Mission tour by Elder and Sister Gary B. Sabin

Sunday dinner with Sister and Elder Barker at the home of Sister and Elder Crump 

I started the week with a beautiful early walk along the river on Monday morning. The white geese were out in force and the goslings are almost as big as their parents.

The week has been so busy that I was not able to walk again until Friday morning. Beautiful Canadian geese and their goslings in the pond at Alton Baker Park.

Saturday morning was a little rainy but rain or shine, Sister and Elder Crump joined me with a walk through Meadowlark Prairie. The spring wild flowers were enjoying the showers.

The blue heron is hard to see but he is standing on the side of the creek in the water. A little blurred because he was so far away.

I went to lunch with Sisters Weeks and Wensel on Monday.

This week Elder Gary B. Sabin and his wife toured our mission. We had two zone conferences: one in Eugene and one in Medford with about 100 missionaries at each conference. The conferences started at 9:00 and went until 4:30 with a lunch break mid-day. When I heard last week that the conferences would last all day, I wondered how we (the missionaries in particular) would be able to sit that long but it was amazing. Elder and Sister Sabin taught in such a way that we were all wrapped up in what they could teach us. The time flew by! I have some pictures but not in any particular order.

The drive down to Medford on Tuesday evening after the Eugene conference was a lovely drive.

Silly Sister Bullock

Silly Sister Roskelley

President Cornelius has a great sense of humor! I love it!!

Sisters Eastman and Chatwin (Sister Eastman finishes her mission this month)

Sister Roskelley helping with the lunch preparation on Thursday for mission leadership training

Sister Withers helping to set up the tables and sample the food to make sure it is safe to eat LOL

In the conferences, Elder and Sister Sabin taught us many things such as the principles of the Gospel, how to be good missionaries and ways to invite others to come unto Christ, and more. But the topic that stood out to me was that both of the speakers focused on or led us to know that our Father in Heaven knows and loves us and wants us to find joy in this life. 

Elder Sabin gave a talk in General Conference in October 2023 titled Hallmarks of Happiness. In this speech he says:

“Today, I would like to review a few essential principles for true happiness that seem to elude so many in this confusing world, where many things are interesting but few are truly important.

…my first observation is that building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ is essential to our happiness.

My second observation is that it is crucial to our happiness that we remember that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father.

The third hallmark for happiness is to always remember the worth of a soul.

My fourth happiness hallmark is to maintain an eternal perspective.

…my fifth and final observation, which is you will never be happier than you are grateful.

I promise you that if we build our lives upon the foundation of Jesus Christ; value our true identity as sons and daughters of God; remember the worth of a soul; maintain an eternal perspective; and gratefully appreciate our many blessings, especially Christ’s invitation to come unto Him, we can find the true happiness we seek during this mortal adventure. Life will still have its challenges, but we will be able to better face each with a sense of purpose and peace because of the eternal truths we understand and live by.”

We have in our mission, a missionary who is a recent convert to the Church of fewer than 2 years. With the missionary’s permission, I want to share his story. When this young man joined the church, his family disowned him. He was told and reminded frequently by the father through calls and messages that he had made a stupid decision to join the Church, to serve a mission and to never return home as long as he remained a member of the church. This made the elder sad but he endured.

On Mother’s Day, he sent a message of love to his mother who responded with one word: “STOP”

This was so hurtful to the missionary. He had endured his father’s rejection but when his mother rejected him, it threw him for a loop. He called me on Tuesday after Mother’s Day to let me know that he was so debilitated that he couldn’t work and was even wondering how he could stay in the mission field. (As the mission health advisor, nurse, if a missionary can’t go out to work for a mental or physical reason, they must call me.)

We talked for a time and he talked with the mission president. He worked and stayed in the mission but he was heartbroken.

At the end of each zone conference, Elder Sabin set aside time for a question and answer session so that missionaries could ask questions about any subject. The elder raised his hand and asked how a person can get through trials that seem unsurmountable. Elder Sabin answered essentially, (I can’t remember the exact wording) that we make Jesus Christ our foundation. We must work hard and serve others and be grateful and we will be blessed. We can have hope and know that He will provide a way in all we do so that we can learn and progress. 

After the conference was over, Elder Sabin interviewed a preset number of missionaries. This troubled elder was one that had been chosen prior to the beginning of the tour to be interviewed by Elder Sabin. Elder Sabin gave the elder a Priesthood blessing.

Later that night, the elder called me. He was a different person than the one I had consoled just a week prior. He numerated all of the things he had learned throughout the day/conference. He told me of the Priesthood blessing and how he felt lifted and supported in ways he couldn’t describe. He bore his testimony that he knew the Lord had answered his prayers and had sent tender mercies to him throughout the day ending with the blessing. He left me with this thought: "The difference between the worst day in your life, and one of the hardest days in your life is Jesus Christ. If you consecrate your trials and afflictions to the Lord, you will grow closer to Him as he heals your broken and wearied heart, and that is ALWAYS worth it."

His faith is strong. I am amazed at the strength and courage that this young man has to face such obstacles to join the church and to remain faithful and serve a mission. 

I know that the Lord lives and loves us. He knows our needs and is standing beside us to help when we ask.

I love my Savior

I love you my family and friends.