Zone Conferences with Elder and Sister McKay

This week we had the privilege of having a General Authority join us for zone conferences. It was all very joyful. At least it was once the group photos were taken.

To explain, I have to say that the last time a General Authority was here President Strong asked me to take the group photo for one of the conferences. It was a horrid experience. Whenever missionaries get together it is a party whether intended or not. So I was literally shouting at them to try to get them to line up. All of a sudden they all got really quiet. "What happened?" The president and our visitor had walked in. I was so embarrassed to have been SHOUTING at missionaries.

So this time, again, he asked me to take the photos of both zone conferences. He gave me a copy of the one he liked from the last time. (It wasn't the one I took.). The picture he liked had 79 people in it. We were planning to have over 90 people at each of our meetings this time. How was that ever going to work? There is no way to make a picture with 100 people in it look as nice as one with only 79.

I came up with a plan and I was prepared. I figured out where I would have the missionaries sit and stand and printed out small seating charts which we gave to each one as they came in. I had Sister Johnson play "prelude" music as they were coming in. I told them how embarrassed I was the last time to have been shouting and asked for their help. We sang Primary songs as they were waiting for the leaders to come in. Here we are waiting:

So we all wait like this with these reserved seats. Then Pres. and Sister Strong and Elder and Sister McKay come in, sit down, and smile.

These are the results:

North Zone Conference

South Zone Conference

Overall it turned out well. The singing of Primary songs was amazing. The McKay's really liked that.

The meetings were really nice. We also had a special MLC (Mission Leadership Council) meeting on Wednesday. During this time the McKay's 'interviewed' each of the office people. Sister Johnson and I were interviewed together. So clearly it wasn't a normal 'interview'. It was mostly just a nice visit. I was grateful that he didn't say we need to go on five missions.

These are some other pictures from the meetings.

Sister Johnson with the Vehicle Coordinator and Nurse

Pres. and Sister Strong and Sister and Elder McKay

Overall it was a very nice but tiring week. The North meeting was in Springfield, MO which is two hours away. We went basically to take the picture and say hi to missionaries.

This is a picture of us with Elder Kyle Jenkins. He is Sister Johnson's cousin of some kind.

This is Sister Johnson and Six-week Training (last week). I had to add it here because it wasn't in last weeks installment but she is just so cute.

This is a missionary experience that we loved.