The new missionaries have arrived plus District Leader Training!

Incoming missionaries

With outgoing missionaries leaving in the morning, new missionaries arrive later in the afternoon on the same day. Fifteen new missionaries arrived recently: Sisters Corder, Durham, and Rhoton; Elders Barnes, Campbell, Clifford, Edwards, Emry, Jackson, Jacobs, Larsen, Newey,  Ogan, Schaeffer, and Patching.

What a wonderful group of missionaries! We gathered their luggage and headed for the Mission Home where Sister Hammon had a delicious meal of Chile verde and all the trimmings plus tres leches cake waiting for us.

The next day I finished interviewing each of them, and they attended an orientation that taught them about bicycles, cars, health, finances, housing, technology, doing missionary work, mission rules, and expectations. Then, we ate a delicious and nutritional lunch, made companionship assignments, participated in a delightful testimony meeting, took pictures with them and us and them and their new companions--and off they went with all their luggage, boxes their parents sent them prior to arriving, and their shiny new bicycles. Now, they are scattered throughout the mission.

Sister Corder

Sisters Grillone and Corder (new)

Sister Durham

Sisters Durham (new) and Gray

Sister Rhoton

Sisters Rhoton (new) and Sisters Moffit

Elder Barnes

Elders Barnes (new) and Evans

Elder Campbell

Elders Campbell (new) and Wilson

Elder Clifford

Elders Clifford (new) and Casper

Elder Edwards

Elders Hansen and Edwards (new)

Elder Emry

Elders Egbert and Emry (new)

Elder Jackson

Elders Jackson (new) and Rollins

Elder Jacobs

Elders Jacobs (new) and Larsen

Elder Larsen

Elders Gallacher and Elder Larsen (new)

Elder Newey

Elders Newey (new) and Roper

Elder Ogan

Elders Ogan (new) and Nielsen

Elder Patching

Elders Patching and Simpson

Elder Schaeffer

Elders Schaeffer (new) and Hunt

We love these new missionaries already!

In the midst of all this, we also had District Leader Training. Ten district leaders are new to this assignment. We had an illustrative and revelatory training with them. Our training topics included: “Becoming Leaders: Persistence, Consistency, and Diligence by Following Ten Straight Forward Principles of Leadership and Living,” "Becoming Exceptional District Leaders," "Emergency Preparedness," and "A Plethora of Things, Both Administrative and Ministrative." We had lots of discussion regarding these and other topics. 

Top row: Elders Casper, Nelson, McLaughlin, Nielsen, Lawlor, Lowry, Dalmas, Gallacher,
Castro, Davis (Assistant), Loveridge (Assistant); Front row: Elders Larsen, Ballard, Wilson,
Hunt, Mohlman, Tippetts, President and Sister Hammon, Lance, Quinton, Beddes, Egbert, and Nelson.

When missionaries finish their missions, we sometimes wonder who will be filling their shoes and assignments. Once we met the new missionaries and the new district leaders, our worries quickly fade. The new missionaries are incredible young men and women with vigor, drive, and testimonies. The new districts leaders have slipped right into the leadership groove and already are providing great examples and exhibiting and showing wonderful examples to their districts. We know the Lord provides these young men and women exactly when we need them and where we need them. The California Riverside Mission is in good hands!

President and Sister Hammon