Mission Report 4 (Sept. 12 - 26, 2011)

We are in the 3rd Branch of the Ensign Stake. They have a second branch which is dedicated to the LDS Hospital, which is a few blocks from where we live. They have a branch of Church Service Missionaries who tend to the needs of the patients in the hospital. They like to say the doctors tend to the bodies of the patients and they tend to the spirit of the patients. They hold services at the hospital on Sundays for the patients and for staff who want to attend. They bring the sacrament to those who can’t attend the services. They also go, two by two, to the patients during the week.

Our stake had stake conference two weekends ago. Now the following could only happen in Utah. The Saturday night adult session was scheduled at 5:30 PM. The stake president showed up in a red tie and the 1st counselor in a blue tie. The counselor, who conducted, said they appreciated everyone in the stake being flexible with the time of the meeting and that the ties had nothing to do with it. (We got out in time to see the BYU – Utah game on TV right after the meeting.) The Sunday meeting was in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. Our stake house is right up the street on our block but there just isn’t much parking and the stake is full of old members who need transportation. So we are the only stake to get to use the Tabernacle and the stake members can park underground in the conference center parking. Game or no game, both sessions of conference were very spiritual and enjoyable. Barbara has always wanted to sing just one song with the Tab Choir. Well she didn’t get to sing with them, but she did sing in their seats.
Home teaching / visiting teaching – now that is different here. Husbands and wives are paired up in our branch. We were assigned another couple and a single sister. When we go it counts for both visiting and home teaching. It is crazy to go down the elevator two floors and visit the other couple and to walk 10 minutes from where we work and meet the sister. That is so different back home. Our branch constantly has missionaries coming in and out. We are losing a dozen or so missionaries this week and will gain probably 30 next week. As of last week there were 183 full-time missionaries in our branch. Next month it should be more like 200.