ZONE INTERVIEWS - Week One

It's interview time!  Personal interviews between President Clark and our missionaries every 90 days or so is always a joy.  Interviews are handled differently every quarter.  This cycle we felt  group training would be a great way to go so we combine the two.  Each zone welcomes us with a great deal of kindness.  We start our meetings at 9:00 am.  After the opening, President Clark shares an inspirational message.  It is a great time to share what's happening with October-blest.  President shares some scriptures in D&C 103 that tells about Zion's Camp.  Zion's Camp was a time in 1834 when Church members were individually refined and qualified for work that they would encounter in the future.  It ended up being a time of profound sanctification and preparation. October-blest is becoming that for our missionaries.  Faith is being tested and the Lord's promises proven. They are not only finding, teaching and prepare others for truth, but they are becoming better saints and more equipped for their future!   

During the training the missionaries are given a pamphlet that the Church has provided to help safeguard them from technology.

The Church has a wonderful program called "Companionship Language Study". It is for any missionary one who doesn't speak English as a first language. It assists the missionaries, especially those from the Philippines, during their missions and throughout their lives.  President and Sister Martino put a great emphasis on this program before the Clark's arrived.  Since the Clark's arrival, every one of our Filipino missionaries have taken the OPIc test and received a certificate of achievement. During zone interview training Sister Clark reminded missionaries of the importance of this program.

 After the CLS refresher, Sister Clark taught a workshop on lesson planning.  We were reminded that before anything  on earth was created physically, it was made spiritually.  We learned that lesson planning is the spiritual creation of teaching.  Planning in advance and for each individual investigator invites the Spirit early in the teaching process. 

Teaching our missionaries as a non-Tagalog speaker, presents some funny moments.  We teach in English and the missionaries respond in whichever language they feel comfortable.  It works pretty well excepting when the teacher needs to know what the learners are saying.  For example, listening to a role play in Tagalog can be tricky when trying to discuss what happened in the role play.  The missionaries are good to smile and accommodate our inability to know exactly what was said.  On the other hand, it's amazing how much we do understand without knowing how to speak much of the language! 

 "...prepare an outline [lesson plan] personalized for who will be taught that day.  Use this an an aid, but speak from the heart as directed by the Spirit."

                                                                                                             Elder Charles Didier

After lesson planning, the missionaries conducted "Teaching Pool Reviews."  This was an amazing process where each companionship would share an investigator or two and the challenges they were facing.  Together all of our missionaries, having months and months of experience, shared solutions and ideas.  Opening it up to all of the missionaries was so helpful as they would tell what worked for them to help get through some of the same challenges.  It was a fabulous tool to support one another.  The missionaries are marvelous mentors and problem solvers.  They proved it - "No one of us is smarter than all of us."  They said that they were receiving revelation.

We ended the meeting with a cold, crisp apple and snack bag.  It was worth the price of admission.  The best part for the missionaries was being able to individually sit with their Mission President and  counsel, feel appreciated and loved.

GAPAN ZONE

Teaching Pool Review

BONGABON ZONE

Sister Dansie was a good sport to role play as Nellie for an all elders zone.

OUR BONGABON ELDERS

Chilled apple love.

Elder Lindsay was a trooper.  He was not feeling well 

but made sure he was drinking plenty of water!

CABANATUAN ZONE

Role Play Delight!

Two of our newest elders!

MABALACAT ZONE

"An apple a day...."

BALER ZONE

Kamusta! Twenty Arrive With Energy!

Our newest batch of missionaries came to our mission in a different fashion today.  This is our first group of missionaries who didn't all go through the MTC in Manila for training.  Some trained in the Provo MTC before coming to Manila for processing.  Because last Monday was a holiday, their fingerprinting didn't take place until Wednesday.  The missionaries were delayed by about 5 hours so instead of going to the mission office in the morning for orientation, they were brought directly to the mission home in the late afternoon for orientation, interviews and a nice dinner.  It was a nice change.  Our 16 Elders and 4 Sisters are bright, alert and eager.  They will be a wonderful addition to our mission family.

Kamusta, Elders and Sisters!  We all met together before breaking up into 4 training groups.  Elder Whiting makes sure they know how finances work in the mission.  Sister Whiting teaches about mission travel and baptism records.  The Assistants teach about our Orientation Manual and how to do a mission effectively.  President and Sister Clark share a group.  One by one the missionary have their first interview with their Mission President.  This helps him know which trainer would be best and where to assign them. Sister Clark talks about many of the health issues they will face and how to stay healthy. During part of Sister Clark's orientation, she gives the missionary "a parting gift" from our missionaries that departed for home just hours before.  

In the picture below, our departing missionaries are writing down advice for the incoming missionaries who arrive the next day.  As leaders we can share good counsel, but advice and encouragement coming from an experienced Angeles missionary who has walked the streets that the incoming missionary will walk and faced many of the same challenges, this counsel is price-less.  Some times the missionary receiving the counsel will say, "This is written just for me!"  It is one of the many tender mercies they will receive.

The day following arrival brings more training

by President and Sister Clark.  They divide their
time in the morning between both trainers and
trainees. Training a new missionary is an assignment
of great trust. Pictured below are the great missionaries 

who are the trainers for this new batch. They are entrusted 
with the care and nurture of our new missionaries for 
twelve weeks to assure they have a great beginning.

Here they are!  Our newly minted trainees 

 eagerly and anxiously awaiting the entry  

of the trainers in the chapel and the announcement

of assignments.  We are asked to make this a 

spiritual experience, setting the tone for their training. 

OUR NEWEST FINEST

Elder Alldredge

Elder Belleza

Elder Caburnay

Elder Najorda

Elder Noah

Elder Peterson

Elder San Juan

Elder Sumalpong

Elder Tindoc

Elder 'Unufe

Elder Abrao

Elder Carling

Elder Duke

Elder Elms

Elder Wells

Elder Zacchilli

Sister Hortaleza

Sister Marabe

Sister Tukia

Sister Bandoy

TRAINEE & TRAINER

Elder 'Unufe & Elders Pascua

Elder Abroa & Elder Lewis

Elder Alldredge & Elder Lastierre

Sister Aries & Sister Tukia

Sister Bandoy & Sister Evans

Elder Belleza & Elder Lewis

Elder Caburnay & Elder Mielke

Elder Carling & Elder 

Elder Duke & Elder Ramos

Elder Elms & Elder Berdin

Sister Marabe & Sister Victorio

Sister Merwal & Sister Hortaleza

Elder Najorda & Elder Dixon

Elder Noah & Elder Teasdale

Elder Peterson & Elder Gomitas

Elder San Juan & Elder McIntyre

Elder Sumalpong & Elder Matheson

Elder Tindoc & Elder Young

Elder Wells & Elder Javier

Elder Zacchilli & Elder Richards

mis-sion-ary (noun)

Someone who leaves their family for a time,

so that others may be with their families for Eternity.