Family History Week 3

Hi to everyone;

This week we have been training in our new assignment. We are in the Hosting zone at the Family History Library. This week we have been learning all the tricks of the trade with family tree and search in ancestry and other sites. We have learned how to do a proper search for records and then to source those searches. We have also learned how to added stories and photos to Family Tree. It has been a long week of sitting at the computer but the training will come in handy when we start serving the guest to the library.

Monday is our final day for training. We will be spending the whole on photos and IrfanView an editing program. Hopefully we will get it all down before we start our shifts. This coming week we are looking forward to Halloween as the library will close at 5 pm instead of 9 pm.

We have had one of the couples in our group struggle this past 3 weeks. Elder Thomas had surgery about 9 weeks ago for a hernia and has had to have another 2 surgeries to correct an infection that has persisted. He has been an unhappy camper the last few weeks. We hope he gets over the blues soon.

Today we attended the Primary Program at Erika's ward. It centered on families. Everyone did well. Since their ward has a small primary, the families of the children participated. The children sang well and the messages were great. Although Reese did mention a possible trip to Disneyland, which I think was unexpected by her parents. Charley and EVB both gave good short talks and Miss Mabel also had a part. Great Job everyone!! I really enjoyed the girls sing as a group.

Love to everyone
E/S Waller, Bama & Bampa, Chuck & Sharon

Family History Mission Week 2

Friends and Family;

This has been a very busy week here in the Family History Mission. First off the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. Mid 70's, clear skies and little to speak of wind. We were kept busy all week working on family names, as we learned new tricks for research and adding information to family tree. Sharon got really good at adding photos to the memories section of family tree. I got involved in two difficult case in my family tree. One was involving the Mumm family ( my uncle on my mothers side), the other involving the Dupin or Jupin family on the Cosby side of the family. Both were difficult problems to solve but with the assistance of Sister Hart we figured out the puzzles.

Last Friday, I was sick so, Sharon had our Mission Presidency interview all alone. I thought it great that they got to quiz her on where she wanted to work in the mission and not me. So it was with great anxiety that we came to the Friday " Go Forth" meeting. We have been assigned to serve in the hosting section of the mission.  There are 20 different zones in mission, dealing from world wide support, training, archiving, patron help, data quality and others.  Hosting is done over at the Family History Library. We will be involved with all the visitors coming to the Library. Getting them started in Family Tree and research, Welcoming them and directing them to special areas and many other task. We are called the " Happy Zone" must always have a smile on our face.  I told Sharon we were called to this zone cause she is wearing such nice outfits and matching shoes.. We start this Monday with another week of training in our zone. We also have the opportunity to take lots of classes on genealogy, should help. We will be working shifts. Two weeks of 8-4 pm. and then two weeks of 1-9 pm. We will work every other Saturday. We get a half a day a week to do research and then one full day a month to do Temple work and Genealogy research.

This past Friday evening we drove up to Kamas, Utah to help with a Young Conference. Erika and Aaron were in charge of the conference and asked us to speak. The conference was held at Aaron's family cabin. It was a beautiful day and evening. They had 6 youth and about that many adults. We spoke by camp fire and had a good time. Sharon shared the parable of the pencil we learned in Sri Lanka by Elder Gugliotti. She did a great job. After the meeting we sat around the fire and saw a huge meteorite scream across the sky, it was huge!

Yesterday we had Reese and Charley up the apartment for the afternoon. Sharon took them on a tour of Temple Square. Then we were join by Aaron, Erika, Evangeline, and Mabel for dinner. It was a good day. Tonight we are to have dinner with Cameron and Matthew and wives, should be fun. Well have a great week.

Love to you all
Bama, Bampa, E/S Waller, Chuck & Sharon

President and Sister Workman

Early Morning Sky over the Temple

Temple Square Fountain

Sister Waller and Sasine her trainer

Elder Waller  and Sister Hart his trainer

Reese and Charley

Family History Mission Week 1

It has been an exciting week, as we begin our mission. We started with the move in which actually went fair well. We have a nice 2 bedroom apartment across the street from the Conference Center. Things were really hopping this past weekend with lots of conference goers. We were able to attend the Sunday afternoon session.

We started on the 3rd of October with orientation. We each were assigned a trainer, who began teaching us the Family Search program. I was already familiar with many of the research items, but having personal training was very helpful. Little shortcuts to find distant relatives and then how to properly enter them into Family Tree.

We were up early for morning devotionals and immediately started on on one training. We enjoyed a tour of the Church Library which in truth is an archive for all kinds of Church history. The missionaries are all very friendly and helpful, many on the 2nd mission here at the center. They love working so close to center of things. They also love the association with so many other senior missionaries.

As a mission we have been challenged to memorize a scripture a month. This month the scripture is :

D&C 82:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, my servants, that inasmuch as you have forgiven one another your trespasses, even so I, the Lord, forgive you.

I t has been great walking around Temple Square each day, see the flowers and people. I have included a few pictures of the Temple grounds.

Salt Lake Temple from our apartment

We enjoyed General Conference, and had the opportunity to attend the Sunday afternoon session. Afterward we walked back to the apartment and changed clothes to take a walk around the city. We hadn't gone far before we met someone from our Cape Verde mission. 

Brother and Sister Lopez from Florida

They are currently in Orlando serving most days in the temple. When the Fort Lauderdale Temple opened half the ordinance workers left the Orlando Temple. The Temple President asked the Lopez to stay for another year before putting in their mission papers and they agreed. It was good to see them.

We are constantly reminded by all in the mission how much new missionaries are needed and to encouraged others to put in their papers. We entered the mission with a good group: E/S Bang, Brunt, LeBaron, LIndsay, McGill, Rentz, Shatles, Sisell, and Thomas. Then Sister Christensen, Flake, Hansen, McFaddin, Parrish, and Rawlins. We then have eight young Elders also being trained.

We received the word about our new bishopric in Meridian and send our congratulations to Bishop Hessing, Brother Pugmire, and Brother Stewart.

Love to everyone,

E/SWaller, Bama, Bampa, Chuck & Sharon