We are finally to the big day. Elder Rasband spent the night here on Wednesday, making the big announcement about the senior missionary subsidy program. He had Elder Zaballos, President of the South America Northwest Area tell us the good news. Couples and single sisters who are over 40+ who wish to serve as senior missionaries will have their housing, fuel, and health insurance subsidized by the church.
This is similar to young missionaries. Senior missionaries would only need to pay for their food. What a wonderful plan! There are currently only three couples serving from this area. The Lascanos are one of these couples. If this plan is successful, the pilot program will spread to other areas.
We arrived early for the Friday meeting and practiced our special musical number. President Román asked me last month to put together something and I suggested Hark All Ye Nations for the entire mission to sing. It is the same number we used for the Hong Kong Mission. All in English, the song combines I Hope They Call Me on a Mission with Hark All Ye Nations.
The four assistants to the president were so helpful. I absolutely adore their work ethic. They served us all box lunches and we ate in the office, away from the sun. Then we grouped up to get our picture taken.
I couldn't believe how sunny it was. The Lascanos look like they are totally fine with it, but they have lived in Quito all their lives. My eyes were killing me. I love these Hermanas behind me. I've been lucky to work with them either in Coca or online with EnglishConnnect.
With 200 missionaries, it's tough to get everyone in the picture without making everyone tiny. Elder Rasband, President Paul V. Johnson and his wife Jill, President Zeballos, President Pino, and President Becerra from the Area Presidency. On my left is President Galán and President Torres of the mission presidency. The Inglishes are on the left. We claimed them since their mission hasn't been created yet.
We are over on the right, out of the picture. The Quito North Mission is on the right and the Quito Mission is on the left. That's about 400 missionaries, ready to split into 3 missions on July 1st. Elder Willard led the song while I played. When he had them stand and start singing, I felt all my nervousness evaporate. They were so amazing! After they finished, I gathered up my music, and because Elder Rasband was sitting right next to the piano, he was able to thank me and comment that it was a wonderful arrangement. Of course, I said thank you, like I had anything to do with that! In any case, I was very touched that he complimented the pianist.
I love Elder Pino's address. He talked a bit about learning English and how important it is for missionaries from Latin America to learn it. After he completed his talk, Elder Rasband jumped up and asked Elder Pino when he was called into the Seventy. He answered that he had been in that quorum for 16 years. Elder Rasband told us he was Elder Pino's quorum president at that time and that Elder Pino knew no English. And he has taken that time to learn English and is now fluent. He encouraged all of the missionaries to follow Elder Pino's example.
When Sister Jill Johnson spoke on Wednesday night she told us that she had been looking forward to serving a mission with her husband. And then Elder Johnson was called to be General Sunday School President in April. So she'll have to wait a little longer. If I could talk to her, I would tell her she is serving a mission, but it just isn't what she expected. Every mission we have served has been different from my expectations.
Elder Paul V. Johnson began by talking about the Dead Sea Scrolls. He told the story of their discovery and their condition. Then he compared the scrolls to the golden plates pulled from the mountain by Joseph Smith. The history written in the scrolls were copies of copies of copies. Disintegrated pieces had to be meticulously stitched back together. However, the plates contained every character carved precisely as they had been laid down originally. They were brilliant.
Elder Rasband encouraged us to pray each morning for someone to come into our path. He described experiences from the past few days traveling to Otavalo where this prayer has been answered. Toward the end of his talk he said, "It is all one work." This reminded me of Cheryl Koeven, who taught me this principle in Hong Kong. Sometimes we might feel that cleaning a meetinghouse, or picking up a food order, or singing to nursery children does not gather Israel. But it does. It is all one work.
We didn't not have an opportunity to visit with the leaders as they had to eat dinner and then speak to a single adult devotional. They all had traveled through Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador and were heading to Colombia. I don't know how they physically keep going. Bless them.
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