission Office is truly a delight and inspiration. Watching the new missionaries after just four weeks present was incredibly amazing. For those who throw their entire might, mind, and souls into it, their growth and development are tangible. They become new beings or as the scriptures say: “new creatures” (See Mosiah 27:26 in the Book of Mormon). That is what missions do for young people.

 

Early morning, sun rising, the moon still hanging on from the front of the Mission Home.

We love serving in the CaliforniaRiverside Mission!

President and Sister Hammon

Oranges just down the street

Redland Temple, Missionaries Coming and Going, and Chile Verde

Redlands Temple

As the new year came and went, so did one missionary—Elder Rodriguez—who flew home on New Year’s Day to Iowa, to be with his family although they live in Georgia. They happened to be vacationing with family in Iowa. Instead of trundling home to a warmer Georgia, cold Iowa it was. Nonetheless, he was happy to see his family after two years of serving the Lord in the California Riverside Mission, the greatest mission on earth.

Sister and President Hammon and Elder Rodriguez at the Airport

The week before Elder Rodriguez left, we went to temple with him. When he arrived, he was greeted with an incredible surprise: His grandfather. What a joyous reunion! They hadn't seen each other for a few years.

President and Sister Hammon, Brother and Sister Rodriguez, and Elder Rodriguez

Have you ever thought of starting a new year in a new place and with new people? That's what eight new missionaries recently did in the California Riverside Mission on December 31 and January 1, 2019.

Elder and Sister Shirley with the Office missionaries went to the airport on New Year’s Eve to welcome three new missionaries from the Mexico MTC—Hermana Frehner and Elders Atanasio and Wise. They fed them a delicious dinner at Elder and Sister Shirley’s apartment, and then took them to stay with other missionaries to await the coming of missionaries arriving the next day. 

Elder Wilson (Office Elder), Elder and Sister Shirley (Office Couple), Hermana Frehner,
Elders Wise and Atanasio (new), and Elder Hite (Office Elder)

We picked up the other five new missionaries—Sisters Hernandez and Hindman; Elders Talataina, Stewart, and Lea—on New Year’s Day. They literally ran down the stairs and greeted us with glee. We grabbed their luggage and headed to the Mission Home where we connected with the other three missionaries who had come from the Mexico MTC.

Elder Lea (New), Sister Hindman (new), Hermana Hernandez (new),
President and Sister Hammon, Elders Talataina and Stewart (new)

Once they had all gathered at the Mission Home, we had a delicious dinner of Chile verde, rice, beans, cake, and ice cream. Delicious! They filled out a questionnaire, and then we heard a little bit more about each of them. Soon, the elders went to other missionary apartments, and the sisters stayed the night at the Mission Home. I interviewed all of the sisters before they went to bed.

Hermanas Grant and Hernandez (new)

Sister Hindman (New) and Sister McDaniel

Hermanas Frehner (new) and Caldez

Hermanas Longshore and Rane (new trainer for Hermana Longshore)

On Wednesday, we had a great training and lunch.

First lunch in the mission field

They learned about mission basics, mission goals, their missionary purpose, how to be good missionaries, health care, cars, apartments, mail, cooking, etc. During the training, I interviewed all of the elders. Then, after a delicious lunch, we gathered in the Relief Room where I made area assignments where they were going and who was going to be their new trainers. Once assigned, they each shared a short and powerful testimony with all of us. We have incredible new missionaries with equally incredible trainers.

Elders Escobar and Wise (new)

Elders Ballard and Lea (new)

Elders Stewart (new) and Bailey

Elders Talataina (new) and Staley

Well, they are now making their new “homes,” or what they will call home for the next two years or eighteen months, in the new areas where they have been assigned. For now, they will be here, serving the Lord and doing His will and growing and developing in ways they never thought imaginable. Oh, the joy of all that!

Elder Lea pointing to his new area and companion

Elder Wise pointing to his new area and companion

Sister Hindman placing her picture in her new area

Elder Talataina placing his picture in his new area on the transfer board
with his new companion Elder Staley looking on.

Hermana Hernandez placing her photo in her new area on the transfer board

Elder Lea placing his picture in his new area on the transfer board

Hermana Frehner placing her picture in her new area on the transfer board

We are so excited to have them here, serving with us in the California Riverside Mission.

One of California's gorgeous flowers