Today we attended a Missionary Teaching Conference in Martinsburg, West Virgina. What a beautiful building! It sits in the middle of a large meadow, with green grass, and trees. The picture doesn’t do it justice. All of us drove up in a six passenger van. I took my turn in the very back. What a mistake. I got car sick – yuck. I complained so much I’m sure I sounded like a five year old.
This was my view. Guess I need to see trees or something.
But, I sure enjoyed the company and scenery. We drove up with the Gibbons, Elder Hibbard and Sister McKendrick. Elder Hibbard was in the MTC at the same time we were. He is quite the traveler. He was raised in Switzerland, and has traveled all over the world, including Italy, France, and Arabia, among others. For being 19, he has had many adventures. The drive was 80 miles so it was nice to have people to visit with. It made the time go by quicker.
Elder Hubbard
The Martinsburg Building
Elder and Sister Carlson
Sister Saunders
Elder and Sister Adams
Elder and Sister Adams live in Susanville – right near good old Northern California.
Elder and Sister Saunders are Service Missionaries. Elder Saunders was unable to attend the conference. NOTE: Service Missionaries are those who serve from their homes. They serve, but live at home. Some mission calls for service missionaries are for service they can do right at home or for service that needs to be done near their home. It helps those couples who because of ill health, or adult children who need care, or lack of funds to support themselves away from home and any other types of needs.
At the Conference today we got a chance to meet more of the Senior Elders. It looks like we will be going on some activities with them, i.e. to historic sites, etc. In about three weeks we will be at President and Sister Belliston’s Mission Home. NOTE: When you are called to be the Mission President, the church provides a home for you and your companion. We will be there for transfers. NOTE: Transfers is the term for when missionaries leave the mission field (to go home) and when missionaries come to the mission from the MTC. A dinner is served for the incoming and out going missionaries and the President and his wife, and the Senior Missionaries. I am really looking forward to that.
At the conference “Preach My Gospel” was used continually. This was also the teaching manual used at the MTC. I never appreciated that manual until now. When using it constantly, you can see the wisdom of it. The teaching and the understanding of the Gospel is so simple when using the guidelines in this book.
When we walked out of the Conference to go to lunch – this is what we were greeted with. Rain. Yep, it is beautiful here, but my gosh it rains a lot!!!! And we all know how much I enjoy rain. . .
For lunch we went to a Buffet. My family and friends will tell you that Buffets are my favorite ‘restaurants’. 
Elder Boehrer and I; Elder and Sister Olsen; (Next to the window) Elder and Sister Gibbons; The Olsen’s daughter, Cindy and Sister McKendrick
