HERMANA KORI BALLIF – Hermana Ballif is down to her last transfer. They are teaching a bunch of people right now, and had 2 friends get baptized. One week they had so many friends come to church with them, they filled up the first two benches in sacrament meeting – she said that was an “awesome week!” They also had a lady “boo” them in the street, like on “The Princess Bride”. She asked if we will pray for Alexander. He is one of their friends who wants to be baptized, but because of a very traumatic experience he had, is extremely afraid of water. She also asked if we will continue praying for her former companion, Hermana Fitt. She is now breathing on her own, but still hasn’t regained full consciousness.
SISTER MAKAYLA HATCH – Sister Hatch is serving in Coulee Dam, WA. She will find out about transfers next week. Sister Hatch was very excited to go to the Moses Lake Temple this last week (she had not been since the MTC!) they also had a baptism last week and we’re super excited about that. Sister Hatch is still serving as an STL. She asks that we pray for her companion Sister Bassett, she is having a hard time adjusting and is home sick.
ELDER MAX MUMFORD – Max is serving in Springfield, Oregon. He misses Central Point, but is making great connections in this new area. This is his message for the month: I think the big thought I had this week was about repentance. Repentance is change. It’s about returning to God our loving Heavenly Father. It’s about us feeling greater JOY. All of the gospel is about joy, not happiness, not pleasure, but pure and eternal joy. Joy is what we all want to feel and we will feel it as we walk in the path and follow the plan God has for us. He wants us to have Joy and through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ we can repent, come closer to God and feel that joy. Strive to have Joy in your life. “Men are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25)
ELDER FIELDING MUMFORD – Fielding is teaching some part member families, but getting to church is a financial struggle for many. They are trying to help them see the joys of the gospel & hoping to have a baptism this Saturday. He gets to go on exchanges a lot. Had one with Elder Dean, who was temporarily reassigned to Max’s mission before going to Peru. One thought from Elder Fielding, “the Lord doesn’t care how much we necessarily accomplish but he just wants our maximum effort. So give him your maximum effort this week no matter where you are!!”
ELDER RON & SISTER CAROL MUMFORD – Ciao Sorelle e Fratelli di Rione di Oxford, Short month – and after our break (which was delightful) we have settled back into our weekly routine of Temple Service. We see sacrifice and miracles so often! A large group of Saints from Albania came last week to stay and serve from Tuesday until Friday evening. One thing I have noticed about the Albanian Saints is that they come to “wear themselves out” in their Service to the Lord. They are in the Temple from start at 9:30 am and many serving continually in one area or another in the Temple until it closes at 7:30 pm. And many were weeping as they left on Friday evening. So grateful for their tremendous example. I truly wonder if we “cherish” our time and opportunity to go to the Temple as much as these Saints who can only come 1 or 2 times a year!! It’s truly worthy of our greater efforts to get there!! The month of November will bring 3 new Temple Couples to the Rome Temple Mission! Our Temple President is thrilled as he can rest assured that things at the Temple will still run smoothly, even as we start to “lose” Senior Couples starting in Feb, then May (that’s us), June and July of 2024. We are getting excited to see our daughter Katie Marie come to visit next week along with her husband, Sam, and another couple. It will be a whirlwind – but so worth it!! As we all start to earnestly go back and begin to re-study Oct Gen Conf talks, may we find those messages the Lord wanted us to learn! Love from Rome!!
ELDER DRAKE BUTTARS – Elder Buttars is serving in the city of Beaumont, California. He is immensely enjoying his companion from Rigby Idaho, Elder Pence, who knows how to work and is willing and has the energy to put in a “farmers work day”. Drake is also currently serving as district leader and I have never seen him happier in his life.
SISTER EMMA MARISCAL – Emma continues to serve on the island of Roatan, Honduras. The rainy season has arrived. She doesn’t mind it other than the very cold showers she has to take since there is little sun to warm the water. The primary had a fun activity where the kids learned about missionary work. They were each given a name tag, a plane ticket, a jar to start saving their money for their mission, and a photo of the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple. They met with the three sets of missionaries to discuss different aspects of serving a mission. They had a great turnout of kids and parents. They finished the week with another baptism – a 9 year old boy.
ELDER BEN WARD and SISTER REBEKAH WARD – Their mother reports that both Ben and Bekah are doing well, and will have updates next month.
ELDER JOSEPH WESTOVER – Tuesday we had a lesson with Richard. It was so good. We just taught from the introduction of the Book of Mormon. We read through it and broke it down each paragraph. We talked about how the Book of Mormon brings peace and grows us. He said yes. We then broke down the last two lessons about how Joseph Smith was a prophet. We explained it and had a very good discussion about how God always reaches out through His prophets every dispensation. To end the call we read the 2nd interview question again. He now understands and believes that Joseph Smith and Russell M. Nelson are prophets. He understands why we have prophets, and he told us what that means to him. All the pieces were there, and he put them together during our lessons.
ELDER JOEY HANSEN – Hello everyone. It’s been a big week. Beginning with Elder Neil L. Anderson and Sister Anderson came to speak to us at the MTC super cool. I liked it a lot he talked about the spirit. The next day, I had to fly to Albuquerque New Mexico. I made the flight there and then met the mission president and his wife, Brother and Sister Edwards. They came to pick us up from the airport. The next day I met my companions, I am in a trio Elder Garcia and Elder Perkins. Both are awesome, they are good missionaries, and they have a lot to teach me. I cover a Spanish and an English area. My area is Estancia New Mexico, I have liked it so far and the people are nice to me. I got to go to a ward Halloween party so it was nice to meet the bishop and members. Also, I got to knock on my first door, and it didn’t even get slammed on me. It was so cool to have a nice interaction for my first time. Thanks for tuning in. Elder Hansen
ELDER TALON REESE – Bula Vinaka Everyone!! So far the mission has been amazing. The language is so fun to learn although it can be hard! These first couple of weeks I’ve been called as the district leader which has been way cool and brought me to some neat experiences. Recently I gave an Elder a blessing which was so cool. Love and miss you all! Elder Reese
Ward members, contact the missionary’s family for an address if you desire to send a package for Christmas.
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