This past week we had all our sisters in Kobe for a training conference. This transfer we have an historic high 15 sisters serving in the mission. Two go home this coming transfer.
All the sisters arrived in Kobe to start at 10am. Fortunately, most can make it to Kobe in about an hour or less. The morning started with each companionship sharing a 10-15 minute training or "best practice" they have learned about finding, teaching or being an effective missionary. We strove to apply D&C 88:77 and instruct each other in the doctrines and principles of the kingdom.
After lunch, Sister McIntyre had a few minutes with the sisters privately so she could discuss issues related exclusively to being a sister missionary. Before we started up the afternoon session, Sister McIntyre also gave each sister an apron she made. The sisters all signed them for each other.
A wonderful group of missionaries! These sisters are sure to be great wives, mothers, teachers and leaders in the church.
Sisters Tsuda and Yamada serving in Sakai taught about how to use study time more effectively to plan and prepare to teach lessons for investigators.
Sisters Hayase and Meyers serving in Abeno taught how they find using eikaiwa pamphlets to lead a conversation to a gospel topic.
Sisters Yamashita and Kurashita serving in Hirakata do a little skit based on the "woman at the well" and then taught about the importance of companionship unity.
Sisters Kogawa and Kobayashi who also serve in Hirakata sang a little ditty about the Book of Mormon and taught about the how they help investigators learn from the scriptures. They also showed a picture book they created to help teach young investigators.
Sisters Glenn and Kina serving in Kobe taught about getting commitments and how to ask effective questions to help investigators understand the importance of the gospel message. They shared a great song they wrote.
Sisters Inoue and Kaneko serving in Okamachi shared part of their training through music. They also did a role play to show how we need to smile when teaching and respect investigators beliefs while teaching them the truth.
Sisters Webb, Notsu and Ho serving in Shimogamo, Kyoto shared with us how they held a mini MTC in their ward to help the members understand the principles and program missionaries follow as found in Preach My Gospel.
Talk about too many cooks in the kitchen. Try having 15 sister missionaries in your kitchen all at once! Sister Ise prepared Hawaiian hay stacks for lunch and everyone seemed to love it. It was a great day and the sisters were uplifted and instructed. In the afternoon, president shared some training from PMG that the sisters can apply not only now as missionaries, but once they return home and prepare for marriage as well. The afternoon ended with testimonies and the sisters were all back in their areas for lessons and proselyting by dinner time.
In addition to our Sister's Conference we travelled to Nara on Monday and interviewed the missionaries there and Tuesday we spent the day in Kyoto interviewing the 15 missionaries in that zone. That evening while in Kyoto I met with the Kyoto Stake President and the zone leaders in our monthly correlation meeting.
Each sister received an "I Love Kobe" apron. Right before lunch everyone signed each others aprons. The morning consisted of talks and training by the President and Sister McIntyre and in the afternoon each sister companionship trained the others sister on a missionary principle from Preach My Gospel.
Apron signing
Happy sisters!
Preparing lunch at the mission home.
Eating lunch at the mission home.
It was a wonderful day with the sisters.
We also celebrated a few birthdays this month. Elder Bowman serves in Kobe and got a cookie.
January is mochi pounding month. The Kobe Ward makes mochi each year to welcome the new year. This year President took a turn at pounding while Sister McIntyre sets it.
Well if you've ever wondered if we have snow in the mission, the following pictures should answer that question. This year we have had a lot up on the Japan Sea side of the mission.
These pictures were taken as we entered Tottori prefecture on the way to Yonago.
At interviews in Takamatsu we celebrated a birthday with Elder Emery.
And back in Kobe Sister Wajima had a birthday too.
The first week of January we held our monthly Zone Leader Council in Kobe.
The first Sunday of January we started out the year by visiting a baptism in Tokushima for 87 year old Sister Ono.
On New Year's Day we had a sports activity in Ibaraki and a few of our former missionaries came to see us.
The year ended on a great note with December being our highest month for baptisms since the mission reopened over three years ago. We are confident 2011 will be a great year in the Kobe Mission.
