Four Elders Leave Us

Departing missionaries with President Young

After a trip to the Portland Temple and dinner at the Mission home with the Mission Presidency, four of our missionaries left for their homes. They were Elder Austin Fowles, Elder Bruce Meyers, Elder Michael O'Neill

and Elder Jeremy Peart.

New Arrivals!

Our new arrivals in Hendricks Park with President and Sister Young

A big welcome to Dylan Andes, Tait Clements, Alex Gosar, Tanner Raulston, Erik Riemers, Colin Tandy-Trammel, Dreu Tonn, Bemjamin Woestman, Kiefer Worsencroft and Julie Hollingshead.

Trainers Preparing for New Arrivals

First Snow for Some!

Bula,

My name is Elder Kaumaitotoya.  I am currently serving a mission in Stayton, Oregon, of the Oregon Eugene Mission. I am from the Fiji Islands, a place where the weather is warm and always bright.  I had never seen snow before.  My first experience in the show was on the 17^th of January 2012.  My companion (Elder Kane) and I built this great huge snowman.  The experience was fun and awesome.  The snow looked like vanilla ice cream falling from the sky.  The members we live with (Bro. & Sis. Graham) told me that you can eat the fresh snow, but not yellow snow.  I did not know what they meant until one of the dogs showed us.

The weather and climate may seem a lot different to what I am used to, but the gospel of the Savior is definitely the same.  It is amazing to see how our Heavenly Father loves all his children from all over the world.

I know the Lord’s kingdom is restored and I am grateful to be a part of it.  I know this to be true because of the book of Mormon.  It is a living evidence that the God we worship is a God of miracles.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Spanish Speaking Missionaries Meet

Zone Conference Week

Central Point

Eugene

Albany

Bend

Training in Coos Bay

1 February Zone Leader Council

January 23-27 Specialized Training

Elder Kearon visit

Elder Kearon with OEM missionaries

In early January the OEM received a visit from Elder Patrick Kearon.
Our missionaries attended an enjoyable Saturday meeting with him followed by a meeting with recent converts from 4 stakes.

More New Arrivals

Elder Wheeler and Sister Farnsworth arrived in the OEM this past weekend. Both are visa waiters with final detinations in Russia. We are happy to have them join us.

It Didn't Rain but it Poured

The week of January 16 saw extreme rain, wind and floods hit many areas of the OEM. Strong winds hit the coast, while torrential rain hit inland. Particularly hard hit with floods, were the Covallis and Albany areas where missionaries assisted the county in sandbagging efforts. All our missionaries are safe and looking for ways to serve others.

New Arrivals!

We welcomed our new arrivals on January 10
Drew Adams, JD Brown
Donovan Horton, Parker Kane
Craig Migliori, John Moua
K. Ben Richardson, John Sheen,
Ofa Taumoelau, Patrick Thornock
Trent Wardrop

New Mission Presidency

President Robert Watts officially became the second counselor to President Mark Young on December 28.

President Richard Lowary, President Mark Young, President Robert Watts

Trainers Training January 9,10

Let's face it...they're exceptional!

Zone Leader Council Meeting

                                        Zone Leader Council meeting was held Monday, January 2

Looking Back.................................. 2011 was great................................. 2012 will be even better!

From all of us in the Oregon Eugene Mission

Sorry to See Them Go

After a temple visit together, and a wonderful farewell dinner, seven of our missionaries left us.
Six were bound for home while one is leaving us to continue serving in the Temple Square Mission.
Elder Joel Kartchner, Elder Russell Knight,
Elder Samuel Lund, Elder Erik Porter,
Elder James Puertas
Sister Ainsley Despain, Sister Aleina Rogers

We're Dreaming of a ..............Wonderful White Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

It all started with a pass-along card!

A young man lost his way after joining the church. He spent some years experimenting with practices that took him further and further away from the gospel. Then one day he started to do some soul searching.  A friend gave him a mormon.org pass-along card which prompted him to go online and take a look.  He clicked on the “Meet WithThe Missionaries” link and a referral was immediately generated. The referral made it to 2 elders in his area who went to meet him. The elders were kindly invited to dinner and to present their first lesson. Not only was he interested in hearing the elders’ message, but he was now married with 2 children and his wife was interested in hearing the gospel as well. The missionaries began teaching an entire family! A baptism was held held in November and it all started with a pass-along card!

Leadership Training December 2

Zone Leaders and Assistant to the President

December 1 Departures

Another great group of missionaries left us on December 1:
Elder Jacob Hereth, Elder Kye Hofer, Elder Spencer Killian,
Elder Jordon Lindsay, Elder Joshua Redfearn,
Sister Raquel Lopez, Sister Caitlin Nichols

New Arrivals!

November 29 we welcomed 12 new missionaries
to the OEM:
Elder Justin Griffin,  Elder Carter Jennings,
Elder Hayden Jones, Elder Jeffrey Jorgensen,
Elder Kyson McBride, Elder Jonathan Perrine,
Elder Daniel Thompson, Elder Edgar Tilley,
Elder Dallin Webb, Sister Courtney Barton,
Sister Ashlee Hoffman, Sister Cinthya Lovato

2011 Winds Down

The year may be cooling off and winding down but the missionaries in the Oregon Eugene Mission are gearing up. They accepted a challenge from President Young and are hard at work. The names of the people they have prepared for baptism are rolling in to the mission office. Their Christmas gift to the Savior this year will be many more souls brought unto Him.

Book of Miracles

In our Zone Conference, one elder spoke of his 3 favorite books: The Book of Mormon, the Bible and Elder Bagley’s Book of Miracles. The mission is full of stories of the hand of God in our work. Here is one:

A woman in Southern California was at the end of her rope. Her sons were gang members and she feared for the well being of them and her family. She was searching for some peace in her life and was desperate to know what to do. In her desperation she knelt in prayer. While she was on her knees her doorbell rang, and when she opened the door, standing there were 2 missionaries. She knew right away they brought the peace she needed and listened to their message. One of those sons now serves in the Oregon Eugene mission sharing that same message of peace with others.

Zone Conference Week

Zone conferences were held this past week in Central Point, Eugene, Albany and Redmond. There was instruction, discussion, competition and celebration!

Zone Conference Redmond

Zone Conference Albany

Zone Conference Eugene



Zone Conference Central Point

Singing the mission song

The road to Redmond

OYM - Open Your Mouth!

Recently a gentleman from Bend, Oregon was traveling on a plane and found himself chatting with a member of the church. The church member recommended he take a look at mormon.org. and the next week the gentleman visited the site where he asked for more information. Meanwhile his traveling companion mailed him a Book of Mormon with his testimony. A pair of our wonderful missionaries visited the man, taught him the gospel and have now set a date for baptism! The missionaries call it OYM - Open Your Mouth! Thankfully, that's just what this member did!

Easy As Pie!

President and Sister Young invited all the sisters to attend an overnight seminar at the mission home. President Young taught principles centered on the Doctrine of Christ and Real Growth. President Lowary taught how to make an easy dinner and Sister Watts taught how to make a 15 minute pie. There was a testimony meeting, a sleepover, an early morning run and a day of training. Twenty-two sister missionaries.....two bathrooms. Enough said.

Zone Leader Council - Training, Food, Field Trip

The first week of the month is Zone Leader Council. The Zone Leaders come from near and far to spend a day with the President and get their batteries recharged. Thanks to President and Sister Young, President Lowary, and the AP's, this month's Zone Leader Council was full of good training, good food and a field trip to the University of Oregon campus and stadium. Check out the last picture to see the extra bit of fun the APs threw in for good measure.

An early start!

 







     



  


Who's your homeboy?

      

Former Mission Presidents Visit the OEM



L to R: President and Sister Young, President and Sister Smart,
President and Sister Cushing, President and Sister Fugal



What a great time President and Sister Young had in October with former President and Sister Smart, former President and Sister Cushing, and former President and Sister Fugal. They came to Oregon to enjoy the BYU game at Corvallis. The game was great   -   especially since BYU won J   -  and the weather was perfect! There was even time for some visiting with friends during dinner at the mission home. What a treat to spend time with people who share a common love for the people, the missionaries and the work of the OEM!

If At First You Don't Succeed............

“If at first you don’t succeed perhaps sky diving isn’t for you”

This sign appears on a fence near the mission office. Sometimes members of the church feel the same way about missionary work. Sometimes we are afraid to try, and before we know it we have given up altogether. Thankfully the missionaries in the OEM don’t have that attitude.

The Assistants to the President have recently started “The Assistants’ Challenge.” They challenged one pair of elders to make thirty OYMs (Open Your Mouth) the next day. Those contacts can be anything from a door knock to stopping someone on the street. Thirty seems a lot, but the elders themselves changed it to forty! These missionaries had been praying hard for a family to teach, so they were up to the challenge and off they set the next morning to find their forty. During the day they knocked and talked and even had success with some, but no families.  By late in the day, they were tired and their total was only thirty-nine! They could have given up, but had promised themselves and Heavenly Father they would hit forty. Instead of going home they decided to knock on one more door. There they were invited in to teach a family of six! …..and they have another appointment! The Assistants called it the "Miracle of the 40th Door." Blessings come when we don’t give up!

What Are Visa Waiters?

When visas don't come through for missionaries destined for foreign countries, they are given assignments inside the United States while they wait. Visa Waiters! We love visa waiters in the Oregon Eugene Mission. They come to the OEM for a brief time, where they are paired with great trainers and learn about mission life. We are so grateful for the service they render, but before we know it, they are gone :(  Right now we have four visa waiters with us. Elder Newell leaves for France this week. Elders Tillack, Henrie and McIntire as well as Sister Miller must be patient a little longer before they are off to Ukraine and Brazil.


Elder Tillack (Ukraine) with President and Sister Young

  



Sister Miller (Brazil) with President and Sister Young



Elder Henrie (Brazil) with President and Sister Young

 





Elder McIntire (Brazil) with President and Sister Young



Elder Newell (France) with President and Sister Young