Missionaries Rocking Service - We Love Them!
It has been a good week full of many tasks such as preparing for zone conferences, organizing MLC, answering emails, writing talks, and trying to catch up with desk work. We spent time in the mission office meeting with the AP’s (Assistants to the President). We appreciate the AP’s taking on many tasks. We had a Zoom mission wide zone conference. And of course, we spent time doing the most important and our most favorite thing - working with our missionaries individually.
The assistants to the president (AP’s) - Elders Gardner, Hawkins, and Lunt working in the office.
This week I received a fun email from Sister Susan Hawkins, our service mission advisor, with photos of one of our service missionaries, Sister Gould. Service missionaries have a different mission purpose than our teaching/proselytizing missionaries do. More about that below. These missionaries really rock their service!
Sister Gould has made toy stuffed animals to put in baskets for children. She helped a stake primary president deliver over 113 baskets to organizations such as CASA of Humboldt and Big Brother, Big Sister Services in the Eureka Area.
Sister Gould with the stuffed toys for children that she has made.
Elder and Sister Hawkins our wonderful service missionary advisors.
We love our service missionaries and enjoy having them join in with the teaching missionaries whenever they can. We have on average 7-10 service missionaries serving in our mission at a time.
Elder Davis, one of our service missionaries.
Let me introduce you to Elder Davis, one of our service missionaries. I am glad I called him (today) on May 4th to visit with him, because I learned he is a big Star Wars fan. “May the 4th be with you!” He and his family are also celebrating a family birthday today.
Elder Davis lives in Rohnert Park. He says serving a mission brings on challenges as well as blessings. He told me it can be hard not doing all the things he is used to doing at home, but he is trying his hardest to do things correctly. He says he is busy and having his schedule written down helps. He serves in many ways such as shifts at the LDS Oakland Temple, Concord Storehouse, the Air Museum, different homeless shelters, and St. Elizabeth Food Bank where he passes out food. He says he enjoys all of the different ways he serves and is happy to keep up a decent schedule.
Here are the names of our current service missionaries. Eli Boe, Matthew Davis, Emma Fisher, Camille Gould, Carter Henneke, Lolohea Kaufusi, Katherine Siino, Allison Stangland, and Eleanor Thayn. (A couple of them have been recently released.)
Elder Henneke pictured here.
I thought you would find it interesting to learn more about service missionaries. The following information comes from the church’s website.
Worthy young men and women whose circumstances are best suited for a service mission are assigned as service missionaries. In addition, teaching missionaries who return home early due to accident, illness, or other health conditions and have a desire to continue their service may be reassigned as a service missionary. Service missionaries live at home and serve locally. They do not have a companion. Each service missionary is provided a customized mission experience uniquely tailored to his or her talents and skills. During their missions, it is common for them to have multiple assignments. They serve under the direction of the mission president and work closely with the mission service advisors.
Sisters Kaufusi, Anderson, and Fisher with Elder Hawkins. More service missionaries!
Our mission advisors work hard finding service opportunities in the community for these missionairies. They also hold service zone councils and other meetings with these missionaries. Service missionaries are invited when possible, to teach with the teaching missionaries. They are also invited to attend mission zone conferences and district councils. We are grateful for the service missionary option and have had some of our missionaries transfer home to finish their mission as a service missionary.
Thank you to all of the service missionaries for your hard work! I’m so proud of each one of them and their willingness to serve our Savior Jesus Christ by offering their hands and their time in beautiful and meaningful ways.
Thank you, to you, for reading my weekly mission updates. Love, Sister Quinn
I would like to take time here and share some very sad news. We learned Friday that a young missionary serving in the North Carolina Charlotte Mission was killed Thursday as a car speeding veered off the street onto the sidewalk where he and his companions were. His name is Elder Aleki Langi from Magna, Utah. One of his two companions is our missionary’s, Hermana Richins’ brother. Her brother, the companion of the missionary killed, offered first aid to his companion while waiting for help to come. This weekend we have been praying for comfort for the Langi family, we are also mindful of the mourning the missionaries are experiencing who knew and loved Elder Langi. Our hearts go out to all and we send much love and prayers!
Below here are more photos from the week.
The tech elders and two of our social media leaders working in the office. Elders Swindler and Hales, and Sister Curtis and Hermana Gross.
President and Sister Quinn in the mission office.
President Quinn and I enjoyed a cookie tailgate after Fairfield Stake Saturday evening conference. Sisters Thueson and Kai, Elders Hansen, Ockey and White.
More cookie tailgaters, Elders Robinson, Sommers, Brown, Finger, Mecham, and Woodruff.
Cookie tailgate continued inside with Elders Klopf, Farnsworth, Almeida, and Jenesn. This photo was taken on May 3rd, the same day Elder Almeida’s sister, Sariah, married my niece’s, Brooke Sheet’s, son Adam. I told him the cookies were “wedding cookies” just for him to help celebrate his sister’s wedding! Welcome to the family Sariah! Elder Almeida was able to FaceTime into the wedding celebration earlier today. - “Hello” back to my Aunt and Uncle Lee and Holly.
Sunday morning at Browns Valley Ward. We visited with Elders Hsu, Brough, and Fay. We have so many wonderful missionaries!
